WILDCARE Inc News Library
Friends Of Maatsuyker Island Weeding Project
This article appeared in Wildtimes No. 22 on 22nd September 2004
MAATSUYKER ISLAND IS AN ISLAND OF around 180 hectares located approximately 10 kilometres off the remote south west coast of Tasmania. The island has a rugged, steep and rocky coastline and, apart from the areas cleared for a lighthouse station, is covered by dense, scrubby vegetation. The island is part of the Southwest National Park and Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
WILDCARE CARes group Friends of Maatsuyker Island (FOMI) has recently been successful in securing funds from the Australian Government’s Envirofund for a weeding program on the island in November 2004. Weeds on the island of course were introduced through human impacts, and have spread outwards from the light station to now threaten native vegetation and seabird habitat.
FOMI member and manager of the weeding project, Karen Ziegler, explained that the principal weeds were blackberry and montbretia.
“We all know blackberry but montbretia is a weed not so commonly known but unfortunately very widespread. It is a member of the lily family, and has flat soft leaves growing to around 1 metre with masses of trumpet-shaped orange/red flowers. It has a large underground ‘corm’ which makes control very difficult. Any soil disturbance is likely to spread the weed and since it invades shearwater (mutton bird) colonies it is a serious problem on Maatsuyker Island”, Karen said.
WILDCARE volunteers will travel to the island for two weeks in early November, a period when returning shearwaters generally vacate the island to feed up at sea prior to egg laying. All transport will be by helicopter and the volunteers will live in one of the three comfortable houses previously used as light keepers’ residences.
By: Craig Saunders, PWS Huonville.
