VOLUNTEERS at the Sunshine Reserve Conservation Group have been rolling up their sleeves and getting to work ahead of this year’s National Tree Day on 27 July. The reserve at Mt Martha is a pocket of natural bushland with volunteers passionate about preserving it and seeing indigenous flora and fauna thrive.
Volunteers have been busy weeding out invasive plants and preparing for tree planting sessions for National Tree Day. They are now inviting all community members to a planting session at the reserve from 9am to 12pm on 27 July. The event will also include a smoking ceremony.
“Unfortunately weeding is the biggest and most persistent challenge,” the group’s co-ordinator Angie Fly said. “Most of the invasive species we battle in reserves like Sunshine Reserve have spread from nearby residential gardens, carried by wind, water, or wildlife. Bright bead cotoneaster is a glaring example; berries are carried by birds, and seeds are then distributed throughout the reserve where they thrive, stifling smaller indigenous plants and disrupting the precious natural web of life.”
Fly said the community can play a role in protecting biodiversity by being mindful of the plants they choose for their gardens. “By prioritising local indigenous species over exotic or potentially invasive ones – we help safeguard the surrounding bushland,” she said. “Instead of agapanthus and polygala think evergreen Lomandra or Dianella and Bursaria. Instead of English Ivy try Clematis. Local indigenous plants tend to be more drought tolerant and attract beneficial insects and birds to our gardens and reserves. “Together, through small, thoughtful choices, we can therefore preserve and protect the natural heritage of our region.”
To join the planting day at the Sunshine Reserve, meet at the entrance to Sunshine Reserve, corner of McLeod Rd and Hall St, Mt Martha. For more information, visit nationaltreeday.org.au/site/10030843
First published in the Mornington News – 15 July 2025