Narbethong Holly control project

The Friends of Marysville Walks and UGLN have been carrying out a very successfull project to control Holly in bushland and along waterways in the Narbethong area.

Working with and under the direction of Marilyn Connor from Friends of Marysville Walks, UGLN have controlled many hectares of holly on private and public land along Fisher Creek, Dom Dom Creek and Hermitage Creek by using our Recycling for Recovery funds to employ specialist weed control contractors.

Marilyn Connor with CVA volunteers at The Hermitage.

We have also supervised many volunteer days cutting out and poisoning holly at the‘The Hermitage’. Which is a heritage-listed building in Narbethong set amongst the tall Mountain Ash forest at the summit of the Black's Spur.

Our most recent day was with 10 volunteers from Conservation Volunteers Australia on the 15th June. Funding for this day was generously donated by the Kinglake Landcare Group from their Kinglake Stream Restoration Project.



CVA volunteers removing holly from bushland at Narbethong

'Accenture Australia'

28th February 2011

Holly removal from the gardens of the historical "Hermitage" Guest House on the Black Spur at Narbethong.

Thirteen employees from Accenture joined Phil and Janet from Landcare for a peaceful day of 'cutting and painting' wild holly with loppers and herbicide.

The original gardens at 'The Hermitage' were laid out by Baron Von Mueller in 1893. There are now many magnificent exotic trees mixed with the native mountain ash and tree ferns . I am not sure if he introduced the hollys but he did bring the first blackberries to Australia ! Thousands of wild holly plants are now invading the surrounding bushland.

Many of the trees were too large for loppers and handsaws , Chris has organised a contractor to do the major chainsaw work , then more teams of volunteers can be recruited to cut out the smaller plants . This would be an overwhelming project for the owner and his wife to complete without assistance.

Thanks Accenture volunteers.

Five of the volunteers were heading off for a long Australia Day weekend after helping us , bushwalking to Lake Tarli Karn and down the Macalister River , what beautiful weather they had for this adventure .