A thick blanket of asparagus weed and waist high bitou bush met Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens Bitou Busters on their first working bee of the 2017 season.

On Saturday 25 March, thirteen volunteers worked on their hands and knees

along a strip of distressed native vegetation between the Hawks Nest Oval and the caravan park fence.

The asparagus weed – which is different from edible asparagus - needed careful handling due to the abundance of red and green berries on the fern. The berries and fern had to be removed and bagged before removal of the asparagus heart could start, as a single berry left on the ground would result in a new infestation.

The area also has a number of swamp mahogany trees, an important food source for koalas.

Asparagus is one of the most physically difficult weeds to remove, so the volunteers enjoyed a refreshing drink at the group’s sponsor the Benchmark on Booner.

The NSW Environment Trust Grant supports the Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens Bitou Busters in their work to regenerate the native bush and raise awareness of the environment in the community.