Which weed is which?

Pest animal & weed fun at Henty Machinery Field Days 2019

Stronger Together - MEPAAW2-RV-03

The issue

An endless challenge for NSW DPI, LLS and landcare groups is to find ways to inform and engage other people in best practice pest and weed management activities. There is lots happening, lots of information available and lots still to happen to keep pest animals and weeds under control. So how best to build connections between local agency staff and landcare groups working in invasive species management with the general public to discuss local pest management/weed issues? How to get feedback on current/potential projects and activities and work together in a collaborative way? How to highlight projects and species needing attention?

The solution

Instead of making your audience come to you, sometimes it works to go to your audience. The 3-day Henty Machinery Field Days (17-19 September) is Australia’s premier mixed farming event attracting 55,000 people. With funding from the MEPAAW project Petaurus was able to co-ordinate a prominent display in the Landcare shed focused on invasive pest animals and weeds.

To draw attention and encourage visitors to stop, read the information, use the WeedWise app & chat with a host, we had a game called “Pick the paddock weed – which weed is which?” with participants going in the draw to win $50 Jayfields nursery vouchers. Photos of 30 common farm, roadside & bushland weeds were numbered, and visitors were invited (challenged in a fun way) to have a go & name the weeds. There were a few tricky ones.

The impact

Many visitors really enjoyed the game, many surprising themselves on their knowledge. A landcare host stayed with them to encourage, answer questions, give hints (like use the app, the surrounding posters, handbooks & guides) and finally give the answers. It was lots of fun and it worked as a way to start the conversation and build rapport.

Surrounding the ‘game’ board were displays, posters and information highlighting on-ground projects like bio-control for common weeds & using Biohub app, blackberry action groups, tree-of-heaven works, willow replacement programs, show cased various MEPAAW events held during the year and pest animals like Indian myna, deer, foxes, rabbits and cats (feral & domestic). There were also plenty of handouts including weed ID posters, pamphlets and manuals, trap designs for Indian Mynas, hunting fence signs & deer policy & legislation, bio-security on farms and most of all encouragement, advise and education to keep going with managing established pest animal and weeds.

Author: Paula Sheehan