Have you ever tried to identify something in your paddock and got stuck on trying to work out what a ligule, a floret or a spikelet is?

The terminology of botany can be confusing but a group of Mudgee locals have developed a workshop to help everyone become grass literate.

The Mudgee Plant Study Group will be hosting a Grass Identification workshop this Saturday from 10am to 12:30pm at the Straw Bale Shed, Australian Rural Education Centre (AREC), Ulan Rd., Mudgee.

The Mudgee Plant Study Group are a group of locals who are passionately interested in Australian native vegetation.

“The group formed to address the difficulty every participant faces when they attend a grass identification workshop.” said Christine McRae, founding member of the Mudgee Plant Study Group.

“People quickly become lost, they are afraid of the terminology and, as a consequence, get discouraged and give up.” she continued.

In response, the group has been meeting since February to develop a workshop designed to increase grass literacy by going back to basics.

“Our idea is to make people comfortable and familiar with those components of a grass plant essential for identification.” said Christine.

The group aims to make participants better equipped to identify the many different Australian grasses by focusing on understanding ten to dozen key features of a grass plant.

“It's the ABC of grass ID. It's like learning a trade; you need to be introduced to the tools and the things you need to work with.” said Christine.

“Group sizes for the workshop will be kept small for active participation. The plan is to do it slowly, we will run a series of workshops, each focusing on a couple of items.” she continued.

Workshop numbers are strictly limited, for more information or to RSVP contact David Allworth on 0408 726 038 or djallworth@gmail.com or Christine McRae on cmcrae@activ8.net.au.

This event is supported by Watershed Landcare through funding from the Australian Government's 25^th Anniversary Landcare grants.