 John Delpratt John is an Honorary Fellow with the University of Melbourne. He was a lecturer in plant production and seed technology at the University’s Burnley campus for 25 years prior to his retirement. His involvement with native grassland conservation focused initially on cultivation and seed production systems for grassland forbs and later on the reconstruction and management of diverse native grassland communities for both ecological and horticultural applications. Over the past few months, Steve has introduced the native grasslands and grassy woodlands of temperate Australia; what we know of their management and why we are losing the battle to save them – a compelling story in four Blogs. I have the privilege of adding my own contribution to this discussion.  Rokewood Cemetery (mid-summer) is a beautiful and diverse Kangaroo Grass dominated flora reserve. It also retains one of the largest remnant populations of the nationally-endangered daisy Button Wrinklewort (Rutidosis leptorhynchoides). It serves as an important reference community for regional grassland restoration Last month I wrote about the on-going, incremental loss of native grassland on our public roadsides, but also of the recent progress in restoring these communities, primarily by direct sowing. This month, I’d like to explore the value of restoration for conserving these critically endangered communities and how a small community in south-western Victoria is approaching this issue. I will argue that local community action is an achievable method for kick-starting the replacement of large tracts of exotic, high biomass, summer-dry roadside vegetation with lower biomass native grassland communities, dominated eventually, in most instances, by summer-growing Kangaroo Grass.  A high-quality remnant on Chatsworth-Wickliffe Rd, a 3 chain (60 m) wide road reserve just west of Woorndoo. The many benefits of roadside grassland reserves There are numerous reasons why rural roadsides are potentially very valuable for long-term native grassland conservation, and simultaneously, why remnant and restored native grasslands are so well suited to our roadsides.
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 John Delpratt John is an Honorary Fellow with the University of Melbourne. He was a lecturer in plant production and seed technology at the University’s Burnley campus for 25 years prior to his retirement. His involvement with native grassland conservation focused initially on cultivation and seed production systems for grassland forbs and later on the reconstruction and management of diverse native grassland communities for both ecological and horticultural applications. Over the past few months, Steve has introduced the native grasslands and grassy woodlands of temperate Australia; what we know of their management and why we are losing the battle to save them – a compelling story in four Blogs. I have the privilege of adding my own contribution to this discussion.  Recent mechanical damage to a section of Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) roadside remnant vegetation. The reason for the damage is not known but it illustrates how quickly these communities can be degraded or destroyed, with little prospect of timely repair or restoration. Image: Liz Fenton The critical element for any conservation activity is HOPE Constantly, we are reminded that natural temperate grasslands and grassy woodlands are among Australia’s most endangered plant communities. We watch in disbelief and frustration as these complex and beautiful communities are incrementally degraded, reduced and obliterated by human activities such as urban expansion, pasture modification and cropping, and road and roadside operations. |
Stephen Murphy is an author, an ecologist and a nurseryman. He has been a designer of natural landscapes for over 30 years. He loves the bush, supports Landcare and is a volunteer helping to conserve local reserves. 
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