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SITE & LOCATION. Norah Head reserve, surrounding Norah Head
lighthouse, off Bush street.
FUNDED BY. Coastcare.
DURATION OF WORK. 6 weeks (October/November 2000).
WEEDS REMOVED.
* Lantana - Lantana camara
* Bitou Bush - Chrysanthenoides monilifera
* Cassia
- Senna pendulla
* Honeysuckle - Lonicera japonica
* Blackberry - Rubus ulmifolius
* Turkey Rhubarb - Acetosa
sagittata
OTHER WORK COMPLETED ON SITE.
* planting of Magenta Lilly Pilly - Syzigium paniculata,
&
other native sp.
* erosion control - using dead Bitou as a retaining wall.
CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE.
The reserve contains pockets of Littoral rainforest, which present a high conservation value due to their characteristic
rare plant species, and rareness itself, along the New South Wales coastline. These Littoral rainforest areas located at Norah
Head have been threatened by the smothering ability of fast growing exotic plants
such as Lantana and Bitou bush, which
if left untreated without removal will completely erase native plant communities. Within these Littoral rainforest pockets
the dominating native plant population is that of
Tuckeroo - Cupaniopsis anacardioides.
ABOUT THE SITE.
A large amount of work was completed by the TENTACLE team from the area near the rockpool, up the hill to the lookout
and East to the lighthouse. The reserve on many places along the steep slope had extremely high concentrations of Lantana,
Bitou and Turkey Rhubarb which the team cut & stumped (plant is cut at the lowest point to the roots, and is poisoned
with roundup). The work was successful, in the fact that the team changed what was a largely weed infested area into a more
integral one, but as with the nature of weed species that produce a high amount of seeds that have long dormancy times, follow
up weeding is required to cleanup any seedlings / regrowth. Through the clearing of exotics many native seedlings were uncovered
including Tuckeroo & native Guava. The Norah Head Coastcare volunteer group, has and will continue to work for the regeneration
of the reserve.
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