19 October 2013 – Texas Needle Grass Field Day, Barfold

Posted on 16 October, 2013 by Connecting Country

Landowners and other interested people are invited to a field day on Saturday 19th October to help stop the spread of Texas Needle Grass (TNG) in the Barfold, Mia Mia, Metcalfe, Emburton and Redesdale district.

Texas Needle Grass (Nassella leucotricha) is a highly invasive introduced species that has already caused considerable damage to farmland in the eastern part of the Mount Alexander Shire. The sharp, pointed seeds are a hazard to animals and can contaminate produce. TNG also poses a significant risk to native grasslands.

While TNG is already known to occur in the area, the true extent of its spread has not been recorded. Members of Campaspe Valley Landcare Group and Metcalfe Landcare Group are coming together, with the support of the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network (UCLN) and Connecting Country to map the current extent of TNG in the district. These groups are building upon a similar project undertaken by the Malmsbury and Langley Landcare groups in 2012.

To begin the project, a field day has been organised for Saturday Saturday 19^th October in Barfold, beginning at the Barfold Hall (Kyneton Redesdale Rd, Barfold) at 10am. The field day will feature needle grass identification training followed by a barbecue lunch, and conclude with a site visit to a nearby paddock containing TNG. Participants in the field day will have an opportunity to use their ID skills to contribute to the mapping project.

The data collected via this mapping project will assist local governments with their roadside management programs and help stop the spread of Texas Needle Grass.

If you would like to be involved in the project, or just want to learn more about identifying and managing Texas Needle Grass on your place, come along to the field day or contact Philip Don from the Campaspe Valley Landcare Group on (03) 5423-4182 or by email at mrdon@westnet.com.au.