Roleystone School Verge Rehabilitation Project

The Roleystone Community College has remarkably high value remanent vegetation on its grounds and the best example is the area of vegetation on the corner of Brooks and Raeburn Roads.  Highly visible on the verge every year amongst the large marri and jarrah trees was a beautiful natural display of orchids and wild flowers.

Below: photos of wildflowers along the verge in 2009 by Paul and Dimity Mutton.

This bushland however was dealt a blow during the recent construction of car bays along Raeburn and Brooks roads with excessive clearing by the contractor. By the end of the works, the verge vegetation was removed up to 8m from the final path edge and much of the topsoil was scraped off. Finally thick mulch was spread over the cleared area which will prevent any of the native plants from germinating.

With support from the school, volunteers organised by Roleybushcare spent a morning scraping away over 10 large trailer loads of mulch in hope that some of the orchids, fungi and seeds may remain and germinate this winter.

The plan is that after seeing how much vegetation returns, the area will be re-planted with trees, banksias and bushes that used to be on the site.

We have remarkable, undervalued, and unprotected natural heritage here in Roleystone. The reality is that only a small fraction of the original diversity will probably return to this verge. It will take 100's of hours of volunteer time, as well as plant and machinery costs to rehabilitate the verge.

If you are interested in helping out please contact Paul on 0400521184.

For more information on how to best preserve the remanent vegetation during site works. Check out www.roleybushcare.com.au