Hopevale and East Coast Pond Apple Control | Final Report
We have been working in partnership with Cape York Natural Resource Management Limited,and Balkanu-Hopevale Congress Rangers as a part of our CY162 Strategic East Coast Pond Apple Control Program,
We have been able to time it so we have done a control run as the country has dried out and before the plant has been able to seed. This has helped to reduce the seed bank in the soil. This has occurred in along the Coastal and adjacent areas of the East Coast of Cape York Peninsula.
The area of coastline covered was from the North Shore of the Endeavour River, up to and including South Cape Bedford.
This builds upon and adds to the East Coast Pond Apple work being done by Cape York NRM and Cape York Weeds and Feral Animals Incorporated in a more southerly area of the East coast of Cape York Peninsula. This encompasses an area from Weary Bay to the North Shore of the Endeavour River.
We are continually working from the start of all the infestations, with the aim of reducing the size and impact of Pond Apple on the ecosystems of all the internationally recognised coastal wetland areas.
Progress Report for the period 29/05/2017 to 22/06/2017
As a part of our contract with Cape York NRM, we were to conduct a control trip, with the assistance of the Hopevale Congress Rangers as soon as we could access the coastal areas.
With the assistance of five of the Hopevale Congress Rangers, and three of our staff, the program was carried out over seventy-seven people days, during the above time period.
Since we had quite a few people involved, we covered much more area, both in Control work, and in further Pond Apple Survey.
We were able to follow the creeks and gullies back towards their sources.
This enabled us to be more confident that we did not miss too much and our control work was very thorough.
As a result, we continued to basal bark the bigger trees along the edge of the swampy areas.
As this was a continuation of the work that has been done further to the south, we have added to, and built upon the success of our East Coast Pond Apple Project as a whole.
Liaised with local landholders along all Pond Apple areas.
We also surveyed areas to the north, south and west of each coastal Pond Apple area, to see if any new Pond Apple could be found.
Met up at the Hopevale Congress Ranger Office where we went through risk assessment, workplace health and safety, toolbox talk.
Met up at the beginning of the Pond Apple infestation at Hopevale Beach and started our program control work by basal barking, cut stump and hand pulling.
We identified and eradicated Pond Apple seedlings sprouting from debris washed in by the tide.
Vicki and Ben from Cape York NRM, travelled up and gave all of our crew training in using Fulcrum mapping techniques.
Subsequently all mapping of the project was done using these methods.
On the second week of the control program we surveyed an extra 32 km of coastline by boat.
We only identified one area that might contain Pond Apple.
The weather was very rough and we had trouble getting in to ground truth and map the suspect areas.
Some areas were inaccessible due to the fact that roads were washed out and the swampy areas were full of water.
There were also access issues to some areas as there were known to be large crocodiles living along these areas.
We then continued the control work along the beaches between North Shore and South Cape Bedford, where we could access.
Small infestations were surveyed and controlled all the way up and down the fresh water areas from North Shore to South cape Bedford.
Major work on the big infestations occurred at the Alligator Creek, South Cape Bedford and Munbar areas where most of the big patches of Pond Apple were located.
We conducted Pond Apple control using the basal barking, and cut stump methods.
Finished up each afternoon with revision of herbicide mixing ratios and data sheet filling.
The last area to be worked on was the South Cape Bedford area. This was where the biggest infestation in the entire coastline was concentrated.
It was so thick that it was very hard to get in amongst the pond apple and everything had to be cut stumped.
We conducted a refresher course with the four Hopevale Congress Rangers.
They came over, cut stumped and Basal Barked Pond Apple alongside us.
In some of the bigger areas, the Pond Apple was surrounded by much deeper water than expected.
We further surveyed the area for any Pond Apple that was out of water, and controlled what we could.
Managed to basal bark quite a few bigger, older trees that were on the edge of the swamp.
We also managed to cut stump a lot of Pond Apple that was in the shallower and drier parts of the control area.
Mapped all of control work. The data and herbicide usage sheets were also completed.
Approximately 6.4ha of the existing Pond Apple area was controlled and further 27 km of area was ground surveyed.
Photos were taken including photo points along the various treatment sites.
All areas of control work have been mapped using the GIS systems, and put on to QGIS maps.
The data and herbicide usage sheets were also completed.
The Pond Apple Control Program was extremely successful.
. The mapping has been included as a part of the control program, and we hope to use it to be able continue further follow up control work, when and if resources become available.
There was a lot more Pond Apple there then the resources or time would permit us to deal with, as this control program was due to finish on June 30, 2017.
We are hoping to continue to work together in partnership to be able to apply for further resources to be able to continue our follow up control program.
The Weeds Control Program was extremely successful, due to the fact that we have such a strong willingness to get in and get the control work done
CYWAFA_INC, Cape York NRM, Hopevale Congress Rangers and Traditional Owners, are to be commended for their professionalism and willingness to get the job done.
