Graham Zemunik – Roadside Conservation

The Southwest of WA’s bushland is highly diverse and changes rapidly over small distances. As roads form linear transects of this vast area they give a glimpse of what lies in the bushland beyond the roads. Unfortunately many areas are mostly cleared of bushland and pockets of bushland are only found beside the roads in the road reserve.

However many road managers cannot see the bushland for the road. Recent practices of removing native vegetation for 10 metres (or more) on either side of the road have so concerned the Wildflower Society that a special committee on Roadside Vegetation Conservation was formed a few years ago. With the support of a grant from the Society’s Mary Bremner Bequest Fund the group has been able to employ a botanist to help with publicising and responding to applications to clear roadsides.

Graham Zemunik holds this position and will talk to the Perth Branch of the Wildflower Society at the its last meeting for 2019 on Tuesday 12th November. Graham will introduce you to the many values of roadside vegetation including its conservation significance and its role in hazard reduction.

A short Perth Branch Annual General Meeting will start the gathering. A number of the Perth Branch Committee who have sat on the committee for a decade, or three, have decided not to stand in 2020. We urge anyone who would like to learn more about the Society and help to organise Perth Branch meetings (our main task) to nominate for the committee.

Meetings of the Perth Branch of the Society are held on the second Tuesday of each month in the Subiaco Community Centre across the road from Crossways Shopping centre in Bagot Road. Doors open at 7.45 pm and the meeting begins at 8 pm. Supper is served after the talk and everyone is eligible for the night’s door prize. You do not need to be a member of the Society to attend, entry requiring a $3 door donation.

Photo Captions

Left:  Daviesia cunderdin a species confined to a few road verges north of Cunderdin. This species was discovered in 1993 and described in 1997!  (photo B Keighery)

Centre:  G Zemunik

Right:  Only 3 bushes left on this roadside. (photo B Keighery)