wacky weed month is here

Wacky Weed month has kicked off and is a month of weed awareness raising activities, including the Longest Ivy Plait competition.  

The Longest Ivy Plait competition aims to educate schools, community groups and residents on the damage that Ivy does and just how widespread it is in the Yarra Ranges.

Prize money on offer for the longest Community Group Entry will be $500, School Entry $300 and Individual Entry $200

Ivy is a highly invasive and aggressive
weed in the Dandenongs, if left to climb
up trees it's sheer weight can topple them.
You can read more about ivy here.

The challenge will be to remove large intact ivy strands and plait three together. The strands may be joined to made them longer however only by using ivy to bind them. Judging will occur on the 6th December for schools and on the 8th December for Community Groups and Individuals from 10am – 12pm, Hayes Carpark, Burwood Highway, Belgrave

The first 50 entries to arrive on the day will receive a coffee voucher for a local Belgrave Café.  All children attending on the day will receive a token gift and free face painting will be available. Ivy Plaits will be hung from the footpath fence along Belgrave Main Street for passing traffic to awe at the volume.

More events planned for Wacky Wipe Out Weeds Month include:

Saturday 16^th Nov 9am-3pm  - Weed Blitz – Free environmental weed tipping day (skips at Kallista Community House)

Saturday 23^rd Nov 3pm – 8pm - Upwey Grassroots Market - Ruccus junior circus troope performing 'weeds'

Sunday 1^st Dec 10:30 to 2pm - Landcare for Singles - Do you plant here often? at Birdsland

Saturday 7th December - Kallista Market – Southern Dandenong Landcare  Group weed info display and guest appearance from “The Connies”

Saturday 8th December - the ivy plait competition (see above for more info)

Look out for static weed information displays at our Community Links, Libraries and Community Houses in the Dandenongs.

Wandering Trad, another weed nasty, was the weed
of choice at our last Kallista Weed Blitz event.
It's ranked number 10 in terms of worst weed in
Yarra Ranges, you can find out more about it here.

Wacky Weed month is sponsored and supported by the Urban Fringe Weed Management Initiative – Dandenong Ranges, Yarra Ranges Council and the Community Weed Alliance of the Dandenongs as well as our marvelous and dedicated network of environmental volunteers.