The Unnoticed Jewels of Our Forest
Amongst the gnarled eucalypts lay undisturbed jewels of the forest floor. Untouched, these jewels shine in the light of a sunny day as enthusiastic landcare adventurers explore the under story in search of knowledge, rare plants, and good company. These ‘jewels’ are of course our native wildflowers, that were once abundant in areas across Mansfield Shire but now only cling to remnant patches of undisturbed woodland and forests.
On the morning of the 20th of October, a dozen wildflower and nature enthusiasts set out on a walk to Sandy Creek. Individuals of all ages attended the day, all exploring and listening carefully to the delightful Sue Ablitt, a local ecologist and wildflower extraordinaire. Sue Ablitt took the group through the understory of the woodland and on a journey discovering intriguing plants. One of the most spectacular and ornate orchids was the Wax-Lip Orchid (Glossodia Major) whose stunning vibrant purple color could be seen as we made our way up the track. Bending over to inspect the small orchid (it only being smaller than the size of your thumb), its white lips and yellow tongue stood out against its purple petals.
One of the major threats to these delicate and undisturbed ecosystems is illegal 4WD tracks that are carved like scars into the landscape, this causes soil compaction, erosion, and introduction of invasive grasses and other weeds into this intricate ecosystem. Up2Us urges people to consider their impact on the local landscape as well as our fragile ecosystems before embarking on tracks in vehicles.
Continuing along the track, we discover a small population of Murnongs also known as Yam Daisies (Microseris lanceolata) with yellow flowers which could easily be mistaken for that of the common and invasive flatweed/dandelion. Inspecting the plant, Sue explains that the tubers of the Murnong are edible and were once a staple food for first nation’s people right across what is today Victoria and NSW. in response to a question raised by an attende regarding the legality of harvesting wild Murnong, Sue went on to state that although it is a great source of food, due to its low numbers in the wild, digging up or harvesting the Murnong is strictly prohibited under commonwealth and state legislation but Murnongs can be found in local nurseries such as the Euroa Arboretum.
After a decent walk, we found ourselves at Sandy Creek where crystal clear waters cascaded over granite boulders of glistening white and red color. Some of the younger attendees dipped their feet and legs into the cold crystal water and played in the stream, splashing about in the heat of the afternoon. The creek was also abundant with riparian flora and fauna with water skinks bathing themselves on the granite boulders.
Despite the cooling relief of the water, the group made its way back to the start of the track where the group's vehicles were parked. Sue’s last remarks of the trips were of extreme gratitude for attendees enthusiasm and passion for otherwise unnoticed yet extremely important flowers.
By Connor McFadden - work experience student
