2020 Report

FOWP Annual Report 2020

Adrian Blackman, FOWP Secretary

The Friends of Wellington Park (FOWP) completed 10 regular working bees during 2020, less than usual due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Of these sessions, seven were devoted to weeding and three to track maintenance. As usual work was performed in sections administered by the City of Hobart, the Parks and Wildlife Service, and the Glenorchy City Council, (6, 3 and 1 session respectively). These field activities equated to 392 volunteer-hours of field work. In addition, 142 hours were dedicated to administrative tasks including those mandated by occupation and safety requirements together with documentation and publicity. The monetary value of all these volunteer hours is estimated to be $16035 (at $30 per hour).

The most expensive project completed during 2020 involved rehabilitating part of Hobart’s New Town Rivulet. The City of Hobart has developed the New Town Rivulet Park and Track on council reserve land in the suburb of Lenah Valley. One final badly degraded section filled with blackberries and other invasive plants remained and the Friends of Wellington Park with the support of the City of Hobart won a Federal Government Communities Environment Program grant to rehabilitate this area. Contractors were employed to remove these weeds and then to plant Tasmanian native plants—a mix of trees, shrubs and grasses, all occurring naturally in the area. We thank Andrew Wilkie for his support by awarding us the grant ($12,000). Thanks are also given to Wildcare Tasmania for funds ($850) enabling project completion due to unanticipated coronavirus restrictions. The City of Hobart provided logistical support that is appreciated. FOWP volunteers have contributed their time for project planning, administration and limited field work (equivalent to about $3,800) with more time to be spent working in the next five years maintaining the site.

Other working bees in the City of Hobart administered area involved weed control, once near the Fingerpost Track and several sessions at the old farm site adjacent to the Main Fire Trail. Weeds removed included Spanish Heath, foxgloves and gorse; a pine tree was also poisoned. In the Parks and Wildlife Service area, track maintenance was performed on the final section of the track leading to Devils Throne and the first 250 metres of the track from the East West Trail to Mount Marian. In December a start was finally made to construction of a new track from Thark Ridge to the Devils Throne Track. This new track will bypass an unsafe boulder field crossing as well as avoid an eroded and often wet portion of the old track. The new bypass track is scheduled for completion during the summer of 2021.

There were 35 active volunteers who attended one on more working bees during 2020 but well over half came to just one event. On average about 7 volunteers attended each of the 10 sessions (maximum 18, minimum 2). We thank the Wellington Park Management Trust, Parks and Wildlife Service, City of Hobart Bushcare and the Glenorchy City Council for providing transportation and field assistance.