Volunteers plant 900 natives to fight invasive blackberry along Murrumbidgee
Volunteers have planted 900 native plants to replace invasive blackberry strangling the Murrumbidgee River.
The Southern ACT Catchment Group is clearing wild blackberry from riverbanks. The weed chokes out native plants and wildlife.
The fast-spreading weed can take over an entire area, reducing 20 different shrub species to just one. Volunteers are putting in native raspberries and other shrubs instead.
These shrubs provide habitat for birds and other animals without harming the ecosystem. Volunteers have planted about 900 native plants and removed 95 kilograms of debris from the river.
The group uses government funding and works with other conservation groups on the project. The work is set to finish mid-2027.
Native plants also strengthen riverbanks and reduce erosion.
- About 900
- Native plants planted
- 95 kilograms
- Debris removed
- From 20 to 1 when blackberry dominates
- Shrub species lost
- Mid-2027
- Completion date
Why it mattersBringing back riverside biodiversity protects homes for native animals. It strengthens the river ecosystem.
AustraliaMajor ACT waterway being restored to health, improving wildlife habitat across the region.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
