Published 7 October 2011

Photographers, historians, naturalists, farmers and families, in fact anyone interested in discovering some of the fascinating and rare native plants in our landscape are welcome to join Watershed Landcare and the Department of Primary Industries for a botanical field day at four of our rural cemeteries.

Strange place for a field day you might think?

Rural cemeteries are those tiny “people plots” dotted throughout the district, adjacent to villages or smaller localities. They are intriguing places to visit, providing a genealogical history of a district and evoking a sense of how tough things were in times gone past – reading the headstones, you might trace an epidemic of an illness, so easily cured today.

Rural cemeteries are also a great place to see some of the biodiversity that is no longer widespread in the landscape. One of the first plots to be set aside in a new settlement, cemeteries have missed out on the past 200 years of continuous grazing by cattle/sheep, ploughing, fertilizer and sowing of exotic seed. These small remnants in the landscape contain examples of pre-European soils and vegetation that would otherwise have been converted for agricultural pursuits. The herbaceous layer in particular is what’s interesting, with forbs, such as Yam Daisies, Buttercups, and various native legumes, orchids, shrubs and grasses not readily found in the wider landscape.

Come along for a botanical tour with botanist/grazier Christine McRae and local district agronomist Jenene Kidston and discover some new species. The cemetery visits will take place at four of our local rural cemeteries; Wollar and Ulan on 17^th October, Ilford and Tannabutta on 18^th October, visiting each cemetery at 10am and 2pm on both days respectively. Each visit takes about 2 hours, so feel free to bring a picnic and come to one, two or all four. Be sure to bring a camera if floristic macros are your cup of tea – Watershed Landcare will award a prize for the best picture taken during these field days (with an extra bonus if you can remember the botanical name!)

To register and for directions and more information, please log onto our website www.watershedlandcare.com.au or call 6372 4321. Numbers limited.

This project is supported by Watershed Landcare through funding from the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country and the NSW Department of Primary Industries.