3 years ago, a small group of your fellow Watershed Landcare members initiated a project in some local rural cemeteries. Strange place for a project you might ask?!

Well, rural cemeteries are a great place to see how the landscape might have looked prior to European Settlement because they’ve missed out on 200 years of continuous grazing by cattle/sheep, ploughing, fertilizer and sowing of exotic seed.

The “Conserving Native Grasses in Rural Cemeteries” project involves four of our local rural cemeteries, Tannabutta, Ilford, Ulan and Wollar. It was originally kicked off by the (now defunct) Environment Committee and continues to be supported by Mid-Western Regional Council, and NSW Industry & Investment.

You are invited to visit these ‘living museums’ under a guided tour by local student botanist / grazier Christine McRae, and District Agronomist (NSW I&I) Jenene Kidston.

You will learn how to identify these species (some of which you may find on your own property), how and why they grow where they do and how they provide a sustainable perennial groundcover.

If you’re interested in learning more about native grasses, along with forbs and shrubs, then come along for one or more of the tours below.

Free to Watershed Landcare members ($11 for non-members).

 Living Museum of Native Grasses Registration Form - Click here to register now...

Friday 24th September
10.00am – 12.00noon     Ulan Cemetery (opposite the Ulan Community Centre)
2.00pm – 4.00pm     Wollar Cemetery (head out of Wollar towards Ulan on Ulan Rd, Cemetery on LHS)

Friday 15th October
10.00am – 12.00noon     Ilford Cemetery (From Mudgee: turn right onto Cafe's Rd which is first RH turn after Ilford info bay, cemetery is 2km along this road)
2.00pm – 4.00pm     Tannabutta Cemetery (From Mudgee: head 20km along Castlereagh Hwy towards Sydney. Cemetery is on LHS)