Celebrating our native Christmas tree

As 2018 draws to a close, we are reminded of the beauty of the Western Australian bush by the golden orange flowers of the Nuytsia floribunda.  Go for a walk in your local bushland and enjoy the rich orange contrasting against bright blue skies.

You will also find a surprising number of plants flowering strongly at this time. In many bushlands you will find the Melaleuca preissiana (or Moonah) in full flower.

Also, look out also for the pinks and yellows of Calytrix (C. flavescens, C. fraseri) and the white of Jarrah trees in flower.

Botanist Bronwen Keighery has previously reported that where Nuytsia floribunda are found in bushland, they persist.  However, where trees had been left in parkland or urban areas after clearing, they were more susceptible to dying out.  She further reports that this iconic plant had declined by 90% in urban areas.

As she reported then

“Places like the Inglewood Triangle and Kensington Bushland in South Perth, these patches are really important for keeping even common plants“.

Our bushland areas are very precious.  They play important roles as ecological linkages and as refugia for our wonderful endemic plant and animal species.

We at the Urban Bushland Council WA wish everyone a happy Christmas.  Above all, we hope that you have a great break over the festive season and that 2019 will be a successful year for all.

UBC blog series

UBC hopes that you have enjoyed our blog series.  As you can see, we have alternated between showcasing some of our fabulous urban treasures and providing you with updates of local environmental campaigns.

Thank you for your support of those campaigns. Every little bit of public reaction makes a difference and puts us on the path for better environmental outcomes.  If you wish you can re-read our blogs by clicking through the links at the bottom of this page.

Finally, we invite you to attend our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 5 March.  Our guest speaker will be Dr Hugh Finn, Chair of the Board, Environmental Defenders Office.

Merry Christmas.  We will be back in the New Year.