BYRON Shire Chemical Free Landcare is delivering the final two of six free workshops on rain forest restoration next November 30 and December 14 at Salt Water Creek, located beside the Mullumbimby Community Gardens.

The workshops, ‘How to convert a Camphor Forest back into rain forest without a drop of synthetic herbicides’ are once again focussed on redirecting participants away from a “war on weeds” approach to a focus on ecological reading of the the function and interaction of the plants in the environment, independent of origins.

Participants will learn how to apply strategies that are ecologically intelligent and economically viable when ringbarking trees and target saplings of climax environmental weeds.

The last two sessions will focus on the follow up of ring barked trees and continue to move along the creek line, towards the South East, targeting Camphor laurel trees and other environmental weeds.

Participants will also experience the difference of ring barking between cooler and warmer months of the seasons, when there is more presence of tree sap in the bark.

A planting of 200 trees was scheduled for the 14th of December workshop, however, it has being postponed to January, due to the current drought.

Sessions will run from 8.30am until 1.00pm, meeting at the Mullumbimby Community Garden carpark. Places will be limited, so booking is essential by emailing byronshirechemicalfreelandcare@gmail.com.

Please wear boots, long sleeve shirt and long pants, a hat, gloves and bring water, sunblock and some morning tea. Tools and first aid kit will be provided.

The teaching will be delivered by chemical-free bush regenerator Nadia de Souza Pietramale and has been made possible as part of Byron Shire Council Community Initiatives

Program