Here at QEII we continue to work with the Weedbusters initiative to stop weeds taking over New Zealand’s natural areas. Staying on top of best practises for ecological weed control in New Zealand is key for us to keep helping our covenantors and local communities bust weeds up and down the country.

In mid-June, QEII Community Weedbusting Project coordinators Mike Urlich and Darryl Kee ran the Whangarei War on Weeds workshop, hosted by the Northland Regional Council. The training workshop was aimed at groups and organisations that are active in weed control, with a focus on ‘training the trainers’ to enable those who attended to share their knowledge.

With over 20 attendees from a range of backgrounds, the workshop covered known procedures, techniques and tools that can be used for weed control. Our QEII representatives joined folks from Whangarei City Council, Whangarei Heads Weed Action, Fish and Game, selected contractors and community group members at the two-day workshop.

With one day of classroom learning, followed by a practical day in the field, attendees brought along their weed control equipment so that they could go over best practice methods and experience putting them into action, using tools like low drift nozzles; a game changer for weed control operations in and around sensitive native vegetation.

Participants left confident, with the tools and knowledge they need to go out into their communities who are doing their part to control weeds on both public and privately-owned sites.

Find out more information about Weedbusters NZ here 

Photo credits: Malcolm Pullman