Crag Care 2020-21 report
Liz Milner | Published on 6/27/2021
Morialta Crag Care project report 2020/21
I have to begin this article with sincere thanks to the people who help co-ordinate this project and make all the good stuff happen! The Crag Care team have had an amazing year! Crag Care events can be exhausting and exhilarating with 20-odd climbers and Friends members coming out to help, though without experienced people to help mentor the new comers we would end up in complete chaos! Rob Brooks, Ross Christian and Garth Wimbush are all integral members of the Crag Care coordinating team. Between us everyone has hosted an event and everyone has had day off from attending, yet we have collectively all managed to work towards some amazing results on the ground this year. Thanks team, love your work!
Climbers removing blackberry at Far Crag March 2017
The same area of Far Crag June 2021
The Climbing Club of South Australia successfully applied for funding to increase the equipment available for Crag Care days and to re-vegetate Far Crag through the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape board’s Grassroots grants. This area needed a bit of a helping hand after the past few years of intensive blackberry removal and preparing the site for planting took up much of our time this year. The project garnered so much interest on the Landscape Board’s Facebook page we were asked if we would participate in producing a video to provide information about the project and the way the grant program supports community projects like ours. If you missed it on Facebook you can still see it on the Youtube link above. Climbers gathered the Saturday before Mothers Day to get the seedlings in the ground and we believe the before and after images speak for themselves. The seedlings are doing well with all the rain. It has been an amazing turnaround in this area!
Climbers removing blackberry at Far Crag January 2017
The same area of Far Crag June 2021
Olives are still high on our agenda and we took the opportunity to split our work force at a few events so some basal spraying could be performed. The project had its very first event in 2014 at the base of Billiard Table treating olives. There are still many more to tackle down there but this year the results are more obvious than ever.
The team had a special day set aside again in September do more work on Muraltia. It is a difficult weed to locate and can be rather frustrating trying to find, but it remains Morialta Conservation park’s highest priority weed. The infestation starts above Far Crag and extends southeast towards Third Falls. At the same time we have made great inroads into the Cape Tulips at the top of the cliff and as we move towards the falls we have started the woody weed removal which will have great long term impacts.
Olives at Billiard Table November 2020
Great inroads into olive treatment Billiard Table June 2021
The hotter months can prove challenging when working on north facing cliffs, so this year as well as clearing the area below the Throne Room of woody weeds the team has jumped the creek and begun works removing the blackberry at the entrance to Thorn Buttress. This has really helped make the access for climbers better and we will continue to open up this area with the long term aim of meeting up with the works happening down Twin Creek. But that's a story for next year. Thanks to all the climbers and members who have helped with this fabulous work the past year.
Liz Milner
June 2021