WHEN an eight-year-old could correctly identify parts of a grass after 10 minutes, David Allworth knew he was on to a success.
In among the flurry of information, lectures, native gardens, displays and sausages cooking on a fire drum, young and old gathered at the Watershed Landcare stand at the Mudgee Small Farm Field Days to learn about grass identification.
The hands-on class was a first for the field days, and along with a native seed collection and propagation workshop, it was a big success.
Mr Allworth, Mudgee, who works with Eco Logical Australia and is involved with Landcare, said the grass identification workshop was all about giving people a basic understanding of grasses so they could check out what was growing in their paddocks.
The workshop included large cardboard cut-outs of the parts of grasses for participants to put together and identify.
“It’s the ABC. We were at Playschool, and we had fun,” he said.
He said the native seed collection and propagation workshop included participants mixing up potting mixtures, and working with seeds.
Christine McRae, Mudgee, who has been with Landcare for 15 years, said the idea for the grass workshop came after it became apparent people were finding learning about the plants too complex.
“People found the terminology too hard. And we found that people just see grass and don’t see the differences,” she said.
But the workshops were only part of what was going on at a very busy Landcare stand.
Watershed Landcare coordinator Agness Knapik said there were lectures on beekeeping, sustainable buildings, making money from weeds and stockmanship.
There were also sales of native plants grown by members, with a larger number on sale than last year.
Landcare members were on stand-by to answer questions, and there was even serrated tussock in pots so people could identify it.
The native garden was also an attraction for many visitors. Ms Knapik said it included tough, hardy native plants which were attractive but didn’t need much water.
“It is an example of what people can grow in their own garden,” she said.
Ms Knapik said it was also a chance for people to sign up as members of Landcare.
She said Landcare had a diverse membership, from people who make their living off the land, to those on lifestyle blocks and in town.
“We focus on sustainable agriculture and environmental issues,” she said. “A healthy landscape means a health community.
“We help guide people to make better decisions.”
