Lending nature a helping hand

The green slurry contains seeds that will stimulate new growth

Coity Tip, a small nature area next to Big Pit Mining Museum, has in recent years suffered extensive damage as a result of illegal off-road biking. Although the turf has now been fenced off, the damage already inflicted has left it unable to recover.

In an attempt to restore the vegetation, Big Pit Mining Museum in collaboration with the Forgotten Landscapes decided to repair the damage, employing a modern technique called hydroseeding: A semi-liquid mixture consisting of seeds suspended in water and animal dung was spread across the area through a big, high-pressure hose. The slurry protects the seeds from wind, rain erosion and bird attacks while providing a nice, moist environment for the seeds to germinate in. It is a very efficient and cost-effective way of generating growth, more-so than the traditional way of scattering seeds across an area.

FLP scheme manager, Steve Rogers, expressed his optimism about the project: “It is a terrific way to improve the opportunity for the plants to re-establish. Next year we will be able to see how successful the project has been”.