Recently, members of WEPA raised their concerns alongside Artarmon Progress Association and a number of other community members about the plants chosen to refurbish the Artarmon train precinct.  Given that this area of vegetation links directly to the bush in Artarmon Reserve we asked that more consideration be given to planting indigenous rather than exotic species – some of which were known weedy species.  Our thinking was that, with the crisis facing our biodiversity large and small through climate change, pollution and development,  it was important to create small native havens and further develop our wildlife corridors.

University research just released lends scientific weight to our aims.  The addition of a 195 sq metre plot of native plants by a busy road in Melbourne resulted in a sevenfold increase in the number of insect species after three years.  Read this article for more information.  So, keep adding native plants to your garden, consider planting your verge with native plants and grasses (see Council’s Vegetation Management Guidelines) and encourage our Council to really improve our environment by using native plants, and not exotics, whenever it can.