Binalup Rangers and Tambellup Rangers lend a hand to management of Kendenup’s Walton Rowe Wildflower Reserve

A plot of Kendenup bushland used for hands-on education had a lovely spruce up recently after a group of rangers saw the management group were short of numbers and stepped up to lend a hand.

Kendenup Bushland Management Group team leader Val Saggers said her crew worked hard to maintain the Walton Rowe Wildflower Reserve but struggled in recent years due to dwindling volunteer numbers.

She said a NAIDOC Week incursion at the adjacent Kendenup Primary School brought their struggles to the attention of Binalup Cultural Rangers and Tambellup Rangers, who volunteered to assist with restoring, burning, path clearing, dealing with fallen timber and pest control.

“They came in July and did an amazing job and gave us a lot of encouragement in this worthwhile project,” she said.

“Around the camp fire, discussions were had as to how we could manage this in a sustainable way.

“Their women’s team leader Karessa Pickett and some of the other women have long-time connections to Kendenup.

“Her family originally came from here and had memories and recollections of this reserve even well before Doc Rowe and his P&C members realised it needed to be preserved for educational and conservation reasons.

“Then in early August, the Tambellup team returned and did some more ground work and burnings. We were encouraged by another local man joining us and there are others interested in future.

“Now it is more user friendly and safer to use.”

The reserve was donated to the “people of Kendenup” by Walton Rowe to be used a bushland and in 1972 was vested as a wildflower sanctuary in the Shire of Plantagenet.

Students of the adjacent Kendenup Primary School use the reserve to learn bush management skills.

“Groups of kids assist eagerly in caretaking the bush here,” Ms Saggers said.

“The children love it and teachers have used it as a real hands-on educational experience.

“We need these young people to be the future caretakers of this valuable bio diverse reserve.”

Ms Saggers said follow up work is scheduled to take place before the end of the fire season but calls for more locals to help sustain the efforts of volunteers.