Bitou Busters at Hawks Nest Dune rescuers work around COVID crisis Myall Coast News Tea Gardens, Hawks Nest by News Of The Area - Modern Media - July 7, 2020 Volunteer Gwenda Collins social distancing while working along The Boulevarde in Winda Woppa. Volunteers applied social distancing for their first Bitou Busters weeding session of the new season. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Having not been able to work since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, the 15 volunteers were faced with a mammoth task when they gathered at The Boulevarde in Winda Woppa, Hawks Nest. Invasive bitou bush had grown wide and high, smothering the dunes while the red-topped mother-of-millions weeds were in full bloom and out of control along the roadside of The Boulevarde. The volunteers found it was hard and difficult work cutting and poisoning the bitou bush at ground level, to leave the roots to help stabilise the dunes. They collected more than 20 large garbage bags of mother-of millions but still there remain many thousands more of this noxious, toxic weed which is poisonous to humans and household pets, especially dogs. Under each flowering mother-of- millions can be found a mat of new shoots, smothering the area of native plants. Because of the current crisis, the volunteers decided not to have their regular post-weeding debriefing over coffee at The Benchmark on Booner. By Adrienne INGRAM Infestations of mother-of-millions and bitou bush along The Boulevarde in Winda Woppa, Hawks Nest.
