GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO GROW
04 Oct 2018
Weyers Road, Nudgee, was the focus of a recent, extensive rehabilitation project. Evolve Environmental Solutions headed the project, with the longtem goal to enhance biodiversity outcomes, provide visual amenity and promote riparian ecology in the area.
Evolve Environmental Solutions, an environmental landscape construction company based in southeast Queensland, regularly undertakes rehabilitation and revegetation works to great success.
The aim of the offset project at Weyers Road, Nudgee, was to rehabilitate 5540 square metres of strategically located land within the Weyers Road site, located along the north-eastern boundary that links the rehabilitation area with Nundah Creek to the north. Working closely with Wolter Consulting, Evolve Environmental Solutions delivered and continue to maintain this extremely successful project. 
As with many rehabilitation projects, the first task is to ensure the eradication of weed species that can have an impact on the successful establishment of a native ecosystem. Present on the site was a number of weed species including pepper trees, camphor laurel trees, groundsel and a number of exotic grasses. Being an extremely sensitive site within a tidal mangrove environment, it was important to limit the amount of herbicide used in treating weeds and as such much of the site was hand-weeded through an existing casuarina forest and mangrove system.
Opening the canopy has meant the residual weed seed bank was given the opportunity to germinate, creating the need for extensive ongoing treatment. Particularly the annual rag weed - which was described as "ferocious" on the site - required multiple return visits and over time has been successfully eradicated from the site. 
The favourable conditions for seed germination has also meant that the onsite establishment of 50,000 plants has been very successful. With trees planted at eight metre intervals, shrubs at five metres and four ground cover species per square metre, plant density and diversity is at a high level, building a successful new environment.
So successful is the new environment that, during ongoing maintenance of the site, Evolve Environmental Solutions staff have sighted wedge tailed eagles who are now calling this place their home. 
The Weyers Road project has provided the opportunity for Evolve Environmental Solutions to showcase their skills and abilities across the range of environmental skill sets, from weed identification and management to sensitive clearing and rehabilitation, which has allowed for the rehabilitation of a new, functioning ecosystem.
