We recently ran a news item about our Huntington bushcare group.

In the space of a single Sunday morning the team planted around 380 native trees and shrubs in Tuckett Street Park in an area previously dominated by Chinese Elms. 

A wonderful achievement and significant step in habitat restoration!  However …

We also reported sighting a Dutchmans Pipe vine (Aristolochia littoralis syn.A elegans). This exotic vine is a known threat to the Richmond birdwing butterfly, classified as “vulnerable to extinction”. The vine was earmarked for removal but our Chairman and Section 3 Team Leader Jim Pope erred on the side of caution and consulted MCCG Landcare Advisor, Bryan Hacker before taking action.

Just as well he did! Bryan identified the vine as Legnephora moorei (round-leaf vine or big-leaf vine) and definitely NOT Dutchman’s Pipe! Thankfully the native vine remains in place and poses no threat whatsoever to the Richmond birdwing butterfly.

If there is a lesson to be learned here, it may well be to remind us of the wealth of information available within the MCCG.  Bryan has over 20 years of experience in bushland regeneration. He is an accredited member of the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators and offers expert advice and information to the local community.  We have similar experts in fields such as water quality and birdlife and we encourage you to contact the group for advice and information. Contact details are available here. 

Note: we have removed the image from the original item and replaced it here, with the correct identification: Legnephora moorei (round-leaf vine or big-leaf vine) in Tuckett St Park.