Bush Crew diaries June 2025

Published on 30 May 2025

Coleen Reserve is a 1.66-hectare urban grassland located in Yallambie, bordered by the Simpson Army Barracks to the northwest and residential properties to the east and south. The reserve falls within the Plains Grassy Woodland ecological vegetation class, which is classified as endangered in the Melbourne region. Despite being separated by a fence, Coleen Reserve shares much of its vegetation with the adjacent bushland of the Simpson Army Barracks, and together they form a significant remnant of this endangered habitat within Banyule.

Recognising Coleen Street Reserve's ecological importance, the Bush Crew has intensified its management efforts over the past 5 years. Works have included the removal of environmental weeds, ecological thinning of dense tree thickets and the targeted burning of exotic grasses.

This year, those efforts were extended with the implementation of a controlled ecological burn. The area selected for burning contained a mix of indigenous grasses, primarily Weeping Grass (Microlaena stipoides), along with a variety of native herbs and wildflowers, particularly in the higher-quality sections.

Notably, the endangered Matted Flax-lily (Dianella amoena) is among the species present at the site.

The purpose of this low-intensity burn was to reduce the biomass of both native and exotic grasses, thereby decreasing competition and increasing inter-tussock space. This should provide favourable conditions for native species to germinate and resprout.

The burn was successfully completed in early May. We now look forward to observing the regeneration process and the ecological outcomes of our work.