'Has Your Garden Escaped?' A Conservation Project

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on your smart device to get started

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Use this login:
Username: hyge
Password: hyge

About the project

The purpose of the ‘Has Your Garden Escaped?’ project is to limit the destructive impact of weeds on Indigenous plants and animals while preserving the cultural heritage of the Dandenong Ranges National Park. This will be achieved by raising public awareness of exotic garden escapees and how the community can limit their spread from household gardens.

How can you become involved?

Download the app to learn about Garden Escapees and become a citizen scientist! The data you submit will be provided to Parks Victoria to help guide management actions. Plus, the highest data submitters will win indigenous plant vouchers from Southern Dandenongs Community Nursery Inc.
Attend a Garden Escapee conservation workshop. The Dandenong Ranges community is invited to join conservation workshops to learn about problem plant species, plant identification methods and using the ProofSafe app to record observations.

Register for Workshops

Register your interest in future or customised group workshops by emailing kristen.a@treetec.net.au

What is a garden escapee?

Human movement across the globe has resulted in the introduction of exotic plants to new regions. Since European settlement in Australia, a large number of exotic plants have been introduced including those valued as food plants (blackberry and wheat), plants valued for their beauty (sycamore maple) and plants introduced accidentally, e.g. on cargo ships (alligator weed).

Exotic plants are a leading threat to many endangered ecological communities in Australia. Sadly, the majority of these are deliberately planted ornamental species that have escaped from gardens into our natural environment. Unfortunately, many of these exotic plant species are still available to purchase in local plant nurseries. By understanding the impact of these ‘garden escapees’ and learning to identify these species, you can help us improve the health of the Dandenong Ranges.

How can I help?

Register your interest in a conservation workshop.
Avoid the purchase of garden escapee varieties in nurseries and instead plant Indigenous species.
Download the ProofSafe app and record your observations of exotic plants.

Learn more about:

Project Partners

The ‘Has your garden escaped? Citizen Science project’ is supported by the Victorian Government through the Volunteering Innovation Fund.