The Gregory and Burketown areas are looking tidier after Landcare groups got to work in the area.
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In late April and early May, Gregory River Landcare Group with Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee (B4C) from Brisbane completed their annual community projects in Gregory and Burketown in tandem with the saddle and paddle weekend in the region.
Mark Van Ryt, Secretary, Gregory River Landcare Group said they set up base camp on the Gregory River we travelled to Burketown and the State School.
"GRLG and B4C have been creating winter school gardens for the Gregory and Burketown communities for 14 years and the original school garden was established in April 2008," he said.
"The Gregory Downs Educational Facility closed in 2012 and our focus has now been the four raised garden beds at Burketown State School."
He said a new underground irrigation system had to be installed and the potting mix and other garden materials freighted from Mount Isa.
"The whole school came together to prepare and plant the garden beds. A big thank you to Burke Shire Council who have been donating funds for this project since 2015," he said.
"Every second year we also take children from the Burketown school for a fishing clinic off the Old Albert River Bridge. Each kid was given a fully equipped tackle box and was provided morning tea and a sausage sizzle lunch. In between the meals the kids were shown knot tying, how to bait a hook and safe casting techniques. However, most of the Burketown kids already had fishing skills and were soon reeling them in. They caught a bluenose salmon; bream; catfish and surprisingly a couple of eels."
He thanked the State Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for funding this project and they will be conducting similar activities with kids from Mount Isa, Cloncurry and Julia Creek.
Mr Van Ryt said that back at the Gregory River they provided support for the annual canoe races.
"Thanks to Southern Gulf NRM for providing the enviro-showbags we handed out to campers and racegoers," he said.
"The bags contain useful information, tools and materials to encourage the community to look after the river. Then on canoe race day our team members staffed the last check point and assisted the North West Canoe Club at the finish line."
From their base camp in spare hours, they could finally return to the primary purpose - treatment of the rubber vine invading the banks and channels of the river.
"We generally work in pairs using the cut stump and spray method. One person cuts the rubber vine and the other drizzles herbicide over the stump. We find this method economical and extremely effective. A decent area of the east bank of the river in the vicinity of Check Point 4 was successfully treated," Mr Van Ryt said.
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