Redland City Council is this week celebrating Australia’s national floral emblem as part of National Wattle Day on Thursday 1 September 2022.
Mayor Karen Williams said that, to mark the day, Council recently facilitated a wattle tree planting at Mount Cotton State School and would hold a talk and wattle display at Redlands IndigiScapes Centre on 1 September.
“Council often plants wattles in its parks, reserves and near roads for their beauty and aroma,” Cr Williams said.
“They are also sometimes planted in erosion-prone areas as wattles can reduce the rate of soil erosion, control sediment, promote water quality and filter stormwater runoff.”
Mount Cotton State School students (l to r) Tommy, Lachlan and Bayley help plant Eprapah wattle trees at the school.
Deputy Mayor Julie Talty, who joined Mount Cotton students in planting a row of trees on the school grounds, said the wattle was worthy of celebration.
“Over thousands of years Indigenous people used the wood from wattles to make shelters, weapons and implements,” Cr Talty said.
“Wattles are particularly important to our bushland as they take atmospheric nitrogen and turn it into available nitrogen in the soil, which acts as a fertiliser.
“Here on Redlands Coast we have a local Indigenous wattle, the Eprapah wattle, which is currently in flower, and it was the chosen wattle for the school planting activity.
“The school community will be able to appreciate these wattles for years to come when they all come out in bloom.”
Cr Williams encouraged the community to celebrate the green and gold beauty, fragrance and flavours of the Eprapah wattle at a special event at IndigiSapes in Capalaba.
The event will include a brief talk by Wattle Day Association Committee Vice President Mike Gilmour, a wattle display including native tube stock plants, colouring-in templates for children, and the opportunity to make a wattle corsage.
There will also be tasting opportunities, with wattle seed biscuits, muffins and chai lattes available on the IndigiCafe menu.
For more information on the event, visit the IndigiScapes What’s On page.