Kangaroo Grass

With substantial Winter-Spring 2020 rainfall, the Kangaroo Grasslands (Themeda triandra) are flowering and seeding prolifically, the best in nearly 20 years. The ripening seed heads are a distinctive caramel brown, especially when wet. So beautiful.

These grasslands form part of the Critically Endangered Ecological Community (CEEC) Box Gum Grassy Woodland, the dominant vegetation type of Wandiyali~Environa Wildlife Sanctuary.

Kangaroo Grass seeds were one of the native grass seeds collected by local indigenous groups for food. Bruce Pascoe talks about grass seeds in his book ‘Dark Emu’, and he is involved in a couple of South East NSW ‘bush food’ initiatives with grasses - Black Duck Foods.

We have taken the opportunity to collect seed to use for future restoration projects, mostly by direct spread of the cut ‘hay’.

Here Wandiyali Rangers Fred and Robbie collect Kangaroo Grass hay for seed.

CEEC Box Gum Grassy Woodland (photo monitoring point)