Join us for a Water Hyacinth session at the Lake - Saturday 27th July, 9am till 11am.
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Enjoy paddle boarding or kayaking on the Lake? Noticed the increasing mass of Water Hyacinth weed floating around this year? Feel like lending a hand? And don’t mind getting a little messy? This could be a morning for you.
Water hyacinth is a beautiful but ferocious aquatic weed, which floats on water bodies and in growing seasons can double its mass every 5 days. In other areas it’s smothered entire water bodies.
It first appeared in Lake Ainsworth in 2015, and Lennox Head Landcare volunteers have paddled through the summer months since then to keep the hyacinth in check. But this year has been a bumper growth season and it’s taken way more effort than usual to get it under control.
It’s been humbling to have seen so many folks already helping out this year - friends of Landcarers, Dragon Boaters, Duke of Edinburgh students, staff from sport and rec and even holiday makers.
This Saturday 27th July we’ll be continuing our efforts to put a dent in a large mass of hyacinth which has settled into the north west corner of the Lake.
We’re asking for anyone with a paddle board or kayak who’s confident in the water and happy to get a little dirty to join us.
If you’re keen
A bit more about what’s involved?
We’ll be paddling to the north west corner of the lake up near the sport and recreation centre. Because the hyacinth floats it’s really easy to pluck out of the water and load it onto the front and/or back of your board or kayak. It then needs to be paddled across the water to the eastern edge of the lake where we’ll be piling it up ready for sport and rec to take it off our hands.
The task can require a little balance and whilst mostly we don’t fall in the water it is possible. It’s a good idea to start with a small load of hyacinth to get the hang of it. Depending on how much you load onto your watercraft it can be surprisingly heavy to pick up sometimes, so again just start small.
If you’re not the best swimmer or don’t have a watercraft but still keen to help or just curious to know more please get in touch. We’re always happy to chat!
We’ll post here and on our facebook page if we need to cancel due to dodgy weather.
Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.
Water hyacinth is a beautiful but ferocious aquatic weed, which floats on water bodies and in growing seasons can double its mass every 5 days. In other areas it’s smothered entire water bodies.
It first appeared in Lake Ainsworth in 2015, and Lennox Head Landcare volunteers have paddled through the summer months since then to keep the hyacinth in check. But this year has been a bumper growth season and it’s taken way more effort than usual to get it under control.
It’s been humbling to have seen so many folks already helping out this year - friends of Landcarers, Dragon Boaters, Duke of Edinburgh students, staff from sport and rec and even holiday makers.
This Saturday 27th July we’ll be continuing our efforts to put a dent in a large mass of hyacinth which has settled into the north west corner of the Lake.
We’re asking for anyone with a paddle board or kayak who’s confident in the water and happy to get a little dirty to join us.
If you’re keen
- We’ll be there from 9am and 11am
- Please meet and register with us in the main Lake picnic area, opposite the surf club, look out for Kelly with a paddleboard and clipboard! If you get there a bit late feel free to paddle up.
- BYO watercraft and we recommend wearing a long sleeve shirt or rashie in case there’s crawly things in the weed. You may also like to consider a wetsuit if its cold.
A bit more about what’s involved?
We’ll be paddling to the north west corner of the lake up near the sport and recreation centre. Because the hyacinth floats it’s really easy to pluck out of the water and load it onto the front and/or back of your board or kayak. It then needs to be paddled across the water to the eastern edge of the lake where we’ll be piling it up ready for sport and rec to take it off our hands.
The task can require a little balance and whilst mostly we don’t fall in the water it is possible. It’s a good idea to start with a small load of hyacinth to get the hang of it. Depending on how much you load onto your watercraft it can be surprisingly heavy to pick up sometimes, so again just start small.
If you’re not the best swimmer or don’t have a watercraft but still keen to help or just curious to know more please get in touch. We’re always happy to chat!
We’ll post here and on our facebook page if we need to cancel due to dodgy weather.
Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.
