A group of biodynamic gardeners has taken responsibility for rehabilitating and caring for the old fruit orchard behind the Orana School at the top of Unwin Street in Weston. Agistees at Illoura Paddocks will know this orchard as they pass it regularly on their way past the new suburb of Featherstone Heights on their way to Streeton Drive.
Equestrians use the old dirt track just inside the orchard fence. City Services recently put boulders at the bottom access point to allow horses through while blocking rubbish dumping vehicles. With this new enterprise there will be a few changes. Parks and Conservation are going to install a gate in the place of the boulders with a 1500m gap to enable horses to walk through. This is the standard width of a self closing horse gate (without the actual gate). The entire gate can be opened with a key to allow trucks or machinery onto the site as necessary. There will be no impediment to horse riders using the dirt track under normal circumstances.
The community group will be working on site from 10:30am – 3:30pm one Sunday a month. The dates for the next few months are:
19 June
7 August
13 September
Generally they will not be using power tools but they may seek assistance from TAMS to remove more difficult rubbish from time to time. They have undertaken to
- put on notice on the outside of the gate and the cavaletti on Heysen Street at least a week before they propose to undertake any noisy activity such as use petrol driven or electric machinery or fell trees.
- not erect any para webbing or bunting on the edge of the trail which could flap and startle a horse or constitute a potential entanglement if it comes loose.
- keep the trail clear of tree pruning etc, so as not to impede progress on the trail.
At the moment the orchard is an overgrown mess full of blackberries and broken wire from long defunct espalier trellises and very unsafe but as the rehabilitation progresses it will be possible to ride through the orchard and pick an apple or two. The gardeners are keen for you to leave poo behind in payment. The Project Coordinator is Chris Boswell and he sounds very horse friendly. If you have any issues (or want to wield secateurs around apple trees!) you can contact him directly on 0431 611 966.