Soft Bracken Fern (Calochlaena dubia) grows all the way along Upper Perrin Creek, usually out of flood range and always under a closed tree canopy. It provides good ground cover and substantial habitat for small animals. In this instance we are attempting to transplant a rhizome from an actively gowing specimen to a new location at Fern Point. We had worked on this area last year to remove quite a bit of weed and in the process damaged a lot of the bracken that was growing naturally. Some had started to regrow but we were keen to help it along. It will be interesting to see if we can successfully transplant this species to accelerate the regeneration.
A few weeks later, the rhizome produced this crosier, indicating that the transplant had been successful. There are plenty of other areas that would benefit if we can locally source bracken and use it as a terminal ground cover. This practice is in keeping with our bushcare goal of regenerating with local species that are already well-adapted to the conditions.