A pink tie marks a healthy new plant in the Dawn Road Reserve Bushcare revegetation zone. Pic: Trina McLellan

When the Dawn Road Reserve Bushcare volunteers position new plants along the special revegetation zone, they usually place a protective mesh cylinder around them until the plants are big enough to withstand the weather.

Then, when the cylinders are removed, the growing plants are tagged with pink ties to distinguish them from weed species that may spring up around them.

Soon enough, these tiny plants will be growing shrubs and trees and they will stand above the surrounding undergrowth. Their shade, too, will help suppress weed growth.

In the meantime, when volunteers are working this patch, the bright pink ties are doing valuable work as markers of where to work with care.

The pink ties you can see around young plants – such as this native tree with the rather unfortunate name of poison peach (Trema tormentosa) – are to indicate to Dawn Road Reserve Bushcare working bee participants that they are not weeds. Pic: Trina McLellan