Alice Springs Landcare Group – Boxing-Glove Cactus control

Project Profile

Name of Project	Boxing-Glove Cactus control
Name of group(s) involved	Alice Springs Landcare Group
Website	www.alicespringlandcare.com
Location	Spencer Valley
State	Northern Territory
NRM Region	Northern Territory
What industry does the group belong to?	Volunteer land management
Funding from other sources	Membership

Issues

Alice Springs Landcare has taken the fight to a prickly invader in the Northern Territory.

Boxing-Glove Cactus (Cylindropuntia fulgida), already declared a noxious weed in parts of New South Wales, has begun settling into the Spencer Valley after escaping from domestic gardens around the Telegraph Station National Park.

The Alice Springs Landcare group has conducted multiple field days as part of their efforts to push back against the possibility of widespread naturalisation. During these events, held in Spencer Valley and in the Alice Springs Telegraph Station National Park, volunteers came together to attempt to remove the weed from its footholds in the region.

The activities have engaged the interest of the local community, with volunteers giving up their time to contribute to the “cactus musters” and prevent Boxing-Glove Cactus from establishing itself in the Northern Territory.

“There is huge potential for the plant to spread in the Centre and become a nasty weed that will be hard to bring under control,” said Alice Springs Landcare’s Jo Boniface. “We aim to stop it in its tracks now to prevent any wider spread.”

Alice Springs Landcare Inc, a recently-established group founded to deal with landcare issues facing the communities surrounding the Northern Territory town, has taken the fight to a prickly invader with the potential to establish itself as a widespread naturalised weed in the area. With the help of community members and volunteers, the groups have held multiple “cactus musters” in the Spencer Valley and the Alice Springs Telegraph Station National Park to try and remove Boxing-Glove Cactus (cylindropuntia fulgida), a plant cultivated in domestic gardens which has escaped and threatens to replace native species.

Project Detail

Background to Project	Boxing-Glove Cactus (cylindropuntia fulgida) is a cactus species native to North America. Popular in gardens in arid areas due to its hardy nature, the plant has become naturalised in broad parts of New South Wales, where it has been declared a noxious weed. While uncommon in the Northern Territory, its preference for rocky slopes threatens to lead to an increased presence in the area.
Key Objectives	• To remove the current growths of Boxing-Glove Cactus from the Alice Springs region and prevent possible naturalisation of the weed • To engage the local community in landcare activities and raise awareness of naturalised cactus species in the region
Description of Project	The project consists of multiple field days aiming to engage the local community in volunteer work identifying and removing infestations of Boxing-Glove Cactus. Over 2009 and 2010, multiple events were held in the Spencer Valley and the Telegraph Station Reserve (Telegraph Station National Park) to record the locations of plant sightings and hold “cactus musters” to try and eradicate the plant.
Issues encountered during the project	The Boxing-Glove Cactus is liable to fall apart when disturbed, resulting in a scattering of small pieces which each have the ability to grow into a new plant. This makes hand removal of plants a delicate and painstaking process.
Project Outcomes – Qualitative	The project has resulted in increased community engagement in the Alice Springs Landcare group, and progress towards removal of Boxing-Glove Cactus in the area.
Project Outcomes – Quantitative	Small outlier infestations of cactus have been removed, reducing the number of populations.
Transferable Outcomes	Maps made of the location of sightings of the cactus can be used in future containment measures, as well as providing information about the spread of the plant in its preferred conditions.

Photography

Alice Springs Landcare Group - Boxing Glove Cactus controlBoxing Glove CactusBoxing Glove Cactus

Boxing Glove Cactus