A Bon Bon weather report

My partner Wayne and I have moved recently to Bon Bon Station Reserve in South Australia as the new Reserve Manager and Field Officer respectively. We always talk about the weather, and lately there’s been a lot of it to talk about. In South Australia there have been significant rainfall events over most of the state’s arid lands.

At Bon Bon we’ve had over 60 mm of rain over two weeks, which has changed the landscape in so many ways.

What was red is now green, ephemeral lakes are filled, freshwater water holes are brimming with life and roads have become waterways.

But it’s the after effects of the rain that has us thrilled.

The country is exploding with life as new vegetation erupts from what were once desert plains, water birds have migrated here and the invertebrates are swarming doing their job in fertilising the hundreds of species of plants that are flowering.

The native Teddy Bear Bee (Amegilla bombiformis) has made an appearance and is hard at work pollinating the flowers so the next rain event can prove just as fruitful.

It’s like our very own Mardi gras. How lucky are Wayne and I to be a part of this once in a lifetime event?

Living and working on Bon Bon is fabulous enough… but to see the desert change like this is an experience that many would be envious of.

The rain has bought extra work as well with weeds sneaking in between the native seedlings, roads that need repairing and erosion needing controlling. (Luckily our part-time Field Officer Janet is all over this).

Being ‘newbies’ on the Bush Heritage scene, Wayne and I have started the year with a heightened sense of enthusiasm. To be able to play an important part of preserving this amazing piece of the planet has us both stamping at the gate ready to go out and do our bit.

Already we’ve taken part in a pitfall trapping event, converted the old homestead to a volunteer accommodation and research area, as well as started on the repairs and maintenance on the historic buildings and infrastructure that make up Bon Bon Station Reserve.

With so much planned for the upcoming year, 2022 will see many changes as well as building on the successful projects already in play.

Working on Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara Land alongside the Traditional Custodians, the Willis family, has been a great privilege.

Together we’re sharing knowledge and they’re helping us with rabbit warren mapping and weed control giving us both the chance to learn and grow in this important space.

So, the sun has certainly risen over Bon Bon and with it comes the excitement of our first year here. Stay tuned as we navigate our way through 2022 and share our experiences, thoughts and highlights.