Agricultural invasive weeds unchecked can become a huge problem, a real danger to livestock and humans. They reduce land viablity and can cost hundreds of millions dollars in lost productivity. These invasive weeds like Parthenium if uncontrolled become huge costly longterm problems. A category three restricted invasive plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014 Parthenium is what known as a (WONS) Weed of National Significance. Yes its a bad one!

New South Wales Department of Primary Industries have biosecurity agencies throughout the major region centres of NSW They have invested many resources and efforts and great expense to control the spread of this weed.

One of the best strategies in weed control and eradication is public and landholder awareness, education and the ability to identify a highly noxious weed like Parthenium amounst the miriad other plants introduced or native that grow across the landscape.

Some very important tools used in awareness education and stakeholder training are realistic botanical models of the plant/weed in question.

NSW DPI Invasive Species Biosecurity department has engaged Ewin Wood to build a library of noxious weed models many of those on the WONS list. These are used for specific training programs for people studying land managment and conservation, agricultural officers in the feild, Landholders and the public. The weed models are used in the classroom and taken to public and farm open days and training days and industry conferences.

Only recently two of these Parthenium models made by Natural history productions were delivered to the NSW weed Conference at the Dubbo convention centre. This biannual event attracts people from all over Australia and showcases the latest research and ideas for managing the establishment, impact and spread of weeds. One of the models was left sitting on the stage near the speakers podium during the conference. May of the attendees questioned why anyone would bring a real live Parthenium palnt to this conference! People had to be constantly reminded that this was a model a replica or mimic.

More orders for Parthenium models and other weeds are being requested from biosecurity agencies across Australia.

Natural History Productions is now snowed under with weed model work as there are few people left in Australia with the skills to produce this level of work.

Working pateninly with NSW DPI and other government agencies involved in weed management, we are slowly and surely building a reference library of moulds and materials. this way we can provide more good quality weed models. As a small niche business, training the skills to do this work is proving difficult to sustain and we are going out for government grant funding to support this training. This aims to ensure skill retention and to build capacity and a long term reliable suppy of these important models. We believe as with the many other funded programs traing a small workforfe to produce these models and teaching aids and educational displays is a very important tool that greatly helps the awareness, detection and control of noxious weeds and supports Australias Biosecurity efforts.