Challenge #9 Grass

 

Red Natal Grass (Melinis repens) with anthers visible, Moogerah Dam, April 2015.

Red Natal Grass is an environmental weed in Brisbane.

Challenge #9 To document or collect 48 species of grass.

Grass has interested me for years.  Having worked on a field crop for nearly a decade, I developed a fascination with grass, and most journeys in the car have had me observing the roadside diversity. Even the act of mowing in the backyard can reveal at least four species.  But I have needed a reason to focus on these common and often under appreciated plants hence this challenge.

The 'Catalogue of Life' lists 11, 543 species in the family Poaceae (the grasses).

The grass family is the basis for so many of our food systems (unless of course you are on a paleo diet): rice, wheat, barley, corn, sorghum are all grasses .

There are also a number of grasses which are significant weeds. One author, whose name escapes me at the moment, made the observation that it was the advent of dicot herbicides, such as agent orange, which gave so many land managers an ability to deal with dicot weeds, that opened a niche for the monocots to invade and therefore become problematic.

The Challenge List so far ...

NB - Order does not indicate priority or importance.

Challenge #1 - Books

Reduce the size of my library by 48 books.

Challenge #2 - Clothes

Reduced the size of my wardrobe to 48 items (some exclusions on this one)

Challenge #3 - Charity

Make 48 donations of $48 to charities whose work I willingly support.
This can be funded by sale of things I no longer use.

Challenge #4 - Trees

Plant 48 trees.
This can be at home or with others e.g. Landcare.

Challenge #5 - Walking

Go on a 48km walk and summarise that walk into a 48 second video.

Challenge #6 - Community

Intentionally give my time to the community - 48 times.
This can include my current involvement with State Emergency Service or Scouts.

Challenge #7 - Exercise

Exercise for 48 minutes per day.

Challenge #8 - Cycling

Go on a 48km ride on my push bike.

Perhaps challenge number 9 should be to complete the list of 48 challenges (jokes).  I'm open to ideas dear blog readers, but not necessarility compliant with suggestions ;-).

Why 48 Challenges?

For the last few years I have been setting challenges for my son related to his age.

2013 - Age 7 - Year of the Boat
2014 - Age 8 - Year of the Universe
2015 - Age 9 - Year of the Arthropod

Challenges have been age related.  For example this year one of the challenges is to collect 81 arthropod themed stamps.  81 being 9 x 9.  This is one of nine challenges for the year.

These have been a lot of fun, and rather than limiting our interaction with the world they have deepened it.  We have been to places and done things we would not otherwise have attempted.

As my own body chronometer ticked over the 48 years, I realised that I may deepen my own interaction with the world and perhaps start to more fully embrace the life I hope for if I set some challenges.  In keeping with the pattern I am going to set 48 challenges.

Challenges with my son (really the whole family gets invited) have been fun and I have approached the combined journey with a sense of joy and determination.  The sort of headspace that you may occupy when seeking to level-up on a game.  Someone looking in (like you dear blog reader) may say, "this is like setting new years resolutions" or "you are setting SMART goals".  My answer would be yes in part, but my experience with those tasks in the past has felt more like chores or legal requirement, by framing this as 'challenge' I have limited obligation and kept freedom and therefore I think I may have a better chance of reaching the targets.

New blog post listing the challenges so far COMING SOON.