In the Weeds: Nurturing Community through Landcare

Sonia Graham | CSIRO Publishing, 2026 | 288 pp. | ISBN 9781486320103

Paperback | June 2026 | $ 59.99
ISBN: 9781486320103 | 288 pages | 234 x 156 mm
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
B&W photographs, Illustrations

ePDF | June 2026
ISBN: 9781486320110
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers

ePUB | June 2026
ISBN: 9781486320127
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers

Can weeds bring people together?

Apparently, especially if there’s cake involved.

Sonia Graham’s In the Weeds even includes recipes—a delightful reminder that community conservation is about people as much as plants.

Drawing on seven community environmental groups, Graham explores what lies behind successful, long-term weed control. The weeds may bring people together, but it is trust, shared leadership, friendship and persistence that keep the groups going. While the examples are from the eastern states, the message resonates strongly with WA Landcare and bushcare.

Alongside the engaging stories is a strong foundation of botanical and ecological knowledge. Plants are consistently given their scientific names, adding precision while remaining accessible to the general reader.

The problem is enormous. Almost 3,000 introduced plant species have naturalised in Australia, while invasive species are implicated in the decline of 82% of nationally listed threatened taxa. Graham makes clear that weed control is an important part of protecting biodiversity.

I particularly appreciated the early discussion of Indigenous relationships with Country, which broadens the conversation to the deeper meaning of caring for place.

I was prepared to find this book a little dry, but it proved to be a very good read—warm, informative and engaging. In the Weeds shows that while weeds may be the problem, community is part of the solution.

Diana Papenfus, September 2026