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Your Hornsby Shire Council Bushcare Newsletter for volunteers.
 

The last two years have been quite a challenge to say the least! It is wonderful to see so many people returning to our volunteer programs, and just in time to combat the weed plumes and erosion resulting from the torrential downpours of March, April and May. Together, we will continue to improve our local environment.

Sadly, we lost a few much-loved volunteers since the last e-news publication. We wish to acknowledge them and their contribution towards Hornsby Shire’s bushland conservation efforts. Our programs will not be the same without them.

In this edition:

  1. Vale to some much-loved volunteers
  2. National Volunteer Week 2022
  3. Celebrating 30 years of Hornsby Bushcare
  4. Sharpen your focus and keep an eye out for the swift parrot this winter
  5. Grey-headed flying-foxes in Berowra Heights
  6. Plastics in the environment
  7. New Bushcare groups
  8. Could you be a wildlife carer?
  9. Rain, rain go away…
  10. What to do when it’s too wet for Bushcare
  11. Native Plant Giveaways – April to June 2022
  12. Wandering trad leaf-smut fungus project
  13. Bushcare working with the community
  14. Events

Vale to some much-loved volunteers

Pat Pike

Pat Pike

Pat was the first Bushcare Trainer in Hornsby Shire, starting out long before the term 'Bushcare' was invented. I first heard of Pat Pike when I was a trainee bush regenerator in the mid-1990s. Over the years, Pat taught many a starry-eyed, dreadlocked-haired, recent university graduate the practical art of bush regeneration. She was heavily involved in almost every conservation group in Hornsby Shire; the Australian Native Plants Society, Hornsby Herbarium, Friends of Berowra Valley National Park and more. Pat had many friends in Hornsby Shire and her passion for the local environment was much admired. She was an inspiration to us all. We have dedicated the Celebrating 30 Years of Hornsby Bushcare booklet to Pat and her peers. For her full story, be sure to get your hands on a copy.

By Leanne Johnston - Environmental Scientist Bushcare

Photo: Pat Pike

Doug Unmack – Chilworth Bushcare Group
Doug with Ross Walker and Sheila Woods
Doug Unmack was actively involved in bush regeneration at Chilworth Reserve for over 25 years. He was the maverick of the team and regardless of the season, he was always in shorts, short-sleeved shirt and sandshoes. A former venturer/scout leader at Beecroft Scouts, he relished the outdoors. Doug wasn’t one to hand weed small patches of grass. He instead loved the more physically demanding primary clearing of weeds. Doug stopped doing Bushcare about three years ago. Trained as an electrical engineer, he worked for the former Sydney County Council and the Victorian equivalent department. Doug was extremely knowledgeable on many subjects. He will be missed.

By Ross Walker – Bushcare volunteer, Chilworth Reserve

Photo: Doug (left) with Ross Walker and Sheila Woods

 

Ken Hall – Wareemba Bushcare Group

Ken joined our Bushcare group in 2011 and soon became a hard-working member of our team. He possessed such a wonderful droll sense of humour and kept us entertained at morning tea. He loved Tim Tams and we always had a packet on hand. Over the years, our group shared many aspects of our lives, which spilled over into many meals at the local Thai restaurant. His sudden death was a great shock to all of us. Now as we work on our site, our thoughts are often drawn to Ken. He was a thoroughly good, caring and lovely man whose spirit will live on in the bushland he loved.

By Barbara Tyas – Group leader, Wareemba Bushcare Group

Photo: Ken (left) with Heather and Gavin Stewart at the 2012 Bushcare Christmas Party

Ted with Sonny Armstrong
Ted Angelo – Nursery volunteer and Higgins Family Cemetery Bushcare Group

Ted passed away on 20 March 2022, at the age of 88. He was a well-respected local historian and author, descending on his mother Sarah’s side from the Higgins family, pioneers of Hornsby who settled in Old Man’s Valley. Ted was a passionate advocate for the preservation of the Higgins Family Cemetery where his ancestors are buried. For many years he led the volunteer group in restoring the cemetery. Due to his efforts, the Higgins Family Cemetery was listed on the State Heritage Register in 2006 as an item of of heritage significance to the people of NSW for 'its rarity as one of the few fully conserved family cemeteries in New South Wales and possibly the only one.’

Ted was a long-term volunteer at Council’s community nursery at Pennant Hills. In 2020, Ted suggested that this much-loved facility be renamed with a suitable local Aboriginal name. As a result, Hornsby Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Committee put forward a suitable name. Warada Ngurang Community Nursery was adopted by Council in April 2022. The name is a combination of Darug and GuriNgai language words meaning ‘Place of Waratah’. Ted is also remembered for his love of nature, his enjoyment of photography and native flowers and for his heirloom tomatoes.

Photo: Ted (left) with Sonny Armstrong at the 2014 Bushcare Christmas Party

Margaret (holding Toby the dog) and John (with Akubra tucked under his arm)
John and Margaret Piper – Fearnley Park

The good folk of Beecroft lost a much-loved couple when John and Margaret Piper passed away last year. They made their home in Chapman Avenue fifty-nine years ago and raised a family there. 

They were gentle folk and walked their dog twice daily. I would smile when I saw John on his morning dog walk. He talked to everyone, and the walk could take ages. Margaret did the afternoon walk and rested in Fearnley Park on her way home.

They were both in the original group when Fearnley Park Bushcare began. There is a plaque on the tree outside their home with this quote that sums up their standing in the community, “We count ourselves as the luckiest to have had you in our lives.”

By Richard Shields – Group leader, Fearnley Park Bushcare Group

Photo: Margaret (holding Toby the dog) and John (with Akubra tucked under his arm

National Volunteer Week 2022

Launch of Celebrating 30 Years of Hornsby Bushcare booklet at Galston Community Centre on 22 May

Our National Volunteer Week celebration was such a success, with the splendid venue and its over-sized picture windows, our engaging guest speakers, the delectable afternoon tea, and 85 people enjoying each other’s company. Bushcare Trainer Meron Wilson, like so many times before, skilfully curated the proceedings with her warm sense of humour, wit, and generosity. Mayor Philip Ruddock commended the efforts of Bushcare and Warada Ngurang Community Nursery volunteers to nurture and protect the trees and wild places of the Bushland Shire. We heard all about the early days from Sheila Woods, long-term volunteer and one of our first Bushcare Trainers. Sheila’s talk focused on the determined and passionate individuals who fought with trowels and secateurs, loppers and saws to repair patches of local bush damaged by urbanisation. Lastly, Barry Lees gave us the abridged version of his Bushcare journey and spoke of his botanical encounters in compiling the Hornsby Herbarium. You can read his full story in the Celebrating 30 Years of Hornsby Bushcare booklet.

We would like to thank Meron for taking on the role of MC at our major events over recent years. She has decided that the time is right to drop the mic and hand the responsibility to our Bushland Programs Coordinator, Jeannette Stannard. This will allow Meron to spend more time at Bushcare Christmas parties mingling with volunteers.

Photo: Launch of Celebrating 30 Years of Hornsby Bushcare booklet at Galston Community Centre on 22 May

Celebrating 30 Years of Hornsby Bushcare

Front cover of Celebrating 30 Years of Hornsby Bushcare booklet

We have been gathering stories from our volunteers for some years now and decided we should give them the honour they deserve. Bushcare Trainer extraordinaire Meron Wilson took on the mammoth task of collating and curating stories to inspire more people to spend their free time regenerating their local bushland. This booklet celebrates the significant contributions made by some residents of Hornsby Shire, towards protecting and enhancing our local biodiversity. 

The volunteers in the booklet come from many and varied walks of life, and every story is different. All want to express the urgent need for the next generation to treasure and care for the environment. 

Celebrating 30 Years of Hornsby Bushcare is available from your Bushcare Trainer, or please contact bushcare@hornsby.nsw.gov.au for a copy to be sent to you.

Image: Front cover of Celebrating 30 Years of Hornsby Bushcare booklet

Sharpen your focus and keep an eye out for the swift parrot this winter

Swift parrot

In 2019, Hornsby Shire Council and the local NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service team received grant funding from Greater Sydney Local Land Services to rehabilitate habitat in Cowan and Brooklyn for the migratory swift parrot. Swift parrots breed during spring and summer in south-eastern Tasmania. They migrate to south-eastern mainland Australia during autumn and early winter and return to Tasmania in spring. Sounds like a nice lifestyle except, like its name, this species is disappearing swiftly. It is listed as critically endangered at the national level, with only an estimated 1,000 individuals left.

Since 2019, there have been 17 sightings in Cowan and one in Brooklyn. Swift parrots have been recorded foraging on flowering red bloodwoods (Corymbia gummifera), scribbly gums (Eucalyptus haemostoma) and swamp mahoganys (Eucalyptus robusta). Eucalyptus species infected with lerps are also on the menu from May to September.  

The swift parrot is easily confused with local lorikeets such as rainbow, little, scaly-breasted and musk lorikeets. They all feed on nectar and lerps and seek similar hollows, but the swifty has a distinguishing feature that sets it apart. It is its tail, which is thin, red and around 12cm long. The swifty is about 25cm long and full of colour. It is bright green with red around the bill, throat and forehead. The red on its throat is edged with yellow and its crown is a blue-purple colour. When flying overhead, it has bright red patches under its wings. It can also be recognised by its flute-like chirruping or metallic “kik-kik-kik” call. Learn more and hear the swift parrot’s call by visiting the birdlife website.

While undertaking on-ground works to rehabilitate swift parrot habitat, we are also seeking help from residents to keep an eye out for our flighty, foraging friends. Sightings recorded by birdwatchers and locals are critical for the management and conservation of swift parrots.

From June to August, we are planning some community activities such as swift parrot search surveys, guided bushwalks and tree planting. To register your interest in joining activities please email NaturalResources@hornsby.nsw.gov.au

In the meantime, please keep an eye out for swift parrots. If you see them, please take a photo and/or record the date, time, location, number of birds and their behaviour, and what they are feeding on. Register your sighting with woodlandbirds@birdlife.org.au or call 03 93470757.

By Donna Fitton – Environmental Scientist Bushland Programs

Swift parrot. Photo by Chris Tzaros

Grey-headed flying-foxes in Berowra Heights


Grey-headed flying-foxIf you’re a Berowra Heights local, you might have heard about a colony of grey-headed flying-foxes making an appearance last March to May. Listed as vulnerable under both State and Federal legislation, around 1,000 grey-headed flying-foxes (also known as fruit bats) made a temporary colony in some lucky residents’ rear yards. While we expect them to move on, once again, they are a great reminder of how threatened species can utilise fruiting and flowering plants in our gardens.

The grey-headed flying-fox is aptly named, with grey fur on their heads, an orange circle of fur around their necks and dark grey fur down to their ankles. They are Australia’s largest bat, travelling up to 50 kilometres to forage for food. Due to the widespread flooding along the east coast of Australia throughout February and March, colonies are likely travelling further than usual for food sources. Droughts and floods can disrupt the flowering and fruiting patterns of trees and shrubs, so the Department of Planning and Environment believes that this colony has travelled further afield than usual in search of flowers and fruit. The usual habitat range for this species ranges from north of Townsville, Queensland, all the way down to Victoria and South Australia. They favour subtropical and temperate environments close to water, meaning they will feel right at home in Hornsby Shire.

While flying-foxes have had some bad press in the last few years, we can live harmoniously with them if we give them their space. Touching any type of bat, even if it is injured or trapped, can put you at risk. If you do come across an injured bat, call a wildlife handler (such as Sydney Wildlife Rescue on 9413 4300) rather than trying to help it yourself. 

For more information on the Grey-headed flying-fox, you can visit the Little Aussie Battlers webpage.

By Rachel Whiteley – Environmental Scientist Biodiversity Planning

Grey-headed flying-fox. Drawing by Stephen Pym

Plastics in the environment

Large tyre found in a Grimsons Gully creekCaused by a slow-moving low-pressure system gathering moisture from the Coral Sea this past summer, La Niña brought unprecedented rainfall to the east coast of Queensland and NSW over a short period of time. At Katta Close Bushcare site in Asquith, the normally serene creeks in Walls and Grimsons gullies became boisterous torrents, depositing unwelcome items along their banks. Volunteer Jarred Drew and his daughter surprised me with a photo of a tractor tyre that came to rest in the creek below their house! They also retrieved enough balls - in particular tennis balls - to fill a red-lidded rubbish bin!

Initially in awe of the power of the water in these small creeks, closer inspection of these pollutants revealed a more sinister threat to our environment. For instance, car, truck and tractor tyres are made of rubber, 50% of which comprises synthetic polymers. When abraded through use, these synthetic polymers become microplastics (a polymer < 5mm in size). Likewise, the fluffy, outer casing of a tennis ball is composed of felt and nylon which, when continuously struck with a racquet, fragments into microplastics. (YouTube: Why tennis balls are an environmental disaster). These microplastics are light enough to float through the air we breathe and drift for thousands of kilometres before landing on soil, in oceans or washing into our waterways. Plastics never leave our environment. They just become microplastics which absorb harmful products – bacteria, viruses, heavy metals and organic pollutants. In our creeks and oceans, these microplastics can be mistaken for food by aquatic organisms and can subsequently affect the trophic ecology of multiple organisms in the food chain.

It is therefore critical we explore avenues to abate further accumulation of microplastics in the environment. As individuals we can: 

  • Use natural products where possible
  • Recycle and reuse plastics.
  • Support purchase of recycled plastic products
  • Imitate Jarred and his daughter by physically removing and appropriately disposing of plastic pollutants and other rubbish found in our waterways and bushland
  • Look for and support products such as Guppy Bags which prevent microfibres escaping from our synthetics in washing machines

In our society, governments and businesses can:

  • Stop using / making plastics
  • Increase recycling of plastic products 
  • Improve the sealing and monitoring of runoff from landfill sites

Everyone can play a part to:

  • Support healthy natural ecosystems with high biodiversity on all levels. Nature can and does surprise us with what it can accomplish!!

By Anita Wynne - Casual Bushcare Trainer

Photo: Large tyre found in a Grimsons Gully creek

New Bushcare groups

2022 has already been a busy year. We initiated three new groups in one of the wettest years on record. Jeannette successfully secured funding, from the NSW Environmental Trust, for a site supervisor at two locally significant sites - Kenley Park, Normanhurst and Ginger Meggs Park, Hornsby. In addition, we are very excited to be working with 1st Waitara Scouts at James Park, Hornsby.

The first Bushcare session at Kenley Park, April 2022Kenley Park
April marked the start-up of a new Bushcare group in Hornsby Shire. Kenley Park, a precious remnant of critically endangered Blue Gum High Forest, had been earmarked for a few years as a perfect place for Bushcare. We were thrilled to receive funding from the NSW Environmental Trust’s Restoration and Rehabilitation Program for a site supervisor, so now the group is up and running.

The first session was planned for March but had to be postponed due to the wet weather. An inspection of the park in late March found saturated soils and a not-too-rosy forecast for the first Saturday afternoon in April. Even so, we pushed ahead with plans for a one-hour walk and talk and bush regeneration demonstration.  As it turned out, the rain stayed away, and all present enjoyed a stroll through the park while learning and chatting. The conditions were such that pouches were able to be donned and a little hands-on work took place on higher grounds.

Kenley Park Bushcare Group will meet on the first Saturday afternoon of the month from 1pm to 4pm. The site supervisor is Jenny Heller and the next work session will be on 2 July.

Photo: The first Bushcare session at Kenley Park, April 2022

Ginger Meggs Park

Another new Bushcare group started this year at Ginger Meggs Park, Hornsby. The site is located on the edge of the critically endangered Blue Gum High Forest that is found in the bushland parts of Ginger Meggs Park and in the adjacent Dog Pound Creek Reserve. 

We had a healthy amount of interest, including from a few Bushcare and community nursery volunteers who are always at the ready to get their hands dirty for the environment. The old hands made easy work of removing some of the grasses, one of the more challenging aspects of Bushcare. The weather was great for planting, no need to water everything in. We look forward to seeing everyone return in June.

Ginger Meggs Park Bushcare Group will meet on the first Saturday afternoon of the month from 1pm to 4pm. The site supervisor is Elissa McFarlane and the next work session will be on 2 July.

The first Bushcare session at Ginger Meggs Park, May 2022
Photo: The first Bushcare session at Ginger Meggs Park, May 2022

James Park - 1st Waitara Scout Group

1st Waitara Scout Group at James ParkBushland Programs staff Tony Gorman and Ty Suter were excited at the prospect of including Scouts in the Hornsby Bushcare program. The first session had a dozen Scouts and Scout leaders removing removing Acetosa sagittata (also known as turkey rhubarb) from around the Scout Hall. Tony and Elissa McFarlane, the site supervisor, demonstrated the techniques bush regenerators use to treat common weeds, as well as tips and tricks we use to identify natives from their weedy lookalikes.
 
With Elissa guiding the enthusiastic group, they are bound to make steady progress in no time. It’s fantastic to see young passionate kids working in bushland reserves. The Scout leaders should be commended for initiating the project.

Photo: 13 1st Waitara Scout Group at James Park

Could you be a wildlife carer?


Graduating class from Sydney Wildlife Rescue

If rescuing and caring for wildlife has been something you've thought about doing but didn't know where to start, Sydney Wildlife Rescue is looking for new volunteers in Hornsby Shire. Their Rescue and Care courses are conducted online over three weeks, with easy-to-read manuals and educational videos. The 10 modules and assessments will take around 12 hours to complete and cover an introduction to Sydney Wildlife Rescue, birds, possums, lizards and turtles, self-care and your first rescue.

After successfully completing the online component, trainees attend a COVID-safe practical afternoon. This involves instruction in basic elements of wildlife handling and cage setup before graduates receive their certificates with rescue baskets, essential equipment and supplies. They are also allocated a buddy to assist them with their first rescue and care and release operations. Beyond that, they will receive advice from experienced species coordinators and enjoy access to a generous network of volunteer veterinary practices. Ongoing training is also available so members can develop their skills to handle baby birds, baby possums, bats, raptors and snakes.

Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Services Inc (Sydney Wildlife Rescue) was formed in May 1997 by a large group of experienced wildlife carers to meet the specific needs of urban wildlife in the Sydney metropolitan area. It is a registered charity operated entirely by volunteers and licenced by NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service to rescue, rehabilitate and release sick, injured and orphaned native animals. It also strives to educate the community about the need to protect wildlife and preserve their habitats. 

Beyond rescue and care, there are a variety of volunteer roles such as transport of animals/equipment, food collection/preparation or operating the 24/7 advice line - (02) 9413 4300 - including from the comfort of your own home after training. So, if you’d like a rewarding volunteer opportunity where you’ll meet like-minded, wildlife-loving people and help native birds and animals, please consider enrolling now as spaces are limited.

Find out more information or register.

Photo: Graduating class from Sydney Wildlife Rescue

Rain, rain go away…

It’s been front and centre this year, so what is La Niña? In the 19th century, Peruvian fisherman noticed that warm water would sometimes arrive off the south coast of South America around Christmas time. They named this pattern El Niño (in English ‘the boy’) in honour of baby Jesus. The opposite weather pattern of cold water off the coast of Peru was called La Niña (in English ‘the girl’). El Niño and La Niña phenomena impact weather patterns world-wide, including the land masses in the southern hemisphere. 

La Niña is caused by stronger than usual trade winds forcing warm waters to accumulate around northern Australia. This increases the level of water in the atmosphere and leads to: 

  • Increased rainfall across much of Australia
  • Cooler daytime temperatures (south of the tropics)
  • Warmer overnight temperatures (in the north)
  • A shift in temperature extremes
  • Decreased frost risk
  • Greater tropical cyclone numbers and an earlier start to the monsoon season

These La Niña conditions will remain while the current trade wind patterns persist.

What to do when it’s too wet for Bushcare

To date, the La Niña weather pattern has impacted all Bushcare groups this year. Either your work sessions have been cancelled due to rain, you cannot access the site for fear of compacting the soil, or you simply can’t keep ahead of the leeches. In response, we have invited weekday Bushcare groups to pirouette and spruce up the plants at Warada Ngurang Community Nursery.

The persistent and plentiful rainfall and Ross’s absence encouraged weed and insect pests to breach our defences, so tasks piled up while the nursery volunteer program was in abeyance for many months. With Bushcare work sessions being cancelled left, right and centre, Tony offered Bushcare volunteers and their trainers the chance to work undercover as temporary nursery volunteers. This has been an immense help, as the regular nursery volunteers can concentrate on what they do best - propagating plants!

Participating Bushcare volunteers have had a ball, and the nursery work has allowed them to meet up no matter how dreary the weather. They have gained new skills and are ready to accept any challenge that heads their way, while remaining leech free!

Photo: Cheltenham Oval Bushcare Group members volunteering at Warada Ngurang Community Nursery

Native Plant Giveaways – April to June 2022

16 Native plant giveaway event at Warada Ngurang Community Nursery, 14 May Native Plant Giveaways are always major events for the Bushland Programs team. To keep visitor numbers to a manageable number, we are currently using a ticketed service. This ensures each resident receives good customer service while being socially distant, and we have ample plants on offer for each event.

The Native Plant Giveaways – April to June 2022 program offers all residences in Hornsby Shire four free native plants. Each ticket allows anyone in a household to come to the nursery on a set date and at a set time, so there is no queueing, crowding or rushing and expert advice is on tap to assist informed choices. If you have not collected your free native plants, please use our online booking service before available timeslots run out.

Photo: Native plant giveaway event at Warada Ngurang Community Nursery, 14 May

Wandering trad leaf-smut fungus project

17 Chilworth Reserve and wandering tradCouncil is one of the many groups working in partnership with the CSIRO to release the leaf-smut fungus, a biological control that specifically attacks the environmental weed wandering trad or Tradescantia fluminensis. The project is co-funded by CSIRO and the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust.
 
The leaf-smut fungus, Kordyana brasiliensis, was discovered by researchers in Brazil. When infected by the fungus, wandering trad develops lesions on its leaves that eventually cause leaf death and overall reduction in foliage cover. The main visible symptoms of fungal infection are yellowish spots on the upper leaf surfaces and corresponding white-woolly patches on the lower leaf surfaces where spores are produced. Infection by the fungus reduces wandering trad’s capacity to photosynthesise and therefore its ability to outcompete native vegetation.

What conditions promote fungal infection and spread?
White fungal spores are produced on the underside of infected wandering trad leaves. These spores then spread over short distances and must land on the undersides of nearby wandering trad leaves. Fungal spores that land on any other surface will die. The probability of fungal infection and establishment will most likely be higher in humid, shaded habitats with a high density of wandering trad. To date, 2022 has provided some of the best conditions for the fungus to spread. Council initially released the fungus in eight bushland reserves, including Chilworth and New Farm Road reserves. We have found that the fungus has spread widely, particularly near creek lines.

The results to date have exceeded our expectations. Hopefully when the rains stop, the fungus will continue to spread and reduce the biomass of wandering trad in our reserves. 

For more information on CSIRO’s project, please visit their website.

Photo: Chilworth Reserve and wandering trad

Bushcare working with the community

 

Berowra Fauna Fair

We were pleased to be invited to promote Hornsby Bushcare at the Friends of Berowra Valley National Park’s Fauna Fair, held in March. The Friends put on a great event, with an array of interesting and diverse speakers. Stall holders included the Frog and Tadpole Society, Sydney Wildlife Rescue, Cattai Hills Environment Network, the Australian Native Plant Society, and many more. I met many of our Bushcare and nursery volunteers, eager to learn more about how they can help local fauna. The event was supported by our Mayor Philip Ruddock and Matt Kean, Member for Hornsby and NSW Government Treasurer. It is great to see our elected representatives supporting the nature conservation movement. The Friends of Berowra Valley should be congratulated for coordinating an excellent fair.

MP Matt Kean speaking at the Friends of Berowra Valley National Park’s Fauna Fair

Photo: MP Matt Kean speaking at the Friends of Berowra Valley National Park’s Fauna Fair

Berowra Garden Club

I was delighted to be invited to Berowra Garden Club to speak in real life! My presentation on beneficial insects in the garden focussed on native good bugs, naturally.

I may have spent too much time on pollinators, but the sheer numbers of native bee species that visit our gardens is impossible to get through in a few minutes. I hope many have incorporated some minibeast-friendly aspects to their private oasis. Most of all, the gardeners accepted my lack of experience with exotic plants and animals.

I would like to thank all volunteers who have submitted photos of minibeasts in our photo competitions over the years. They are a great resource for our presentations and are very much admired.

Photo: Leanne Johnston at Berowra Garden Club

JP Kecman presenting at the May VCN meeting at GalstonVolunteer Coordinators Network meeting

The Volunteer Coordinators Network is a collection of representatives from local and State Government agencies and non-government agencies, meeting quarterly to exchange ideas on ways to run environmental volunteer programs. This association provides support and offers practical solutions to many issues that can emerge when managing volunteer programs. May 2022 was our turn to showcase how our program has capitalised on the unique qualities of our community to produce excellent environmental outcomes. This photo shows JP Kecman, Bushcare Field Officer, sharing about how our Bushcare and community nursery volunteer programs fit with Council’s broader bushland management program and biodiversity strategy. Later, Petra Holland, Environmental Scientist - Bushland Programs and Barry Lees, Carrs Bush Bushcare volunteer, lead the group around the new Carrs Bush boardwalk. The new signs and sculptures proved to be a major hit with our peers.

If you haven’t been to the Carrs Bush end of Fagan Park, now is the time to go! The boardwalk takes you through the critically endangered Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest vegetation community. The bronze sculptures are beautiful and show you the species that live in or near our remnant bushland. Fagan Park is a great place for a picnic and there are plenty of shelters in the northern end of the park near Carrs Bush.

Photo: JP Kecman presenting at the May VCN meeting at Galston

Australian Plants Society – North Shore District Group

I had the privilege of being the first, in-person guest speaker for the Australian Plants Society - North Shore District Group after the most recent COVID lockdowns. The group was very welcoming and asked many questions about how our Bushcare and community nursery programs work, and about the influence of community expectations on our overall natural management framework. Being present at their meeting reminded me of the strong links that were in place between the Australian Plants Society and the Hornsby Bushcare program in earlier years. 

The Australian Plants Society has continued to hold their walks throughout the COVID lockdowns, and they are always interesting and informative. The Hornsby Herbarium was developed by the group, and members continue the hunt for new species at every opportunity.

For more information, go to the Ausplants website.

Events

 

Bushcode Workshops

We have vacancies in all Bushcode Workshops. All new Bushcare volunteers are required to attend one 3-hour Bushcode Workshop, where you will receive an essential work health and safety induction and an overview of the program.

When: Friday 26 August 2022, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Where: Warada Ngurang Community Nursery
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/BXAZV  

When: Saturday 22 October 2022, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Where: Warada Ngurang Community Nursery
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/BXBAA  

When: Saturday 19 November 2022 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Where: Warada Ngurang Community Nursery
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/BXBAG
 


National Tree Day


Sunday 31 July
Save the date! It will be great to host the first National Tree Day since 2019. 
Location to be announced soon!
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Hornsby Shire Council Bushcare
Phone: (02) 9847 6362
Email: bushcare@hornsby.nsw.gov.au
Web: hornsby.nsw.gov.au/bushcare