Monday 2 June 2008

Bushcare event @ Albany Parkside

DON'T you just love the bushland around our estate, peppered as it is with beautiful flora and interesting fauna? Even when it's raining and Albany Creek begins to babble, it's a wonderful landscape.

Well, one of the ways we can keep our bushland not only looking good but also free of invasive or destructive weeds (which could also spread to your garden), is to join in the fun activities organised by our local BushCare group.

The great news is that the next BushCare activity will be held on Sunday, June 22, from 8am to 10am in our Albany Parkside side of the Dawn Road Reserve.

In fact, those who want to participate will be helping to improve a segment of creekside parkland behind homes on the eastern side of Fred Campbell Drive.

The new Moreton Bay Regional Council sponsors our local BushCare activities, supplying volunteers with tools, equipment and cool refreshments in return for two hours of our time. The range of tasks can include:

  • Plant and weed identification
  • Encouraging natural regeneration
  • Tree planting
  • Mulching
  • Weeding
  • Habitat creation

BushCare is a community based conservation program aimed at restoring our natural bushland areas. The local group has been working successfully for once a month over several months on a patch of bush that runs along a rather pretty gully at the end of Hengis Court (in the adjacent Woodlands estate).

The transformation has been amazing as a group of a dozen or so local residents pitched in - under the watchful eye of MBRC BushCare officer Adam Christison and our local BushCare co-ordinator Janet Mangan - to remove invasive madiera vine, climbing asparagus, its groundcover form, asparagus fern, glycine and other pesky weeds.

Volunteers have included singles, couples, mates, parents and their children, people aged from 10 to 70+ who spend two hours once a month working together on a fun project.

It will be terrific to start such a project at this end of the Dawn Road Reserve. Why not join in the gathering at 8am adjacent to 35 FCD (cul de sac on the far south-eastern end)?

All you need is a broad-rimmed hat, gloves, sturdy enclosed shoes, long-sleeved shirt, long pants and to splash on plenty of sunscreen and insect repellent. And, of course, bring a friend, partner or child.

See you there.

TrinaMcL