Bush Regeneration

Little Lovett Bay

Contact: Antonia Hoddle

Weeding dates: 2nd Saturday of the month 10am-1pm
Start date for 2021: Saturday 13th February 2021
Meeting point: Hall’s Wharf Lovett Bay
Special: 1pm Lunch is at Antonia’s place—everyone contributes but Antonia always provides the main meal.

Supported by: Northern Beaches Council
2019/20 Bush Care Officer — Daryl Davies
2020/21 Bush Care Officer — Josh Byrne

What does Council provide?
– Morning tea
– Weeding equipment
– Shirts that are impregnated with pyrethrin which repels ticks and other insects
– Hats
Everyone is asked to dress appropriately in work clothes, hat, sturdy shoes and sunscreen.

Covid restrictions apply.

Targeted weeds

• Ground asparagus – Asparagus aethiopicus
• Lantana – Lantana camara
• Fishbone fern – Nephrolepis cordifolia
• Sticky heads – Paspalum dilatatum
• Cape ivy – Delairea odorata
• Madeira vine – Anredera cordifolia
• Blue periwinkle – Vinca major
• Mother of millions – Bryophulum sp.
• Buffalo grass – Stenotaphrum secundatum

Our plan

Our long term plan is continual maintenance and weeding of Ku-ring-gai Beach Estate and Coopers Point Intertidal Coastal Reserve and Council land leading up to the YHA and out to Woody Point which is National Park. We also weed along Bona Crescent. Area shown in green in the map below.

It is important to encorage residents that boundaries are planted out with what is known as PROVENANCE, which is an area where we maintain the genetic integrity of local native plants facilitating natural re-generation. Removing weeds and exotic plants which are competition for natural seeding allows for regrowth.

History

The pink area shown on the map above, is the land we have cared for, for the last 50 years. The origins of our group go back to 1972 with the clearing of lantana in the Spotted Gum Forest. Corymbia Maculata and the late Mike Kitching were instrumental in the closure of trails short cutting through the bush causing severe erosion.This forest is now listed as an Endangered Ecological Community in the Sydney Basin 1998 under the Threatened Species Act of 1995. Formalised in 2004.

In 2004, with the help of Karen Nippard from Pittwater Council, Antonia obtained a grant from Canberra which financed the Rocky Point and Elvina Bay Groups. We also engaged the YHA in Coopers Point Group.

The grant of $3, 278 .18 enabled us to purchase kits/gloves/ tools etc for the groups and work has never ceased. Looking back at the old photos is incredibly rewarding, with the group contributing over 100,000 hours of work. We have planted hundreds
of tube stock and our long term plan is continual maintenance and weeding of Ku-ring-gai Beach Estate and Coopers Point Intertidal Coastal Reserve and Council land leading up to the YHA and out to Woody Point which is National Park. We also weed along Bona Crescent.

Recent work

Daryl has been instrumental in rehabilitating the very steep front embankment of the Coopers Point Intertidal Reserve and now the embankment is native plants rather than weed infested asparagus fern which dominated. All our work is photo documented old school hard copy files and also digital.
Centre: Bush Care Officer, Daryl Davies 2019/2020
Left: Jo Philips and Susie Horrobin
Right: Fiamma Kitching

Natural regrowth on steep embankment of Coopers Point Intertidal Coastal Reserve.

Contact Us

Please use the form below to find out how to get involved. Membership is open and newcomers are always welcomed.