Many beautiful areas of bushland and wetland are home to a wide variety of native plants and animals. Our bushcare volunteers help restore and protect these areas for everyone to enjoy. Volunteers have the opportunity to get involved in a number of activities including weed removal, planting of native species, mulching, fauna surveys and seed collection. Everyone is welcome to attend and no previous experience is necessary. All that is required is for volunteers to register is to complete and return the registration form found here. Volunteers should wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a hat. Morning tea, tools and equipment is provided.
We currently have 1 ongoing project - the restoration of Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub in Kamay Botany Bay National Park.
This is a long-term project spanning 2 years in partnership with the NSW government. Our sustainable plan includes the clearing of obnoxious and invasive weed species across a 2 hectare area in the southern end of the national park, followed by the revegetation of the threatened ESBS to ensure a promising return of this species for the overall benefit of the local flora & fauna in the area.
If you are interested in joining us for a volunteering session, please reach out to us through our contact section…
Weed Management & Revegetation of Freshwater Wetland
FOGA has partnered with local councils across Eastern Sydney and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to assist people in learning weed identification and weed control skills. These educational programs are consistent with the ‘National Strategy for Weed Management’ and provide learning opportunities prior to serious weeding events that have been planned to occur in South-East Sydney.
Through government funding, FOGA has been able to assist well-established local community groups in reducing the impact of priority weeds in critically important freshwater wetlands and coastal saltmarsh areas, building the required skills and capacity for local community members to care for and revive coastal ecosystems.
To sign up for the event, click here.
Rehabilitation of Coastal Sand Mantle Heath ESBS
Coastal Sand Mantle Heath is a fire-adapted sclerophyllous coastal heath/scrub community that is found in 24 isolated remnants on Aeolian sand mantles between La Perouse and Manly. They contain over 60 species, including mainly heathy shrubs and subshrubs. It is estimated that these species occupied some 5300 hectares around Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay area in 1788. Much has been cleared for development or other land uses and is subject to a range of threats characteristic of relatively small urban reserves. By March 2003, only 138 hectares remained. ESBS is listed as an ‘endangered ecological community’ both in the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and in the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Kamay Bay National Park is an important area for this endangered plant community. FOGA, with the support of community environmental programs, has undertaken weed clearing and restoration at Henry Head Lane, La Perouse to support this critically endangered plant community.
For more information and to sign up, please click here.