One of the most distinctive aspects of Sydney is the encroaching presence of bushland in little pockets within the urban cityscape. While the city is enriched environmentally and aesthetically by this close proximity, the presence of humans can have a negative impact on the more fragile bushlands.
Bush Regeneration is "the complex and synergistic practice of restoring and maintaining Australian native bushland via the systematic control of environmental weeds/pollutants/nutrients to restore and recover local vegetation communities, including their faunal associations."
Translated, this means that bush regeneration is about rehabilitating the natural flora that humans inadvertently or intentionally alter in the course of our daily lives. What is unique about the process is that it is not a bandaid solution; it aims to use natural processes to restore the natural habitat.
For North Sydney locals, the North Sydney Council runs an active Bushcare program, with 12 groups working in bush regeneration around the reserves. The areas under the care of these
Bushcare groups include
Smoothey Park in Wollstonecraft and
Tunks Park East in Cammeray. Volunteers are generally required for one Saturday per month.
Pittwater Council runs a similar initiative in up to twenty-six sites in Pittwater. Groups meet at
Avalon Dunes, Bangalley Headland or
Toongari Reserve approximately once a month for three hours.
In the Eastern Suburbs,
Woollahra Municipal Council runs a similar program. Not only do volunteers get to spend time in the natural environment, they are also given the opportunity to learn bush regeneration strategies from a variety of materials, including a "Bushcare Manual." Similarly,
North Sydney Council runs a Bushcare Essentials Beginners training course within the first two years of volunteering.
