WHAT - IWEGs bushcare work
WHERE - our bushcare sites
WHEN - diary and events list
HOW - you can get involved!
How You can Get Involved...
Anyone from the local area can get involved in IWEGs activities - either with IWEG in the Hawthorne Canal area, or with the soon to be established Hercules Bushcare Team in the Dulwich Hill and Cooks River area. Click on the activity that you'd like to get involved in:
regular weeding roster at a particular site
seed collecting and raising native plants
web site updating and volunteer coordination
fauna and bird surveys and improving fauna habitat
Bushcare volunteering at IWEG working bees & planting days
Once a month on a Sunday, IWEG holds a working bee and planting "day" at one of our bushcare sites, where volunteers carry out a number of activities such as preparing the planting area, spreading mulch, weeding and planting. On the day, volunteers who might be regulars or here for the first time, sign the IWEG register, then are allocated tasks by the site supervisor. We normally break for a cuppa after an hour or so. All equipment that you'll need for the day is supplied by IWEG - you need to brig a hat, sunscreen, a water bottle. For the sites in the rail corridor you'll need to le the site manager know by email at least by the Thursday before the Sunday, so that your name can be included in the Exemption Forms submitted to RailCorp.
To see when and where the next working bee is, see the IWEG diary
To see the site nearest where you live refer to the IWEG site maps
If you'd like us to let you know when he next working bee is on, contact us to get on the email list
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| IWEG volunteers at a working bee at Cadigal Reserve Summer Hilll | IWEG volunteers having a morning tea break at a working bee | IWEG volunteers establishing Waratah Mills site in July 2003 |
Joining a weeding and maintenance roster
IWEG needs a couple of people on each of the six bushcare sites to be responsible for keeping each site free of weeds. The sites are beautiful little havens to be in, and weeding is such a peaceful activity in a frantic world. Refer to the map of these sites.
The idea is that a small group of people adopt a site near their home or work and take of care it on a regular basis at a time that suits them. So, if 4 people take responsibility for a site, there is only a very small time commitment for each person. A short workshop will be available to help you identify native grasses from exotics (it can be difficult when they are young) and to demonstrate how to weed with the least amount of soil disturbance. Three of the sites are in the rail corridor, and if you choose these sites you will need to attend a half day training in rail safety, run and funded by RailCorp.
So if you are interested please contact Bruce Ashley ph (H) 9560 9281, or email: iweg@greenway.org.au we can get things organised!
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| IWEG volunteer contemplating the weeding task ahead | Sites need almost weekly maintenance to control weed growth | IWEG volunteers doing some sensible weeding at Waratah Mills 1st April 2003 |
Growing our own native plants!
As well as sourcing local provenance plants from community nurseries in the Inner West, IWEG volunteers also collect seed from the bushcare sites and raise seedlings from these. Using seedling trays ("Hyco") IWEG volunteers can raise many thousands of native grass "plugs" for dense grasslands planting. The propagation work can be done at the homes of residences and the trays distributed to volunteers for raising and nurturing until ready to plant. To date IWEG has propagated over 2000 plants in this way.
For sites where weed control has been sucessfull, seeds from native grasses can be spread on disturbed ground to aid natural dissemination of seed and germination. We have planted a variety of species to maintain biodiversity. All these species have different ways of propagation - some form seed, some vegetatively for plant root to stem material, and some from spores (such as ferns)
IWEG volunteers also assist at the community nurseries, such as at Marrickville Community Nursery, and Rozelle Bay Community Nursery. IWEG also provide some seed to Gladesville Community Nursery (also known as Cornucopia Nursery) for propagation, who in turn provide tube stock to IWEG fro planting.
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| IWEG volunteer s placing grass seeds into Hyco trays for propagation | Grasses in trays being transported by bicycle trailer. Up to 300 grass "plugs" or about 150 tube stock can be easily and safely transported by the trailer (CycleTote brand imported from the US) | Grasses raised by WEG volunteers in trays outside in full sun to "grow on". |
Planting Local Provenance Species in your own Backyard
Because some of the rail corridor sites are very narrow, planting on adjoining lands will help to improve the viability of any biodiversity corridor established. In November 2002, IWEG held a plant giveaway day at 4 locations in Dulwich Hill to provide free local provenance plants to those who lived near the corridor. To date this has not been repeated but it is hoped that a program to encourage neighbours to the rail corridor to plant local provenance species will be carried out in the latter half of 2008 and 2009.
If you live within 100m of the Rozelle goods line and are keen to help build a bush corridor between Iron Cove and the Cooks River as part of the GreenWay vision, then you can help by purchasing and planting local provenance native plants from your local community nursery. The two closest community nurseries are at Marrickville and Rozelle Bay. Because of height restrictions, it is difficult to plant trees in the rail corridor, so if you can plant some trees from the Turpentine Ironbark community (see IWEG plant list) then that would greatly help the bush link project.
Local residents collecting free plants as part of a plant give away. Click to enlarge
Join us at our Next Meeting
If you want to find out more about IWEG, then join us at our next planning meeting - which is held at Summer Hill Community Centre on the third Wednesday every even-numbered month through 2008.
Lend Your Computer Skills to Web site Updating and Volunteer Coordination
The are always volunteer help need to update the web site and keep track of all the electronic information that IWEG collects and documents our activities. If you have some expertise in web site building or maintaining, are proficient in the use of common computer software such as Microsoft Word or XL or mapping/graphic software then please get in touch with use to see where you may be able to help. We would also like some help with the coordination of volunteer and the updating of the contacts lists. If you think you can help, please email to iweg@greenway.org.au
Help With Fauna and Bird Surveys & Improving Habitat
IWEG is in the process of establishing bird and fauna monitoring sites. If you are keen top help out or have some expertise you feel you can assist us with surveys, observations, photography and recordings, please contact us. To date only one formal fauna survey has been conducted in the rail corridor sites in Dulwich Hill. This was undertaken by by the Australian Museum in 2007. The fauna species list compiled from these surveys throughout Marrickville Council Area can be downloaded here.
Bird observations have ben made by IWEG member David Rudder of the last 5 years or so in the Hawthorne Canal area. Download the observations here.
Surveys and trapping to identify the presence and location of Long-Nose Bandicoots has bene undertaken by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. This has included inspection of sites where scrathings have been observed, tracking of animals located in the Lewisham are, and use of hair tubes to confirm presence at various sites. If you do have any sightings of the Long-nosed Bandicoot, then please email to IWEG at iweg@greenway.org.au or to the DEC Ranger, Harbour South, Ben Khan, Ben.Khan@environment.nsw.gov.au
A hair tube trap at the Waratah Mills site. Hairs from animals that are attracted to a small food source stick to adhesive strips on the paper lining the trap. These hairs are then analysed to determine which species they belong to. Click to enlarge
IWEG volunteers at a working bee at the Olympic Landcare site, Richrd Murden Reserve Haberfield, July 2005
IWEG volunteers at the firs rail corridor working bee at Waratah Mills, Dulwich Hill, July 2003
click to enlarge images
photographs (c) Bruce Ashley unless otherwise stated