Bushcare volunteering

What is Bushcare?

Bushcare is a community-based program in which volunteers help regenerate and preserve Woollahra's bushland, with the assistance and support of Council staff. Through the Bushcare program we work to protect local biodiversity, natural ecosystems and preserve the habitat of native flora and fauna.

Bushcare provides an opportunity for the community to learn about our local environment and to get involved in managing and maintaining our native bushland.

Read interviews with our local Bushcare volunteers Rob Hitchen and Jo Bridge.

Bushcare groups

Cooper Park (Kendall Street)
Every Tuesday and the fourth Saturday of the month, 10am-12pm. Meet at the end of Kendall Street, Woollahra.

Cooper Park (Suttie Road)
Every Tuesday 1pm to 3pm. Meet at the cricket nets at Lower Cooper Park on Suttie Rd, Woollahra.

Cooper Park (Edward Street)
Second Saturday and third Saturday of the month, 10am-2pm. Meet at the end of Edward Street, Woollahra.

Gap Park
Every Wednesday, 9am-12pm. Meet behind the Gunyah Hall, Watsons Bay.

Lighthouse Reserve
Every Wednesday, 1pm to 3pm. Meet at Lighthouse Reserve opposite Cambridge Avenue and Old South Head Road, Vaucluse.

Parsley Bay Reserve
Every Thursday, 9am-12pm. Meet at the Kiosk at the end of Horler Avenue, Vaucluse.

Christison Park
Every Thursday, 1pm to 3pm. Meet at Southeast Corner of Christison Park on coastal cliff path, Vaucluse.

Trumper Park (New Mclean St)
Last Wednesday of the month, 9am-12pm. Meet above playground at New Mclean St steps, Trumper Park.

Trumper Park (Harris St)
Every Friday, 9am-12pm and the first Saturday of the month, 10am-2pm. Meet at the pond area in Trumper Park.

Paddington Nursery
Every Friday, 1pm-3pm. Meet at the nursery at the end of Quarry Street, Paddington.

Bushcare volunteers

Anyone over the age of 15 is invited to become a Bushcare volunteer. Our Bushcare volunteers include local residents, retirees, businesses, community groups, school groups and tertiary students. All you need is an interest in protecting the local environment and a few spare hours a week, fortnight or month. As a Bushcare volunteer, you will help to ensure the future ecological sustainability and natural beauty of the Woollahra municipality.

Our Bushcare volunteers receive a copy of our biannual newsletter The Bush Telegraph, certificates of participation and achievement, and are provided with all necessary tools and equipment, morning and/or afternoon tea and site supervision.

Volunteers also receive Bushcare training, including a Bushcare Manual and will learn about:

  • the value of urban bushland
  • threats to urban bushland ecosystems
  • plant identification
  • weed identification and removal techniques
  • revegetation techniques
  • bushland site analysis
  • work health and safety awareness

Bushcare enquiries

Download the Become a bushcare volunteer brochure(PDF, 1MB) .

For more information, please contact:

Rudi Adlmayer
Bushcare Liaison Officer
Phone: 0423 020 648
Email: bushcare@woollahra.nsw.gov.au

Bushcare volunteer working on revegetation

Waterwise Gardens

There are many things we can all do to conserve water and keep our gardens healthy:

  • Woollahra Council offers FREE woodchip mulch to residents. You can collect your woodchip mulch from Gunyah car park. Entrance is located at the junction of Old South Head Road and Salisbury Street, Watsons Bay (next to Our Lady Star of the Sea Church).
  • Plant waterwise or low water use plants, both native and exotic. Locally endemic species are ideal for local conditions, however there are a range of dry climate species and cultivars from other parts of Australia and all over the world which can reduce your watering needs.
  • Mulch with woodchip or leaf litter over garden beds and tree surrounds to save water. This will conserve water, suppress weeds and supply nutrients to your plants.
  • Drip irrigation rather than traditional sprinklers will deliver an appropriate volume of water to the root zone without spray drift, evaporation or wetting unnecessary areas.
  • Hand-water rather than use sprinklers and sweep driveways and paths rather than hosing.
  • Water in cooler parts of the day.

Waterwise enquiries

For more information, please contact us on 02 9391 7000.

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