Ideally, in natural area restoration we have large bushland areas
within which we are working to re-establish on-site habitat or wildlife
corridors to even more extensive areas of native wildlife habitat
The reality is often much less than this: we are working in narrow
urban riparian reserves infested with Lantana, Privet, Bitou and
Camphor Laurel, or we only have our own backyard in which to work. Even
so, you can still make a substantial contribution to protection of
native wildlife in your area by creating a “stepping stone” oasis for
fruit-eating (frugivorous) wildlife.
Bush Regeneration
Creating Stepping Stones for Frugivores
Fire Retardant Plants
Some lucky people live in, near or next to bushland. This can be great
if you want to take a walk and watch the birds, wonder about the daily
routines of the wildlife, or catch a waft and witness the new flowers
of the season. The Australian bush is a beautiful place, but also a
dangerous one which can threaten your life and property.
Bush Regeneration Services
Supporting TIN is supporting the local environment
The highly qualified, enthusiastic and sought after bush regeneration team offer a variety of bush regeneration and revegetation services to private landholders, local governments, DECC (NPWS), corporate landholders and community groups.The proceeds from the Bush Regen Team's efforts go back into supporting TIN's volunteer and land care projects in Newcastle and the Biodiversity in Schools project throughout the Lower Hunter. nursery, volunteer & education centre and provider of bush regeneration services.
Stabilising Creekbanks, Ponds & Dams with Local Native Plants
The edges of creekbanks, dams and ponds are important places to
keep vegetated. By holding the soil in place, erosion is prevented and
the amount of soil entering the waterways is reduced. The
zone between the water and the land, the riparian zone, is some of the
most productive and most susceptible to degradation.
A Coastal Wetlands Park and Green Corridor
A previous TIN Topic mentioned briefly the work of the Coastal
Wetlands Park Support Group whose aim is "to seek the long term
security of the coastal wetlands and dunes, tributaries and buffer zones as part of a complex
interconnection of remnant natural areas of state and possibly
international significance, complementing the already recognised
estuarine and salt marsh wetlands on the Hunter River at
Newcastle." (Coastal Wetlands Park Brochure)
Saving What's Left
Perhaps the best aspect of a natural resource officer's job is visiting
the numerous sites that people are working across the local area,
noting the environmental improvements as a result of onground
activities and realizing the tremendous collective commitment that
individuals are making to the preservation of the area's natural
environment.
To mulch or not to mulch?
Mulch is good, mulch is great but beware the natives don't suffocate.
The Replacement of Weeds
The best regeneration strategies for both flora and fauna are long
term. This is not to say that we just accept the weeds on our sites
because they are providing habitat or food source for native fauna, or
preventing erosion, or maintaining continuous canopy cover in a
wildlife corridor, or providing shade and shelter in an otherwise bare landscape.
The Importance of Weeds
An often quoted definition of a weed is a “plant growing in the wrong
place.” In one sense this is true, because from a Landcarers’ point of
view, many such plants are exotic species growing in native bushland.
In many other ways though, the definition is wrong; the weed is a plant
growing in the right place, otherwise it wouldn’t be surviving as
vigorously as it is.
Frog Friendly plants for a Wetland Wonderland
Setting up a frog garden with local provenance plants is a simple exercise. Once you
have a water-tight container (whether a fancy glazed pot, an old bath-tub or
laundry tub, or a hole in the ground that retains stormwater), you are ready to
start