The picnic was a whirlwind of fun! This year the annual thank you picnic was held at Peter Carroll Oval in Katoomba, a new location for us as we celebrated the achievements of our bushcare community and beyond.

Due to high demand, we ran a Bushcare Trivia this year with questions composed from our very own quiz wizz bushcare collective of volunteers. We had a number of winners with first place going to Gun Gun Bushcare and consolatory prizes going to Warrimoo Weed Warriors, Deanei, Sublime Point and Medlow Bath – Congratulations!

It was the perfect year to run our kite making workshop, with 80km winds creating a beautifully chaotic aerial act of colour and lots of laughter (and much kite chasing).

The popularity of the cake competition saw the Bushcare Bake Off make a return. Volunteers showcased their culinary creations with the theme of spring! This saw the incorporation of colour, flowers, fruit and ants. This year’s winner of the golden knife (doubling as a popular weeding tool) went to 9-year-old Ivy Sambrooke Power. Moving forward we will be looking at changing the prize to something sweeter.

We celebrated the achievements of groups and individuals with the annual award ceremony. A big congratulations to the following awardees

Bushcare Legend – Karleen Waldron

Masters – Bob Taylor

Hard Yakka – Kit Stavert

Landcare Legend – Dennis Whye

Environmental Warrior – Sable Munro Davies

Junior Bushcare Award – Ivy Sambrooke Power

The special awards went to Lithgow Community Nursery, Jill Dark and Drs Judy and Peter Smith. This category recognises and acknowledges the contributions of these individuals and organisations to our Bushcare program.

Milestone Awards:

35 years – Friends of Katoomba Falls Creek

30 years – Redgum Park and Deanei Reserve

25 years – Jackson Park and Mt Wilson

20 years – Darks Common

15 years – Leura Public School and Upper Kedumba

10 years – Birriban

5 years – Valley View Swampcare and Woody Weed Wanders Group

A big thank you to WIRES for sharing some important information about those we share our bush backyard with, the Blue Mountains Women’s Shed for their amazing logistics, energy and enthusiasm in helping with the catering. Thank you to the Leura Catchment Group and Fitzgerald Catchment Group for sharing all the work you have been doing as well as the Healthey Waterways team and your amazing waterbug set up as well as being apart of our community in getting the next generation involved with bushcare through your Connect to Nature schools program.

Another exciting year complete, with another to come! Thank you

*More to see and read in the Summer Edition of the Gecko*

For any Bushcare volunteers that have an interest in monitoring of waterways of the Blue Mountains, please see the invitation below.

“The Healthy Waterways Team would like to invite members of the Bushcare network to join them in celebrating the 25th Birthday of Council’s Waterway Health Monitoring Program.

The celebrations will be on Wednesday 16 October from 11am – 1.30pm in the Seminar Room at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre. There will be a forum with expert speakers, followed by a lunch.

For more details, and to register, visit Eventbrite. Places are limited, so get in now to avoid missing out.”

We’re hosting in partnership with the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, The Environment and Water (DCCEEW) a biodiversity discovery day at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre this Saturday 14th Sept, 10am – 2:30pm, where we wish to celebrate the vibrant biodiversity of the Blue Mountains.

It is coming together of science, art, culture and passion where you can meet eco-heroes from state and local organisations. Learn simple , enjoyable and practical eco-friendly actions.

There will be frogs, waterbugs, plant pressing and talks delivered by the DCCEEW threatened species team on projects being undertaken in the Blue Mountains.

Come and support local artists and check out the disruptor exhibition followed by a performance on the day with Scott Marr.

Disruptor: for all that matters

Biodiversity Discovery Day

We hope to see you there!

Bioidiversitry Day Speakers	Description
Jane Rodd Team Leader, Ecosystems and Threatened Species, Greater Sydney DCCEEW.	Callistemon megalongensis talk: Callistemon megalongensis (Megalong Valley Bottlebrush) and Callistemon purpurascens are critically endangered species that occur in highly restricted areas within the Blue Mountains region. Saving our Species is working to conserve these bottlebrush species, and we partner with Council, landholders, and local communities to manage habitat and monitor populations, to ensure that these precious plants remain secure in the wild into the future.
Claudia Pilon – Summons Assistant Project Officer Threatened Species, Ecosystems and Threated Species, Greater Sydney DCCEEW.	Zieria convenyi talk: Zieria covenyi (Covenyi’s Zieria) is an endangered shrub known from only two populations in the Blue Mountains. These populations were heavily impacted by the 2019­–20 bushfires, with only a few plants left unburnt. Since then, Saving our Species has been working with Blue Mountains City Council, National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Botanic Gardens Sydney to establish insurance populations using cutting edge genetic research. This project has demonstrated the importance of multi-agency collaboration for securing threatened species for generations to come. Fungi monitoring program talk: NSW is one of only four jurisdictions in Australia that lists fungi under threatened species legislation. This includes one critically endangered fungi community and 9 threatened fungi species, more than half of which are known to occur in the Blue Mountains. Saving our Species conducts annual monitoring and surveys to collect new records of threatened fungi. With the help of Blue Mountains City Council and National Parks and Wildlife Service, we restore and maintain vital habitat in the region, and fungi enthusiasts around the state have assisted in gaining valuable insights into these unique entities.

• Saturday 31 August 2024
• 11:30am – 3:30pm
• Peter Carroll Field, Katoomba

The 2024 Annual Thankyou Picnic and Awards Ceremony will be held for the first time at Peter Carroll Field, Katoomba this year.

The cake competition is back! Let your culinary creativity go crazy! with SPRING theme designs. This year you are all the judges! with the peoples choice determining who should win the Golden Knife.

Competition details:

• The following information will be needed upon entry: Name of cake, Cake creator adn Ingredients list (for dietary requirements)
• A designated Bushcare officer will be accepting cakes at our cake competition table. This will be located near the amenities building. Please advise if your cake needs refrigeration (limited spots available).
• Entry into the cake competition closes at 1pm.
• People’s choice votes will be counted after 1:30pm with the winner of the golden knife being announced during the award ceremony afterwhich, everyone will be able to enjoy the cakes.

The bus will be running this year to transport those who need a lift. Please book your place on the bus when you RSVP.

RSVP HERE: https://www.bushcarebluemountains.org.au/event/bushcare-thankyou-picnic-peter-carroll-field-katoomba/

Public exhibition from April 1, 2024 – 27th May.

In addition to the on-ground benefits realised from these volunteer conservation programs, they demonstrate constructive partnership between Council and community, generate community capital and goodwill, and strengthen a sense connection with the City’s natural environment.

A review and update of Councils Community Conservation Program (CCP) Plan 2014 has been completed, resulting in a revised and retitled Draft Natural Areas Volunteer Program (NAVP) 2024 – 2029. The Draft NAVP outlines Council’s ongoing support for this core program area and guides effective delivery over the next five years.

The document will be on public exhibition and submissions may be made until May 27, 2024. Submissions from this community consultation process will be considered in reviewing the Draft NAVP prior to the final document being submitted to Council for approval later in the year.

Have your say here – Draft Natural Areas Volunteer Program 2024 – 2029 | Blue Mountains Have Your Say (nsw.gov.au)

Planetary Health Day

9am to 3pm Saturday 24 February 2024

Planetary Health Precinct

33-39 Acacia St Katoomba (former Katoomba Golf Clubhouse)

We know how overloaded everyone feels so we’re holding PLANETARY HEALTH DAY on Saturday 24 February. Visit the Planetary Health Precinct and find ways to save money, reduce disaster risk, and restore the health of our community and planet! It will be a one-stop shop and fun Community Day at the Planetary Health Precinct to help you tick off all those sustainability and disaster risk reduction goals on your to-do list.

Help us cater for the event by registering here

We’ll be launching a WATER TANK COMMUNITY BULK BUY so you can order discounted water tanks. Other highlights of the day will include:

• a First Nations Cultural Workshop with Chris Tobin;
• an opportunity to meet the ‘off-grid’ Chippendale Sustainable House guy Michael Mobbs as he installs a ‘Cool Seat’ at the Precinct;
• learning about fire safety and volunteering with the fabulous South Katoomba RFS;
• learning about volunteering to protect our wildlife with WIRES;
• an opportunity to speak with local solar panel providers;
• a chance to spend some time with a local EV owner to discuss what it’s like to be an every day electric car driver in the Mountains;
• meeting Diego Bonetto and Marnee Fox at their Eat Weeds stall;
• tasting plant-based food and learning to make plant-based cheese at a tasting and ‘how-to-make-your-own cheese’ demonstration;
• an opportunity to taste fermented foods;
• viewings of our Water For Life exhibition and our wicking beds and ponds;
• learning about seed saving and buying local seeds and produce;
• a drip irrigation workshop;
• learning about reducing your waste and growing food;
• a Blackheath Community Farm stall selling seedlings;
• learning about fire resistant hempcrete;
• making or buying a Boomerang Bag;
• an opportunity to pick up free books and clothes;
• and lots more!

Be part of the swarm4planetaryhealth as we create a healthier and more fulfilling way of living together!

Contact Saskia for more information on 0473 882 868 or email severingham@bmcc.nsw.gov.au

This event is part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.