'Magic' at bushcare

Bill Gregor says he finds magic when he does volunteer bushcare work at several sites around Wagstaffe and Pretty Beach.

Bill spoke at a special presentation organised at the Woy Woy Environment Centre last month about the rewards of being a Peninsula bushcare volunteer.

He said: "Volunteers remove large clumps of weeds like lantana, and find native plants underneath just waiting for a chance.

"Then we get a great clump of acacias instead."

Bill was one of five volunteers who spoke about their bushcare work.

Pretty Beach Public students Mani Woods and Sarah Farnon talked about their school's environment programs.

Sarah said: "Looking after the environment is a job someone has to do and we chose to do it."

Their school's activities include an energy audit, no-waste Tuesdays, worm farms, water-testing, nature walks, water tanks, water meters, recycling, adopting a whale, and making nest boxes for bats.

Sarah's mother said: "My children teach me what to do.

"They learn these things at school and come home and teach me how to look after the environment."

Kate Consterdine of Umina High P&C Bushcare said: "We're like explorers, discovering new plants and animals.

"At our school site, in patches of rare bush where they've stopped walking and mowing, all these little flowering herbs have grown.

"I think humans have an instinctive need to be in close contact with the earth, to look after it, and we do that through bushcare."

Shirley Hotchkiss of Burrawang Bushcare said: "I've learnt many things about politics, plants, birds and people since we started this group over five years ago.

"There's free bushcare training and a great variety of free courses about topics such as bats, fungi, and birds.

"And I've made good friends. I recommend it to everyone."

With enquiries, phone 4341 9301 or Gosford council's bushcare officers on 4325 8195 or 4325 8169.

Press release, 21 Apr 2008 Shirley Hotchkiss, Burrawang Bushcare