Bushcarers' Day Out

Bushcarers’ Day Out

Tree Planting – Opossum Creek Bushcare site

On 13 September 2020, 37 volunteers from the public planted 550 natives at the Opossum Creek Bushcare site.

Some of the 37 volunteers planting native trees and shrubs

The planting was part of a $20,000 grant that SLNC received from the Australian Government’s Communities Environment Program. The project aims to rehabilitate a reach of Opossum Creek in Brookwater, near its junction with Woogaroo Creek.

Shayne Neumann MP and Luise Manning (President SLNC) unveiling permanent signage
The history of work at the Opossum Creek Bushcare site was presented by a number of speakers, including Councillor Russell Milligan

The main focus is on the killing of tree weeds such as Camphor laurel and Chinese celtis to allow light into the native understorey that was planted 20 years ago by Lloyd Bird’s “Woogaroo Environment Team”. Other areas of these large weed trees were removed and new plantings were required to compete against the celtis regrowth and eventually shade it out.

In the mean time, the Opossum Creek Bushcare group will continue monthly working-bees, mainly consisting of weeding to control this weed regrowth, and preventing the incursion of lantana from adjacent sites.

Bushcare working bee dates can be found under the upcoming events tab – please come and help out our natural environment.

Girl Guides from North Ipswich helped plant
Cr Russell Milligan and Cr Kate Kunzelmann planting
Volunteers planting while practising social distancing
A view of the planting site, with previous National Tree Day plantings with tree guards