Building Bridges to Boorowa
Building Bridges to Boorowa
A long and proud 23-year partnership between North Sydney Bushcare and Boorowa Community Landcare Group.
Collaborations -
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The issue
The Building Bridges to Boorowa program started in 2000, when a North Sydney Bushcare volunteer learnt of the environmental problems facing this rural region, including soil salinity and loss of habitat for threatened species including the Superb Parrot.
North Sydney Bushcare then identified an opportunity to help Boorowa landholders with their revegetation projects by bringing volunteers to the area for a weekend to help plant trees & shrubs.
Landholders are heavily invested in environmental projects on their properties; fencing & preparing sites for planting months in advance. They really appreciate the additional labour to help with the plantings and volunteers enjoy the outdoor experience, getting to know the hosts families and learning about farming.
The solution
The urban rural partnership has been such a successful collaboration due to careful planning & the relationships that have evolved over the years. Boorowa Community Landcare Group provides coordinator hours & on-site support and some catering. Private landholders contribute with site preparation, supply of trees, on-site support, including feeding volunteers. Hilltops Council supplies a portaloo and subsidises the ‘Thank you dinner’ through a Memorandum of Understanding with North Sydney Council who provide Bushcare staff & transport for volunteers. The bushcare volunteers pay for their own accommodation in Boorowa & breakfasts.
In 2017, a reciprocal visit occurred in conjunction with NSW Parliamentary Friends of Landcare. A group of 50 children, farmers and landcarers from Boorowa made the 670km round trip to plant native species in a precious area of bushland on Sydney Harbour.
The impact
In 2023, North Sydney came to Boorowa with 28 volunteers (including 3 Councillors, 1 Mayor and 1 General Manager North Sydney Council and 6 North Sydney Bushcare staff). Alongside 14 Boorowa Community Landcare Group members, together they planted approximately 3400 trees over the 3 days.
Learnings
This is a social activity as much as an NRM activity.
Lyn a Bushcare volunteer says "Its just bliss to be in the outdoors doing something that has enormous value". Nell, a NSBC veteran declares “Yours is magnificent land & deserves this care. We so much enjoy contributing & hope the opportunity continues.”
Key facts
- The Bridges to Boorowa program started in 2000.
- An annual event with the exception of 2020 & 2021 visits which were cancelled due to Covid-19.
- To date over 60,000 trees and shrubs have been planted through this program to provide habitat for local wildlife around Boorowa in South West NSW.