Engaging Young People in Citizen Science & Bushland Restoration
In September 2024, Greater Sydney Landcare’s Young Adult Program “Wildventure” participated in a global citizen science and Bushcare event to boost species observations within a critically endangered ecological community along the Hawkesbury River.
Community Participation - LEP025_LLCYA_004
The issue
Western Sydney Dry Rainforest is a critically endangered ecological community, with now only very small remnant patches along the Hawkesbury River, with Charles Kemp Reserve hosting a large patch. It is a large reserve managed by Hawkesbury City Council, which have historically lacked funding to provide support, education and time to manage this community, as well as they lack volunteer numbers particularly in the young adult space in their Bushcare program that occurs monthly onsite.
The solution
In September 2024, Wildventure teamed up with multiple stakeholders in the area to provide a one-off educational event in line with the global “Great Southern BioBlitz” event to bring along young adults to participate in bushcare at Charles Kemp Reserve and remove invasive weeds encroaching on endangered rainforest, and to observe and document as many species onsite as possible in a 5 hour time period. The event included educational talks on the site’s colonial and Aboriginal history, ecological walk and talks, a workshop on how to utilise iNaturalist for citizen science, and workshop on bush regeneration, each were run by experts who had particular stakes and connection to the site.
The impact
Overall, the event attracted over 40 volunteers with 30 being within the young adult demographic and 10 community members and bushcare volunteers interested in learning more about their local site, meeting upcoming young volunteers and assisting them with any questions about the site they’d adopted. For the BioBlitz component 279 species were observed and 514 observations were documented, with a few species identified that hadn’t been included in previous ecological surveys done at the site, and approximately 0.5 ha of Lantana was removed during bushcare. It was a very successful intergenerational event encouraging young people to work together with older Landcarers while also learning new skills and knowledge about this important site.
Learnings
This event was a fantastic steppingstone for young Landcarers, proving the power of our partnership model. Collaborating with diverse experts introduced them to a vital local site and offered multiple pathways for getting involved. We learned that creating a fun day with something for everyone, combining the satisfaction of hands-on work with the thrill of a global event was the perfect recipe for youth engagement. This positive experience builds a strong relationship with Landcare, equipping them with new skills and inspiring them to continue their journey with us.
Key facts
- 30 young adult volunteers (18-35 years) attended from across the Greater Sydney Region, and 10 existing Landcare volunteers and community members attended making it a successful intergeneration event.
- 514 iNaturalist observations made, 279 species documented from 46 people contributed to the GSB project on the day at Charles Kemp Reserve.
- 0.5 hectares of Lantana camara removed from encroaching on the critically endangered ecological community: Western Sydney Dry Rainforest.