New Local Landcare group
Farmers Creek Landcare
Capacity building - LEP_23-035_LLC_002
The issue
Farmers Creek, Lithgow, provides important riparian linkages from healthy bushland through degraded landscapes to Lake Lyell. Over the last 25 years Lithgow Oberon Landcare have undertaken a number of works removing weeds and hosting planting days on public lands managed by Lithgow City Council.
Members of the Lithgow community approached Lithgow Oberon Landcare requesting support for a Landcare group that could undertake regular conservation workdays in between a recently built shared bicycle/ pedestrian walkway and Farmers Creek, in order to remove weeds and revegetate the area.
The solution
The group meet on the third Thursday of the month from 9.00am till 12.00pm and have been receiving training in conservation land management practices including plant identification skills, weed ecology and treatment and planting techniques.
Thanks to a donation from a local business the group have been planting a mixture of Eucalyptus, Acacia, Callistemon and other locally endemic native species.
As time goes on the group will also carry out seed collection and weed control work of ecosystem transformative weeds like Broom and Privet.
The impact
The donation of plants from a local business is allowing the group to undertake infill planting between existing stands of native vegetation and open areas that require more tree coverage.
In time this will provide more shade and improved amenity for walkers and cyclists along the shared pathway. As they mature, the plantings will also contribute towards creating connectivity between healthy bushland fragments, allowing easier passage for local species of fauna.
Regular workdays on a site allow the local community, including the High School, to program the activity into their calendars.
Key facts
- Community based conservation works develop important social connectivity
- Regular Landcare work on degraded sites can achieve a lot in a short period of time
- High visibility Landcare sites can be their own form of promotion