Author Archives: David

Upcoming events including Garguree Swampcare

Upcoming events including Garguree Swampcare:

Friday 15th September, Hawkesbury campus, Western Sydney University

Citizen Science Symposium Citizen Science in Action

https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/rcegws/rcegws/rce_programs/citizen_science_symposium

Sunday 17 September 2017 10:00am – 2:00pm Waterways Festival

Wentworth Falls Lake 44 Sinclair Crescent Wentworth Falls, NSW 2782

There are talks which are listed at the below URL, please review and book in for the ones you are interested in. Lots of different sessions quite a few are sold out but there are still some seats at the crayfish event which is a great one.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/waterways-festival-tickets-36534296063

Saturday 23rd September at the shelter shed Shaw’s Creek, Yellowmundee Regional Park.

A mini culture camp to talk willows, cultural walk and fire sticks cultural walk and talk with Blue Mountains youth services. Everyone is welcome to come along. Please RSVP to me via e-mail or from the Campfire Embers FB page. The Yellowmundee Aboriginal Bushcare Camp Out only on Facebook but I can express any individual interest or send you an invite on Facebook. Please e-mail if you want to attend and camp out overnight I don’t have a problem managing responses, questions or requests.

Sunday October 1 Garguree Swampcare

Garguree Swampcare will return from 9am until 12pm up the back of the campsite behind big swamp, where we did some privet and montbretia work last November (2016 feels like yesterday). A nice walk but the rewards are awesome.

October 25 to 27 NSW Landcare conference

The 2017 NSW Landcare and Local Land Services Conference will be held from the 25-27 October, at the Albury Entertainment Centre, Albury, NSW. The Conference is being hosted by Landcare NSW and Murray Local Land Services, and is being coordinated in partnership with local Landcare and community groups.

Sunday November 5 Garguree Swampcare Big Walkabout

Possibly a 9am until 2pm but feel free to drop in or leave when you feel like it.

So for this is the expectation for the day, tubestock planting, habitat talks and creation, birds and the bees walks and talks, plus maybe a few more things but there will be with a big chance of weeding.

Upcoming Garguree Swampcare Community Bush Regeneration Days.

Upcoming Garguree Swampcare Community Bush Regeneration Days.
 
September 3 – Middle Swamp to do a final sweep of weeds, plantings and habitat for 2017. I forgot to ask about the Bioblitz day at Springwood recently run by the Bushcare Network. If people are happy maybe we can sit down and have a yarning circle during morning tea to share any items we could add into the work we do. Or just share some thoughts.
 
October 1 – Return to follow up on the privet area where we worked last year on the community day.
 
November 5 – The planting day or combined day, another great Swampcare day. So on this day we will plant and if all goes to plan have a speaker on habitat, birds, bees and water bugs. This will occur at the bottom of the grassy area next to middle swamp.
 
December 3 – We will finish this calendar year back at where we began at the Storyboard area where we ate ice cream sundaes.
 
Hope to see everyone at one of our upcoming community bush regeneration days. Thanks everyone.

This Sunday the one and only Garguree Swampcare returns August 6 from 9am until 12pm so if you are available come on down and continue this restoration of Country.

 

This Sunday the one and only Garguree Swampcare returns August 6 from 9am until 12pm so if you are available come on down and continue this restoration of Country.

I’m excited the site is just looking awesome. Thanks again for all the work I’m eternally grateful.

We will continue the work around middle swamp the same area as last month. We are still looking towards habitat and letting the plantings grow to see what it creates and how we proceed over the next few years. Whilst I’m looking for work my cupboard is a bit light on for cooking resources so I will mainly bring the tea making items. Hopefully Sandy is all good for this Sunday. There is a rumour Jane may have a cake to share.

Please wear clothes that protect you from being scratched, wear a hat, bring a cup and a drink bottle there is a slight chance of a drizzle so you may want to throw a poncho in your bag (predicted 0.2mm at some point over the 24 hrs deemed as Sunday).

The pathways are getting stronger hope to see everyone again next month – Sunday August 6, 2017

The Garguree Swampcare journey has been a fruitful, connected, re-connected journey. Yesterday (Sunday July 2) was another brilliant workday where we gathered to restore Country.

Here are some photos with descriptions to describe our morning and afternoon together.

Thanks everyone for participating, for being so open and real. For the strong sense of community, for the discussions, for the people who stopped afterwards to discuss our work at Garguree Swampcare.

Thank you Jane for your continual input, support and guidance. Thank you to Sandy for your continual support, encouragement and brilliant morning teas.

It was great to have Lily and Noah sing a song in language for us at morning tea that they were taught at school. As it was the start of NAIDOC and this year it is about language.

The pathways are getting stronger hope to see everyone again next month.

 

Garguree Swampcare Sunday July 2 from 9am.

This Sunday we are back Garguree Swampcare at the Gully in Katoomba. We start the regeneration work at 9am and finish up at 11.30am to then gather for a cuppa and some morning tea.

The current weather prediction is for a minimum of 1 degree to a maximum of 12 degrees with a chance of precipitation.
If you drive the place to park is the cul-de-sac next to the Gully Heritage Centre, 23 Gates Avenue Katoomba.

Please have a look at the progress of the Bush Tucker Garden thanks to BMCC for setting up the sandstone edge, it looks brilliant.

Please follow the Gully walk up to middle swamp and we will gather near the covered sitting area. Current plans are to work the middle swamp area for the next 3 workdays before moving to the top area around the big swamp for the final 3 workdays of 2017.

Sunday July 2 – Garguree Swampcare Middle Swamp 9am to 12pm.

Sunday July 2 – Garguree Swampcare Middle Swamp 9am to 12pm.

Well we are back to a BAU (Business As Usual) workday on July 2. So weeding and regenerating with Jane from 9am to 11.30am in and around middle swamp. At around 11.15am we aim to clean up and have everything back into the truck by 11.30am which includes the washing of the tools.

A change to our photo policy can we please take flora, fauna, bush regeneration or selfies. Thank you.

At 11.30am until 12pm we will gather for our morning tea around the campfire. Please bring your own cup. Morning tea will be back to its normal place which is next to the work area. This means we won’t be near a toilet so please go before you leave your place of abode or on your journey to Garguree. I like the Woolies Katoomba car park toilet because it has hot water when you wash your hands.

I think we will work the middle swamp area for a few months as it is a gathering place for a large amount of weeds. When the race track destroyed the area drains were placed in strategic areas around middle swamp. So we will strategise minimising the impacts and look at ways to use our on site materials to do this.

I’m keen to gather sticks to filter the water through the drains, mark native seedlings and growth so I can mow around the area to give us clearer and better access. The downside to better access are people who leave rubbish, dog poo and maybe wreck some of our work. I’m fine with this for the short term as the native bush will kick in and minimise this issue.

I like to look at new ideas to encourage better regeneration. It is interesting that we (GAHAI and GTO) find artefacts of glass and pottery. So using modern items to do the job is not an issue as long as the earth isn’t damaged. I have a personal preference to try not to poison the land (weeds). We have developed a methodology of using plastic tools on rock sites to minimise impact and risk. We always encourage people not just to look at items as rocks and antiques as there could be a long term relationship with that item to Aboriginal history.

So I look forward to working on Middle Swamp for the next few months before the summer growth and heat where we will head for the shady areas.

Feel free to share this post on your timeline.

David King
Garguree Swampcare Tea Maker.