Once a month, a dedicated band of nature lovers armed with secateurs and rakes heads into the bush. They are among a growing band of Bushcare volunteers determined to “make a difference” when it comes to protecting and conserving Hobart’s fragile environment.
As Hobart City Council marked the 30th year of its Bushcare program recently, the founding members came together to celebrate what had been achieved over the years.
The movement has roots in the decision by a group of residents of the Waterworks Valley in 1993 to form a branch of the national Landcare movement.
The initiative was an instant success and spotting the opportunity to marshal volunteers to transform the Hobart natural landscape, the Hobart council immediately came aboard.
From small beginnings, Bushcare has grown to 14 groups spread throughout the Hobart suburbs with a combined membership of more than 600 participants.
The groups meet once a month, usually on a Sunday, with each group nominating a different week to allow ultra-keen participants to assist other teams.
The Bushcare program also has a dedicated crew which helps council staffers build and maintain the track network throughout the municipality.
The main focus of the Bushcare volunteers in the early days was to attack invasive plant species in nature reserves and other open spaces throughout the city. Once this work was done, it was possible to plant native trees, shrubs and flowers in cleared areas, with stock supplied by the council nurseries.
These native plants in turn provide a home and food for birds like the ever-present yellow-tailed black cockatoos and animals that include pademelons and bandicoots
The weeding work, however, remains ongoing to keep invasive species at bay.
The pioneer Waterworks Valley group was the focus of attention during the 30th anniversary celebrations in November, not least because some of the founding members are still active in the program.
One is Carol Bristow who received the 2023 golden secateur award, presented each year to the most outstanding volunteer. Also in focus was the latest example of the group’s work, the creation of a mini-nature reserve in a disused quarry along the Lower Pipeline track south of the Waterworks Reserve which now has picnic tables and an information panel with descriptions and pictures of the birds to be seen there.
The group was also instrumental in persuading the council to declare the quarry site on Waterworks Rd a reserve, with an off-road bike circuit and the quarry face cleared of rock debris to provide what has become a popular rock-climbing location.
The Bushcare program has received impetus in the last few years after the curbs on socialising and liberty during the Covid pandemic. During this time many Hobart residents largely confined to their homes and gardens literally discovered the flora and fauna on their doorstep. With restrictions lifted, they then reached out to the Bushcare program.