Mosman Park’s “Bringing Back the Bush” Community Planting Day took place on the beautiful morning of Sunday 26th June. A downpour two days before and another two days after was a perfect start to bringing back the bush. Despite a forecast promising showers and some threatening clouds it stayed dry for the planting.
Young and old converged on to the site to plant along our future bush trail, It was so lovely to see people of all ages working beside each other to make a difference. Our mission was to plant 1000 seedlings grown by APACE from locally collected seed including some plant species that had been lost to to the area.
What an extraordinary sight - a wall of 30 planters worked their way across the ground, moving from one hole to the next, each planter in silent encouragement with the next. Passers-by even joined in! The mayor, three councillors, our young citizen of the year and our environmental volunteer of the year didn’t let up until our mission was completed. The 1000 plants were in and watered just as our bbq lunch was served.
Local primary school children coloured our day with paintings of our bush and the creatures that hide in it. Our day of hard work is the beginning of a legacy to these children of bushland filled with a diversity of life.
Half of the seedlings on the community planting days came from seeds we had collected from the existing bushland and the other half are species that had been lost to Mosman Park.
There are many beautiful plants in the fenced area at Minim Cove that we cant grow from seed or cuttings. They do pop up in our bush area from time to time whether it is because of the right soil microbes or because it has been through an animal's intestine first. Bobtail scats are full of seeds.
By planting along the bush trail, we are increasing the size of the bushland area, increasing the species diversity for wildlife to come to, bobtail lizards, king skinks, geckos, insects, ants, spiders, snakes, honey eaters, hawks, cockatoos.
Bobtail lizards now come down to the Cyclops wattle to eat the seed. The further they venture the more our plant diversity will increase. The same with the birds. These animals will eventually help recreate the bush.
The Black cockatoos have been flying in after their return from nesting in the wheat belt. We only have 3 mature parrot bush left for them. Hardly enough for a flock of 60 cockatoos. They remember their food trees. One day there may be enough of these bushes regenerated to keep the cockies calling in.