More than 200 volunteers are this year celebrating 30 years of weeding and planting a better future for Randwick City’s bushland areas. Oh … and they’re looking for new members too!

The notion that we can all make a difference to our community and have a positive impact on our environment is alive and kicking in Randwick Council’s Bushcare program. This year they’re marking a special 30th birthday and celebrating the 200 or so volunteers who regularly give their time to weed, plant and take care of our local parklands and coastal fringes. Council Bushcare Officer Emily Strautins, who runs the program and co-ordinates the volunteers, says: “Creating a more caring world starts with small actions by individual people. The program has shown me that the old adage ‘from little things, big things grow’ couldn’t be more true.”

Bushcare officially launched in 1993, in response to grass roots groups who were already working to protect and enhance the bush within Council-owned patches of bushland at Gordons Bay. Today there are regular working groups at 14 locations, including Wylie’s Baths, Fred Hollows Reserve and Randwick Environment Park. “Bushcare is about people taking direct action to care for the places where they live, work or play and it provides a supportive, learning environment that gives them the opportunity to meet like-minded people and to connect with their environment and community,” explains Emily. “It brings together people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds.”

Fifteen years ago, local resident Susan Lundy initiated the monthly working bee at the Ladies Pool at McIver’s Baths. “I’ve been swimming here for years so this place means a lot to me. It’s like my garden; one that I could never afford to have,” she says. “We have a great group of people doing something for their community... and we always love our morning tea break when we get to chat about anything and everything together.”

Annabel Sutherland also joined the group when she retired: “I tried yoga and other activities, but this ticks lots of boxes for me,” she says. “I live in a unit so this allows me to spend time outdoors in a ‘garden’ and to learn things. It’s a great way to socialise and be active while making a positive impact. And it’s free!” Coralee Owen, who joined Bushcare two years ago, adds: “It’s my home environment and I love seeing the improvements and difference we make.”

Randwick City’s flourishing parklands and coastlines are some of the most beautiful in the world, the Coastal Walkway attracting some 13 million visitors every year. But these habitats would look very different today if it weren’t for the past and present Bushcare volunteers. Emily says, “There are plenty of areas along our coast which would have succumbed to erosion or development and been lost to the public long ago, yet today are thriving and providing refuge for precious wildlife.”

Randwick Mayor Philipa Veitch, is passionate about the work Bushcare and its volunteers do: “It’s so important. It takes a lot of work to maintain these habitats and it’s a job that never finishes as we always need to be weeding and planting new shrubs and trees. We know Randwick residents care about their environment, and this gives them a chance to do their bit. We value and celebrate the hundreds of volunteers who have helped over the years and made Randwick such a beautiful place to live and somewhere we can be proud of.”

After blowing out its birthday candles, what does Bushcare’s future look like?

“We want to keep growing Bushcare as there are many sites that need help,” says Mayor Veitch. “The fact that it’s been going for 30 years shows how successful and popular it is, but we need new volunteers all the time.”

“I’d love more people across the community to recognise that they are the stewards of their environment and to get involved,” adds Emily. “Whether that’s becoming a Bushcare volunteer (all you need is a couple of hours) or by planting more locally native plants in backyards and on balconies. Everyone plays a role in crafting the City we want for the future. Today’s citizens will determine whether or not future generations have similar access to experience beautiful, healthy and biodiverse environments. It’s up to us.”

Want to be a part of Bushcare?

• Anyone can become a Bushcare volunteer - simply show up to one of our regular working bees, no prior experience or booking necessary. You can join as an individual or a group and we also have dedicated sessions for students or corporate groups.

• Bushcare working bees typically involve identifying flora and fauna, hand weeding, planting indigenous plants, mulching and installing environmental controls all guided by an experienced supervisor

Find out more about volunteering with Bushcare.