Combined effort reaps environmental benefit

12 December, 2011Posted in: Environment
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Collaboration between business, the community and Wingecarribee Shire Council is reaping benefits for the local environment, while giving young international visitors an introduction to the Southern Highlands.

This week a team of young international volunteers, including students from Korea, America and Germany, have been busy mulching and planting around the entrance to Lammys Well track, as part of an upgrade to the historical walking track that weaves along the river behind the Old Berrima Gaol.

The volunteers have come to the Southern Highlands thanks to a collaboration between Boral and their Living Green Partners Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) and Wingecarribee Shire Council.

Boral and CVA have completed a number of Living Green initiatives in the Southern Highlands and with the support of management at Boral’s Berrima Cement plant, Council has been able to bring in another team of international volunteers to undertake local revegetation projects.

Work undertaken involved understory planting on the riverbank to provide both bank stability and improved habitat values. The team also planted a mixture of shrubs at the end of Wingecarribee Street to replace a large Honey Locust tree that was poisoned and chipped in the week prior.

Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is an environmental weed introduced from North America that can form dense thickets along watercourses. Its trunk and branches are protected by large thorns which made its removal and chipping an unpleasant task for the contractors undertaking site preparations.

All the plants used at the site were grown from locally collected seed by volunteers working in the Shire’s Community Nursery. The site preparations, mulch and other materials for the project were funded through the Shire’s Environment Levy

Besides their work on Lammys Well track, the CVA team is also undertaking weed control and revegetation works on the Berrima Weir Reserve and site maintenance work along Whites Creek at Cosgrove Park in Moss Vale.

The Berrima Bushcare group worked alongside the CVA team and praised their efforts supporting a project that Berrima Bushcare has worked on for several years.

On behalf of local residents, Wingecarribee Shire Council is grateful for the valuable contributions of business and volunteer organisations in improving our local environment.