BVL banner
Inspiring and supporting our community to conserve and restore Brunswick Valley's
natural environment from forest to foreshore

Home | Locality groups | Contact us | Site map

About usResourcesNews and current issuesJottings and sightingsEnvironment of the Valley

BVL locality groups

Brunswick Valley Landcare exists to support the many volunteers who commit their time and energy to the preservation and rehabilitation of the Brunswick Valley's natural environment. Locality groups are the strength of the Landcare movement and the reason for its extraordinary nationwide success.

Locality groups undertake a wide range of projects in their local areas, and particularly the weeding, replanting and maintenance of sites in need of rehabilitation.

There are currently nearly 30 active locality groups in the 228 square kilometre Brunswick Valley Catchment. Working sessions are usually held once a month and provide volunteers with an opportunity for hands-on involvement in the restoration of the environment.

The list below shows locality groups in the Brunswick Valley Catchment, together with contact information. Would group leaders please provide current contact and work day information, plus news items and photos of their group's activities, to: abegg100@gmail.com. Please put 'Locality group' in the subject line of the email.  

Groups are listed in alphabetical order. Scroll down to find information about groups you are interested in.


Brunswick Heads Dunecare

Work days: Second Sunday monthly, 9am to noon (8am start in summer) - except if the second Sunday falls on a long weekend, Easter, etc we postpone until 3rd Sunday. An email is sent to dunecarers indicating the working bee location one week prior. You can park close to the work location rather than in the car park.

Contact: Michael Maloney 6680 4189. leeannebrown@internode.on.net New volunteers are always welcome and can phone Michael on 0401 034942 for further info. The mobile phone is carried to the working bee site to assist if people need directions. Alternatively interested people can phone Michael at home after hours on 66804189 or leave a message on the answer machine.

Brunswick Heads Dunecare Locality Group works on several locations from Torakina Reserve south to the Tyagarah Nature Reserve.

The group's objective is to re-establish littoral rainforest vegetation which existed prior to sand-mining disturbance. There is a wonderful collection of birdlife and a resident colony of wallabies on the site.

Work involves planting, mulching, some fencing, seed collection, and weed control.

Photo shows members of the Brunswick Heads Dunecare group working with Byron Shire Council bush regenerators in an area being cleared of bitou bush.

Brunswick dunecarers

Brunswick Heads Locality Group

Work days:
Contact: Gillian Secombe
6685 1857

 

Brushbox Drive/High Ridges Locality Group

Work days: Second Saturday monthly, and fourth Thursday.
Contact: Nina Bishop 6684 1263.
sunshadowdesigns@hotmail.com

Brushbox Locality Group works on seven rural residential sites on ridge-land off Left Bank Road dividing the Mullumbimby Creek and Main Arm catchments. Work includes tree planting (up to 300 on one site in May 2006) and fencing off sites from cattle to promote natural vegetation.

 

Byron Bird Buddies

Contact: Sarah Harris 6680 7607 or 0427 027 072. birdbuddygroup@yahoo.com.au

For more information about Byron Bird Buddies, click here

Bird Buddies logo

Cavvanbah Dunecare Group

Contact: Bob Levett 6685 8616

The group looks after a small remnant of littoral rainforest in Byron Bay. The forest is flourishing on a 100 m section of Cavvanbah St. It is typical of vulnerable fragmented stands on the NSW coast and is protected under threatened species legislation.

Cavvanbah rainforest remnant

Chincogan Corridor
Contact:
Lesley Patterson 66843514

A group of landholders working to restore high conservation value vegetation in a significant habitat corridor.

 

Coral Avenue Locality Group

Work days:
Contact: Pat Skene 6684 1075
; skene@mullum.com.au

This Locality Group works on restoring and expanding riparian sites on the Brunswick River on the outskirts of town by the Mullumbimby Showgrounds. Lots of tree planting and weed control.

 

Durrumbul Locality Group

Work days: Various
Contact: Pete Harridean 6684 5589; Paul Jameson 6684 5423

Durrumbul Locality Group works on riparian habitat along Main Arm Creek. A number of properties are involved which have received NRCMA and Envirofund funding.

 
 

Ewingsdale

This group was formed in November 2008. They would like to invite all Ewingsdale residents to be involved. They have already done some fantastic work at the end of Bay Vista Lane.

Contact: Ian Pick 84 7733 ianpick@ceinternet.com.au
Website: http://ewingsdale.org.au/#/landcare/4532495308

 

Heritage Park Locality Group

Work days: Various
Contact: Nina Bishop: 6684 1263 sunshadowdesigns@hotmail.com

Volunteers are needed for this newly-formed Mullumbimby group to assist with weeding, bush regeneration and new plantings to maintain and expand this splendid arboretum of our local rainforest trees. Working bees will start in late February. 

 
 

Jinanong

Work days: Third Sunday of the month fropm 9am
Contact: Ian Parer 66805958

 

Lagoon Drive Wetland
Contact: Wendy Gibney - Tel: 6626 7028 or email wendy.gibney@byron.nsw.gov.au

 

Laurel Avenue, Mullumbimby

This new group is working in Mullumbimby on Crown land behind residential area in Laurel Avenue.

Contacts: Jim & Gai Smith on 66842598 jimsmith@linknet.com.au

 

 

Marshalls Creek/The Pocket Locality Group

Work days: Various
Contact: Judy MacDonald 6684 5390 judymac@aapt.net.au

Marshalls Creek Locality Group has been carrying out restoration of riparian vegetation and habitat on various properties on Marshalls Creek in the Upper Pocket area over several years.

In 2005 an Envirofund project enabled the clearing of coral tree and madeira vine infestations and removal of 800 dumped tyres in the creek.

A number of landowners have been assisted to plant native trees and fence off up to 800 metres of creek to promote regeneration, control weeds, and improve water quality. This work is ongoing.

 
 

Mullumbimby Creek/Gateway Locality Group

Work days: First Sunday monthly, 9.30am to 12.30pm
Contact :Rita de Heer
, rdeheer1@bigpond.com 6684 1495

The Gateway Locality Group has been working on Lower Mullumbimby Creek upstream from the Azalea Street Bridge and downstream from the high school, clearing camphors and other weeds and replanting native riparian vegetation along the creek.

 
Mullum group

New Brighton Dunecare

Work days:

Contact: Wendy Gibney. 6626 7028 or email wendy.gibney@byron.nsw.gov.au

 

North Byron Shire Coastal Locality Group

Work days: First Friday monthly.
Contact: Jan Olley 6680 3279 janolley@people.net.au

North Byron Shire Coastal Locality Group is working to rehabilitate habitat on a site in Rangal Road, on the Fern Beach Estate. Some hundreds of trees have been planted and mulched at the site.

 

Shearwater Landcare Locality Group

Work days: Various
Contact: Ken Ohlsson, Shearwater School, 6684 3223

Shearwater Locality Group works on the riparian zone and associated habitat along Mullumbimby Creek within the grounds of Shearwater School.

Since 1997, pupils at the Shearwater Steiner School have been regenerating a kilometre of bushland along the creek banks, with support from the locality group, staff and parents. More than 5000 native trees, shrubs and grasses have been planted since the project began.

Ken Ohlsson teaches bush regeneration to Year 7 students at the school who take part in the project.

The photo shows Ken with a new planting at the Shearwater site.

 

Ken Ohlsson with new planting

South Golden Beach Dunecare

Work days:

Contact: Ian Parer 6680 5958 ianparer@hotmail.com

Photo shows landcarers at a South Golden Beach field day organised by Ian Parer (second from right). March 2007. Photo by Georgia Beyer.

Dunecare group

Suffolk Park Dunecare

Work days: First Saturday monthly
Contact: Helen Brown 6685 4964 hellyh@bigpond.com

Suffolk Park Dunecare group works at various sites along the littoral zone at Suffolk Park on weed control and planting of native species.

 
 

Toad Busters

Word days:
Cane toad musters in the evenings.
Contact: Wendy Gibney 6626 7028

 

Tristran Parade Locality Group
Contact: Jane Wickers 0404 050 361 jane_wickers@ekit.com

The Tristram Parade Locality group works off Left Bank Rd, Mullumbimby in the High Ridges Estate. Monthly working bees on neighbouring properties.

 

Tyagarah Locality Group

Tyagrah Locality Group is concentrating on riparian plantings along Simpsons Creek, and natural regeneration of coastal rainforest on the hillside.

Work days:Weekly Fridays 9am to 11am (Subject to change: call to check before turning up)
Contact: Bela 6684 7113 bela_allen@yahoo.com
or Nadia 6684701

 

Upper Mullumbimby Creek
Contact:
Nick Schaefer 66843686 nickndale@linknet.com.au or
Kate Cameron 6684 1013

 

Yalakool Locality Group

Work days: Fourth Sunday monthly, 2pm to 5pm
Contact: Toni Spruce 6680 1815 bryto@aapt.net.au

This site is in Ocean Shores and is unique in that it is approximately four hectares of bushland, admittedly badly infested with garden escapees and other weeds, right in suburbia.  Yalla-Kool Drive along with Warrambool forms part of a boundary on the north and western side. Here you can see where long term locals along with council assistance have for many years looked after the top area and planted it with local and exotic species. The council land extends right down to an exit in Rajah Road.

As a Landcare group we have not been organised very long and it is only recently that we have established a core group and now have a designated working day each month. It is exciting to see what can be achieved by a group of people working together. The visionaries in the group see the potential for a walking trail to link Lions Lookout with The Brunswick Nature Reserve and maybe in time, the beach.

Funding from BVL has employed local regenerator Mark Evans to make a report on the area which identifies existing significant areas with local flora species. His report has also provided the basis for developing a plan of work for us as Landcarers. A site has been identified which has a preserved remnant of littoral rainforest and that is where we have been weeding, clearing and planting.

Meeting place is on the corner of Warrnambool and Yalla-Kool in Ocean Shores, opposite the water tank. (Warrambool comes off Rajah Rd at the top of the hill before/after the intersection with the Pacific Highway and joins Orana at the roundabout. Yalla-Kool intersects with Rajah opposite True Value Hardware at the shopping centre).


Yallakool site

Return to top of page