There’s something special about a nursery morning in spring. Recently, volunteers of all ages gathered at the Bowning Bookham Landcare nursery to get their hands in the soil and kick off the next chapter of local revegetation. The day was all about sowing the seeds that will grow into thousands of young plants destined for our landscape next year.

This session followed on from our earlier gumboot morning tea, where pots and frames were cleaned and filled ready for action. With everything prepared, volunteers set to work filling trays with soil and sowing seed after seed. More than 40 species went in, ranging from tall eucalypts to tiny ground-covering favourites like Hardenbergia. The majority of these species were Climate Ready sown with seed from a mix of provenances designed to increase the genetic diversity in the plants we are growing for the district.  

Seed pretreatments were already taken care of, including pre-soaking the Acacias to give them the best chance of germinating well.

As always, the work was paired with good conversation and even better food. Volunteers shared cake and a cuppa, with clear favourites emerging in the form of the chocolate and the banana & wattle seed cakes.

By the end of the day, an impressive 4,300 tubes had been sown. Over the coming weeks these seeds will begin to sprout, and later in summer volunteers will return for a full day of thinning and transplanting that will transform these trays into many thousands of healthy young plants.

A large number of the seedlings grown this season will support our Habitat Hops project, which is working to create vegetation links between Burrinjuck and Bango reserves. If you’d like to learn more about Habitat Hops or are looking for plant supply for your own projects this coming autumn, we’d love to hear from you.

Written by Sarah McGrath, Local Coordinator YAN

In the lead-up to the Great Southern Bioblitz, Bowning Bookham Landcare gathered for a slow wander through the Bookham Cemetery and Reserve, taking a closer look at the biodiversity tucked into this little patch of Country. Spring had turned the place into a showcase. Wildflowers were out in full force, making it easy to spot the many orchids, daisies and tiny forbs sprinkled through the native grasses.

The reserve’s mix of microclimates put on a good display too. Damp pockets were carpeted with milkmaids and sundews, while fallen timber created shelter for smaller orchids and forbs to survive browsing pressure. It was a gentle reminder of how important it is to let some branches and logs lie, offering protection for the miniature worlds they support.

Bookham’s habitat trees were just as impressive. Mature eucalypts with hollows, platforms and broad limbs hosted a diverse community of birds, mammals, insects and bats. As the afternoon settled into evening, the group was lucky enough to watch a healthy echidna shuffling along on its nightly rounds.

Most of the species we encountered were photographed and uploaded to iNaturalist, creating a small but meaningful snapshot of the life flourishing in this reserve. These are glimpses of what once covered much of the region, and they show what’s still possible when patches of Country are cared for.

It’s heartening to see places like this thriving, reminding us just how much biodiversity remains when given the chance.

Written by Sarah McGrath, YAN Local Coordinator

Bowning Bookham Landcare were thrilled to be selected as the winners of the Landcare Australia “Through the Lens” Photography Competition, celebrating the many faces and facets of Landcare across Australia. Our group recently received our prize — a Milwaukee Battery-Powered Chainsaw — and we couldn’t be more grateful for this practical and generous support.

While much of our Landcare work focuses on growing and planting thousands of tubestock each year across farms and along waterways, creating habitat, shelter, and connections across our landscapes with Climate Ready plants, maintaining those sites as they mature is just as important. Many of our earlier plantings are now seven to eight years old (or more) and require ongoing care to ensure their continued success.

The new chainsaw from Milwaukee will be invaluable in helping us clear fallen branches from fences, thin dense revegetation plots to encourage understorey and groundcover diversity, and carry out essential maintenance on our established planting sites.

Bowning Bookham Landcare President, Ian McGrath, said the group is delighted with the prize:

“This chainsaw will be perfect for the job,  small enough to get into tight spots, but powerful enough to handle the bigger tasks. The battery operation means no mess and no fuss, which is ideal for the kind of work we do.”

To make the most of this new tool, the group is planning to host another chainsaw safety training day for members, building on the success of a previous session that proved very popular. As Ian noted, “There are plenty of members who missed out last time, and we want to make sure everyone has the skills and confidence to work safely when maintaining vegetation on their properties.”

A big thank you again to Milwaukee for this wonderful prize and for supporting Landcare groups across Australia. Practical tools like this make a real difference in helping local volunteers care for their environment safely and effectively.

Written by Sarah McGrath, Local Coordinator Bowning Bookham Landcare Group

Thanks to all the dedicated volunteers who joined us at the Bowning Bookham Landcare community nursery for our seed sowing day! Together, we managed to sow thousands of seeds that will grow over the coming months into vital plants and trees. These will eventually find their way into landscapes across the Bowning Bookham district, contributing to our Habitat Hops project.

As the saying goes, "many hands make light work," and this couldn’t have been more true for the day. With so many eager participants, thousands of pots were quickly filled and sown, filling the nursery with an incredible variety of around 50 different plant species.

The majority of the species we’re growing in the nursery are for the Climate Ready Revegetation Project. These species are selected based on whether they are suited to climatic conditions expected for Yass by 2027, which could be hotter and wetter or hotter and drier. We source seed from various provenances, or locations, to introduce genetic diversity and hopefully improve climate adaptability in the plants we are growing. This approach ensures that the hard work of our volunteers and landholders today will result in thriving and resilient vegetation for future generations.

This year, we're excited to introduce four new local species into our nursery: 

- Calytrix tetragona (Common Fringe Myrtle) 

- Dianella revoluta (Black-anther Flax-lily) 

- Einadia hastata (Berry Saltbush) 

- Pultenaea spinosa (Grey Bush-pea)

These additions are a significant step towards enhancing the biodiversity of the area, helping to restore native habitats and supporting local wildlife.

We couldn’t have done it without the amazing energy of our volunteers. You make these days enjoyable, and your efforts are key to the success of projects like this. Stay tuned as these seedlings flourish and make their way into the landscape as part of our Habitat Hops initiative! 🌱

More information on our Habitat Hops project can be found here.

Written by Sarah McGrath, YAN Cooordinator