On Science Week Sunday, Yass Landcare joined forces with Wildlife Reimaginations to bring a day of hands-on, nature-inspired activities to Coronation Park, Yass. Around 250 people — from curious toddlers to wise octogenarians — wandered through the stalls and activities, each taking away something new.

The event was a perfect pairing of wildlife exploration and Landcare, sparking conversations about our natural environment and the many ways we can care for it. Visitors of all ages were enthralled, and the buzz around the park made it clear: this is something we’d love to make an annual tradition.

Creative, Colourful Science

Children and adults alike got stuck into vegetable scrap dyeing.  Learning how to turn everyday kitchen leftovers into vibrant inks and patterns. There was smashing, squishing, and stamping with mallets and chopping boards as colour revealed itself on paper and fabric. The joy on children’s faces was priceless as colours shifted, dyes emerged, and food scraps took on a new life in their artistic creations.

Playing with Acidity and Alkalinity

Budding soil scientists explored the pH of everyday household products and discovered how this affects plant growth. Visitors dug through real soil samples to find organic matter, root filaments, and the tiniest of creatures with various invertebrates. One slater almost found itself adopted as a pet by an enthusiastic young participant! It was a tactile, eye-opening way to learn how soil health supports plant life.

Understanding Compost and Food Waste

A compost activity demonstrated the gasses released by decomposing food scraps, showing exactly why it’s better to feed them to the garden rather than send them to landfill. The bubbling, fizzing, and lively discussions made for a memorable lesson in waste reduction and soil enrichment.

A Big Thank You

Events like these don’t happen without our community. A huge thank you to the volunteers who designed, set up, and ran the activities, giving their Sunday to share knowledge, enthusiasm, and a love natural sciences. With so much curiosity sparked and so many smiles shared, it’s safe to say this was a Science Week event which everyone enjoyed.

Written by Sarah McGrath, YAN Local Coordinator

Tree hollows and fallen logs provide important homes for Australian wildlife, but they’re disappearing at an alarming rate. Trees are essential for native wildlife to find food, shelter and places to roost and nest. Hollow-bearing tees are especially important because many species use these hollows daily and seasonally to nest and raise their young.

In New South Wales, at least 174 animal species rely on tree hollows, including 46 mammals species, 81 bird species, 31 reptile species, 16 frog and countless invertebrates. Of these species, 40 are threatened and availability of hollow-bearing trees is crucial for their survival.

Tree hollows take hundreds of years to form but are quickly disappearing due to human activities like land clearing. They are not easily replaced. However we have the opportunity to act and make a difference.

Watch: ‘Home is where the Hollow is’

Let’s work together to protect the homes of the wildlife we love - how you can help;

• - Keep and protect all trees with hollows, even if they are dead.
• - Allow native vegetation to regrow and regenerate.
• - Leave fallen logs and debris on the ground.
• - Learn about the importance of tree hollows as homes and share this knowledge with your neighbours and community.
• - Consider installing nest boxes as a last resort if there are very few natural hollows.
• - Think twice about firewood collection. Make sure firewood is sustainably sourced.

Watch: 'landholders protecting tree hollows'

For more information see www.environment.nsw.gov.au/hollow-homes

Murrumbateman Landcare Group’s recent July Q&A session drew a large and engaged audience – including a strong contingent from the Bowning Bookham Landcare group. With questions submitted ahead of time and a great panel of local experts – Jacqui Stol, Sue McIntyre, and Dave Jarrett (Weeds Officer with Yass Valley Council) – the event sparked a lively and informative conversation that stretched well beyond the scheduled time.

After the formal session, participants stayed on to mingle over drinks and nibbles, sharing ideas and swapping stories. It was clear that the appetite for practical knowledge and peer-to-peer learning remains strong across our region.

The session tackled eight wide-ranging questions – each deserving of a full workshop in itself – covering everything from ecosystems and weeds, to revegetation and the effects of climate change. Here are just a few highlights:

Ecosystem Types in the Southern Tablelands

The Q&A began with an overview of the region’s ecosystems, highlighting the critical conservation value of what remains. Less than 30% of the original Box Gum Grassy Woodlands still exist in the Southern Tablelands – a nationally significant figure given that just 5% remains intact across Australia. Meanwhile, about 50% of the original dry sclerophyll forest is still present, although the ground layer is now heavily modified.

One key takeaway: areas where forest and woodland species mix – the ecotones – tend to be particularly species-rich and are ideal for conservation efforts. Maintaining structural diversity, including patches of bare ground, is also important for supporting different plant species, although this may sometimes conflict with weed control or erosion management.

Designing Effective Windbreaks

Another practical discussion revolved around shelterbelt design. Rather than blocking wind entirely, the goal should be to slow it down by creating windbreaks with plants at varying heights. This helps avoid the creation of wind tunnels and reduces stress on pastures and stock.

Importantly, the panel advised against planting exotic conifers like Leyland Cypress, which can become problematic. Instead, landholders were encouraged to consult resources like Sustainable Farms’ Shelterbelt Guide and consider native alternatives, such as Callitris (native cypress pine).

Weed Management – What’s Changed?

Dave Jarrett provided valuable updates on weed legislation and local priorities. The term “noxious weed” is no longer used, and there is now a focus on “priority weeds”, with different levels of management required depending on their risk.

At the state level, weeds like Parthenium (sometimes found in organic chicken feed) must be eradicated immediately. Regional priority weeds, such as Hawkweed, are also targeted early. At the local level, problem plants include:

• - Serrated Tussock – seeds remain viable for up to 15 years; effective spraying requires treating the whole plant, not just the edge. Think of it as “a bunch of spring onions” – with many individual shoots bundled together.
• - Coolatai Grass, Sticky Nightshade, African Lovegrass, St John’s Wort, and Chilean Needle Grass were also flagged.

Protecting Native Forbs from Grazing

A question about protecting small native plants from grazing prompted some creative strategies. Jacqui shared that she sometimes chases kangaroos away at dusk to give recovering areas a break from pressure – though more systematic approaches were also discussed like maintaining fallen timber and rocks, ecological burns and grazing managment .

Climate Resilience in Revegetation

Finally, the panel tackled one of the biggest questions of all: how can we prepare for projected climate change when planning revegetation?

Key points included:

• - Use Climate Ready plants from local YAN nurseries
• - Choose sites carefully, considering soil fertility and grazing pressure
• - In some cases, soil scalping may be useful to suppress exotic competition
• - And remember: revegetation outcomes are always shaped by climate, grazing, and site conditions

Dive Deeper

This blog only scratches the surface. If you’re keen to read more – including full details of each question and the thoughtful responses from the panel – you can view the complete session notes here:

MLG Q&A July 2025 – Landcare Meeting Summary (PDF)

A big thank you to Murrumbateman Landcare Group for hosting such a valuable event, and to all those who contributed questions, insights and energy on the night. Events like these remind us of the power of community-based learning and the wealth of experience we have within our Landcare networks.

Written by Sarah McGrath, YAN Coordinator

We’re thrilled to share some wonderful news for the Yass Landcare Nursery and the broader Yass community. After many years relying solely on limited tank water, the Yass Landcare Nursery has now been granted access to town water, with water bills waived, thanks to the recent support of Yass Valley Council.

This change marks a huge step forward for the nursery, which produces 3,000–4,000 native plants each year for revegetation projects across the district. Until now, the dedicated team of volunteers who run the nursery have had to make do with rainwater collected from tanks. During dry periods, this often wasn’t enough to keep plants alive and healthy, limiting the nursery’s ability to meet demand and support local environmental restoration efforts.

Access to town water—used only when absolutely essential, means that our volunteers can continue growing a healthy and diverse range of native plants year-round, even in times of drought. This ensures we can keep supporting revegetation, habitat restoration, and other projects both big and small across the Yass Valley.

The announcement was celebrated this week with a visit to the nursery by The Hon. Ron Hoenig MP Minister for Local Govenrment,  The Hon. Wendy Tuckerman MP Member for Goulburn, and Mayor Jasmin Jones. The visit was a valuable opportunity to showcase the nursery’s role in the community and discuss the infrastructure and support needed to keep this special place thriving. One practical issue identified during the visit was the need to repair the community centre guttering, which will improve the efficiency of rainwater collection for the tanks.

The recent Council decision to waive water bills and allow essential use of town water can be found in the July 24 Council meeting agenda (Item 8.6), a strong demonstration of Council’s support for grassroots environmental community groups.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our incredible volunteers, whose ongoing care, advocacy, and commitment have made this possible. Your hard work and persistence are helping to grow a greener, healthier Yass Valley—literally.

Want to get involved?

We’re always looking for more hands to help. Join us for our regular nursery working bees on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, or come along to our National Tree Day celebration on Saturday 26 July, where we’ll be planting around the nursery grounds.

For more information about Yass Landcare and how you can get involved, visit our YAN website or follow us on Facebook.

Written by Sarah McGrath, YAN Local Coordinator