Call to Action
Hastings Landcare is asking the community to SUPPORT the Draft PMHC Endorsed Camden Head Master Plan that continues to protect the restored habitats (not Individual Plan). Open for public exhibition until the 01st July 2024.
Dunbogan Landcare Celebrate 25 years of Landcare!
Volunteers of Dunbogan Landcare are celebrating the remarkable milestone of 25 years of Landcare works in the Dunbogan peninsula. This amazing group has worked to achieve incredible environmental outcomes including restoration of littoral rainforest, threatened species habitat restoration and erosion management. It is fantastic to see a community group with such dedication and longevity, committed to caring for the area.
Every week volunteers meet, getting their hands dirty removing noxious weeds to allow the natural regeneration of our beautiful native plants. Volunteer work spanning a quarter of a century has allowed Endangered Ecological Plant Communities such as littoral rainforest to rebound and thrive. Hastings Landcare representative says, “Dunbogan Landcare initiatives play a crucial role in maintaining the biodiversity values of this area”.
The coastal wildlife corridor that volunteers have restored is home to many threatened species. A local resident says, “It is so humbling and exciting to know the bushland (and our backyards!) around the peninsula and Camden Head supports threatened species. It is a community endeavour to look after these animals.” Threatened species recorded in the area include Koalas, Spotted-tail Quoll, Glossy Black Cockatoos, Eastern Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwits, Eastern Osprey and White-bellied Sea-Eagle to name a few. Many visitors to the area comment that the environment is one of the most weed-free they have seen anywhere along the NSW coast.
The work volunteers continue to carry out each week does not go unrecognised. In June 2022 the initiator and volunteer driver of the group Sue Baker was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her volunteer conservation efforts spanning decades. Sue says, “Positive impact on the environment and the community comes directly from individuals dedicating time, effort and energy. Our projects have been very successful and are widely known, including at state level”.
Like all conservation efforts, when we work together, we can create a bigger impact. Dunbogan Bushcare has developed strong, cooperative partnerships with Port Macquarie Hastings Council, National Parks and Wildlife Services, Crown Lands, and the NSW Environmental Trust that has provided several grants allowing the project to progress in leaps and bounds. These partnerships have ensured that the biodiversity and threatened species are protected and enhanced.
A milestone of 25 years of volunteer habitat restoration provides an excellent opportunity for reflection, appreciation, and renewed commitment to the cause of environmental conservation on the Dunbogan Peninsula. If you would like to join the important efforts don’t hesitate to contact https://hastingslandcare.org.au/contact/ .
