- Group contact
-
Kim Shepherd
0408 415 654 - Location and meeting details
-
The group meets on Saturday's on the second full weekend of the month from 9am to 12pm.
Dates: February 10, March 09, April 13, May 11, June 08*, July 13, August 10, September 14, October 12, November 09.
Groups meet between February and November, taking a break in January and December.
Meet at the utilities shed at Russell Street, Smoothey Park, Wollstonecraft.
* Meetings that fall on a public holiday long weekend or the Boorowa tree planting trip must be confirmed by the Group Convenor.
In the event of rain, call the Group Convenor for updates.
Volunteers are required to wear enclosed shoes, a long sleeved shirt, long pants and a hat. Bring sunscreen and a full water bottle.
- Getting here
-
Wollstonecraft Train Station is a short walk. T1 - North Shore & Western Line and T9 - Northern Line
Catch the bus: route 265 Wollstonecraft Station, Milner Cres Wollstonecraft (Stop ID 206511), Route 261 River Rd opp Eastview St. St Leonards (Stop ID 2065121) & River Rd before Eastview St. Greenwich (Stop ID 2065120) - Description
-
Smoothey Park was named after Cr S Smoothey, a North Sydney Council alderman from 1911 to 1920. Covering 1.8 hectares, the bushland reserve is mostly Blackbutt Gully Forest grading into Angophora Foreshore Forest toward its southern margin. It is bounded by Berry Creek to the west that flows into Gore Cove, Sydney Harbour.
Smoothey Park Bushcare group formed around 1994, when the volunteers began the mammoth task of regenerating the then degraded reserve. Selected areas were sprayed, mulched, and planted with local native species, while other areas were hand-weeded to encourage native regeneration.
Fire has been used several times to trigger natural regeneration of the soil seed bank. Many areas are bouncing back with a variety of native species reclaiming their homes, including endangered species, the Sunshine Wattle (Acacia terminalis) and breeding Powerful Owls. Bandicoots were also recorded by the Bushland Team in Badangi Reserve in April 2020, a testament to the work of the Bushcare volunteers.
Smoothey Park is part of the Wollstonecraft cluster of reserves that includes Gore Cove, Berry Island and Badangi Reserve, a biodiversity hotspot for North Sydney LGA and an important wildlife corridor connecting neighbouring Lane Cove Council.
More hands are always welcome!
