Something for Everyone

There are several ways you can help at Bangalee Bushcare. While it might seem like the main part of bush regeneration is clearing lantana, there are actually several jobs that need to be done in order to fully rehabilitate a site. Each job is vital to achieving the best outcome possible.
 
Accordingly, we have something for everyone.

Lantana Removal

​We are always looking for able-bodied, enthusiastic people to help clear the acres and acres of lantana at Bangalee. If you like a bit of hard work and strenuous exercise, then this is for you. That said, it’s not all hard work, we do typically pace ourselves and there’s quite a bit of lighter work that can be done on a lantana site. For example, it’s often helpful to have someone pile up the lantana branches once they have been pulled out of the thicket. There’s also the very important step of going through the leaf litter to check for any roots the clearing team may have missed.

Small Weed Clearing

Small weeds come up everywhere. From lantana reshoots, to cobbler’s pegs and moth vines, there is always something to do. In areas with established native plants, we often find the occasional small weed or vine trying to sneak under the radar. New trees also must be kept free of small weeds so that they can grow freely and so that Roundup can be sprayed without impacting them.
 
Small weed clearing is not particularly strenuous but is absolutely essential to prevent a cleared site returning to its former state.

Bushwalking/Follow-up

All previously cleared areas need follow-up from time to time. This typically requires walking through a previously cleared area to check for any lantana or other weed regrowth. If done often enough, the only weed regrowth should be just the occasional seedling or small bush.
 
If you like bushwalking, then look no further. There are acres of bush at Bangalee that need regular follow-up. From the river flats right up into the ridges, there is no better way to help out while enjoying all the natural beauty of the Reserve.

Propagation, Potting and Nursery

A home nursery

All the work at Bangalee would be of little benefit if we did not have any trees to plant. Arguably then, propagation is the most important job of all! In fact, we have a reciprocal arrangement with other groups by which we share plants and pots. This way we all benefit from the different plants at each site. There are actually several ways you can help with getting plants ready.
 
First, we always need people willing to grow plants from seed or cuttings. This is a great job because you don’t even need to come onsite to help. You can grow plants in your own backyard. If you have a green thumb, we could really use your help. Any of the native plants in the list of plants we use for regeneration are always needed. We can provide pots, soil, seeds (sometimes) and cuttings if needed.
 
Second, there are sometimes large numbers of seedlings at Bangalee concentrated under a single native tree. They have to be potted up as they will not survive crammed together in the one spot. Carefully separating the seedlings and potting them up to be moved offsite takes considerable time. Yet it is a great way to quickly get many hundreds of plants.
 
Third, you can help just by having space in your yard to use as a nursery. The problem with trying to grow hundreds of plants offsite is finding the space to put them all. It you’ve got the room and are willing to keep the water up, you can help with our bush regeneration projects simply by looking after seedlings until they are big enough to plant.

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​Plants currently in our home nurseries

Sydney Blue Gum	None yet
Spotted Gum	None yet
Angophora	None yet
Turpentine	300+ seeds planted
Lilly Pilly	1000+
Cheese Tree	300+ seeds planted
Pittosporum	40 plus 2000+ seeds planted
Blueberry Ash	None yet
Sandpaper Fig	40 plus 130 cuttings planted
Port Jackson Fig	1500+ seeds planted
Moreton Bay Fig	None yet
White Cedar	7
Red Cedar	None yet
Koda	300+ seeds planted
River Oak	None yet
Lomandra	800

Here is a list of the plants we use at Bangalee for regeneration. It only includes the plants we deliberately propagate or purchase. Several species such as Kangaroo Apple and Indian Weed revegetate all by themselves.

Spraying

Spraying is a never-ending job. Whenever the lantana is first cleared from a site, smaller weeds come up in force. The only practical solution is to bring out the Roundup. Even once new trees have been planted, follow-up spraying is still needed to ensure that the weeds don’t smother the trees before they can get established.
 
If you have an AQF3 Chemical Handling Certification and are familiar with the use of herbicides, then there is lots of work for you at Bangalee.

Watering

Watering

The amount of watering needed depends on the season. In summer, new plants need to be watered every two to four weeks depending on the weather. In the cooler months, watering usually drops off but is still needed if it’s particularly dry.
 
We have a 1,100 litre IBC tank from which we bucket water to the plants. In coming months, we hope to equip the tank with a pump and long hose.

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Photography, Video Production and Marketing

​Visual record keeping is really important to monitor progress as well as provide to inspiration to existing and future members. It is also very important to keep adding new photos to our website and social media pages to maintain public interest. If you enjoy photography, well, there is no shortage of photogenic things at Bangalee.
 
We also need people who are interested in filmmaking and video editing. You don’t need to be an expert; even just suggestions would be appreciated. If you have an interest in this area, we strongly encourage you to get in contact.