The Friends of Orphan School Creek Bushcare Group held a seed collection day and working bee in November 2015 and recently the Group met onsite with Rae Broadfoot (Community Gardens and Volunteer Coordinator, City of Sydney) to plan the volunteer activities and the City’s work for 2016. It is expected that 200 tube stocks will be planted during the year and a community planting daywith a focus on small bird habitat plants, to which you will all be invited, will be held in May.

The Glebe Bushcare Group has been removing litter and weeds from the wetlands area near Chapman Rd. The Group will continue to meet during the year each Wednesday at 8.30am.

In John Street Reserve, work has commenced as scheduled on the establishment of the biodiversity garden – the contaminated top soil and a hackberry (Celtis australis) have been removed, the storm water collection/rain garden is being constructed as well as the new entrance from St James Ave and electrical work for new lighting. The City has determined not to extend the native plantings into the dunny lane at the rear of the St James Ave terraces.

The Glebe, Palmerston and Surrounds Landcare Group have decided to focus their efforts on the upper and lower sections of Palmerston Avenue Reserve. The City has removed a Lombardy poplar tree from the upper section of the Reserve and the remaining oleanders are also to be removed from the Reserve. The recently planted bird’s-nest ferns have met with mixed success – some dying and some thriving. The City will be installing a water tap in the lower part of the Reserve. The next meeting of the Group is at 2pm on Saturday 19 March 2016 at the junction of Keegan Ave and the Reserve – all local residents are welcome to attend.