Benefits are natural for 30-year Landcare volunteers

Tears well up in the eyes of Suzanne Pritchard when she looks back on her past 30 years as a Landcare volunteer.

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 They are tears of joy for the countless hours she has spent with her local Landcare team, helping regenerate once-degraded tracts of bushland at Coal Point.

But they’re also tears of concern for what the future will hold for these isolated biodiverse remnants.

Ms Pritchard and other volunteers will mark this week’s National Landcare Week by celebrating the 30^th birthday of the Coal Point Landcare group – one of Lake Macquarie’s oldest.

“For me, it’s a wonderful way to work together, get outside, be social, exercise and get some fresh air – all those things that are so important for mental health and physical wellbeing,” Ms Pritchard said.

“Landcare was pretty new back in 1995, so we were one of the first groups.”

“We have a bit of a different model here. Instead of one group doing one site, we rove around and do multiple sites. The group has been amazing and we’ve made a big difference since we started.”

Coal Point Landcare is one of three Lake Macquarie Landcare groups marking their 30^th year this week, with Central Rankin Park  and Kenibea Bushland Reserve volunteers also celebrating the milestone. Landcaring efforts at Redhead also date back to 1995.

Meanwhile, Warners Bay, Flaggy Creek, Farm Street Reserve and Myuna Bay Landcare groups are all celebrating 25 years of active service in the community, and Sunshine Silverwater Landcare is turning 31.

Looking back at photos from the mid-1990s of Coal Point’s waterfront reserves shows just how much of a positive impact local Landcare volunteers have had.

What was once a weedy, eroded gully in Gurranba Reserve is now a miniature forest teeming with native flora and fauna. It’s a story repeated right around the peninsula.

However, Ms Pritchard said one of the most dramatic changes wasn’t on land but in the water.

Rehabilitation of waterfront reserves has vastly decreased sediment runoff into the lake, reducing erosion and the muddy plumes that once spread through Carey Bay for weeks after rain.

“I just love the bushland,” Ms Pritchard said.

“To be able to go walking along the west ridge (of Coal Point) and not encounter a weed – to me that’s soul food.”

“The weeding aspect is often very meditative and calming. So, bushland for me is solace, but it’s also about trying to retain something for future generations.”

“Yes, we’ve got rid of a lot of the big weeds like the lantana and the bitou bush, but there’s always the next suite of weeds just waiting to come through.”

Landcare Coordinator Simon Lubinski said Lake Macquarie Landcare comprised more than 150 groups and 600 volunteers, making it one of the largest Landcare collectives in Australia.

“We’re so proud of the work our volunteers have done and continue to do every week, making our city a more beautiful place for everyone,” he said.

“This week is about celebrating those people and saying thank you for their tireless efforts.”