Caption: Winner of the 2021 Golden Trowel Legend Award, Rae Druitt passes on the 2022 Trophy to Aunty Sharon Halls in the Megalong Valley. Credit: B.C. Lewis and Blue Mountains Gazette.
We would like to wish all the volunteers and friends of the Bushcare program a safe and Merry Christmas.
The office will be closed from 23rd December until Tuesday 3rd January. For urgent matters you can call the 4780 5000 council number as there will be essential services still being delivered over the break.
Bushcare Groups wont be meeting during this period but will resume from 3rd January onwards.
Once again, we are celebrating our Bushcare volunteers through the eyes of the digital world. 2021 became the year bookended by COVID shutdowns much to the dismay of all. When lockdown lifted at the start of June last year we saw the impressive resumption of the Bushcare Program – a tribute to our dedicated Bushcare volunteers. And we know that with the same passion and dedication we can come out of this next shutdown with the same gusto!
Our Award Ceremony was held as a Zoom ceremony so everyone could view Mayor Mark Greenhill present the awards and hear the acceptance speeches live on their home computers. Congratulations to Rae Druitt receiving the Bushcare Legend Golden Trowel Trophy and our recipient of the Junior Bushcare Ryan Memorial Shield – Daemon Silk.
We thank David King, Gundungurra man, for the Welcome to Country and talk. We included a couple of talks with John French and Fiona Lumsden showing their recent survey Birds in The Gully, and Megan Halcroft talking about native bees in preparation for pollinators week.
Our ‘Thank you” gift to our volunteers is a cool Cooler lunch bag that will be presented to you by your Bushcare Officer when you all come back together onsite – with the personal touch!!
Photos: Golden Trowel and Junior Shield Award and the Cooler Lunch Bag Thank You gift to our volunteers Credit: BMCC
Group Awards
Celebrating years of service to Bushcare
25 Years
Charles Darwin /Jamison Creek Bushcare
Wentworth Falls
Sublime Point Bushcare
Wentworth Falls
20 Years
Mt Riverview Bushcare
Mt Riverview
15 Years
Glenbrook Lagoon Bushcare
Glenbrook Lagoon
Valley Heights (Benoit Park) Bushcare
Valley Heights
Long Angle Gully Landcare
Warrimoo
North Lawson Homeschoolers
Lawson
5 Years
Bush Place Bushcare
Glenbrook
Raymond Street Bushcare
Blaxland
Seed Collection Group
Various
Celebrating 25 Years of Bushcare for Charles Darwin Bushcare Group CREDIT: BMCC
Celebrating 25 Years of Bushcare for Sublime Point Bushcare group CREDIT: BMCC
Individual Awards
The 2021 Bushcare Legend Rae Druitt at Wentworth Falls Lake with her Golden Trowel Trophy CREDIT: David Coleby
Previous Legend Ross Day passing on the Golden Trowel to Rae Druitt CREDIT: BMCC
Fiona Lumsden accepting the Masters Award from Mayor Greenhill CREDIT: BMCC
Recipient of the Hard Yakka Award – Ian Power onsite at Valleyview Swampcare CREDIT: BMCC
Mayor Greenhill with Ian Power accepting Hard Yakka Award CREDIT: BMCC
The Landcare Legend Vikki Willmott-Sharp with the Mayor CREDIT: BMCC
Ryan Kembrey receiving the Environmental Warrior award from Mayor Greenhill CREDIT: BMCC
Daemon Silk accepting the Junior Rian Strathdee Shield from Jasmine Payget CREDIT: BMCC
S4W have an upcoming webinar on 28 May at 11 am -12pm where they will provide an update on their two koala projects, we’re they would love it if you could join them.
Please see all additional information on the webinar below.
‘Tune in online for an overview of all the work we have been doing to map and track surviving koalas after the 2019/20 bushfires, as well as the latest news from our project monitoring koalas after they are released from care. There will be an opportunity for a Q&A at the end of the webinar.’
Last year local volunteers removed 1.6 tonne of rubbish from bushland and parkland sites, most of which included drink containers, plastic food wrapping, packaging materials and plastic bags.
You can get involved by finding a local park or area that needs cleaning or by joining an existing Clean Up site near you. Once registered, you will be sent a free Clean Up kit including bags, gloves, information and promotional materials.
For further information on how to get involved and find a local site near you, please visit the Clean Up Australia Day website www.cleanup.org.au/
Garguree Swampcare, Maple Grove Clean Up Australia Day 2020
