The Green Army team working with Blue Mountains City Council has wrapped up after six months of work, having planted over 650 plants, helping regenerate more than 2 hectares of bushland and moving nearly 20 tonnes of crushed sandstone.
The Blue Mountains Green Army team (pictured above with (Council staff)was tasked with improving walking tracks in the upper mountains from Wentworth Falls to Katoomba, including work on the popular Charles Darwin Walk, Leura Cascades, Prince Henry Cliff Walk and Wentworth Falls Lake.
Working with a range of different Council teams they also completed target-weeding, revegetation works, mulching and brush matting, as well as significant walking track resurfacing and drainage works across a number of Council bushland reserves. The team gained skills in general nursery duties, native plant identification, seed cleaning and propagation techniques with guidance from Katoomba Native Plant Nursery (Blue Mountains Wildplant Rescue Service).
Deputy Mayor, Cr Chris Van der Kley said, “The Green Army is a great way for young people to learn new skills and to help our environment and our tourism economy which depends on it. The participants acquired skills, training and experience that will improve their employment prospects, while having improved their local region for their communities.”
Delivered through a partnership between Blue Mountains City Council, with support from Council’s Environment Levy and MTC Australia/Job Futures, the Green Army is Australia’s largest-ever team of young people supporting environmental action.
— Trish Kidd (BMCC Natural Areas Manager)