Nature, Adventure & Impact
On the weekend of 19th-20th October 2024, Greater Sydney Landcare hosted its annual Youth Campout. This year, the camp took place at a lovely bush block along Cattai Creek in the Hills Shire, a site that Greater Sydney Landcare’s Creating Canopies project has previously helped restore with plantings.
With 15 enthusiastic participants aged 18 to 35, including many university students, the weekend kicked off bright and early on Saturday morning. All were eager to explore and enjoy beautiful bushland, connect with new friends, and leave a positive impact on the environment.
Saturday: Restoration & Creativity
Once everyone had gathered, thanks to a few pickups by Canopies staff from the local bus stop, the group enjoyed a relaxed morning tea, breaking the ice with introductions and conversation. Greater Sydney Landcare staff, including Wildventure Landcare’s Sophie Blair and Creating Canopies’ team members Bryce Doyle, Alicia Harb-Akins, and Aimee Hancock, were ready to lead a weekend packed with activities.
Nature Walk & Wildlife Spotting
The day began with a nature walk, where the group spotted native wildlife. Among the sightings were a Sacred Kingfisher, Spotted Pardalotes, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, an Eastern Yellow Robin, and a Blind Snake which had been dropped on the track by a bird. A shy swamp wallaby was also about, and an insect net revealed some of the smaller, though no less fascinating creatures living in the bush.
Hands On Bush Regeneration
After a delicious catered lunch, it was time to get stuck into some bush regeneration. With the calls of Whip Birds and Bell Miners in the background, the campers learned how to remove invasive weeds like Cestrum, Small-leaf Privet, and Lantana—essential work to restore the habitat for native plants and wildlife.
Getting Creative & Making Memories
In the afternoon, the group shifted gears into a creative activity led by Sophie of Wildventure. Volunteers designed their own eco-friendly tote bags using leaves, flowers, and all-natural paints.
Sophie explained, “Under the shade of tall trees, everyone had fun hammering the shapes of local flora into fabric to create unique, beautiful prints. It was a relaxing way to wind down after bushcare, and the perfect opportunity for deeper conversations about travel, study, and even ideas for future Landcare projects.”
Each participant left the session with a one-of-a-kind tote bag, a vibrant reminder of the weekend’s shared experiences and connections.
An Evening of Fun & Relaxation
As the afternoon slipped into evening, the group enjoyed some downtime with music, games, and a delicious pizza dinner. But the adventure wasn’t over yet. With torches in hand, they embarked on a spotlighting walk, encountering a curious Brushtail Possum with many joeys, a nesting Tawny Frogmouth, and an invasive Fallow Deer.
The night ended with roasting marshmallows, laughter and stories over the campfire, before everyone settled down for a well-deserved rest after a full day. That didn’t stop some keen beans though, up by 6:30 the next morning ready to dive back into action.
Sunday: Learning & Giving Back
Sunday’s activities began with an insightful session led by Greater Sydney Landcare’s Streamwatch Officer Sabina Roe, who took the group to Cattai Creek for a waterbug survey. As waterbugs are indicators of water quality, the group eagerly collected samples, identified different species and discussed what the findings revealed about the health of the creek.
“Although we didn’t find sensitive species,” Sabina noted, “it sparked a great conversation about the potential reasons for this—changes in the stream banks, the impact of feral deer, and the lack of vegetation in the area. The group explored how these factors affect water quality and biodiversity. It was a valuable learning experience, giving everyone insight into the delicate balance of our local ecosystems.”
Removing Rubbish to Restore the Environment
Inspired by their water survey, the group grabbed trash bags and worked to clean up the creek’s edges, collecting eight full bags of rubbish washed up from recent rains. Their efforts not only improved the creek’s habitat but also directly benefitted species like platypus, which have been detected in the creek through eDNA studies.
Wrapping Up a Memorable Weekend
After two days of fun, teamwork, and learning, many didn’t want to leave. Like all Landcare activities, the camp out offered a great opportunity for participants to build friendships in a fun, natural setting and restore the environment at the same time.
A huge thank you to everyone who made the 2024 Youth Campout such a success! We can’t wait to do it all over again next year.
About Creating Canopies: Landcare NSW and Greater Sydney Landcare are planting 200,000 trees as part of the Greening our City program to help reduce urban heat in Greater Sydney. Proudly funded by the NSW Government.
NSW Landcare Enabling Program: This initiative is made possible by the NSW Landcare Enabling Program, a collaboration between Local Land Services and Landcare NSW supported by the NSW Government.
