On Saturday 18th November, Creating Canopies enlisted 16 volunteers to join the team on a Land for Wildlife property in Annangrove, on Cattai Creek. Nora Montgomery, a member of the local Platypus Landcare group, owns the land.
Nora Montgomery volunteered her Land for Wildlife property as a site for canopy trees and shrubs, and is a passionate member of Platypus Landcare. Photo: Danielle Packer. 
Platypus make their burrows in the banks of waterways, and the plants installed will help stabilise the soil. Photo: Danielle Packer. 
Creating Canopies was pleased to partner with Nora and Hills Shire Council to bring local landowners together and encourage local conservation works. Photo: Danielle Packer.
The Platypus Landcare Group
Did you know that there are platypuses in the Hills Shire? A small population resides throughout the Cattai and Little Cattai Creek Catchment. This was proven using environmental DNA (eDNA) testing which was undertaken collaboratively by Cattai Hills Environment Network (CHEN), Western Sydney University and Sydney Water in 2018 and 2021.
Following this discovery, CHEN formed Platypus Landcare, a Landcare group comprised of private landholders along Cattai Creek who care about local native bushland and waterways. Platypus Landcare members collaborate to restore key areas on private property along the waterways where platypuses reside.
Local Hills Shire landowners were invited to this event to find out what they can do to help the area’s platypus population. Photo: Danielle Packer. 
Thank you to everyone who attended! Photo: Danielle Packer. 
225 trees and shrubs were planted during this day thanks to this great group. Photo: Danielle Packer.
Stronger Together
This event aimed to bring local Hills Shire landowners together, inspiring them to contribute to the local platypus population’s well-being and, hopefully, join Platypus Landcare.
This day was run in partnership with:
- Jessica Styan, the Environmental Education Officer for the Hills Shire Council
- Monique Bailey, the Local Landcare Coordinator for the Hawkesbury-Nepean Landcare Network
- Jessica Lumbroso, the Streamwatch and Local Landcare Coordinator for Greater Sydney Landcare
This event was supported by The Hills Shire Council. Thank you for helping CHEN revive this Landcare group and spread the word to connect more Landcarers.
Do you own property in the Hills Shire and want to be a part of this Landcare group? Reach out to Monique Bailey, Hawkesbury Nepean Landcare Coordinator, landcare@hrcc.nsw.gov.au
The Day’s Activities
The Platypus Landcare group and other Hills Shire residents joined in to plant 225 trees and shrubs funded by the Creating Canopies project at Nora’s property. These trees will stabilise the creek banks, which are crucial for platypuses to make their burrows. Additionally, the trees will provide habitat for other native wildlife and increase the native plant diversity of the area.
On the day, the group learned how to care for their local waterway from aquatic ecologist and Greater Sydney Landcare’s Streamwatch Coordinator Jessica Lumbroso. Jess taught the volunteers how to use a Streamwatch kit to test the water quality of the creek.
The day’s activities engaged and educated local landowners on how to contribute to improving Cattai Creek’s health and look after the native wildlife.
What Did the Landowner Think?
The landowner, Nora, gave Creating Canopies this feedback about the event:
“Tony and I want to thank you, the two Jesses and Monique for the community event at our place on Saturday. We were very impressed with the organisation on the day. Everything we needed was there and it was obvious that you have refined the set-up to a fine art!”
“We really enjoyed meeting like-minded land owners and bush-loving people all with a common purpose and a deep care for the environment. We also really benefited from their expertise. The results of the planting were impressive, to say the least!”
Thank you Nora for the fantastic feedback. From all at the Creating Canopies team – it was a pleasure to work with you!
What Did the Partners Say?
Jess Styan from the Hills Shire Council said about the event: “It was such a fantastic day seeing locals in the community, neighbouring landowners and passionate volunteers in the environmental space come together to connect, share and learn knowledge and help plant native species on a local property.”
“It was a beautiful day and it was great to work with Greater Sydney Landcare to support this community event sharing the work of the Platypus Landcare group and the Creating Canopies project.”
To find out more about Platypus Landcare and Platypus in The Hills visit Platypus in The Hills (nsw.gov.au)
Monique Bailey from the Hawkesbury Nepean Landcare Network said, “I am very happy about the attendance and the positivity coming from the community who were involved. What a successful day, and how fun was it!!”
Volunteer for Bushcare in the Hills
If you’d like to contribute to environmental efforts in the Hills, you can become a Bushcare volunteer and regenerate bushland. No experience is necessary as training is provided.
Get Involved in Creating Canopies
If you’d like to find out how to get free trees planted on your land, visit our Register Your Site for Trees page.
Come along and plant trees with Creating Canopies. Find out what events we have coming up on Greater Sydney Landcare’s Eventbrite page.
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.
