Improving Habitat at Carnarvon Golf Club
Bush Regeneration is an iterative process. You keep working at an area and over time it recovers to a more stable state relatively free from weeds.
Carnarvon Golf Course has been employing a similarly iterative process and it is paying dividends.
It started with the golf course’s own volunteers, weeding of course, but also dredging the dams that are an important part not just of the local catchment but also the larger catchment of the Parramatta River.
Many Hands Make Light Work
Greater Sydney Landcare’s Creating Canopies has been, over time, able to provide increased canopy and diversity. We couldn’t have done it without the help of community volunteers including the repeated corporate volunteering efforts of engineering firm Spirax Sarco. Thanks to these efforts we are now seeing measurable improvements in water quality, plant diversity and birdlife.
A Haven for Birdlife
Bird surveyors from Birding NSW (www.birdingnsw.org.au) have done eight surveys over the last couple of years. The lists are logged into the eBird database and the growing count of species now stands at 47, including few very selective species such as Buff-banded Rail, Eastern Rosellas and Red-rumped Parrots.
Waterbirds are nesting in the dams. Recently, Swift Parrots, an endangered species, were seen at Rookwood Cemetery and as the Swamp Mahogany are in bloom, we asked staff to keep an eye out for them at the golf course. A full list of birds recorded so far can be found at https://ebird.org/hotspot/L16965613.
Creating Habitat Around the Dams
For our most recent volunteer day, coinciding with the closure of the golf course to the public, we were able to weed amongst past plantings and increase plant numbers and diversity in new areas.
We also prepared mulched areas alongside the dams in readiness for our next volunteer day there in November. Spirax Sarco is going to donate the plants to increase bird habitat around the dam shoreline. It will also compliment the habitat rafts that have been placed in the dam — some of which are thanks to the generous corporate donation of Spirax Sarco.
A Great Gathering
The work at Carnarvon golf course and by its volunteers is quite inspirational, so on the day we had people from many different groups join us. These included:
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- The Parramatta Riverkeepers
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- Natalie from Cumberland Council’s Environmental Management team
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- Bev Debrincat, Chair of Greater Sydney Landcare and well known for her work with the Habitat Network
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- Linda Prince from the Fix It Sisters Shed at Kyeemagh, where the sisters have been creating their own habitat structures for wildlife
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- Catherine Tucker – lead volunteer of the Golf Course contingent and the Club’s Vice-President
- Recurring volunteers from Spirax Sarco
- Community volunteers
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Thanks to all for a great day.
Feedback from Spirax Sarco Corporate Volunteers
Taanja Hansford, Business Support Manager of Spirax Sarco said: “For Spirax Sarco it is an important way that our organisation can contribute to local environmental outcomes. We really enjoy the days and over time the improvements to habitat are apparent.”
Another Spirax Sarco employee gave the following feedback about the event:
“This was my 2nd visit to Carnarvon it was so rewarding going back to see the progress of the work being done!”
“I learnt about the trees being planted and what birds they attract, how the plants are helping with the water filtration and quality of the water.”
“It was so nice to see so much wildlife now making the golf course their home with the improvements being done.”
Corporate Volunteering with Greater Sydney Landcare
As a corporate volunteer, you’ll have the opportunity to bond with your team, develop new skills, and build relationships with the local community. Find out more about Corporate Volunteering with Greater Sydney Landcare.
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.
