By the banks of the Bungambrawatha

Bungambrawatha Creek Landcare Group members Kerry Rounsel, Terry Hawkins and Ros Bowditch on location

Since its formation in 1995, Bungambrawatha Creek Landcare Group Inc has undertaken many challenges to "preserve a creek in it natural environment".

The creek's riverine environment of old-growth box woodland had been invaded by dense thickets of privet and prunus, all revelling in the moist nutrient-rich creek gullies on the northern out-skirts of Albury.

While chainsaws were needed to dispatch the larger of the specimens (which in many cases has reached the dimensions of tall trees), most of their removal consisted of painstaking work with secateurs and the application of glysophate, before the task of re-establishing the understorey of local native shrubs and grasses could begin.

Slowly, however, using plants obtained from Greening Australian and Albury City Council, restoration of the riparian area began. The stark, cyclone wire fence of the car park became a cascading green scene of grevillea.

Most miraculous of all was the natural regeneration, which occurred in the cleared areas below the overhanging forest canopy, and the discovery of hidden tussocks of Lomandra, tendrils of Twining Glycine, and blue stars of Whalenbergia.

Because of its proximity to the Lavington urban area, Bungambrawatha Creek Landcare Group Inc has broadened it base to include recreation activities.

Members have acted as guides on bush interpretive walks to the hillsides above the creek, which contain the habitat of endangered flora and fauna such a senecio garlandii, the Crimson Spider Orchard and Squirrel Gliders.

Our group recently joined teachers and pupils of Lavington Public School in an exciting national Learnscape project to establish a learning environmental landscape in the school grounds.

Remembering that Bungambrawatha is the Aboriginal term for "place of plenty talk", new members are always welcome on the fourth Sunday each month between 9am and 11am.