Issue 2 - September 2025 It's Time - A word from the President. Peter Dixon Time is the essential ingredient in bush regeneration. In his latest report, AABR President Peter Dixon reflects on the patience, persistence, and long-term commitment needed to truly restore ecosystems — and how AABR helps give nature the time it needs. [...]
Honouring a Bushcare Pioneer: Bill Jones (1934–2024) With the death in October 2024 of Bill Jones at the age of 90, the bushcare community of northern Sydney has lost a wonderful contributor. At the funeral, Caleys Pavilion at the St Ives Wildflower Garden in northern Sydney was packed out by many people who had worked [...]
Collecting and recording data using iNaturalist and with input from others A recent (October 2024) comprehensive biodiversity survey of Wategora Reserve and Everley Park along Duck River in western Sydney has shed light on the rich ecological tapestry of this urban corridor. Led by Thomas Mesaglio, the study not only catalogued an impressive array of [...]
Having Fun with iNaturalist Kate Watson. AABR Member and iNaturalist addict. iNaturalist is a powerful tool for conservation. It is the largest citizen science platform in the world, with more than eight million people contributing to it. The Australian branch is backed by CSIRO and the data feeds into the Atlas of Living Australia. The [...]
iNaturalist and bush regeneration Petra Holland tells us about iNaturalist and its value for bush regenerators and how Hornsby Council use it. iNaturalist background iNaturalist is one of the world’s most popular biodiversity observation platforms. It is an online, biodiversity-focused, citizen science platform and app. Its main goal is to create a nature-based social network [...]
AABR End-of-Year Blue Gum Bushwalk Late in 2024, AABR hosted the Blue Gum Walk, Talk & Gawk. The Blue Gum Walk is in northern Sydney starting in Hornsby linking Rosemead Road Park to the Fishponds and The Great North Walk. The day was a wonderful success, bringing together 17 attendees from across Sydney and the [...]
Friends of Mount Painter and Mount Painter Nature Reserve by Sarah Hnatiuk, Co-convenor of Friends of Mount Painter friends.of.mount.painter@gmail.com A case study describing the history of the site and the bush restoration carried out since 1989. Canberra, the Bush Capital and Mount Painter In designing Canberra in 1911-1912, Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahoney Griffin [...]
IT breakthroughs in Conservation and Bushcare. Paul Angel (Bushland Coordinator, Canterbury Bankstown Council) , Dorothy Luther (Data Scientist, retired) Canterbury Bankstown Council area is situated in the south-west of Sydney. Council owns/manages over 200Ha of bushland- predominantly dry-sclerophyll eucalypt forest and woodland. Our work, in managing this urban bushland, mostly revolves around weed control, reducing [...]
It’s Time! No, I am not referring to the 1972 Gough Whitlam Federal election campaign song, but rather to Time being the thing that differentiates Bush Regenerators to almost all others that are involved in on-ground ecological restoration and rehabilitation. I think that an understanding of the importance of time is fundamental to being a [...]
