Bushcare visit at Chowder Head Reserve with a talk about the Bradley Sisters

Chowder Head is a sandstone promontory where indigenous clans, possibly of the Cammeraygal and Borogegal, visited. Here, as on other promontories, there are engravings, reflecting the visual position in the landscape of the place, rather than resources – typically birds, animal tracks, and marine life.

This Sydney Coastal Sandstone Foreshore Forest supports Acacia, Banksia, and Leptospermum species. Today some of the wetter areas are invaded by introduced species such as lantana and privet.

Being at Chowder Head Reserve, we shall be hearing about the Bradley Sisters method of bush regeneration and be shown how it’s working in practice, even in such a small reserve of urban bushland. We shall then be working together to regenerate Chowder Head Reserve alongside Morella Road Bushcare Group and North Sydney’s Bushland Team.

In this area, it is where the Bradley Sisters in the 1970s, developed an approach to regenerating the Australian bush which would revolutionise land management. In her book Bush Regeneration, Joan Bradley wrote: “The essence of our method is that native plants have an unexpected power to re-colonise ground which exotic plants have taken from them.” (1971) https://www.mosmanparksandbushland.org/

The ‘Bradley method’ involves methodically starting with healthy native vegetation to clear surrounding weeds (liberating them) so that cleared areas could be re-colonised by the regeneration of native plants, replacing the weeds. Being able to distinguish native plants from their look-alikes is a key skill, so as not to remove the wrong plants.

https://www.aabr.org.au/learn/what-i-bush-regeneration/general-principles/the-bradley-method/

For newcomers and students, this event gives an opportunity to work with and learn from experienced bush regenerators.

Register to attend

What to Wear & Bring

Wear long sleeves, long pants, covered shoes, hat, and bring water bottle, insect repellent, and sunscreen.

Tools will be provided. And morning tea!

Keep safe and well

As an AABR-supported event, we all need to keep safe: we encourage personal hygiene, and staying at home if unwell.

GETTING THERE:

If you require transport, a minibus is available leaving from North Sydney Council at 8am please register via this link.

Public transport

Bus 100 – 7:30am from QVB to Bradley’s Head Road at Thompson Street, just before 8am, about 20min walk to meeting point.

Pick up at Waverton train station at 7:45am with notification

Or use NSW Trip Planner to plan your trip: https://transportnsw.info/trip#/trip