• Nangarin Landcare 2023

    Project Update

    January 2023 marks the conclusion of the two year Nangarin Nature Corridor – ‘Cumberland Plain Woodland Restoration – Stage 2’ project assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust 2019-20 Restoration and Rehabilitation Grants.

    The Project targeted areas of remnant Cumberland Plain Woodland (CPW) within the East-West nature corridor within the Nangarin Vineyard Estate, where the endemic biodiversity of the CPW was threatened by invasive Lantana (Lantana camara) and other weeds. Planned in three stages with site work commencing in February 2021, the project involved engaging a team of professional ‘Bush Regen.’ Contractors (Ecohort P/L) to work on the eastern corridor, while members of the Nangarin Landcare Group addressed areas of dense Lantana along the western corridor. Extensive periods of wet weather during the project posed challenges with planning and access to the steep slopes, coupled with the high rate of Lantana growth.

    The most recent review of the Contractor sites showed a high success level in treating Lantana. A followup session in early January targeted any regrowth or areas missed in earlier sessions. Photo below shows reduction in Lantana in Contractor Stage 2 area:

     

     

  • Nature Safari

    Sunday June 19, a mild sunny winter’s day, saw the running of the Tom Covell Nature Safari at Nangarin. Postponed from 2021 due to Covid restrictions, the event organised and funded by Greater Sydney Land Services provided a wonderful opportunity for local residents to gain an informed insight into the unique and diverse ecology of bushland within the Nangarin Estate.

    Naturalist and Ecologist Tom Covell from ‘Hooked on Nature’ guided participants along a path travelling through open grasslands to narrow tracks along Stonequarry Creek, observing with his keen eye the range of flora and fauna listed below. Due to the high level of interest from residents, the activities were divided into two 2-hour sessions, with each session accommodating 18 residents.

    A sausage sizzle lunch, provided by the Nangarin Landcare team, and the opportunity to chat with other residents rounded out a great day, as feedback from one family states: “We absolutely loved yesterday’s session.  We learned a lot and feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. We took away quite a bit from the session. “

    The Nangarin Community is appreciative of the efforts of Tom Covell and Angela Maier, Greater Sydney Local Land Services, for providing this unique opportunity to enhance our understanding of our local environment

    Here is a list of some of things seen, heard or talked about on the day and links to further information and resources:

    Other websites that may be of interest:

    • Cumberland Plain Woodland is a critically endangered ecological community – read more about the Cumberland Plain Restoration program that Greater Sydney Landcare is running HERE
    • Wollondilly Council’s Community Nursery at Wonga Rd, Picton has a range of native plants. Local residents are entitled to 20 free plants per year.
    • Habitat hollows – learn about the importance of retaining tree hollows HERE, or report a wildlife using a hollow HERE
    • Feralscan – report sightings of pest animals such as foxes, deer and rabbits HERE
    • Subscribe to the Greater Sydney Landcare and Community news HERE to stay up-to-date with events, citizen science opportunities and other great information.

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  • Nangarin Flora Report by CPR

     This report covers a site visit at the Nangarin Landcare site in the Southwest of Sydney near Picton. The Landcare sites are in and around Nangarin Vineyard Estate. The estate is accessed off Barkers Lodge Road and bounded by Long Gully hydroline to the north and Stone Quarry Creek to the east and south.

    The woodland onsite is a mix of Cumberland Plain Woodland (CPW), Shale Sandstone Transition Forest (SSTF) and Riparian Woodland. There is a wide variety of native flora species in the Estate’s remnant bushland and the volunteers have done a great job of improving their local landscape. Each area has varying degrees of woody and annual weeds but also an array of insect and bird life.

    Full Report: CPR Report Nangarin Flora visit 22-1-22

  • Seeding the future

    Nangarin Landcare is one of six local Landcare Groups participating in a ‘Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery Grant’ managed by Lisa Gibson from Upper Spring Creek Landcare.

    Working closely with the Robin Davies Wollondilly Community Nursery, two seed collection workshops were planned, one in mid-November and the second in early December 2021 to harvest seed from endemic flora of the local area.

    The first of the ‘Seed Collection Workshops’ took place at Nangarin Vineyard Estate on Wednesday 17th November. Led by Damion Stirling, Sustainability Projects Officer with Wollondilly Shire Council, eighteen participants from the six Landcare Groups worked their way through two woodland sites to harvest ripe seed from a range of endemic plants, while learning flora identification techniques and the importance of particular plant species to the local ecological balance. Seed collected on the day was set aside for a propagation workshop to be conducted mid-December. Continue reading Seeding the future