Upper Shoalhaven Landcare’s Trees for Ongoing Disaster Recovery

The Bushfire Recovery grant for Upper Shoalhaven Landcare was used to support ongoing disaster recovery and revegetation efforts across our Landcare network in the Queanbeyan-Palerang Council Region. Overall 1500 native tubestock, 1100 stakes, 600 guards, 500 jute mesh squares, fertilizer and catering for 2 community tree-planting events were purchased and distributed across 17 sites across Bombay, Braidwood, Bendoura, Mongarlowe and Araluen.

The key highlights of the project were two community tree plantings in the Araluen Valley with Upper Deua Catchment Landcare. The first planting was held on Saturday 27 May, with twenty-one volunteers turning up to help plant tubestock across two erosion control sites along the Araluen creek.

The second event, on Tuesday 30 May, invited parents and kids from the Braidwood home-school group to come down for a day of outdoor learning along the creek. Led by Araluen locals and out Local Landcare Coordinator, twenty-two participants, including eleven kids ranging from under 2 -14 years old, dug in and got their hands dirty planting an impressive 150 trees, shrubs and sedges.

Throughout the day the group learnt about the geology and gold-mining history of the Valley and why it contributes to high levels of erosion along the creek. The key message was the importance of ground cover and vegetation to help secure sediments and prevent them from being lost downstream. After a busy day’s planting and a quick splash in the creek for the kids, each family got a donated native plant to take home to grow and remember their planting day in Araluen.