The first of the planting days began with a Welcome to Country from local Noongar Elder, Nick Abraham at Woodlupine Brook Reserve, which brought a historic and cultural depth of purpose to the project. Friends of Woodlupine Brook combined with local community volunteers to plant habitat and canopy plants for frogs and water birds and to remove weeds.  Additional funding, know-how and man power was generously provided by Perth NRM, Bankwest and Plantrite.

“With 40 ‘Friend of groups’ in the City we are very fortunate to have dedicated grassroots champions who contribute to land care and understand how precious healthy, natural spaces are to the wellbeing of the people and to our wildlife.” said Mayor Margaret Thomas. 

“Every year our volunteers undertake thousands of hours of work. Planting, weeding, collecting rubbish. We have also engaged with students in local schools as a part of the adopt a patch program to ensure active citizenship in the landcare space commences at a young age.” 

The community spirit, evident on the first planting day, continued with the land care champions planting habitat and canopy trees at Juniper Reserve, Jorgensen Park and a second day at Woodlupine Brook Reserve.  More than 4000 native plant species were planted by our community specifically for the revegetation project to improve the biodiversity of the area and provide habitat for wildlife such as the local, iconic and endangered Black Cockatoo.

“Many City of Kalamunda Adopt a patch schools also got involved planting trees and looking after local bushland. Mathew Gibney Primary School planted at Ollie Worrel Reserve, High Wycombe Primary got active at Markham reserve and Edney Primary School helped to plant at Fleming Reserve. Schools were involved in planting 450 seedlings on National Schools Tree Day.”

“We are fortunate to have such an amazing variety of fauna frequent our reserves, from the Square Tailed Kites, Southern Boobook Owls, Tawny Frog Mouths or one of three species of Black Cockatoos utilising the upper canopies, to smaller birds such as the Striated Pardalote, Western Gerygone, Golden and Rufous Whistlers and honey eaters throughout.  On the ground quendas, echidnas, brush-tailed phascogales, western brush wallabies and a plethora of smaller goannas, geckos, frogs, arachnids and insects all call these spaces home.”

“The discovery of five new species of jumping spider in the Kalamunda National Park and Korung National Park recently by photographer, Holly Martin, illustrates how important it is to maintain the integrity of the natural environment.” And how important citizen scientists are to the discovery of new species.

Fox trapping recently conducted at the Crumpet Creek Reserve - Mundy Regional Park area, in partnership with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, and at the Fred Eversden Reserve have assisted in reducing predation of wildlife by foxes. The City is currently investigating introducing a local law to support the Cat Act 2011 with the aim of reducing cat predation.  These initiatives and our on-going environmental weed control program reduces the pressure of threats to our valuable Natural Areas and biodiversity within them. 

The City is very appreciative of the timeless work completed by our land care champions who continuously gift their time to enhance the City’s 260 natural areas and 343 km of natural waterways. 

“We encourage everyone to consider becoming involved with one of our ‘Friends of Groups’, connect to nature, connect with the community and become a land champion for the benefit of all.”

The City of Kalamunda is renowned for its unique and diverse natural environment. Local residents, visitors from more urbanised parts of Perth and further afield head to Kalamunda to enjoy the quiet, natural beauty and the bushland. Together, our community is working in partnership with the City to ensure we continue to excel in the area of land care. Find out more about the Kalamunda Clean and Green Local Environment Strategy 2019-2029

For more information here on Friends Groups please contact the City of Kalamunda on (08) 9257 9999, email enquiries@kalamunda.wa.gov.au