Pippas Pass Bushcare Group

Regenerating the Bush

We are a group of local residents who got together with Council's Bushcare program in 1996 to form Pippas Pass Bushcare Group. We focused our attention on the degraded drainage line behind the Blaxland Community Centre and Library. Our aim was to reverse the process of weed invasion and regenerate the native bushland.

With assistance from Blue Mountains Council in the late 1990s, we were able to secure grants including a Natural Heritage Trust grant which funded the weed clearing, erosion control and revegetation work by professional bush regenerators in 2000 as shown in photographs of the same location below.

Our work goes a long way:

  • We have consolidated the earlier contract work ensuring the process of recovery of the native bush and preventing the re-establishment of the weeds.
  • We are helping to protect a remnant of what is a rare bushland type known as Shale/Sandstone Transition Forest.
  • The stabilising influence of plant roots on the soil is preventing potential erosion and gullying.
  • The work here looks after the bush down in the valley below and the Blue Mountains National Park beyond that.

Picture of bushland

picture of bushland

Why Do We Do It?

Basically to protect the native bushland that we love, identify with, walk in, play in and listen to. It is under serious threat of degradation and that affects not only the plants, but also the birds and all the other animals from Pygmy Possums to yabbies in the creek. Degradation begins around the edges of the bush and proceeds down the creeks where increased nutrients and weed seed from our town abounds. We need to manage it or we will lose it.

Think that you would like to Join Bushcare?

Your help will be greatly appreciated and even if you only want to come for an hour, or just to see a bit more or you have some questions about weeds, you will be welcomed.

Bushcare is a partnership between community volunteers and Blue Mountains Council. Council provides a Bushcare Officer (Andy Forster) at each monthly meeting to assist, train and guide the energy and efforts of the volunteers in a relaxed and informal setting. So you don’t need to know how exactly you could help, training will be provided.

Pippas Pass Bushcare Group meets monthly on the first Saturday of each month at 1-4pm at the carpark behind the library. If this doesn’t suit you, there are over 50 Bushcare Groups in the Blue Mountains which meet on different dates including during the week. So you will be able to find one right for you.

To contact us either simply turn up at the carpark at 1pm on the first Saturday of the month or phone the community contact Christine Belshaw on 4739 3615 or the Council Bushcare section on 4780 5528. See the map below for where to find us.

Picture of map

For more information, please read our newsletter PDF file [ 1MB ] Adobe Reader required.

Get Adobe Reader button