On Friday 8 May, 13 students from Girls Grammar in Canberra came and planted native plants and grasses at the Sutton Reserve. This was a part of their annual Founders Day volunteering activity.
Sutton Landcare received 300 native plants (a variety of wattles, poa and some low growing shrubs) from the Yass Landcare Nursery. Over the afternoon the students and their 4 teachers planted 70 natives. The area chosen to plant first was at the empty rabbit warrens, where the soil had been softened by Lawrie Nock, using his excavator.
The Sutton Fire Service generously made their facilities available for the afternoon. The students and accompanying teachers were an enthusiastic crew to work with.
On 24 May 10 adults and 2 children planted another 80 natives in the middle of the Reserve, at another empty rabbit warren. In less than 2 hours the area was looking very different. The plants were watered, protected with tree guards and mulched. native grass seed was spread on the remining bare soil and raked in.
"It is amazing how much can be done by a handful of volunteers and community members when they work together", said Coordinator Arnold Dekker. "With all the work that has been done at the Reserve over the past 18 months, we are getting ever closer to a true community asset for Sutton residents. We will likely do another planting in Spring and plans are well underway for signage and walking trails."
If you would like to get involved and help make the Reserve accessible and a nice place to be, please contact us at sutton.landcare@gmail.com. Any ideas and extra pair of hands are welcome!
Written by Arnold Dekker, Coordinator Sutton Landcare