On Sunday 12 October 9 people gathered for another mini- working bee at the Sutton Village reserve. A lovely sunny morning for an enjoyable time outside. 

The group moved to the second part of the larger area of the Reserve and a lot of woody weeds were removed. We were once again impressed with the amount of work that can be done by a small group of people in one and half hours. To give you an idea: over the last 9 months we have removed 435 Sifton, 15 Cootamundra wattles, 140 escapee small grevilleas, 250 young pines, 70 briar roses, 41 hawthorns, 170 serrated tussocks, 150 St Johns wort’s, 2 cotoneasters, 1 privet, 25 thistles, 6 blackberries and six 50 L bags of litter. Aside from our own efforts, Yass Valley Council has sprayed large patches of blackberries and hundreds of serrated tussocks. 

Sutton Landcare now has its own Facebook page as well as a dedicated site on the Canberra Naturemapr 

>> NatureMapr | Sutton Reserve 

 where plants we find on the Reserve are posted. 

All the work is done with support from Crown Lands and Yass Valley Council. 

Over the next 12 months we will keep going and in addition to weed removal the environmental work may include (depending on Crown Lands collaboration and permission) removing some large pine trees that are throttling old eucalypts, healing (or cool) burns, St John’s wort removal by professionals etc. In December -January we will embark on rabbit eradication with help of Local Land Services. 

 The long-term plan is to provide information signs, create walking paths, yarning circles, improve the fencing to provide better access for the Sutton Community and have the Reserve as a proper community asset. If you would like to know more, or get involved, please contact us via sutton.landcare@gmail.com. 

Our next activity will be a twilight weed walk at the Reserve. Keep an eye on the Sutton Facebook pages for date and time. 

Written by Arnold Dekker, Suttton Landcare

Local native pea expert, Tim Hayes, led an enjoyable and informative workshop for our dedicated nursery volunteers on October 4th. Native peas are ecologically important but notoriously difficult to grow in our nurseries, so we invited Tim to share his insights.

Using small pieces of fine mesh weighted with a stone, our volunteers dipped the seed into freshly boiled water for 30 seconds, followed immediately by icy cold water for 30 seconds. Under Tim’s guidance, they then placed the seed into pots, covered it with sieved soil, and watered with a fine mist. Tim advised to keep the pots in a warm location and watered with a spray bottle several times a day. We are all eager to see the results!

Tim’s enthusiasm for native peas was infectious. He explained that they are often overlooked in favour of plants with bigger, showier flowers, but they really do deserve our attention. In his local searches for native peas, Tim even discovered a new species.

We are very grateful to Tim for generously sharing his knowledge and propagation tricks.

By Sonya Duus

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The Climate Ready Revegetation Project has been assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust. Landcare Australia Michael King grants enable us to purchase seed from diverse provenances.

On a mild winter’s day in mid-August, members of our YAN Landcare community gathered with other groups from our region at the Gunning Bush Block yarning circle for a Landcare Mini Muster. The relaxed atmosphere and surrounds encouraged open conversation, the day brought together a diverse mix of Landcarers from across the district and beyond.

Attendees included people with backgrounds in ecology, farming, governance, nurseries, mapping, grant writing, and community engagement — an impressive range of skills, experiences, and perspectives all in one place. What stood out most was the generosity of the group: each person arrived not only with their own “needs” but also with offers of knowledge and support to share.

Needs & Offers – Sharing Across Our Networks

The group explored the “Needs & Offers” framework, a simple but powerful way to connect skills and resources across our networks. Offers ranged from governance templates, nursery and propagation expertise, and experience with revegetation projects, to help with grant writing, GIS mapping, and ecology training. Needs included more opportunities for collaboration, tools for building regional calendars, and ways to engage the changing demographics of landholders in our region.

This open sharing reminded us just how much capacity already exists within our community — and how much stronger we are when we pool our knowledge.

Topics Around the Circle

The discussion was wide-ranging and lively, covering some of the questions facing Landcare across the region:

• Webinars vs. face-to-face: While many valued in-person gatherings for building trust and relationships, others noted the accessibility of webinars, especially for those who can’t travel. A blended approach may be the key to reaching more people.
• Changing demographics: Shifts in land ownership, with more lifestyle blocks and new residents, were seen as both a challenge and an opportunity. There is real potential to bring newcomers into Landcare through training in property planning, soils, water, and native vegetation.
• Breaking down borders: Many noted that while Landcare groups often work within their own bubbles, the greatest opportunities lie in stepping across boundaries — whether district lines or cultural ones. More united regional projects can increase impact and strengthen our collective voice.

A Day of Connection

Perhaps the greatest takeaway from the day was the reassurance that we are not alone in the challenges we face. Whether it’s adapting to demographic change, navigating funding shifts, or simply finding the time to do the work, the Landcare community is full of people willing to help and share.

Participants valued the size and format of the Mini Muster, which allowed space for meaningful conversation. There was plenty of laughter, ideas exchanged, and gratitude expressed to Gunning District Landcare for hosting such a thoughtful and welcoming day.

As one participant noted, it is in gatherings like this — small enough for real connection but broad enough to bring in many voices — that Landcare’s true strength shines.

We look forward to future musters, more sharing, and perhaps even sandstone “warmers” for the yarning circle next time around.

Written by Sarah McGrath, YAN Local Coordinator

If you’ve passed by Sutton Reserve recently, you may have noticed some changes. Volunteers from Sutton Landcare and the Sutton and District Community Association (SDCA) have been hard at work improving the reserve so it can become a real asset for both the village and the wider region.

This work follows the Sutton Reserve Masterplan, adopted by both community organisations and supported by Crown Lands, which manages the reserve. The plan sets out a long-term vision for the area – but before new features like walking paths, yarning circles, and information signs can be created, we first need to tackle a major challenge: removing invasive trees, shrubs, and weeds.

Why remove pine trees and other non-natives?

Not all trees are good for the reserve. Some non-native species, such as radiata pines, Cootamundra wattles, sifton bush, and hawthorns, spread aggressively and outcompete the native plants and old eucalypts that should be thriving here. Large pines in particular “throttle” established gums, depriving them of water, nutrients, and space. Left unchecked, these species threaten the biodiversity of the reserve and reduce the habitat available for native birds, insects, and reptiles.

Over the past six months, volunteers have achieved a huge amount, removing:

• - 385 sifton bush
• - 10 Cootamundra wattles
• - 45 escapee grevilleas
• - 30 young pines
• - 45 briar roses
• - 25 hawthorns
• - 140 serrated tussocks
• - 150 St John’s Wort plants
• - Plus 5 x 50 L bags of litter

All cuttings without seed have been left on the ground, where they help create habitat for ground-dwelling insects, reptiles, and small birds.

Supported and collaborative work

This work is being done with environmental works permission from Crown Lands, with additional support from Yass Valley Council through targeted weed spraying. Looking ahead, there are plans (pending approvals) for:

• - Removing some larger pines impacting old eucalypts
• - Healing or cool burns
• - Further St John’s Wort control by professionals
• - A rabbit eradication program this summer with Local Land Services

Looking to the future

The long-term vision is for Sutton Reserve to become a welcoming, accessible space for the whole community. Future plans include:

• - Walking paths
• - Yarning circles
• - Information signs about local biodiversity
• - Improved fencing and access

Get involved

A huge thank you goes out to all the volunteers who have already given their time – their efforts have made a real dent in the weed problem. It's been great to meet some of the locals who are keen to lend a hand and get involved in the care and restoration of this wonderful community asset.

The next working bee will be held on Saturday 12 October at 9:30 am. These are gentle, social activities where people can do as much or as little as they feel comfortable with – even just coming along to learn about weeds and native plants is welcome. Membership of Landcare is optional and not required.

If you would like to know more about the upcoming working bee or to join in twith other Sutton Landcare activites email sutton.landcare@gmail.com

Written by Sarah McGrath, YAN Local Landcare Coordinator coordinator@yan.org.au