Happenings in Fairyland

'Bushcare and World Cup Soccer' community tree planting day

Sunday 20th June 2010

There was what must have been a unique community event in the park during the world cup soccer period. Friends of Lane Cove National Park and the local Frog Hollow residents group (River Avenue West Chatswood) had a combined gathering with a tree planting in the morning, followed by a sausage sizzle and 'World Cup Soccer' for the kids in the afternoon.

It was the first community event to complement the recent Fullers Bridge to Fairylands Envirotrust grant (see below). It was particularlly good to see so many youngsters helping and enjoying thier time in the bush. There were over 200 trees and shrubs planted in an area that had previously been very degraded and which the Park's staff had sandstone capped over the last couple of years. We are planning another event in the area in September.

Friends, volunteers, NPWS and politicians celebrate a grant for the environment

$50,000 ceremony for the Friends

Fairyland Grants Approved

On the 17th February 2010 there was a little ceremony in River Avenue, Chatswood West, to celebrate the awarding of a $50,000 grant from the NSW Government's Environmental Trust. Our local Lane Cove state member Anthony Roberts presented a certificate, on behalf of the Environmental Trust, promising $50,000 to the ‘Friends of LCNP’ for work on restoring endangered ecological communities in the area.

Anthony Roberts, who is the ‘Shadow minister for Volunteering’, made a speech about both the importance of the environmental work the ‘Friends’ do in the park, and the importance of volunteers to the economy in general.

Also present were the deputy major of the City of Ryde, councillor Roy Maggio, and two other councillors, Bill Pickering and Sarkis Yedelian. It was great, if a little surprising, to see their interest in the park and environmental restoration work. They all suggested that if we need assistance in the future we should not hesitate to contact them.

As a result of the presentation the grant, and ‘Friends’ received coverage in both the Northern District Times and in the North Shore Times who gave us a half page spread and emphasized our need for volunteers. However, perhaps a little disappointingly it has only resulted in one phone call. If you missed this article click here to see it online.

Word on another, smaller grant for work in the Fairyland area has since been received, this time $7,000 from the Sydney CMA, for a shorter term project involving weed removal in another endangered community. It is only small but it all helps.

If you would like to know more about the project, or would like to be involved please email us.

Find out more about our volunteer Bushcare program.

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