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Kids and community working together in Bullsbrook

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Bonny Dunlop-Heague and Adrian Botha ( former student of Bullsbrook College) from Chittering Landcare with Bullsbrook College students in the school’s bushland area.
Bullsbrook College students with Bonny Dunlop-Heague

In April 2016 the Bullsbrook Landcare Group (officially known as North Swan Land Conservation District Committee) developed a Bush Management Plan with Bullsbrook College. The aim of the Plan was to manage the area of 8.2 hectares of bushland adjacent to Bullsbrook College (owned by the Education Dept.) — to preserve, protect and improve this valuable bushland and create an educational resource for students and the wider community. The Department of Education has had a detailed Flora Survey prepared as this is a recognised Bush Forever Site. This has given us invaluable information with regards to the sensitivity of this area.

We worked closely with Bonny Dunlop-Heague, an ex-student of Bullsbrook College, who is currently a Natural Resource Management Officer with the Chittering Landcare Centre. Bonny investigated possible grant opportunities to source funding which would enable our group to achieve our goals. Bonny has proved to be a “whizz” at grant applications and has been successful in both 2016 and 2017 for this project! As a result, last year we managed to complete the initial goal of having the whole area fenced, mapped for dieback and explanatory signage installed.

Unfortunately the area was found to be seriously affected by dieback, which has made it even more important to educate the community with regards to the spread and treatment of dieback.

Bonny has also secured funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program, supported by Royalties for Regions in 2017,  which will enable our group to undertake a dieback treatment program, carry out selective weed control, install  interpretive signage, selective revegetation and excitingly, employ Dr Mike Bamford (Bamford Consulting Ecologists) to work with our group: Bullsbrook College upper school Biology students, and volunteers from the local community to carry out a fauna survey. This will provide us with valuable data on what fauna lives in our bushland now, and something that we can measure against in the future; to evaluate the Bush Management Plan as a whole. This is very important information to use in the process of attaining future funding for this ongoing project.

We are also very pleased to see another ex -Bullsbrook College student Adrian Botha, who, after undertaking work experience, is now working as a trainee with the Chittering Landcare Centre.

Bullsbrook Landcare is very happy to be working with Bullsbrook College in this project and we would welcome any other community members who would be interested in learning more about the work of Bullsbrook Landcare, our precious bushland, and our local environment. Our group also consistently works in consultation with the City of Swan with regards to local environmental issues.

If you would like any further information please do not hesitate to contact Anne Janes, Secretary, Bullsbrook Landcare by emailing: aejanes6@gmail.com