Forum –
It is with much distress that I report yet another case of the illegal destruction of bushland by mountain bike riders.
This time it is in Ettymalong Creek Landcare’s long-term bush regeneration site next to Umina Oval opposite the tennis courts.
This is an area we have been caring for and gradually restoring for over 25 years.
During the school holidays a great swathe of bushland has been cleared, vegetation destroyed, and a huge hole dug in the middle of an area of bushland we have been restoring.
This area is one of the last remnants of the Umina Coastal Sandplain Woodland Endangered Ecological Community (ECC) and very important to its survival.
Rehabilitating bushland like this takes many years of dedicated volunteer work, weeding, planting sometimes watering.
Over the last 10 years our small group of volunteers has had many challenges including storm damage and extreme heat which have made our work particularly challenging.
To see our successes wiped out by a few days of mindless vandalism is heartbreaking.
To set some context: to grow a tree it takes volunteer time to collect seeds at the right time of year, one to two years growing and daily watering to raise a small tube size tree ready to plant, labour hours to plant, water and mulch and then 10 to15 years for that tree to grow to maturity.
In the first one to four years it is likely that the area planted will have to be constantly weeded so that the small trees do not get smothered.
If we get 35°C-48°C heat waves, regular or irregular watering may also be needed.
In this site we were also lucky enough early this year to partner through Council with the Greater Bank, to receive and plant some of the trees and plants donated to celebrate their 75th year anniversary.
We also partnered with the CSIRO to participate on a trial biological program to reduce Tradescantia fluminensis (also known as wandering jew).
This mindless act has managed to undermine thousands of hours of volunteer work, devastated the volunteers involved, destroyed rare and endangered vegetation, destroyed plants kindly donated by GreaterBank (and presumably offended their customers), undermined and created additional costs for Council’s Landcare program, thus affecting all ratepayers and residents, and undermined an important scientific research project.
The worst impact is, however, that this destruction has set back the rehabilitation of this bushland area by five to 10 years and that is presuming our volunteers continue to work there.
It is ironic that one of the founding members of our Landcare group (Cath Gissane) was instrumental in getting Council to build the current BMX track at Umina Oval to meet the needs of young bike riders.
This facility is only a short distance from the damaged site.
My question to local residents is: do you know where your children are taking your shovels and spades when they go riding?
If you find they were involved in this destruction, we would welcome hearing from you and discussing how they can understand the impact of their actions and begin to make amends.
Contact: ettymalonglc@internode.on.net
Email, Oct 4
Sue Ellis, Umina