Environmental Management
Community Landcare Officer
The Community Landcare Office provides opportunities for landholders to manage and improve native and introduced vegetation on their properties. Through interaction with the local community the Community Landcare Officer (CLO) delivers relevant workshops, provides on-site property visits and current information for best practice landcare in the Bridgetown-Greenbushes Shire.
The Bridgetown-Greenbushes Shire continues to provide funding to the Blackwood Environment Society (BES), who manage and administer the Landcare Office and CLO position for three days a week, and provide on-ground outcomes to residents. In April of 2022 a new Community Landcare Officer was appointed to take over from Cheryl Hamence, who has made a sea change after 32 years involved in Landcare within the Bridgetown-Greenbushes Shire. Our new Community Landcare Officer, Karrie Williamson, has eagerly stepped into the role, sharing her many years of experience in Natural Resource Management with the Community and Shire.
Karrie can be contacted by email at nrmbridgetown@gmail.com.
Karrie Williamson (l) and Cheryl Hamence (r).
Helping Hands Bushcarers Group
The Helping Hands Bushcarers are residents, community volunteers and people with disabilities who work regularly with the Community Landcare Officer on the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes Bushland Reserves. Volunteer activities over 2022-23 included monitoring and control of environmental weeds, general and historic rubbish and glass collection and removal, site preparation works and revegetation planting, walk trail maintenance and native seed collection. Over 30 volunteers contributed 448 hours of their time valued at approx. $22,400 during 26 Helping Hands bushcare events in 2022-23. In addition, a further 18 volunteers carried out over 62 hours of planting, weed removal and training valued at over $3,100. Where possible recyclable rubbish collected is taken to Containers for Change and the funds raised are returned to the Helping Hands Bushcarers. Approximately 154 hours of Community Landcare Officer time supported these activities through on-ground support and the provision of all tools, equipment, administration, training, and refreshments.
Helping Hands volunteers have worked on the following Shire Reserves in 2022-23: Maslin Reserve, Layman St Reserve, Geegeelup Brook Parkland, Abbotts Reserve, Fire Station Reserve, Dorothy Scott Bushland, Tweed Rd Flora Reserve, Greenbushes Pool and Schwenkes Dam, Somme Creek Parklands, Sunnyside Reserve, Allnut St Reserve, and the Bridgetown Sportsground Bushland.
Residents who are interested to join the Helping Hands Bushcarers are encouraged to contact the Community Landcare Officer Karrie Williamson for more details.
For more information on the Community Landcare Officer and Helping Hand’s recent activities see the reports below:
To view reports provided by Landcare, click the links below:
2022/23 Reports