A warm welcome to Bowning & Bookham Districts Landcare group

Bowning & Bookham District Landcare Group (BBDLG) is the Murrumbidgee region's newest Landcare group.  The area used to have a group known as “Burrinjuck Landcare” but it folded many years ago; the closest groups since then have been in Yass and Binalong.

Following the Cobbler Road bushfire which burnt 14,200 ha of private farmland in the Bookham and Bowning districts it became apparent that the only way to achieve success in obtaining environmental funding was to form a group; previous applications by individuals and small community groups having been unsuccessful. A public meeting was held in June 2013 and it was decided to re-activate a Landcare group in the area.

Since then group has attracted 2 grants for the propagation and cultivation of seedlings and eucalypts - a $1000 philanthropic grant via Landcare Australia, and $15,000 from the Dahl trust. The group has commenced its ‘Propagation and Regeneration of the Yellow Box & Blakeley’s Red Gum woodland Project’ and will run a propagation day on 17 December. There are also plans for a seeding day in December.

In early November 2013, BBDLG members took part in a nature walk at Bookham Cemetry lead by Greening Australia and Ngunnawal elders. Here they are standing before what is believed to be an Aboriginal scar tree.

The group has also lodged a significant grant application with the NSW environmental trust, and is seeking to develop an environmental management plan for the Bookham cemetery. The cemetery and surrounding reserve has one of the biggest local populations of the Yass Daisy (a threatened species) and also heritage items of cultural significance. A guest speaker and guide from Greening Australia recently conducted a cemetery walk for the group.

Secretary: Kath Mcguirk – kangiara@gmail.com
P.O. Box 2026, Bowning NSW 2582
Chair: Alan Cole alanpcole@bigpond.com Phone. 0418 852209