This major natural area restoration program has grown from small local neighbourhood efforts to become a unique movement involving more than 8000 volunteers across the Sydney area, supported by government agencies at the NSW and local level.

Starting in the 1980s, the Sydney Bushcare movement was spurred by committed individuals and small groups (such as at Ku-ring-gai Flying Fox Reserve) taking action to restore damaged natural ecosystems within their neighbourhoods.

Winning the support of local governments and state agencies, it has now expanded to become a large and sustained movement across Greater Sydney.

In 2007, 35 of a total 39 local governments in the Sydney Metropolitan CMA area managed Bushcare volunteer programs, with more than 8000 volunteers registered as working in regular (usually monthly) Bushcare groups. There are an estimated 1000 Bushcare sites across Greater Sydney, with more than 20 years ongoing community involvement at some sites. So far 535 sites, mostly north of Sydney Harbour, have been mapped and can be viewed on the SM CMA website. Find a Bushcare Group

The technical focus of Bushcare typically involves weed removal in a manner that enables natural regeneration, ensuring systematic follow up until native resilience is reinstated and weed resilience minimised. The land managers support such programs with additional inputs to address causal factors such as weed dumping, drainage and fertility problems and inappropriate fires regimes.

Restoring sites at the urban bushland interface, especially in species-rich or endangered ecological communities, requires considerable skill and experience.

An important aspect of Sydney Bushcare is the level of training provided to all volunteers.
Modules from Land Management and Conservation accredited courses have been especially tailored for Sydney bush regeneration volunteers. This training also helps to imbue an ecologically-based philosophy among participants.

Ecological outcomes. The program dovetails into state or local governments? own extensive and professional programs of bushland management and restoration. On-ground results generally reach a high standard of native vegetation recovery at a far wider range of damaged sites than could be achieved within government budgets alone. Some examples of outcomes of Bushcare programs can be seen in the following case studies.

Case studies

· Hornsby Shire Council Bushcare Program

· Willoughby Council Bushcare Program

· Sutherland Shire Council Bushcare Program

· Lane Cove National Park Bushcare Program

· Ku-ring-gai Flying Fox Reserve

The SM CMA Bushcare Support program undertakes a range of support activities for Bushcare in the SM CMA region and beyond. Foremost is the administrative management of the Volunteer Coordinators Network (VCN) which meets quarterly in Sydney for professional networking and sharing of ideas.

The SM CMA also coordinates a number of network projects including Bushcare Training for volunteers and a Bushcare promotional stall at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

The email group of the VCN is hosted by the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators. See www.aabr.org.au The Network extends well beyond the Sydney area.

Urban-Rural Partnerships Program. North Sydney Council have run a successful partnering program with Boorowa in the Lachlan Valley for many years. Based on this great experience they have recently developed guidelines through the Environmental Trust Dissemination Program to assist Urban and Rural Councils to form mutually beneficial partnerships. Go here to read about their very popular program and to download the guidelines.

Environmental Volunteering in the Sydney Region 2007 - Most recent biennial survey of volunteer inputs

The Volunteer Coordinators Manual - A Guide for organisations on how to develop environmental programs involving volunteers

Bushcare with Students Guide Cumberland Plain Counts - A Teaching Manual and Guide for Natural Resource Management in Schools

Bushcare with care - Protecting and Conserving Aboriginal Landscapes - SMCMA Publication that assists Bushcarers to manage Aboriginal sites

Coordination: CMA

Environmental outcomes: Improved condition and extent of nartive vegetation. Increased capacity of community and land managers to engage in natural resource management.