Early historical accounts of settlement in the Northern Rivers make for a fascinating read and give us insight into what the Big Scrub was originally like. That the landscape was irrevocably changed is well documented, but what’s less well known is the role of flooding in timber transport and the changes made to the waterways...
Much like a dry forest regenerating from fire, the Big Scrub is showing signs of recovery from last month’s devastating floods. Our team has been out inspecting remnants to begin the task of assisting recovery and planning for future impact from these extraordinary flooding events. While plenty of evidence of adaptation to floodwaters was observed,...
Photography and insights from Big Scub Landcare member Stephanie and Leo Lymburner. In 1968 Di Mercer acquired a piece of ‘rubbish land’ on the Far North Coast of New South Wales, a block deemed ‘useless’ by its dairy farming owner due to its steep, rocky slopes. Di, who had been a keen conservationist for some...
A contribution from Big Scrub Landcare Projects Manager, Renee Borrow. It had been on my wish-list to do for a while, but getting out to our critically endangered lowland subtropical rainforest remnant, Davis Scrub Nature Reserve, near Alstonville, finally became a reality when I decided to ditch the family and go on a solo adventure....
A contribution from Big Scrub Landcare member Ken Dorey. I’ve always been a little disappointed that European settlers didn’t come up with a better name than ‘Big Scrub’. But with so much being unfamiliar to them, it’s understandable that many descriptive, rather than imaginative, names – like red bean, iron bark or bleeding heart –...
Along the Byron Bay-facing ridge of St Helena escarpment – the steep hillside which timbergetters once used to launch giant logs to ships waiting in the Bay – a hidden rainforest is emerging. For around 15 years, private landowners have taken it upon themselves to fund extensive replanting of rainforest, creating 250 acres of reborn...
As another turbulent year draws to a close, Big Scrub Landcare paused to hold its AGM on Sunday, reflecting on a period where progress returned despite continuing uncertainties in the broader community. In his President’s report, Dr Tony Parkes described 2020-21 as a continuation of a succession of excellent years for our Landcare group. Throughout...
The folk at Stone & Wood have gone from strength to strength since their story began in 2008. Their homegrown business and not-for-profit inGrained Foundation have done extraordinary things for the Northern Rivers community, and they have been long-term supporters of Big Scrub Landcare. Last week marked the start of a new chapter for the...
By Mark Dunphy, Vice-President of Big Scrub Landcare. The tall trunk and lush foliage of the Nightcap Oak (Eidothea hardeniana) is striking, but not easy to spot. A member of the Proteaceae (Banksia and Grevillea) family, it’s so rare and well hidden that it wasn’t discovered until 2000, and with only around 100 adults left...
When the Bexhill Public School discovered a patch of rainforest in the corner of its grounds, staff named it the “snake pit” and swiftly made it “out of bounds”. However, upon more recent inspection, the beauty and biodiversity of the heavily forested corner of the school grounds shone through. After an inspection by Big Scrub...
