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...
Refugium: a place of refuge where a community of species survives after extinction in surrounding areas. This apt description of the remnants of Big Scrub rainforest is also the inspiration for a new docuseries created and produced by Mullumbimby-born Liana Cornell. The beautifully shot series tells heartwarming stories of good being done by everyday heroes,...
Over the past 25-plus years, Big Scrub Landcare has cared for more than 50 remnants of subtropical lowland rainforest as well as establishing new patches of rainforest from replanting. During this time, our team has worked with countless experts, spent innumerable hours in nurseries and in the field; and through plenty of trial and error,...
A personal contribution from Big Scrub Landcare member Ken Dorey. The Black Bean, or Moreton Bay Chestnut, (Castanospermum australe) is a common Big Scrub tree and, as it is easy to recognise, it is often one of the first trees that rainforest enthusiasts learn to identify. What’s not as obvious on first glance is the...
June 5 marks the launch of the UN’s ‘Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’, a worldwide initiative aimed at preventing, halting and reversing the degradation of ecosystems. The initiative emphasises the link between ecosystem destruction and the health of livelihood of humankind: “Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet...
A personal contribution from Big Scrub Landcare member, Ken Dorey. The common carpet snake is a usually placid, frequently encountered member of the Big Scrub. That’s always how I’ve seen them, until I stumbled across a 10-foot specimen that wasn’t too happy to be found. This snake coiled and struck out at me, unprovoked –...
