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,...
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...
It’s with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Julian Lymburner, a long-term Big Scrub Landcare member and one of the driving forces of bush regeneration in our region. Julian and his wife Stephanie served on the Big Scrub Landcare Committee for many years, becoming integral members of the Big Scrub...
Big Scrub Landcare’s President Dr Tony Parkes AO today announced the appointment of Renee Borrow as Projects Manager. Renee is an environmental scientist with a background in threatened species conservation and management, ecosystem restoration and climate change mitigation. She has worked in research positions with Southern Cross University, Greenloaning Biostudies and NSW Department of Planning,...
A contribution from Big Scrub Landcare member Dan Scott. Original version of story published in the Byron Echo. From the balcony of Neil and Erica Holland’s Hayters Hill home, visitors enjoy an uninterrupted view of Cape Byron Lighthouse and its coastal plains. It’s a breathtaking vista, punctuated by rolling green hills and the sparkling of...
A contribution from Big Scrub Landcare member, Ken Dorey. Photo by Iain Stych. In a recent blog post, I featured a Northern Star article from 1924 that described the Big Scrub and the “heroic” efforts of building the village of Bangalow. I also considered the monumental implications of their actions and wondered if they were...
Black Apple (Planchonella australis) is one of the largest bush tucker foods in the Big Scrub. A member of the Sapotaceae family, the same family as the persimmon, the fruit is slightly sweet, less tart than a Davidson plum and has a delicious texture. And, if you feel like foraging, the forest floor is currently...
