Andrew Wood, Blue Wren Subcommittee Convenor, Bulletin 7/2022, September 2022

The most common bird sighted in the 2017 spring bird survey, the rainbow lorikeet. (image: JAM Project)

Judy Christie will again organise the Society’s Spring bird survey commencing at 6.45 am in Paddy Gray Reserve, Hereford St on Sunday 23 October and all Society members and friends are welcome to attend. Please contact Judy on 0437 693 372 if you would like to come.

As a first step in their 2022 Tree Management Plan, the City has asked residents for comments about street trees where they live and will release a draft of its revised management plan before the end of the year, when the Subcommittee will make comments for inclusion in the Society’s submission.

Applications for the 2022 Craney Biodiversity grants will be sent to the 14 schools and preschools in Glebe at the start of October with a closing date of Friday 18 November 2022.

Ten volunteers from the Orphan School Creek Bushcare Group attended a working bee on Saturday 6 August 2022 and the next bee is planned for Sunday 11 September. The City has not yet delivered top soil to the site and has not thinned the overpopulation of Sydney blue gums, which were not the originally dominant trees in Glebe.  Glebe was formerly covered with a

Plantings near the Palmerston Steps. (Photo V Simpson-Young)

Turpentine-Ironbark Forest with a dense understory of shrubs. The Glebe Palmerston and Surrounds Landcare Group reports that the City has agreed to install a new light in the upper part of the park; there has been replanting in areas excessively pruned; the City has been asked to change the name of the area from the current Palmerston Steps; and the group is regularly cleaning a blocked storm water grate.

Around 100 people attended the City’s planting day in Federal Park on Sunday 31 July and there is a need to surround the area will loop fencing to prevent dogs damaging the new plants. Also, the City has planted many new trees, including Melaleucas, Eucalypts and Lillypillies, in Bicentennial Park.