Glebe’s Blue Wrens
News from the Blue Wren Subcommittee, October 2023
Posted on 5th October 2023
Glebe Public School reports a great outcome from the Craney Small Grants Program. They’ve been able to purchase new bush tucker plants and gardening equipment, resulting in a transformed outdoor space that will benefit students’ education and connection with nature.
Blue Wren Subcommittee Annual Report 2022-2023
Posted on 27th August 2023
This year, the tenth annual Glebe/Forest Lodge spring bird survey counted birds in 10 different locations. 33 different bird species were identified, equally the highest diversity of species recorded over the last 10 years. The two most common birds were again the native Noisy Miner and the Rainbow Lorikeet.
The Hill: HAZMAT clothing required
Posted on 31st July 2023
The Blue Wren Subcommittee is considering asking City of Sydney Council to allow the employment of an asbestos assessor to deal with contamination issues while installing wildlife monitoring devices.
The Blue Wrens Report – July 2023
Posted on 26th June 2023
The Glebe’s Hill research collaboration has hit a snag – due to contamination, the researchers must wear HAZMAT gear!
News from the Blue Wrens, June 2023
Posted on 31st May 2023
Find out what the Glebe Society’s ecology arm, the Blue Wren Subcommittee, has been up to over the last month.
Glebe’s Hill and its flora and fauna
Posted on 29th April 2023
Learn more about the study of the fauna and flora of Glebe’s Hill, on Sunday 7 May. The Hill is a patch of contaminated crown land on the northern side of the Tramsheds. A City of Sydney grant to the Society will fund an investigation by biological scientists from the University of Sydney.
Unravelling the biodiversity secrets and potential of ‘The Hill’
Posted on 26th March 2023
How will the biosleuths discover the fauna and flora living on ‘The Hill’ on the northern side of the Tramsheds? Find out at a free talk on 7 May 2023.
Updates from the volunteer bushcare groups
Posted on 27th March 2023
The volunteer bushcare groups have been busy and have some advice on how to stop your moggy attacking birds.
News from the Blue Wrens
Posted on 27th February 2023
‘The Hill’ is a fenced-off area of contaminated Crown land on the northern side of the Tramsheds at Forest Lodge. The Glebe Society has successfully applied for a grant from the City of Sydney to sponsor the recording of wildlife with a view to creating an undisturbed urban nature refuge in the Johnstons Creek corridor, where plants and native wildlife are protected from disturbance.
Society wins grant to investigate Glebe’s Hill as urban wildlife refuge
Posted on 15th December 2022
Great news from the Blue Wren Subcommittee! The Society has been awarded a City of Sydney Innovation and Ideas Grant to investigate Glebe’s Hill potential as a site of the City’s first urban wildlife refuge.
Glebe, naturally…
Posted on 30th November 2022
33 different bird species were identified during this year’s spring bird survey in Glebe and Forest Lodge, including a tawny frogmouth, lots of lorikeets and magpies, herons, tree martins and red wattlebirds. Two brush turkeys have recently been spotted building their characteristic mounds.
Blue Wren Subcommittee Annual Report 2021-2022
Posted on 11th September 2022
The sighting of a superb fairy wren in a Glebe garden in early 2022 was a cause for great celebration by the Blue Wren Subcommittee. This last year, the Subcommittee continued its work on habitat as well as the annual Spring Bird Survey, the annual Biodiversity Lecture, the Craney Small Grant and many hours of volunteering by the Bushcare teams. Add to that the Subcommittee’s input on planning around The Hill, a wildlife corridor, Council’s Street Tree Plan and local Crown Lands.
News from the Blue Wren Subcommittee
Posted on 20th September 2022
Recent Bushcare, Landcare and biodiversity news, including the upcoming bird survey and recent plantings in Federal Park and at the Palmerston steps off Ferry Road.
‘The Hill’ as a future wildlife refuge: Meeting with City of Sydney
Posted on 8th September 2022
Representatives of the Glebe Society and City of Sydney met recently to inspect ‘The Hill’, a fenced-off area of contaminated land between the Tramsheds and Jubilee Park station. While it currently contains a lot of weedy trees and rubbish, it has great potential to become a flourishing urban wildlife refuge.
What and where is ‘The Hill’?
Posted on 9th August 2022
‘The Hill’ is a fenced-off area of contaminated Crown land on the northern side of the Tramsheds near the Jubilee Park light rail station. The site of a local garbage tip in the 1890s, the Glebe Society has recommended that it should become an undisturbed urban nature refuge.
News from our volunteer bushcare groups
Posted on 9th August 2022
A round-up (no pun intended) of the activities of the Glebe Society’s Bushcare Groups.
Craney Small Grant connects SDN Child Care Centre kids with the bush
Posted on 9th August 2022
SDN Child Care Centre in Glebe St have planted a vertical garden of native plants, with the support of a Craney Small Grant. It stimulated the problem-solving skills of the children having to deal with too much rain, not enough sun and visits from local possums.
Preschoolers get up close to invertebrates in the classroom
Posted on 6th July 2022
Last year, courtesy of a grant from the Glebe Society, Explore and Develop Annandale Early Learning Centre acquired several new invertebrates. The animals were quickly adopted into the school menagerie.
Community planting for National Tree Day
Posted on 7th July 2022
Celebrate National Tree Day on Sunday 31 July by attending the tree planting event at Federal Park.
Environmental news from the Blue Wren Subcommittee
Posted on 6th April 2022
The Glebe Society’s annual biodiversity lecture will this year feature Professor Dieter Hochuli talking on ‘How nature survives and thrives in urban environments, and why it matters for the future of our cities’. It is on 25 May. Also read news from the Glebe bushcare groups.
Glebe & Forest Lodge 9th Annual Spring Bird Survey 2021
Posted on 9th December 2021
The 2021 annual bird survey was held later than usual as a result of uncertainties regarding gatherings due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, it was also our largest team of surveyors with 20 people taking part, counting birds in 11 different parts of Glebe and Forest Lodge. 970 individuals from 28 species were observed.
Report from Glebe Public School on the outcomes of their 2021 Craney Small Grant
Posted on 7th March 2022
The Craney Small Grants Program has generously provided Glebe Public School with the opportunity to inform, educate and enact sustainable practices and programs across our school.
Update: proposed eco-corridor as part of the future for Bays West
Posted on 7th March 2022
A wildlife corridor is being proposed for the foreshores of our bays. The corridor, which would link to similar corridors in Glebe, Annandale, the Greenway and Callan Park, should be included in the government’s Bays West plans.
News from the Blue Wren Subcommittee
Posted on 11th June 2022
Professor Dieter Hochuli from Sydney University’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences gave the Society’s 7th Annual Biodiversity Talk in May on how nature survives and thrives in urban environments, and why it matters to us humans. Research has shown that non-native plants and weeds are not all bad. Some can provide vital floral resources for urban pollinators and great habitat for small birds. Read also about the recent activities of the local bush/landcare groups.
News from the Blue Wren Subcommittee
Posted on 11th November 2021
The main news was the celebration on October 19 of Norma Hawkins’ 99th birthday and the planting of a tree in her honour. In other news, the Council has released for comment its Draft Plans of Management for Glebe’s crown lands and Sydney Water’s naturalisation work on the Johnstons creek/canal has been completed.
Tree planting ceremony to honour Norma Hawkins
Posted on 6th November 2021
On 19th October a commemorative tree was planted on behalf of the Glebe Society at John Street Reserve to recognise Norma Hawkins’ outstanding contributions to Glebe and the wider community. It was also the occasion of Norma’s 99th birthday.
Blue Wren sighting in Glebe!
Posted on 7th September 2021
In May this year two Superb Fairywrens were spotted at Glebe Point, the first confirmed sighting since 2016
2021 Craney Small Grants to support biodiversity projects in local preschools and schools
Posted on 11th July 2021
Small grants awarded to SDN Preschool Glebe, Explore and Develop Preschool, Annandale and Glebe Public School. to foster biodiversity. Thanks to the late Jan Craney, former convenor of the Society’s Blue Wren Subcommittee.
What about wildlife corridors in the Bays West area?
Posted on 15th July 2021
Balmain resident and Society member Keith Stallard argues that establishing eco-corridors in the Bays West area could help with badly-needed ecological regeneration.
Glebe needs a nursery for local native plants
Posted on 17th July 2021
On 1 May, Janet Wahlquist, President, wrote to the Lord Mayor on behalf of the Blue Wrens Subcommittee which has identified a need for a native plant nursery in the LGA. See the Lord Mayor’s response.
