Professor Chris Dickman, Professor in Ecology, Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney has accepted an invitation to talk to the Society on ‘Impacts and local management of cats, dogs and foxes’.

The event continues the tradition of an annual talk/lecture on a topic of biodiversity that is relevant to our suburb. The talk will be in the downstairs meeting room at Benledi, Glebe Library commencing at 6pm on Wednesday 24 May 2017.

Over the summer months there was reduced activity from Glebe’s various bush care groups as the weather was too hot and dry to consider further plantings of native flora. The Friends of Orphan School Creek Bushcare Group spoke with the City regarding the need for contractors to remove an excessive growth of blady grass (Imperata cylindrica) and a further meeting is planned together with Citywide, the Reserve’s maintenance contractors, about the 2017 work plan for the park.

In John Street Reserve, there is a continuing issue of trampling of the new plantings, even behind fences. The Subcommittee has reimbursed local residents for the cost of purchasing stakes to help protect the new plants. A community planting day is planned for May to in-fill any gaps in the native flora with additional ground cover. In Paddy Gray Reserve, Bryan Herden has been de-weeding the Reserve (mainly Celtis seedlings) and organised the removal of an old car seat, other junk and dumped shopping trolleys. There is a need for the City’s contractors to have a general rubbish clean-up in the Reserve and to remove dead trees. A planting day (mostly of new in-fill ground covering plants) is planned for the autumn and local residents will be letter boxed and invited to attend.

Over this very hot Christmas period, The Glebe Palmerston and Surrounds Landcare Group have been fortunate not to have lost many plants. They, however, desperately need people to volunteer to do some watering and weeding –  please contact Anna Szanto (anna.lchaim@gmail.com) if you can help. The Ferry Road Bushcare Group (Ernest Pederson Park, William Carlton Gardens and Quarry Lane) continued watering the new plantings during the summer. Citywide, the City’s contractors, have removed some of the recently planted Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra) in Ernest Pederson Park and the theft of plants in Quarry Lane is a continuing problem.