FoBNP Bushcare Page

Bushcare is taking care of the bush, the creeks, forests and woodlands and the native plants and animals that live there. Friends of Belair National Park bushcare volunteers support National Parks and Wildlife SA to take care of Belair National Park, including weeding.

Get Involved

Belair NP is 1,237 ha and many hands are needed to help care for the Park. If you would like to get involved, you can either come along to one of our Group Bushcare sessions or Adopt a Block. Everyone is welcome to come and try, and you don’t need to make a regular commitment and there are many benefits for the Park and you.

You don’t need to be an expert in plant identification or weed control to come along, the Bushcare Coordinator will provide training, and the Friends have tools for you to use.

For information contact the Bushcare Coordinator Craig on…0421 910 935 and see our Information for Bushcare Volunteers

Group Bushcare

Group bushcare sessions are on:

• Tuesday and Friday morning: every week, 8.30am to 10.30 am, meet at the Green Shed near Main Oval) before 8.30
• Saturday morning: on the third Saturday every month, 9.00 am to 11.00 am, meet at the Green Shed at 9am
• Tuesday evening: alternate weeks during daylight saving periods, any time between 5pm to 7pm, locations vary, see below.

Please note that bushcare sessions will be cancelled if there is

• a Total Fire Ban or a Severe Weather Warning for the Mt. Lofty Ranges,
• or if the forecast temperature for the day is 34 degrees or higher for Adelaide (as forecast the day before),
• or if there is heavy rain.

We also have a monthly Morning Tea (see below)

Monthly Morning Tea at the Green Shed

Monthly Morning Tea at the Green Shed We have morning tea at the Green Shed once a month, following the last Tuesday or Friday morning working bee of each month. We welcome you to come to morning tea for a little bit of socializing, even if you haven’t been to bushcare that day. Included too are those of you who work in Adopt-a-Blocks. Come, 10.30 am, at the Green Shed, share a cuppa and a chat with all of us caring for the native bush in Belair National Park.

Adopt a Block

Another option for volunteers who either cannot make it to the regular bushcare sessions, or wish to take on more, is to “adopt” a block in the Park. Adoptees can be individuals, families or groups, and a block can be all or part of a designated Vegetation Management Unit (VMU). Adoptees work on their block at a time that suits them, but because they work on their own they need to have a base level of knowledge about bushcare. The Bushcare Coordinator can provide support and training for Adopt-a-Blockers. If you would like to enquire about adopting a block, please contact the Buschare Coordinator.

Benefits of being a Bushcare Volunteer

There are many benefits to being a bushcare volunteer including:

• Help to look after the native animals and plants in the Park,
• Getting to explore new areas of the park, including off trails,
• Learn about the amazing range of plants and animals in the Park,
• Make an immediate difference on-ground to our local environment,
• Keeping active outdoors (cheaper than a gym!),
• Meet and spend time with other people who also care for the Park, and
• Free entry to the Park for a year after you have completed three group bushcare sessions.

Where did the weeds come from?

The first European people traversed the Belair area in 1837. In 1840, Governor Gawler raised a government farm on which horses could be rested from escorting gold transports from the Victorian goldfields.and bullocks from government departments could be agisted. In 1881, a proposal was put forward for small agricultural holdings and also, the national park was dedicated, making it the first National Park in South Australia. Many exotic and non-indigenous plants were introduced and are now found in the park as weeds. Numerous native plants, such as Acacia longifolia, Pittisporum undulatum and Hakea laurina, have become environmental weeds after being introduced into areas outside their natural range. The Belair National Park has suffered major disturbance to its natural ecosystems and natural vegetation communities through the accidental invasion of non-indigenous plants as well as the deliberate introduction of exotic and non-indigenous plants to certain zones within the parks.

Before & After Photos of Bushcare by our Volunteers

On this page we show the results of work done by Volunteers, before and after the removal of unwanted weeds. To help with the management of this large Park, a 3 Year Belair National Park Bushcare Plan has been prepared by the Friends of Belair National Park. Integral to its management the Park has been divided up into Vegetation Management Units (VMU). VMU locations can be seen in this VMU Map.