Thirty years after residents first joined with Blacktown City Council to care for local bushland, Bushcare volunteers are still pulling weeds, collecting native seed, restoring bushland and creating vital habitat for birds, animals and insects across the city.
Bushcare in Blacktown City began in 1996 through community action and Council support, with early groups at Knudsen Reserve, Bill Colbourne Reserve, Dr Charles McKay Reserve and Banks Reserve.
Today, groups continue that work at reserves across Blacktown City. The longest-running groups, at Banks Reserve in Kings Langley and Bill Colbourne Reserve in Doonside, have both been active since 1998.
Bushcare is practical, hands-on work. Volunteers work alongside qualified bush regenerators to remove weeds, collect native seed, restore habitat and help native plants return naturally.
Where natural regeneration is limited, seed collected from local bushland is grown at Council's Nursery and used to return local native plants to natural areas.
In the past year alone, Bushcare volunteers helped restore and regenerate about 148,000 square metres of bushland. That work helps protect native vegetation, including endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland, and the wildlife that relies on the city's remaining bushland.
At Duncan Park in Seven Hills, Bushcare work has helped restore frog habitat. Across other reserves there are green tree frogs, tawny frogmouths, blue-tongue lizards, brushtail possums and even the endangered Cumberland Plain snail.
Mayor of Blacktown City Brad Bunting said the 30-year milestone showed what sustained work by Council and the community could achieve.
"Bushcare is one of those programs where you can actually see the difference people make on the ground," Mayor Bunting said.
"You can measure the work in hectares and volunteer hours, but you can also see it in native plants coming back, frog habitat being restored and wildlife having somewhere to live."
"For 30 years, volunteers have turned up, got their hands dirty and shared their time and knowledge to look after places that matter."
"But Bushcare is also about people. Volunteers who might otherwise never have met work alongside each other, share what they know and build friendships along the way."
"Thank you to every volunteer and staff member who has been part of those 30 years," Mayor Bunting said.
At Banks Reserve, for example, volunteers from backgrounds including Chile, the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka and India have formed friendships while working together and sharing their different cultures and a common commitment to their neighbourhood.
Council marked the 30th anniversary with Bushcare volunteers at Bungarribee, recognising long-serving volunteers and the generations of people who have contributed to the program.
After 30 years, Bushcare is still looking for its next generation of volunteers.
Groups meet regularly at reserves across Blacktown City. No previous experience is required and Council provides training, tools and protective equipment. Residents can complete a volunteer application form, view the 2026 Bushcare calendar or find out more on Council's Bushcare webpage.
