Work Program
The dates for planned activities in 2026 are shown here… More details will be published closer to the date.
The major activities of the Group include:
- Weed Control – Red Hill has a history of grazing and is surrounded by urban development, consequently it has a very high weed diversity (150+ species). In one year, we removed over 20,000 woody exotic shrubs through our monthly working bees and occasional mid-week events. In 2023 we commenced the 40th Anniversary Weed Control Project, which is a multi-year effort aimed at restoring the last 30ha of low-quality woodland in time for our 40th Anniversary in 2028.
- Monitoring woodland health. The Regenerators have five long term plots in which all plants and their cover are recorded. The plots indicate that we are winning the battle against the weeds. We also do periodic counts of a nationally endangered Button Wrinklewort daisy (Rutidosis leptorhynchoides) and 15 other threatened or regionally uncommon plant species. The Button Wrinklewort daisy has increased five-fold under our care and all but one of the other rare plants have had substantial population increases. Regular woodland bird surveys also occur; the population of the threatened Speckled Warbler has remained constant.
- Planting. In 2011 a grant enabled the Group to work with Greening Australia to plant over 300 tube stock trees and understorey shrubs in a part of the reserve previously grazed by cattle until the late 1990s. In 2014, as part of the Woodland Restoration project, the Group again worked with Greening Australia to plant over 200 tube stock at the southern end of the reserve. In 2017, another 200-tube stock were planted in and around the 2011 planting. Under the 40th Anniversary Project over 700 tube stock were planted in the vicinity of the earlier plantings.
- Encouraging community appreciation/involvement through leading organised walks and giving talks to local community groups. The group also works with local schools, scout and other community groups.
- Responding to threats to the Red Hill environment by liaising and consulting with government agencies which impact the area from time to time. The principal threats the Red Hill environment come from proposed developments on or adjacent to Red Hill, activities on Red Hill carried out by utilities organisations and some government land management practices.
- Adopt a Patch: For those members who want to work on Red Hill when it suits them, we arrange for tools and herbicide to be loaned to the member so that they can maintain the environment on a specific part of Red Hill. All that is required for the member to apply via this form. Adopt a patch agreement v4
Aggregate reported work hours for the period 2015-25 are shown below. Work was heavily restricted in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.
The Group delivered over 1,300 hours of volunteer time to the Red Hill Nature Reserve in 2011/12 and again in 2013/14.
The reports below provide a breakdown of the type of activities performed.
Red Hill Regenerators volunteer hours 2008-09 and 2009-10Red Hill Regenerators volunteer hours 2011-12Red Hill Regenerators volunteer hours 2013-14