Wild At Heart In The Eastern Suburbs

By Nicola Saltman (Senior Enviro Officer, Waverley Council) on May 1, 2015 in Other

Nothing quite beats hanging out in nature to escape the busy and noisy mess of city life. While there may not be many lush forests or rolling fields in the Eastern Suburbs, the little bit of wilderness we do have goes a long way to helping locals unwind, learn, heal, and exercise.

Research shows that spending more time in nature does in fact help us thrive physically, emotionally, and mentally. There’s also evidence proving that people who live closer to green spaces experience less anxiety and depression than others who live further away.

And it’s not just wellbeing perks that natural spaces provide. They’re also great pollution filters and they prevent erosion, which helps to keep our oceans clean. Then, of course, there are all the cute little critters that call the area home.

Here in the Eastern Suburbs we’re lucky to have many unique and beautiful bushland pockets. They’re nestled along our famous coastal walks, on the fringe of parks and rock faces, and close to our beaches, buildings and backyards.

Sadly, their future is at risk due to rubbish dumping, weeds and pollution. Imagine life without them? If the research is right, we’d be a much more miserable lot.

So as the world celebrates International Biological Diversity Day this month (May 22), there is plenty we can do to give back to our local wilderness, which ultimately means giving back to ourselves.

Waverley and Randwick Councils value our wild places, committing to long-term plans for restoring remnant bushland sites including Bronte Gully to their former glory. This includes getting rid of weeds such as Coral Trees. It’s a mammoth task and they could really do with your help.

How can you give back?

• Volunteer for a local Bushcare group (Bronte Fully, Diamond Bay, Eastern Reserve, Tamarama, Hugh Bamford, etc.). They meet up on weekends at different times. For more info, email bushcare@waverley.nsw.gov.au.

• Plant native shrubs and plants in your garden or on your balcony. The Randwick Nursery has a great selection of local species at affordable prices.

• Pick up litter and dumped rubbish to keep our natural spaces clean and pristine.

• Turn up to a National Tree Day event on July 26 or Schools Tree Day on July 24. Celebrating 20 years, this is Australia’s largest community tree-planting and nature care event. Visit treeday.planetark.org for more information.

• Get involved in your local council’s greening activities over the coming year. You can find out more by emailing environment@waverley.nsw.gov.au or visiting www.randwick.nsw.gov.au.

If nothing else, get out into the great outdoors and explore the pockets of bushland on our doorstep. It’s only going to do you good.