Bushcare Programs

Camperdown Cemetery is home to one of the last remaining remnant patches of the critically endangered Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest (STIF) ecological community. A unique and diverse assemblage of the STIF understory species remain intact and undisturbed by urban sprawl and have been managed by the Friends of Camperdown Cemetery Bushcare group since the early 2000s. Bushcare at Camperdown Cemetery provides a great opportunity to advance your local plant knowledge by nurturing the native species that have existed here for tens of thousands of years. 

Meeting times: Alternating 3rd Thursday and Saturday of each month, 9:30am – 12:30pm

Meeting place: Western side of Cemetery (Entrance on Church Street)

Before European settlement, Mort Bay was home to the Wangal Clan of the Darug People. It was transformed by industrial developments, notably Mort’s Dock, which was pivotal in shipbuilding and engineering from the mid-19th century. Today it has been transformed again into a healthy corridor of native bushland, reflecting the native plant communities and abundant wildlife that once would have occurred naturally. Bushcare volunteers have the opportunity to learn about and experience pockets of coastal rainforest and vibrant sandstone heath - all while appreciating breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour. 

Meeting times: 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, 9:00am – 12:00pm

Meeting place: Community Gardens, Mort Bay Park (Entrance on Bay Street)

The Roving Bushcare group works in partnership with Marrickville Golf Club and the Cooks River Alliance to restore the Natural Areas within Marrickville Parklands. Volunteers care for two sites along the River Corridor working on alternating months.  

Wave Rock - A long-standing revegetation project initiated in 2013 by local community group The Mudcrabs, now under council management. Wave Rock boast the only location along the River where original sandstone geology meets the water's edge.  

Clubhouse Remnant - With its sandstone outcropping and intact soils, this small but special site is host to some of the last remaining remnant bushland in Marrickville. No planting is undertaken within the core of this site, and you never know what native species you might find.

Meeting times: 3rd Monday of the month, 9:00am – 12:00pm

Reconstructed in 2004, Tempe Wetlands is a thriving wildlife haven for local native fauna. Once a shale quarry in the 1920s, later becoming a greyhound racing track in the 1940s, and finally a rubbish tip until the mid-1970s. This now wetland features a chain of ponds system that improves water quality by filtering stormwater and run-off before it enters the river.  A volunteer group, formed in October 2024, supports the ongoing conservation efforts. The surrounding forest includes plants from Estuarine Swamp Oak Forest and Coastal Sandstone Foreshores Forest, with frogs, birds and skinks regularly spotted at Bushcare. If it wasn’t for the occasional aeroplane overhead, you’d almost forget you were in the city. 

Meeting times: 1st Saturday of the month, 9:00am – 12:00pm

Richard Murden Reserve Bushcare - Haberfield

The bushcare site at Richard Murden Reserve sits adjacent to the Hawthorne Canal. Bushcare volunteering began at this site in 2000 as part of the Olympic Landcare project. Through the subsequent years this site has been managed exclusively by Council's community bushcare volunteers to reinstate the native vegetation of the Estuarine Swamp Oak Forest. This group is productive yet social and welcomes likeminded residents and guests to share thoughts and ideas over a strong cup of tea or coffee. The site also includes an area of reconstructed coastal salt marsh on the northern end which is a threatened ecological community. 

Gadigal Reserve Bushcare - Summer Hill

Gadigal reserve bushcare site sits on the natural boundary between the country of the Gadigal and Wangal clans. Often referred to as the jewel in the Greenway crown, community bushcare volunteering at the reserve started 1999. The site is now managed by community and school volunteer groups to rehabilitate the land and reinstate the indigenous vegetation of the Sydney Sandstone Gully Forest and Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest vegetation communities. The site also provides a release site for rehabilitated fauna and a home for the threatened species, the Large Bent-wing Bat (Miniopterus orianae oceanensis).

Meeting times: Sunday, fortnightly, alternating between Richard Murden and Gadigal Reserve, 9am-12:00pm

Hoskins Park Bushcare (Pigott Street) 

The Pigott St Bushcare site is located opposite the Waratah Mills site at Hoskins Park, Dulwich Hill. This bushcare site, among others was started by the Inner West Environment Group with the support of council. Over the years the site has progressed through the hard work of the group and community volunteers from a degraded rail siding to a stunning example of Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest. This site sits within the Greenway corridor and its proximity to the Inner West Light Rail corridor provides a unique experience for volunteers and a surprisingly tranquil refuge as one of Sydney's most urban Natural Areas.  

Meeting times: 2nd Friday of the month 9:30am – 11:30am

Meeting place: Green Shed in Hoskins Park or at the gates at the bottom of Pigott St

Davis Street Bushcare

The Davis St Bushcare site is located between Davis St, Dulwich Hill and the Waratah Mills light rail stop Dulwich Hill. This bushcare site started by the Inner West environment Group with the support of council. This site affords volunteering opportunities for the peace full hand weeding as well as a sloped embankment for those looking for a challenge. This site has been cared for by the bushcare volunteers for over 15 years however recent developments at this site provide a unique opportunity to be involved in the rehabilitation of a degraded natural area as it is returned from wasteland to wonderland, The potential of this site can not be overstated.  

Meeting times: 3rd Sunday of the month, 9:30am – 12:30pm

Johnson Park Bushcare 

The Inner West Environment Group has worked here for years with support of Inner West Council, restoring a damaged parcel of bushland into a vibrant native corridor on the edges of Johnson Park. Volunteers work to increase habitat and native biodiversity in this peaceful pocket of Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest.

Meeting times: 3rd Wednesday of the month, 9:30am – 12:30pm

Meeting place: Near the exercise equipment or the basketball court.

Council is pleased to partner with the following organisations to support the ecological management of Natural Areas and biodiversity within Inner West Council as part of the volunteer Bushcare program: 

• CHOICE - Australia
• Inner West Environmental Group
• Marrickville Golf Club
• Marrickville Heritage Society
• Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife
• Gunawirra
• St Stephen's Anglican Church
• Tempe Birdos
• The Mubcrabs Cooks River Eco Volunteers

If your organisation would like to work with us on a project or event please get in touch with us at urbanecology@innerwest.nsw.gov.au  

Bushcare involves the protection, restoration and management of the native bushland within our LGA. In an increasingly urbanised environment, it is more important than ever to protect our remaining Natural Areas. These spaces are managed not for garden aesthetics, but for positive biodiversity outcomes – preserving Sydney’s native plant species and providing habitat for local wildlife.  

We have nine Bushcare sites around the Inner West where you can volunteer.

Mostly, you'll be hands-on weeding out invasive plants to help native ones thrive. You will also get to plant new native plants to create homes for local wildlife. Bushcare is all about building diverse and healthy ecosystems. 

View our Bushcare Volunteer Duty Statement (PDF, 136.63KB) for full description of works.

Bushcare is a safe, low-impact activity suitable for most fitness levels. No experience is required however you must be 16+ years or part of a recognised volunteer program (e.g., Duke of 
Edinburgh).  

Bushcare working bees usually last 2-3 hours, starting at 9 am. Groups meet monthly on both weekends and weekdays. While it's great if you can make it regularly, we understand life gets busy, so join in whenever you can - just let us know in advance! 

Please bring your own water bottle and ensure you wear appropriate clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty! 

• Long sleeve shirt
• Long pants
• Closed sturdy shoes
• Hat & sunscreen
• Water bottle 

Council provides gloves, tools and any other equipment and PPE as required. 

Bushcare isn't like regular gardening. Natural processes take time, so it’s important to understand that site regeneration and adaptation will occur gradually over many years. We're in it for the long run, thinking in years and decades, not just quick fixes in weeks or months. While you may see immediate changes like reduced weed presence, or new native plants appearing, our ultimate goal is to encourage long-term ecosystem shifts that ensure lasting success. By minimising human impacts, we aim to strengthen the resilience of our Natural Areas, making them more sustainable for future generations of people, plants and animals.