Challenges of bush regeneration in the city

Name: Codi
Price range: $

Mosman

My big dream for the future of this area - I would love to see all the weeds gone, many more animals, birds coming back, and for the community to start to realise the way in which the community in general can support these areas again by looking at their own backyards, says bush regenerator Rosie Adams.

The challenge is keeping up the weeding over time. Us bush regenerators are of a certain age. You know, we're retired, we have some time, but there'll come a time when we're not able to do it any more. So we need fresh blood, but people are so busy. Lives have never been busier for people, from what I observe from my own family and looking at my own experience.

The other thing that's a problem is what I call ‘the bush beyond your backyard’.

People need to recognise that what's going on in their own gardens has significant implications for the bushland. You don't even have to be right next to the bushland, although obviously if you're a neighbour to the bushland you've got more of a role to play in trying to plant in a way that is harmonious and doesn't have potential to damage.

Banksia, one of Rosie’s favourite plants in Mosman.

Seeds can be transported through the stormwater system into these bushland areas, and you can end up with a lot of plants that shouldn't be there. So we need to try and give people more information about what plants to avoid and what plants to choose for their gardens.