2023 Wrap Up
2023 in brief
5000 plants (+ weeding, watering and mulching)
= 1,600 hours of volunteer work
= $77,000!
That’s what we achieved this year and how it is valued according to Volunteering WA’s calculator. The real reward though is seeing how Cottesloe’s natural areas have flourished where we have worked!
Summer 2023 started with watering and weeding the nearly 5000 plants we had planted in 2022. This first watering is essential to help the small plants survive the summer heat. Summer time is also seed collection time and important to ensure we have good supply of plants well adapted to our harsh environment. Our seeds are carefully nurtured into seedlings by our wonderful specialist nurseries – Nuts About Natives and APACE.
Once the rains came in May we started planting our 5000 new seedlings. In June we had our always successful Community Planting Day for National Tree Day, supported by the Seedling Bank. It was a great day and more than 1000 seedlings were planted at Vlamingh.
Our loyal band of local volunteers had some extra help from corporate groups. These groups add youth and energy to our efforts and are always welcome. Stantec, CCG, Woodside families, Advanced Personnel Management, and Iona teachers all helped in 2023.
We also had terrific help from school and university students this year. Cottesloe Primary School joined us in Adopt a Beach with help from Perth NRM. The boys from CBC Fremantle and Christ Church Grammar School were regular helpers, enthusiastic weed pullers and mulch layers. Uni students from 180 Degrees Consulting came and lent a hand too.
Spring time brought some light relief and a lot of fun with a special nature play session down at our Nature Discovery Space. Cath Fitz OT organised a creative and fun morning supported by Perth NRM. 50 children and their families turned up and made cubbies, peered through microscopes, crafted special pieces from natural materials, played and had fun.
Once planting finished it was back into weeding and there was no shortage of that this year. After an exceptionally dry October and November it was watering time again. We celebrated the end of the year with a Christmas picnic at the Civic Centre and it was great to get together without any work to do.
Thank you again to all our volunteers and especially our core of regular volunteers and our committee. Thanks also to Adeline, Matt and Troy from the Town of Cottesloe who are such great partners.
