Have you been for a walk in the 'Coal Point School – Naturespace and Community Hub' project? The project sits between Rofe Street and the corner of the school that connects to the ridge trail.
The final stage of the project is now complete and the plants are in. That means the Naturespace area is now play-space perfect (a custom picnic table and some signage will be installed during the school holidays) and ready for fun. Please keep in mind that the area is on school property and as such, is open to the community outside of school hours.
The project funds were awarded in 2019 by the NSW State Government as part of their Community Grant program. We've been working for a while through COVID delays and the impacts of wet weather and soaked ground in the early part of the year to bring the project to life. The education trail has been complete for a while and now the Naturespace area is also complete and open for kids and the community to enjoy. Thanks to everyone in the community for the support the project has received and the local businesses that have contributed to the project. Thank you to Ros Cornish for propagating most of the plants for the project. We hope they can adapt to their new home without too many losses.
This new community resource will need the ongoing support and watchfulness of the community to stay playable. Every plant that is meant to be there has at least one stake, partly for protection and partly so we can all identify the weeds. We'd like the stakes and intended plants to stay. If you see any weeds coming up we'd love for you to pull them out and leave in a pile by the gate. Thanks!
Further updates will be posted on the project Facebook page, 'Coal Point Primary School Naturespace & Community Hub.'
by The Naturespace Project Manager – Lindy Hulton-Larson
All hands on deck on 29th July to finish the “Coal Point School’s Naturespace & Community Hub” project!
So close! We just need to do some planting and the CPPA Landcare group will be helping out for two mornings in July. Can you help too? No experience is needed.
- July 22 - weeding and preparation for planting
- July 29 - planting & mulching. If you can help, we'd love to see you. Unfortunately COVID will prevent the students from participating this year, but we can still plant out the Naturespace.
We're lucky enough to have a great selection of plants grown by a local volunteer (thanks Ros!).
Entry is off Rofe Street near the top gate. We will be COVID safe with sanitiser on hand.
Please RSVP through the Facebook Page 'Coal Point Primary School Naturespace & Community Hub' or coalpointprogress@gmail.com if you'd like to be part of this great community initiative.
Hope to see you there! - Lindy Hulton-Larson (The Naturespace Team)
Getting Grounded at Gurranba on 31st July
The Toronto Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group and CPPA Landcare are hosting a planting as part of the National Tree Day celebrations across our Tree City of the World, Lake Mac, and we’ll be sharing a BBQ lunch and morning tea treats for all attendees.
On Saturday 31st July, 10am-noon at Gurranba Reserve (308a Skye Pt Rd) we'll be popping in a few trees to boost the canopy and planting a Lomandra buffer, bordering the foreshore bushland, to prevent the spread of weeds and recognise that remnant veg lives here.
We’ll be engaging in another favourite pastime too, the mindful removal of Mother of Millions; these camouflaging specialists are a great treasure hunt for little ones, and easy to remove.
Please wear a hat, gardening gloves, long sleeves and covered shoes, and bring a water bottle. If you have your favourite gardening tools bring them along too.
To assist with catering please RSVP at https://treeday.planetark.org/site/10025384,
Gurranba Reserve has been the site of both goodness and grief over the past few months. It holds a special place in our local landcare history being the site of the very first landcare working bee in 1995, which involved ropes and a 4WD to remove the Lantana that covered the foreshore slopes. A whispering Casuarina grove now stands tall on that spot.
The Landcare crew have continued to regularly visit and nurture the site with a much more tender touch, to the point where the delicate extrication of Mother of Millions (MoM) resulted in 1.5tonnes of the menacing ‘mother’ taken off-site to the tip.
This huge haul would not have been possible without the concerted effort of caring locals who regularly filled the MoM crate on the foreshore on their morning walks.
Additional efforts from the Gill family translocating Kangaroo Grass (Themeda), mulching and getting on top of the Farmer’s Friends (Bidens Pilosa) before they became the next big weedy worry, has resulted in amazing progress on this perpetual problem patch.
Unfortunately, with the good also came the grief. The discovery of over a dozen foreshore trees felled to clear a view corridor for a reserve neighbour.
The intent behind the action of destroying what belongs to everyone for personal ‘gain’ was distressing to the landcarers who have been protecting and preserving this special foreshore reserve for all.
Without hard evidence, such as photos, Council can take no action. Perhaps the neighbours with a good view of the site might like to keep an eye out for any further incidents, take a photo and report the vandals.
All neighbours are welcome to come along to the National Tree Day planting and discuss view corridors and get to know the people who care for our trees and the public land upon which they live.
An update from The Naturespace Team – Lindy, Libby & Sarah
The education trail is complete and winds around the periphery of “top field” at the school. Take a stroll outside of school hours and see the stellar trail work by Synergy Trails – it looks fantastic.
The Naturespace portion is still surrounded by construction fencing, adjacent to Rofe Street, but is almost finished. The last couple of days have seen the installation of “nature play” elements by Timber Creations, a specialist builder from the Central Coast. Through community surveys and teacher input, you helped choose this really cool design. Thank you!
There is still some finishing work to do in this area including soil preparation, weed removal & planting. Please help us by staying outside this area despite the overwhelming temptation to explore & play. When it’s ready, the construction fencing will come down and there will be an official opening.
If you’re able to participate in planting activities please let us know through our Facebook site or the school office.
Further updates, community consultation and opportunities for involvement will be posted on the project Facebook page, Coal Point Primary School Naturespace & Community Hub.
The Coal Point Public School - Naturespace and Community Hub project is about to start construction. Here’s an update from The CPPS Naturescape Team.
The education trail that forms almost half of the Naturescape project will soon be under construction. It is proudly funded by the NSW State Government.
The trail will be built around the periphery of the top field at the school. Our successful contractor is an expert in track design and construction and we’re excited to have his team start on site in the next couple of weeks. To date, the trees in the area (including on adjacent Council properties) have been assessed by an arborist and pruned as needed to provide a safe environment for users of the trail.
Be aware that access to the school from the Coal Point Ridge Track may be limited at times of construction. Please help the project by following signage and/or instructions of the contractor if passing through on your walk/run/ride.
The Naturespace component of the project adjacent to Rofe Street is still in the final stages of design. Jamie Russell from Metiri Consultants in Toronto is providing civil engineering services. His team has kindly provided more services than their contract states in support of this local community project. We’re hoping we can move quickly to have this second stage of the project in construction in the next couple of months, to meet the timing requirements of the grant.
Part of finalising the Naturespace design will be choosing play elements to be incorporated into the activity zones we’re creating. We’re hoping to involve the kids through their classes. Covid restrictions have limited our community outreach but there may also be opportunity for community feedback and participation in planting activities. Please stay tuned and send us a message if you’re interested in being involved.
Further updates, community consultation and other opportunities for involvement will be posted on the project Facebook page, Coal Point Primary School Naturespace & Community Hub.
