Bega River and Wetlands Landcare Group - BRAWL

November 2025 working bee
2025-11-03 09:30 - 12:30 (Australia/Sydney) | Bega River Reserve, Bega River Reserve, Bega, NSW, 2550, Australia
Our November working bee is almost here! The turnaround feels quick after October’s bee, thanks to the long weekend. What a fantastic effort last time—250 seedlings planted and well watered, with a little followup rain to help them along.
This month, we’re heading back to Sites 4 and 5, the focus of our Environmental Trust project (2021–2024). We’ll be tackling priority weeds and maintaining our plantings. Target weeds include privet, turkey rhubarb, cape ivy, madeira vine, and Chinese boxthorn.
Details:

When: Monday, 3 November, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
What: Planting maintenance and targeted weeding
Where: Meet on Jacksonia Grove, midway between the Anabranch and Racecourse—look for the BRAWL flag or follow this link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sSMdnqS1kUhfX8q27
Bring: Drink bottle, garden gloves, weed bags, weeding tool (some tools provided)
Wear: Enclosed sturdy footwear, sun hat, and sun-smart clothing
Morning Tea: 11:00 AM—please bring something to share or enjoy yourself

If you would like to signup to receive our event and working bee information, please email begariverandwetlandslandcare@gmail.com.

December 2025 working bee
2025-12-01 09:30 - 12:30
It’s hard to believe, but our Christmas Working Bee is just around the corner! This is a special event where we take a break from the usual routine to enjoy an extended Christmas morning tea feast together. It’s the perfect time to celebrate our achievements from the past year, share ideas for the year ahead, and, of course, indulge in some delicious treats.
Before morning tea, we’ll tackle the Cape Ivy growing over the lomandras and other native vegetation. It’s a relatively easy task with a big impact—helping to improve the gardens and native pathway around the River Reserve Picnic Area.
Event Details

When: Monday, 1 December 2025 | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
What: Weed control, focusing on Cape Ivy
Where: Main River Reserve (corner of Auckland St and Jacksonia Grove) – eastern picnic tables
Bring: Drink bottle, garden gloves, weed bags, and a weeding tool (some tools provided)
Wear: Enclosed sturdy footwear, sun hat, and sun-smart clothing

Morning Tea
We’ll pause at 11:30 AM for a celebratory extended morning tea. Please bring something to share or enjoy yourself!
Note: There will be no working bee in January 2026. We’ll return on Monday, 2 February.
If I don’t see you on Monday, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you to all of BRAWL’s wonderful, dedicated volunteers—your hard work makes everything possible.
If you would like to signup to receive our event and working bee information, please email begariverandwetlandslandcare@gmail.com.

February 2026 working bee
2026-02-02 09:30 - 12:30
Details TBC closer to the time.
If you would like to signup to receive our event and working bee information, please email begariverandwetlandslandcare@gmail.com.

April 2026 working bee
2026-04-13 09:30 - 12:30
Our April working bee is just around the corner. However, as Easter Monday falls on our usual working bee date, we’ll be postponing the event by one week.
For our next working bee, we’ll be heading to Site 2 — the former bamboo site. This area was once an impenetrable thicket of highly invasive bamboo, covering around half a hectare, excluding all native plant growth and posing a significant fire risk. On the day, we’ll be checking on the plantings from last October, tending established plants, and targeting priority weeds including privet, turkey rhubarb, bamboo, hemlock and wormwood.
At our upcoming working bee, we’re delighted to welcome Council’s Biosecurity team, who will be joining us for a special weed‑focused chat over morning tea from 11:00–11:30am.
This will be a great opportunity to ask questions about all things weeds, including:

How to identify common weeds
The most effective control methods
Which weeds should be prioritised
Non‑weedy alternatives for home gardens
The difference between Weeds of National Significance and regionally significant weeds
How Council prioritises weed management

You’re also welcome to bring along weeds from your own property for identification — please ensure samples are contained in a bag.
Want to support BRAWL but working bees aren’t your thing? Maybe social media is! BRAWL is looking for a volunteer member to help with our social media promotion. This is a small commitment — approximately, one post per week — and would make a big difference in helping us share our work with the wider community and build our membership. If you’re interested, please get in touch via return email.
BRAWL Working Bee Details

When: Monday 13 April, 9:30am–12:30pm
Where: Meet at the Main Picnic Reserve (cnr Auckland Street and Jacksonia Grove – most eastern table – Look for the BRAWL flag)
What: Planting maintenance & weed control
Target weeds: Privet, turkey rhubarb, bamboo, hemlock and wormwood
Bring: Garden gloves, water bottle, shovels, pruners/pruning knife, weed bags for tubers
(Some tools will be provided)
Wear: Sun-smart clothing, hat and sturdy boots
Our work is looking fantastic, and hardly a week goes by without someone from the community stopping to say how much they love and appreciate this beautiful place. It’s a space we’ve all helped create—somewhere for people to walk, exercise, and enjoy being immersed in nature. Let’s keep up the good work!
I hope to see you there! 🙂 Erin

May 2026 working bee
2026-05-04 09:30 - 12:30
Once again, autumn has delivered its trademark magic, and the past week has been no exception. I hope you’ve managed to enjoy some time outdoors under the sunny skies and calm, clear days.
Our May working bee is just around the corner, and this time we’ll be returning to Spenco Lagoon (Site 7 – eastern side)—an area we haven’t visited for quite some time. We’ll be working within the native Phragmites reed beds to tackle Japanese honeysuckle, blackberry, and privet. Each visit to this site feels a little daunting at first, yet every time we leave having made a significant dent in the honeysuckle. It’s always inspiring to see just how much we can achieve together.
Event Details

When: Monday 4 May, 9.30am–12.30pm
What: Weed control at Spenco Lagoon (Japanese honeysuckle, blackberry, privet)
Meet: Anabranch Picnic Area, Jacksonia Grove (We’ll walk into the site via the footbridge)
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Kgb2MfVPmmzmJKxC7
Please bring: Water bottle, gloves, secateurs and hand weeding tools (Some tools will be provided)
Wear: Enclosed, sturdy footwear, sun hat and sun‑smart clothing

Morning tea will be at 11am—feel free to bring something to share, or simply to enjoy.
I hope you can join us for another great bee.
Warm regards,
Erin 😊
