Friends of Mt Mackie
Friends of Mt Mackie is a community group supporting the ecological restoration of a 100 acre site north of York near the Avon River, locating it in the wheatbelt which has the worst rate of clearing in WA. The rocky site features three hills and is dominated by established Wandoo and York Gums with little remnant understory. It was previously grazed, but has been fenced off from stock since 2021.
Activities to date have included plant surveys, weed control, seed collecting and planting (direct seeding and 28,000 seedlings in 2022 and 2023).
Background: When Dr Susan Downes bought her property 16 km north of York, she could not predict the journey it would take her on. She learnt that in 1830 Mt Mackie was the place from which the first European, Ensign Dale of the Swan River Colony, sighted the Avon Valley. This inspired a vision of ecological restoration of this site for the upcoming 200 year anniversary of that sighting on 7th August 2030.
Susan’s vision has attracted a growing level of community support including the founding of the Friends of Mt Mackie. This group of volunteers has embarked upon an exciting journey of discovery to understand the endemic plants and wildlife of the site and determine the best methods for regeneration and recreating wildlife habitat.
Objectives:
- To understand and learn about the natural environment of the Mt Mackie site.
- To protect the site from further degradation through maintenance of fencing to exclude livestock and reducing weeds.
- To recreate habitat for local wildlife.
- To promote restoration of local provenance plants by collecting seed from local privately owned bushland to introduce to Mt Mackie.
- To accelerate the restoration of the bushland by planting commercially produced seedlings of endemic species of trees, shrubs, groundcovers and grasses.
- To collaborate with Aboriginal Elders to promote Mt Mackie as a place of reconciliation and healing.
- To collaborate and learn from others in the region that are caring for local bushland and participate in the broader bushland regeneration movement.
- To enhance the lives of all peoples of the regional community by providing future public access to the site.
Contact:
Susan Downes. Email – susandownes@iinet.net.au