Many of you would have noticed the strange ‘crop circles’ popping up along Dumaresq Creek. These are part of the ‘Dumaresq Creek Showcase Plantings’, one of the main projects for HiCUB in Armidale. Designed to capture imagination and showcase local native plant species, they will bring wildlife back into the creeklands.
These plantings have also provided an opportunity to showcase Armidale’s community spirit. HiCUB opened up the project to local businesses with the opportunity to sponsor one of 13 plantings in the creeklands. In return, HiCUB would prepare a site, source plants and host the business for a planting day. Response from the business community has been fantastic, with nine out of 13 plantings claimed so far.
With the arrival of spring HiCUB and the sponsors have been able to start work on the sites. Planting began with National Tree Day in August, and Terry Rhodes Bobcat donated rock for a 1400 square metre planting of River She-Oaks.
More recently the Armidale City Bowling Club has started their huge site east of Taylor Street. Enthusiastic members came with tools at the ready to plant 1500 seedlings, and they’ll be back in early December to finish the site.
The team from New England Solar spent a Friday afternoon with HiCUB, planting Warrah swamp gums and rough saw sedge north of Dumaresq Creek at Rologas Fields. There is more to come with EcoLogical Australia, New England Mutual, GreenScene Landscapes and SportUNE lined up as sponsors.
On other showcase sites substantial volunteer efforts from the Armidale community have also helped, including much work by the Galbaan Healing Our Environment group and the Armidale Urban Rivercare Group.
The Armidale creeklands are a beautiful open space in the centre of our city. While the benefits to wildlife habitat and connectivity are obvious, these plantings are also contributing to beautifying Armidale for local people.
Efforts of the local businesses and volunteers involved have been crucial to achieve this, and they are now a part of the HiCUB project’s legacy in Armidale. It has been fantastic to see people devoting their time and energy to create a space for the whole of Armidale to enjoy. You can see all of these sites by following the cycleway from just west of Niagara Street all the way to Cookes Road.
Over the weeks up until Christmas, HiCUB will be hosting school and community plantings in Guyra, Ben Lomond, Armidale and Walcha. Keep an eye on the website (www.hicub.org.au) for more details.
