Greater Sydney Landcare hosted two corporate volunteering days for Elanco, on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st October 2025, at Mount Schoenstatt Shrine & Retreat in Mulgoa in the Penrith LGA.
Across the two days, 26 Elanco staff contributed a combined 130 volunteer hours and removed an incredible 69 cubic metres of invasive weeds. Their efforts made an important contribution to restoring local bushland and improving habitat for native species.
Restoring Habitat So Wildlife Can Thrive
The focus of the two-day effort was to improve vegetation on this large and beautiful property to benefit native wildlife. This site is prime Koala habitat—though Koalas haven’t been seen here in recent years, it offers the kind of food and shelter they need to thrive. By removing invasive plants and encouraging the regrowth of native species, the Elanco teams helped create the conditions for Koalas to return, move more safely through the landscape, and find their favourite food trees.
Greater Sydney Landcare’s Alicia Harb-Akins, Sabina Roe, and Peter Cartwright led the activities, joined by Lisa Harrold, local Koala conservation expert and President of Mulgoa Valley Landcare. The Elanco teams were equipped with gloves, bush regeneration kits, secateurs, loppers, and saws. Greater Sydney Landcare provided everything required, including training to ensure everyone could have a safe, fun, and effective time.
Tackling Invasive Weeds Head-On
The primary target for the bush regeneration works was Lantana—one of Australia’s most debilitating invasive weeds and a Weed of National Significance due to its impacts on agriculture, conservation, and biodiversity. Lantana grows as a heavily branched shrub, forming dense thickets that are poisonous to livestock, suppress native plants, and increase fire fuel loads. The groups also tackled Corky Passionfruit, an exotic vine that smothers native trees, shrubs, and groundcovers.
Using both manual and chemical control methods, the volunteers made remarkable progress over the two days. Greater Sydney Landcare staff praised both teams, saying: “The groups worked really hard and listened well to instructions. They were determined to finish the job. It was awesome to see groups so interested and asking lots of questions.”
A Rewarding and Educational Experience
The Elanco teams worked well and managed to achieve a lot in a short time, commenting:
- “Crazy how fast it comes down.”
- “It’s very therapeutic once you get in the groove.”
- “It was very satisfying to look back and see all the work we’ve done.”
- “Let’s push back lunch so we can get this patch done.”
Beyond the hands-on restoration, both teams also had the chance to learn from local experts. Lisa Harrold shared the story of Martin, a Koala tracked for months nearby, and spoke about ongoing efforts to protect Koala habitat. She demonstrated Koala monitoring techniques and how to recognise signs of Koala activity, such as scratch marks on tree trunks.
Caring for Waterways & Platypus Habitat
The Elanco volunteers also explored how to monitor the health of local waterways through a Streamwatch water quality monitoring activity led by Sabina, and learned about Platypus conservation efforts in the region.
Through Greater Sydney Landcare’s Streamwatch program, local groups monitor water quality to protect one of Australia’s most iconic and elusive animals—the Platypus. These shy creatures rely on clean water and healthy catchments, and the work done by Elanco’s teams contributed to creating a thriving habitat for them too.
Uniting for a Healthier Landscape
After a rewarding morning of conservation work, volunteers enjoyed well-earned pizzas from local favourite The Rustic Secret Garden. “Thank you for lunch—I didn’t expect you to do all this. Definitely not going away hungry!” one participant said.
Greater Sydney Landcare extends sincere thanks to everyone involved—Elanco for their strong commitment to hands-on environmental action, Lisa Harrold of Mulgoa Valley Landcare for sharing her expertise, and Mount Schoenstatt for welcoming volunteers to work on their land. Together, we’ve made a meaningful contribution to improving the environment for native species and the community.
Volunteer for Bushcare in Penrith
If you’d like to contribute to environmental efforts in the Penrith LGA, you can become a Bushcare volunteer and regenerate bushland. No experience is necessary as training is provided.
Corporate Volunteering with Greater Sydney Landcare
Find out more about Corporate Volunteering with Greater Sydney Landcare here. Be sure to download our Corporate Volunteering Info Pack.
Work With Greater Sydney Landcare
Landholders interested in partnering with Greater Sydney Landcare to restore their bushland or host a corporate volunteering event can get in touch to learn more about how we can help deliver lasting environmental impact.
