On Friday 16th May 2025, Greater Sydney Landcare hosted a corporate volunteering day with PUIG at Marri Badoo Reserve, Rydalmere.
Returning for their second year of volunteering with Greater Sydney Landcare, the PUIG team joined staff on the ground to help increase plant diversity and habitat complexity within the reserve. After previously planting 600 native trees and shrubs in Peakhurst, the team came back with determination to grow their environmental impact and continue supporting local restoration efforts across Greater Sydney.
The event brought together 18 enthusiastic volunteers who spent the day planting an impressive 1,600 native groundcover plants throughout the reserve consisting of over 10 species including Lomandra longifolia, Dichondra repens and Hardenbergia violacea. Working within a welcome gap in the rain, volunteers donned gloves, grabbed mattocks, and got straight to work revegetating key areas of the site.
Greater Sydney Landcare Staff member, Bryce guided the volunteers throughout the day, demonstrating effective planting techniques and highlighting areas of environmental importance within the reserve. Volunteers also learnt how the new groundcover plantings will contribute to long-term bank stabilisation, help suppress invasive weeds, and improve habitat complexity for local wildlife as the site continues to regenerate.
PUIG Volunteers at Marri Badoo 
PUIG Volunteers at Marri Badoo 
Plantings at Marri Badoo 
PUIG Volunteer at Marri Badoo 
PUIG Volunteer at Marri Badoo 
Canopy cover at Marri Badoo 
PUIG Volunteers at Marri Badoo 
PUIG Volunteer and GSL Staff at Marri Badoo 
PUIG Volunteer at Marri Badoo 
PUIG Volunteers at Marri Badoo
Marri Badoo, meaning “many waters” in the local Darug language, is an important habitat corridor for Rydalmere’s birdlife and urban biodiversity. Throughout the day, volunteers were able to observe a variety of native bird species including Brush Turkeys, Grey Butcherbirds, Cockatoos, and Laughing Kookaburras, reinforcing the ecological value of the reserve and the importance of ongoing restoration work.
Despite the wet conditions earlier in the week, the PUIG team brought fantastic energy and enthusiasm to the event. Greater Sydney Landcare Corporate Engagement Manager Sabina Roe noted the team’s light-hearted attitude, curiosity, and diligence throughout the planting activities, creating a positive and collaborative atmosphere on site.
The newly planted groundcovers will play an important role in strengthening the resilience of Marri Badoo Reserve into the future, supporting healthier waterways, more connected habitat, and improved ecosystem function within this important urban bushland area.
The PUIG team also enjoyed a well-earned break with morning tea and lunch together after a productive morning on the ground.
Greater Sydney Landcare would like to sincerely thank PUIG for their continued support and commitment to environmental restoration. Corporate volunteering days like this demonstrate how hands-on action can create meaningful, lasting outcomes for both local communities and the environment.
This planting forms part of the broader Healthy Cities Landcare Grants program—an initiative proudly supported by Bupa and Landcare Australia, in partnership with City of Parramatta and Greater Sydney Landcare. The project aims to plant thousands of native species along The Ponds and Subiaco Creek, improving habitat, stabilising creek banks, and enhancing biodiversity across the catchment.
Join Parramatta’s Bushcare Program
If you’d like to contribute to environmental efforts in the Parramatta area, you can volunteer to become a Parramatta City Council 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.
