On Tuesday 29th April 2025, four dedicated volunteers from Sony Music Entertainment swapped their laptops for gardening gloves at Boronia Park North in Hunter’s Hill. Under perfect autumn conditions—sunny and a comfortable 20 degrees—the team joined Greater Sydney Landcare for a day of environmental restoration work.
Led by Sabina Roe, Local Landcare Coordinator – Regional Support, and Mark Secombe, Streamwatch Manager, the small but mighty team made an impressive impact on the park’s ecosystem.
Impressive Results in Just One Day
In just five hours, the Sony volunteers contributed a combined 20 hours of labour, clearing invasive species. Their efforts resulted in the removal of 10 cubic metres of invasive weeds, including Lantana, Privet, and Camphor Laurel.
This work is particularly significant as Boronia Park forms part of a vital wildlife corridor linking Sydney Harbour to Lane Cove National Park. At 24 hectares, it’s the largest open space in Hunter’s Hill and one of the best examples of the area’s pre-European landscape.
Tackling a Weed of National Significance
Lantana, one of the primary targets of the day’s work, is classified as a Weed of National Significance in Australia. It forms dense, impenetrable thickets that overtake native bushland, adding fuel to fires and adversely affecting soil, fauna and fungi diversity. By removing these invasive species, the volunteers helped create space for native plants to thrive.
Boronia Park is home to a wide variety of native animals including several threatened species and three endangered ecological communities. This makes conservation work in this area particularly valuable for local biodiversity.
Monitoring Waterway Health
As Boronia Park borders the Lane Cove River, the team also participated in Greater Sydney Landcare’s Streamwatch program, collecting valuable data on waterway health. This information has been added to the Atlas of Living Australia, contributing to a publicly accessible dataset used by researchers and authorities.
Wildlife Encounters and Learning
“The group was highly enthusiastic and lovely,” said Sabina. “We found Red Triangle Slugs and talked about Powerful Owls and Brush Turkeys. They asked lots of questions and put in a lot of work.”
One volunteer commented, “It was satisfying removing the Lantana and creating space for the natives. The water quality testing was really interesting too, and it’s great to see native bush so close to the city. I’ve never seen a slug before and now I’ve seen four!”
Positive Feedback All Round
Ben from Sony expressed his gratitude: “Thanks so much for having us on Tuesday! Was a really great day and the feedback from the team was all very positive.”
Volunteers praised the balance of hard work and information, the knowledgeable and friendly team, the accessible location, and the interesting water quality monitoring experience.
After their productive efforts, the team enjoyed a well-deserved BBQ lunch before rain arrived at 1:30 pm, just as the event was wrapping up.
Greater Sydney Landcare extends sincere thanks to Hunter’s Hill Council for providing the site for restoration works, and to the Sony staff whose valuable contribution is helping to restore this important environmental asset.
Volunteer for Bushcare in Hunter’s Hill
If you’d like to contribute to environmental efforts in the Hunter’s Hill 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.
About Streamwatch
Streamwatch is a citizen science water monitoring program, managed by Greater Sydney Landcare, that enables community groups to monitor the quality and health of local waterways.
