We are off to a flying start with our Lunch and Learn series with two sessions now under our belts. During session two we heard from Steven Fleischmann Local Landcare Coordinator with Lithgow Oberon Landcare Association. Steven is hosted at Lithgow Council where he’s been working to protect critically endangered swamps by treating stormwater using natural solutions at the source.

His projects see stormwater slowed by installing large rocks where the pipes discharge. This stops scouring and creates habitat for native creatures such as frogs and crayfish. It also ensures that sediment and other urban byproducts, such as dog poo are captured before they have a chance to hit the wetlands.

As well as creating habitat, these innovative solutions are far cheaper than typical engineering options such as GPTs. Despite being Steve’s initiative, he’s quick to point out that the project is a group effort – with council, volunteers, Landcarers and local community all playing a part.

However there’s still some work to be done as these sediment ponds require maintenance and whilst it’s minimal, Steve’s eager to find a solution to deal with the sludge that will need to be dug out. Like most of our projects, it’s a work in progress.

Stay tuned for session three, where we will learn to prepare media releases for newspaper and radio with new Broken Hill Local Landcare Coordinator and former journalist, Melanie Gates. Melanie attended the last session and arrived a tad early.

It didn’t take long to unearth her talents and rope her in to presenting at the next session. Thanks Mel and her host Simon for being so accommodating. With Mel’s expertise, we’re poised to unleash our creative flair as we captivate the media with our newfound writing prowess. Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter in our journey.

Stormwater drainage works

Banjo Frog