The Mudcrabs currently work on 15 sites along the Cooks River. Many of these are bush regeneration sites. Regeneration usually involves 3 primary activities for our volunteers. Depending on the site these are:
Landscaping – identifying remnant species, site planning and site preparation (includes habitat/critter piles, bank stabilisation, contractor preparation)
Planting native species – selection and timing are important
Weeding – an on-going process that encourages site regeneration and site sustainability.

Weeding is the primary activity that The Mudcrabs volunteers are involved with. It is through targeted weeding that we allow space for the native plantings and remnant natives species to re-establish and develop an ecosystem that reflects the original state of the bushland that was the Cooks River Valley.

Our experienced botanists and bush regenerators have put together a list of the typical native plants that would have originally been seen across the Cooks River Valley. Being able to identify these native plants and understanding how to manage them really helps in re-establishing healthy native zones that support and encourage the return of original ecosystems. We selected those that are most likely to be seen on most sites.
* The Mudcrabs Locations(indicated below) are sites where the native plant species is easily observed.

Cooks River Valley Flora

These are the local native plants that you are most likely to encounter in the Cooks River Valley. The list is a subset from Doug Benson’s extremely useful guide “The Bushplants of the Cooks River Valley“. There are many more species locally and some will need some analysis to identify – Doug’s book is a good place start. There are some handy online references below.

We aim to plant local species from local sources where possible. Many native plants will come in from gardens and parklands visited by birds and other animals that carry the seed material into the valley. Also, storm-water flows, wind and human traffic will bring in both weeds and native plants. This means that these bushcare sites are quite dynamic and warrant regular maintenance to maintain the local native integrity.

Many of our volunteers are familiar with our local plants and are happy to discuss them with you when you see The Mudcrabs working on one of the sites along the river.

Australian Plant References

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney – search
Native and Weed Look A-likes – Hornsby Council
Ferns of the Lane Cove Valley