James Dalby-Ball

We are lucky enough to supervise the Sugarloaf Point volunteer bushcare group on the Lane Cove river through our site supervisor James Dalby-Ball.

Bush Regeneration sessions are held every Monday with three regular champions. The site sits within Sydney Sandstone communities and adjacent to mangroves and saltmarsh and the volunteers are accompanied by Australian ravens and willy wagtails at each visit. Although the site is  highly disturbed and modified from past sand mining and sediment build-up, native plants are establishing well and the group is surely and steadily evicting the weeds from their bushcare site!

Recently, our talented Leading Hand, Jocelyne Morey, led a planting day with volunteers from the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation. They installed around 400 plants, complete with a blessing from all those involved.

We recently completed an epic job at St. Gregory’s College, Campbelltown for the TRN Group. As part of their Stormwater Harvesting Scheme designed by E2DESIGNLAB, we were engaged to supply, install and maintain a diverse array of almost 50,000 aquatic and riparian species within and surrounding the ponds.

We are specialists in the ecological restoration of wetlands, riparian zones and saltmarshes, so we were really excited at this opportunity. Our experienced Site Supervisor, James Dalby-Ball headed up this project and the results have been amazing, as you can see in the before and after photos below!

This was a tough project, with works scheduled during the peak of Summer just past, but our crew got this project done within the time frame and budget and the plants are looking pretty happy too. Rick Blake, one of our Natural Area Specialists captured a time lapse video of one of our days out there planting. Make sure you check it out here!

We are currently working out at Viva Energy’s Clyde terminal, restoring and rehabilitating habitats for the Green and Golden Bell Frogs.

Our plan is to develop a secure core habitat that is reasonably self sustaining: and to create and maintain a habitat that meets the known ecological requirements of the entire life cycle of the Green and Golden Bell Frog (GGBF).

Dragonfly Environmental planted 70,000 plants in three breeding ponds on site and associated frog corridor grasslands to create habitat for the endangered green and golden bell frogs and were also responsible for the maintenance works.

The Green and Golden Bell frog (Litoria aurea) has gone from being one of the most commonly found frogs on the east coast, to one of the most threatened, with the risk of extinction. Living in large, open-water swamps or ponds that have a variable water level and dense vegetation. Unfortunately with habitat isolation and degradation the population of the GGBFs have been threatened.

A large, plump amphibian ranging from approximately 4.5 to 10 cm in length. The colour of the frog varies, but is commonly a pea-green with brassy brown or golden splotches.

Living in large, open-water swamps or ponds that have a variable water level and dense vegetation and grassy and rocky areas around them, their preferred habitats that they use for breeding, foraging, shelter and hibernation include waterbodies that:

• are unshaded and free of predatory fish
• have grassy areas and shelters nearby.

Dragonfly Environmental team have been carefully clearing and disposing of vegetation to avoid harming any GGBF that may be present, rebuilding the habitats that include the removal of She-Oak Trees that are shading Green and Golden Bell Frog Habitat, the control of large areas of Spiny Rush and the planting of appropriate macrophyte species to enhance the natural habitat qualities for GGBF.

• Weed control works start from the banks of waterbodies, working outward towards dry land, replacing the weeds removed with native plants.
• Control of Gambusia (Mosquito Fish).
• Remove all Swamp Oak individuals that occur within or fringing ponds and pools, including along the raised bund that intersects the central pools.
• All Juncus acutus are to be progressively removed from the Wetlands. The native Typha orientalis is to be culled from the centre of pools and ponds, with some T. orientalis retained around the banks of all waterbodies.
• Target small populations of unwanted emergent and aquatic vegetation for removal first, followed by removal of the larger infestations.

Extensive primary treatment on weeds such as Lantana Camara, Casurina Sp and Acacia Salinga have been cleared around the ponds, opening up the area to allow 40% of the perennial wetland area with direct sunlight. Warming up the temperature of the water, creating more productivity for the aquatic vegetation.

Rebuilding and bringing back the natural habitats for the Green and Golden Bell Frogs, is always a profound project to work on, our project aims to create a breeding haven, free from lingering predators and degraded habitat.  Our efforts into restoring the land and restoring the natural habitats will result in unhindered breeding and promote increased activity.

Method & Technic:

• Aquatic Weed Treatment
• Save our Species
• Broadscale Herbicide Spraying
• Revegetation

Project Outcomes:

The project successfully targeted the treatment of aquatic weeds, including Salvinia molesta, Ludwigia longifolia, and Erythrina spp., within the Sydney Freshwater Wetlands EEC. Our team implemented effective management strategies that resulted in significant progress in controlling these invasive species. Ongoing maintenance efforts continue to ensure the long-term health and stability of the wetland ecosystem, supporting the conservation of native flora and fauna.

Before	After

Before	After