Kooringal's "secret sanctuary" will be getting some much-needed attention, as local residents take matters into their own hands to beautify the abandoned Rocky Hill Reserve.
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The reserve is a well-kept secret among Kooringal residents, who are volunteering to remove rubbish, clear weeds, and plant 200 native shrubs and trees in a bid to restore the natural ecosystem.
One of them is South Wagga Rotarian Milena Dunn, who started the project as a way of bringing the neighbourhood together and uniting the community under a common cause.
"The idea is to get the community reengaged, reinvigorated, and exchanging information between elders and younger people using Rocky Hill as our combined interest," Mrs Dunn said.
"It's a beautiful spot. A few people have used it for their mental health - I've seen people come here with meditation beads, or to do yoga, or just for quiet reflection."
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One of the people Mrs Dunn has encountered up on the hill was a local bird watcher who offered to lend her avian expertise when she heard about the project.
Several other experts have since come on board, including a botanist, a weed removalist, Wiradjuri elders, a landcare conservationist, and several gardening gurus.
Nearby resident Joel O'Loughlin also put his hand up for the project in order to preserve the local environment, saying it was the most serene walking spots in all of Wagga.
"I reckon it's got the best views of Wagga, up at that hill. It's a good little secret spot," Mr O'Loughlin said.
"The nature is beautiful, and you've got native birds and kangaroos just a few seconds away from your house."
Ecologist Geoff Burrows has been teaching the neighbourhood what native trees to plant in the area, and resident Jacinta Kelly the workshops have given her a heightened appreciation of the nature in her own backyard.
"The weed tour was so interesting. Dr Burrows walked us around and showed us what was native and what was a weed, which most of us didn't know at all," Mrs Kelly said.
"We use that reserve three or four times a week to walk our dogs, so we decided to help out."
The project is also being run alongside Wagga City Council, which is providing some funding and building stormwater drains and pathways that link up to the hill.
Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
