When John Fitter and a few other volunteers came together to form Central Rankin Park Landcare 25 years ago, kids used to ride their bikes through Wren Creek.
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The creek's vegetation was trampled, there were very few trees and some of them were willow trees that were growing in the creek bed, drying it out.
Now, the place is thriving with plenty of birds and wildlife; there's a lush, layered canopy of shrub and the creek is protected by fences.
"It's hard to remember what it was like," Mr Fitter said. "We were mostly concerned about the loss of habitat for native animals.
"There's now 37 species of birds in the area, some are seasonal.
"Most people are quite complimentary about how it's all shaping up."
It has taken plenty of work over the past quarter of a century to restore and rehabilitate the bushland and riperian zone, but Mr Fitter, who is the chairperson of the Central Rankin Park Landcare group, said it has been worth it to provide a better environment for native animals, as well as the people who live near and visit the area.
As an example of that goal, the group recently installed 26 nesting boxes that were specifically designed to attract certain birds and flying foxes that have been known to frequent the area.
Some rosellas have already taken up residence in one of the boxes and volunteers plan to inspect the boxes again in November to see what the response has been like.
"There are a few mature trees, but they're not mature enough to have nesting hollows," Mr Fitter said. "So we decided to put the boxes in."
The reason those trees aren't mature enough yet is because the landcare group planted them since forming in 1995.
In total, they have planted about 12,500 endemic trees, shrubs and grasses to create a structured, layered canopy for all the local wildlife to enjoy.
"It gives all the critters a place to live," Mr Fitter said.
"Hopefully the nesting boxes will enhance what we've already done and increase the biodiversity of the area."
The group's current project is a bush tucker garden, which will include different plants that can be harvested.The garden will also be an educational resource for the community.
They have been able to complete the projects thanks to a number of grants as well as some funding received through awards they've won.
Mr Fitter said along with helping provide a nice place for both people and wildlife, the landcare group was also an enjoyable source of activity for the members, most of whom are retired.
"It's a very social sort of atmosphere," he said.
Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
