On October 2nd, a community meeting was held at Silver backs Cafe to gauge support for setting up a Facebook page to promote our ‘Love this Reserve’ initiative in a public arena.

Our meeting was well attended by some of the long-term residents of Ashgrove Tce, Ruth Dyson MP, Karolin Potter of the Community Board, Kevin Smart who’s family planted the reserve and offered it to the CCC in the 1960s as a native reserve. We also welcomed several local residents.

The meeting reviewed some of the history of the reserve and the comments from the long-term residents and Kevin Smart were very interesting.  We also reviewed the steps taken so far to establish links with the local CCC arborist, Park ranger and the Spreydon/ Cashmere Community Board who are very supportive of the LCRA wish to nurture this reserve.

We have also conducted a ‘weeding bee’ in September and managed to remove a large amount of invasive weeds.  Three of the local children had a treasure hunt finding all the bottles and tins left lying around.  Thanks everyone.

The general consensus of the meeting was that LCRA should continue with the adoption of the reserve as a community project.  This means ‘nurturing’ the reserve as a native planting reserve and not merely to ‘maintain’ it.

We also agreed to the establishment of a Facebook Page (Friends of the Ashgrove Reserve), creating a public avenue to promote our ‘love this reserve’ theme  and to provide updates as time goes by.  So, please join us on Facebook and support us in this community project.  The LCRA sees this as a long-term initiative which will take several years.  Join us on the journey and ‘love this reserve.’