The fight to protect the Margaret River region’s forests, bushland and waterways has just been supercharged. Nature Conservation Margaret River Region has expanded its Bush Regeneration Team and is calling on landholders to help restore the natural environment.
The environmental services team – now led by new coordinator Sarah Heldsinger with recruits Jocelyn Evans, Eddy Rodda and Mia Kelly, alongside experienced bush regenerator Nathan Hammer – is ready to help property owners with everything from tackling invasive weeds to planning and planting native vegetation.
The Bush Regeneration Team can be contracted for environmental weed control, revegetation, planting, seed collecting and species selection – with demand already strong through late 2025 and into 2026. Recently the team has been hired for conservation work by high-profile wineries including Leeuwin Estate and Voyager Estate, the National Trust, local government authorities, as well as rural landholders and bush block owners.
“We’re coming into the crucial final months for arum lily control in spring,” Ms Heldsinger said. “Then, as summer arrives, it’s the right time to target weedy tree species like Sweet Pittosporum, Sydney Golden Wattle, Flinders Ranges Wattle, Blackwood and olives – before another year of invasive seedlings spreads across the landscape. It’s also a good time to consider controlling blackberry in creek lines and wet areas.”
“At the same time, we’re also supporting landholders to bring back natives through targeted planting and revegetation. Whether it’s restoring bushland, strengthening habitat corridors, or rebuilding diversity in degraded areas, this is about giving nature a fighting chance.”
Ms Heldsinger said the team was there to help landowners who cannot undertake all of their conservation and land management work alone. “We specialise in best-practice, environmentally sensitive land care, with the ethics of conservation at the heart of everything we do. And by hiring us, you’re not just helping your property – because all profits go towards funding Nature Conservation’s work across the Margaret River region.”
Nature Conservation chief executive Aaron Jaggar said the Bush Regeneration Team is part of a bigger push to restore biodiversity. “Alongside the practical on-ground work, our biodiversity officers can survey your property, assess threats, and design a long-term restoration plan. Every weed removed, every tree planted, every patch of habitat restored – it all adds up. Together, we can turn the tide for nature,” he said.
The Bush Regeneration Team is a fee-for-service program of Nature Conservation Margaret River Region, with all profits reinvested into protecting local nature.
For more information or to hire the Bush Regeneration Team, see www.natureconservation.org.au/bush-regeneration-team/