Volunteering

Council has a range of volunteering opportunities for residents to meet like-minded people, gain new skills and contribute to protecting and improving the Inner West's natural environment.

View the options below for more information.

Community native nurseries

Council's plant nurseries collect seeds, propagate and sell plants that are native to specific areas in the inner west area, such as the banks of the Cooks River.

Volunteers are essential to the success of the community nurseries. Volunteers participate in:

• Seed collection
• Seed cleaning and storage
• Seed propagation
• Tubing and potting
• Composting and worm farming
• Pest and disease inspections
• Maintenance of the nursery grounds

For more information or to get involved, visit Council's nurseries webpage.

Citizen science – wildlife monitoring

Council needs your help as citizen scientists to track populations of fauna in the Inner West such as birds, microbats, and long-nosed bandicoots.

Visit the citizen science page to find out how you can help!

Citizen science – wildlife monitoring

Council bushcare

Council manages various bushcare groups across the Inner West. These groups care for specific sites, maintaining vital native flora and fauna. New volunteers are always welcome! For more information and to view all the sites, visit the Council bushcare page.

The Mudcrabs Cooks River Eco Volunteers

The Mudcrabs are a local community group which cares for The Cooks River and its foreshore environment by regularly collecting rubbish and restoring the bush along the river. The group grew out of the interest and involvement of two people, Chris Bartlett and Ian Bruce, who were involved in the 2005 Clean-Up Australia Day along the Cooks River. These two people then became disappointed that the River was still full of rubbish after the big clean up. They decided to take action into their own hands and begin a regular clean up of the River themselves. Click here to view their calendar for January-June 2018.

To get involved, email click here to visit The Mudcrabs' website.

Wolli Creek Preservation Society

The Wolli Creek Valley's 50 hectares of bush support a great diversity of plants and animals and provide exceptional recreation opportunities for local residents and visitors. The Wolli Creek Preservation Society (WCPS) aims to protect this area and has multiple opportunities for volunteers. These include Bushcare (5 sessions a month, at different locations along the Wolli Valley - come to one, or them all!); bird surveying (there are 9 teams checking different parts of the Valley each month); flying-fox counting (a regular, monthly fly-out count); and turtle protection (just getting started). WCPS also offers activities such as walks, talks and kayak tours. For more information, contact info@wollicreek.org.au, or visit the Wolli Creek Preservation Society website (external link). Photo by WCPS member Gavin Gatenby.

Community group register

The Inner West is rich with local community groups whocontribute to the life of the area. Joining a group is a great way tomeet people and make a difference to the Inner West.

Visit Council's community group register to get involved with one that interests you.

Community group register