At an awards ceremony on November 24, Steve Ho and Bronwyn Newton were both acknowledged for their long time help and service to the environment.

Mrs Newton said she was delighted to receive the award.

“I have enjoyed many days with Port Macquarie Landcare,” Mrs Newton said.

“From planting the creek lines at Blair Reserve with the local school children, removing the Lantana from Blair Reserve, to removing Taro from the swamp at Rushcutter Reserve and helping rescue a water dragon that had a nail in its head.

“I have also helped with the Koala Stiles at the dam.

“I have helped with promotion days and work alongside the CSO’s at Wrights Creek. I have held the position of president and have been on the social sub committee.”

Currently Mrs Newton is vice president of the local organisation and said she loves to see the positive changes Landcare and its volunteers make in the environment. 

“Working on the Enviro Trust project is rewarding,” she said.

“To see native bush land come back to life when you walk among trees you have planted which now tower over you is just wonderful.”

Steve Ho said he has had a varied decade working with Landcare but has enjoyed every minute including when he was able to make the new Landcare trailer.

“I started at the old quarry in Mahogany Hill – cleaning up rubbish, weeding, brush cutting and planting,” Mr Ho said.

“Following that I worked in fence construction and maintenance and repairs to repeated vandalism.

“When the original Landcare trailer came to the end of its life, it was my job to organize the design and construction of a replacement.

I also organized the disposal of the original trailer. This trailer went on to cart massive amounts of green waste from various work sites such as Blair, Absalom, Treetops and others to the Cairncross Recycling facility behind my old Pajero.”

Mr Ho also said he was the original blower, cleaner and trimmer of the Blair boardwalks.

“When Landcare was fortunate enough to be awarded a grant from Newcastle Permanent Building Society to purchase a van, it was my job to organize the purchase and fit-out,” he said.

“The fit-out was performed in Sydney so I drove the van to the facility and over sighted the job and brought the van back to Port Macquarie.

“I drove the van to working bees on a regular basis and was responsible for its mechanical condition.

“I also took on the job of answering inquiries about the pest birds known as Indian Mynas.

“When people phoned the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council about infestations they would be referred to me.

“I had access to traps but my most effective strategy was to advise people to cut off the food supply by carefully feeding pets and not feeding native birds.”

He said his favourite regeneration sites in which he was heavily involved are Rocky Beach and Lighthouse Beach near the bottom of Watonga Street.

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