GROUP ACTIVITY FOR JULY 14 (Saturday) TO MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY’S ARBORETUM
Macquarie Uni’s Arboretum was launched in 2010. It comprises all the trees and shrubs on the campus. To quote the Arboretum’s website:
Macquarie University was established in the 1960’s on the site of market gardens. It is adjacent to Christie Park and Lane Cove National Park. Native vegetation that was retained on site represents four recognised communities: Sydney Sandstone Gully Forest, Shale Sandstone Transition Forest, Sydney Sandstone Ridgetop Woodland and Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest. Some remnant vegetation has continued to flourish on the grounds of the university. Extensive plantings since have included many native trees plus interesting trees from other parts of the world.
As well as providing a teaching resource in the fields of science, botany and history, to name a few, the arboretum provides pleasant surroundings for staff, students and the general public. It is also important in providing habitat for birds and animals and protects vulnerable plant associations.
We will be lucky enough to have the Arboretum’s coordinator Samantha Newton accompanying us on a tour of the Arboretum that will cover the main features but will focus on native vegetation and the teaching gardens, including the Bush Tucker garden.
She will meet us at 2 pm at the Bush Tucker Garden. This is located at the eastern end of the campus between Wally's Walk and building E7B, near the thermal storage tower.
There is a convenient railway station for Macquarie Uni. Using the train will avoid parking issues (see below for railway meeting details) and you will then be guided to the meeting place and not have to find it yourself. If you do drive, it is perhaps convenient to park at Macquarie Shopping Centre which has free parking for 3 hours and which is closer to the eastern end of the campus than the university carpark which is at the western end, is for 2 hours only and is not free. Incidentally, it is likely that there will be a fair bit of walking involved for today’s activity as the campus is spread out.
Date and time and meeting place: Saturday 14th July : from 1 pm Hornsby station outside the Opal card barrier to catch the 1.13 pm train to the city via Macquarie University. We will travel in the 2nd carriage if you intend joining the train further down the line. Alternatively, if you drive, meet at the Bush Tucker Garden at 2 pm. Bring: Good walking shoes, water and snacks, rain protection gear.
Contact person: Sue Fredrickson mobile 0401 362 921. Please ring to check that the activity will go ahead if the weather looks like it will be bad (we tend to usually go ahead unless it is very nasty). Also, the phone contact could be handy if Sydney Trains decide between now and then to schedule track work and provide bus replacements (they haven’t yet).
