BushCare silver mattock award - the Burns'

Article by Nadia Joyce, community conservation officer, Sunshine Coast Council

A big congratulations to our very deserving silver mattock award winners for 2021 - Glenn and Judy Burns.

Glenn and Judy have been involved in the Bushcare Sunshine Coast program for over 10 years, and enthusiastic members of Nambour surrounds environmental restoration, for over 30. They were involved in the original Petrie Creek Revegetation Group started by John Thompson and Garry Lawler in the late 80’s.

Judy was the initial coordinator and founder of the Woombye Florabunda Pocket Bushcare group, which started in 2011. Since then Glenn and Judy have been committed to regular working bees at this site and two others, more recently formed in Nambour and coordinated by Norm Morwood. Gulung Gung Bushcare Group at Quota Memorial Park and Namba Creek Group at the Model Railway Park.

As well as this Judy was Treasurer, Secretary, and dedicated member of Petrie Creek Catchment Care Group for 10 years and is now the treasurer of Sunshine Coast and Hinterland Wildlife Preservation Society. Judy is also an avid bird and wildlife watcher and records species at the Florabunda Pocket site each monthly working bee.

Glenn is a keen Bushwalker and a member of the Sunshine Coast Bushwalking Group. He volunteers time to help with vegetation management and maintenance of bushwalking tracks within the Conondale National Park on the Sunshine Coast. He has also been monitoring and recording platypus sightings in Petrie Creek for many years.

In between being devoted grandparents and regularly traveling to Brisbane to mind their grandkids, the couple are also involved in the waterwatch program run by Maroochy Waterwatch. They test the water quality monthly, at four sites: Florabunda Pocket, Namba Creek, Quota Park, and at the Nambour High School farm bridge.

If there is ever planting or hard yakka to do, Glenn is your man and if detailed weeding and bird identification is required Judy is the lady we can count on!

Well done and thank-you to you both for your ongoing commitment and dedication to the Sunshine Coast community and our local environment.

Glenn and Judy were announced winners at the BushCare Sunshine Coast Volunteers Day Out event. The Volunteers Day Out is council's way to thank BushCare volunteers for all the great achievements in the year. In 2021 BushCare volunteers have planted 11,716 native trees, shrubs and groundcovers and removed 3,039 bags of weeds from council's environment reserves.

Visit council's BushCare Sunshine Coast website to find out how you can get involved.