As a younger man, Graham Jenke would regularly jog through Yagan Mia Wireless Hill on Sunday mornings and see conservationists hard at work caring for plants in the reserve.
It’s only fitting that now, as he eases into retirement from his work as a geophysicist, he has returned here to Yagan Mia.
More fitting still is that he’s now convenor of the Friends of Wireless Hill (a band of about fifteen volunteers) who meet weekly to care for the land.
And while he says it’s a bit uncomfortable at some times of the year– hot in summer and wet in winter, there are many other benefits he and his team get from volunteering that more than outweigh that.
“It’s nice to be out in the bush with a purpose,” he says.
“In summer we start earlier so it’s not too hot , and even in the cool of winter it’s lovely, especially when you see the early morning sun glinting on the water drops on the plants and spider webs.
“There’s the feeling that we’re doing something worthwhile.
“Our aim is to get the bushland back to what it was before Europeans turned up and introduced all the disturbances, especially invasive weeds.
“As part of this group, you feel like you’re contributing to that.
“And when you see change through the seasons and from year to year – you can appreciate the difference we can make to the health of the bushland.”
Apart from satisfaction from the work, Graham says a highlight of the weekly get-together is the cup of tea and biscuits they enjoy under the trees in the park after the work is done.
“You’d be surprised at what some of the people in the group have done, where they have been around Australia and the world, and what their lives have been like,” he says.
“I think our morning chit-chat is at least half the reason some people come.”
From time to time, the Friends of Wireless Hill also hosts one off events for the public and wildflower walks in the season.
Interested in volunteering with Friends of Wireless Hill? Learn more here.