Friends of Dee Why Lagoon

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Friends of Dee Why Lagoon Friends of Dee Why Lagoon are dedicated to the conservation and rehabilitation of the Lagoon waterbody and the surrounding Wildlife Refuge.

Formed in 1980, the Friends of Dee Why Lagoon are dedicated to the conservation and rehabilitation of the Lagoon waterbody and the surrounding Wildlife Refuge. As well as promoting the value of preserving the Lagoon in its natural state, the Friends work actively in bush re-generation via a weekly group (Thursday 7 - 9am) and the third Sunday of each month (9 - 12 noon). If you would like to become a member in any capacity, please email us. Current issue(s)
Inadequate control of sediment flow to the Lagoon from building sites in the Dee Why Town Centre

15.10.26 – Our supervisor, Janine, was back from hols. A good turnout today, even though rain was forecast and it was v...
15/10/2026

15.10.26 – Our supervisor, Janine, was back from hols. A good turnout today, even though rain was forecast and it was very cold. It was back to Zone G - Janine was very impressed with our progress – see photo.
One of our nasty w**ds, Asparagus Fern, was removed this morning by one of our team. Asparagus ferns are a group of invasive perennial plants in Australia that were originally introduced from South Africa as garden ornamentals. Despite their soft, fern-like appearance, they belong to the asparagus family and pose major threats to native Australian ecosystems – see photo taken this morning.

11.10.26 - didn't have time to clear out the rubbish in the Hawkesbury drain overflow section on Thursday. The water and...
11/10/2026

11.10.26 - didn't have time to clear out the rubbish in the Hawkesbury drain overflow section on Thursday. The water and rubbish has a direct route into Dee Why Lagoon. Rubbish picked up today - see photo

8.10.26 – Janine still on hols and Michael Kneipp again supervised. Zone G was our target area and our team of 5 worked ...
08/10/2026

8.10.26 – Janine still on hols and Michael Kneipp again supervised. Zone G was our target area and our team of 5 worked extremely hard removing the w**ds. The area is quite challenging; however, we are slowly making inroads – see photo.
Took a photo of a native plant called Pittosporum Revolution (common name: Sweet Pittosporum) which has sprung up along the edge of the Hawkesbury Drain – it produces lovely yellow flowers. This native is also growing in Zone B. Pittosporum undulatum is a fast-growing evergreen tree native to eastern Australia that acts as a major invasive environmental w**d outside its natural range.

1.10.26 – Janine on hols this week so Michael Kneipp was our supervisor. We split the group between the Avon drain, Zone...
01/10/2026

1.10.26 – Janine on hols this week so Michael Kneipp was our supervisor. We split the group between the Avon drain, Zone D or in my case Zone E: the Asparagus Fern had suddenly emerged and needed immediate attention.
Asparagus ferns are highly invasive environmental w**ds in Australia that smother native undergrowth and spread rapidly via birds and dumped garden waste.
Origin: Native to southern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, introduced to Australia as a garden ornamental.
Classification: Not true ferns; they belong to the asparagus genus (Asparagus spp.) and the lily family (Liliaceae), spreading via tubers and seeds rather than spores.
Legal Status: Regulated heavily across states; for instance, they are classified as category 3 restricted invasive plants under Queensland's Business Queensland biosecurity guidelines, and listed as problematic environmental w**ds across coastal New South Wales via NSW W**dWise.
Photo: was taken

24.9.26 – Early morning rain, but it soon settled and the morning turned out lovely for our bushcare. We were again at t...
24/09/2026

24.9.26 – Early morning rain, but it soon settled and the morning turned out lovely for our bushcare. We were again at the Avon drain with a good turn-up of enthusiastic helpers. The area is looking great with all the native plants thriving. Unfortunately, our old enemy, Morning Glory, hasn’t disappeared, but we are slowly removing it – see photo of the embankment where I worked.

10.9.26 – Cold this morning but clear skies. Zone B (between the Hawkesbury Drain and Avon drain) was our target area. H...
10/09/2026

10.9.26 – Cold this morning but clear skies. Zone B (between the Hawkesbury Drain and Avon drain) was our target area. Hadn’t worked in this area for a while so there was plenty of w**ding to be done. The w**d, Ruellia Squarrosa, is very aggressive and multiplies quickly. It is, however, easy to remove – except when its under rocks! Growth Habit: Forms low-lying, dense mats or sprawling clusters with square stems spreading via underground rhizomes.The 2nd photo is the w**d, Alstroemeria (common name: Parrot Lilly or NZ Xmas Bell) - obviously not in flower YET.

3.9.26 – A beautiful clear morning. Our w**ding areas today were Zone E and G. It’s the time of the year for Onion W**d ...
03/09/2026

3.9.26 – A beautiful clear morning. Our w**ding areas today were Zone E and G. It’s the time of the year for Onion W**d to make its presence felt. Historically, Zone E had been invaded with Onion W**d. After many years we’ve reduced the amount of Onion W**d, but the dam w**d just won’t go away.
In 2021 we planted some Microleana grass in Zone D and watched its growth over the years - see photo.
We have had success with the Microleana in Zone E as well – see photo.

See photo of the latest rubbish removed from the WildLife Refuge today.
20/08/2026

See photo of the latest rubbish removed from the WildLife Refuge today.

20.8.26 – It was back to Zone D to finish removing the last of the w**ds in this zone. We’ll return in approximately 9 w...
20/08/2026

20.8.26 – It was back to Zone D to finish removing the last of the w**ds in this zone. We’ll return in approximately 9 weeks to do another sweep as the Trad (Wandering Jew) will have sprouted again.
The photo is of the native CAREX appressa (common name: Tall Sedge) which is growing beautifully along the Avon drain. The Aborigines used its leaves for basket making. Flowering time is August to January. Bird attracting Habitat; Butterfly attracting. Both food for caterpillars and nectar for butterflies.
• Frog habitat: Yes
• Growing conditions: Wet soils beside or along margins of water areas. Will tolerate some drying out. Frost tolerant. Full sun, semi shade.
• Commonly used in trapping silt and impurities in streams and for stabilising creek banks.

13.8.26 –Our target area was Zone D and removal of the Wandering Jew or Trad (Tradescantia) which hales from Brazil. One...
13/08/2026

13.8.26 –Our target area was Zone D and removal of the Wandering Jew or Trad (Tradescantia) which hales from Brazil.
One of the most effective ways to deal with a carpet of Trad (ie where the plant dominates over 90% of the ground surface area) is to adopt a “scorched earth”/”take no prisoners“ approach. The DY Lagoon bushcare group embraced this method and progressively raked and cleared small sections of the site virtually down to bare earth and then went over the cleared ground periodically to ensure that there were no more pieces of re-growth. New areas would then be cleared while the previously cleared areas were maintained. Being careful not to gouge the ground too deeply when raking (ie no more than about 5mm) allowed what little native seed present in the disturbed soil around the edge of the site there to germinate.

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PO Box 563
Dee Why, NSW
2099

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