Take a bushwalk to welcome in the new year along the newly signposted Carrs Bush boardwalk in Galston. Local artist Paul Littrich has brought the forest to life with his bronze Bushland sculptures.
Wheelchair and stroller friendly, this 250m long boardwalk has a gentle slope and is interspersed with signage about the animals and plants in this extremely rare tract of Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest.
Paul’s sculptures were first shaped in clay from which a latex mould was created, then a wax copy, ceramic mould, bronze pour, finishing, and finally patina application prior to installation.
Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest provides shelter and nesting hollows for small animals like sugar gliders and antechinus (marsupial mouse).
The Brown Antechinus is one of the very few native vertebrate animals that practise suicidal reproduction. Males will mate with as many females as possible. This ‘speed-mating’ ultimately leads to their death from immune system failure, with males living for one year at most. Take care not to mistake the native Brown Antechinus for a common house mouse or introduced rat.
Sugar Glider communities, called clans, occupy the canopy. A thin membrane extends from their fingers to their ankles, allowing them to glide from tree to tree over distances of up to 50 metres. In-flight, the Sugar Glider uses its long bushy tail for stability and steering.
Eastern Long-necked Turtles hibernate in the dams at Fagan Park and when the summer rains come, they will start wandering around looking for food, you might even see one crossing a road in the area.
Carrs Bush is located in Fagan Park, 38-48 Arcadia Road, Galston. Open 7am until 5.30 pm (6.30pm during daylight savings), every day except Christmas day.
For more info, go to https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/faganpark
