Inspired by a visit to Bateau Bay Fairy Forest with my children, I turned to the local community Facebook page to float the idea of creating something similar in Glenorie. The overwhelming response triggered a beautifully collaborative effort, and Glenorie Fairy Forest was born.
Glenorie Creek runs through town and collects stormwater from most of the northern side of town. Although the creek is barely recognisable now, it runs adjacent to the playground between Wirra Place and Cairnes Road. One could almost overlook the weeds and rubbish filling the creek. The site is remarkably serene with a dense canopy and lots of old fallen logs. It provided the perfect site for a fairy forest. Connecting kids to nature and clearing the litter and Wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminensis) at the same time seemed like a no-brainer.
Once we decided on the location, it was time to get busy…and busy we got! The vision of a local mum trudging across the bridge towards the forest with her son and a wheelbarrow full of creations and tools is one I won’t forget in a hurry. Other families have been busy too, adding beautifully painted rocks and various features to the forest.
Glenorie Fairy Forest is there for everyone to enjoy. It’s hidden behind the back corner of the park (at 25 Cairnes Road). We hope our community will take pride in adding to the garden and playing with what others have left there. We do expect that anything added to the garden is natural and will add to the environment. Glenorie Creek needs all the help it can get to survive.
Glenorie provided me with the most beautiful setting in which to grow up. The streams were clear and full of yabbies and tadpoles, with Darug grinding grooves everywhere you looked. This was nearly 30 years ago. We spent hours playing in the creeks, covered in mud and having a ball. We were completely enthralled by our discoveries, whether they were clay fairy houses, banksia men, koalas or beautiful flowers.
I would love for our kids to have the same experiences. As I sit surrounded by off-cuts of twigs, gum leaves, jute twine and paddlepop sticks, I remind myself of the children I hope will enjoy the fairy forest. I hope they can spend time outdoors, getting dirty, exploring and having fun in their local spaces together.
Keep an eye out for the fairies!
