Friends of Mitchell Park bushcare
Cattai National Park
Overview
Join up to do volunteer bushcare work in Cattai National Park. The park is within the Cumberland Plain, an important area in need of preservation. You can also camp overnight for free after a good day's work.
- Work
- Bush regeneration, weed and pest management
- When
- Second Saturday and Sunday of each month, 9am to 2pm each day.
- You can volunteer one or both days and not camp. Or you can work both days and camp for free on Saturday night.
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair access
- Grade
- Medium. Suitable for adults and teens 16 years and over. Minimum level of fitness required. Volunteers work in diverse areas, including level ground, creek edges, densely vegetated areas and sandstone hills. Activities can be adjusted to suit individual needs.
- What to
bring - Sturdy shoes, clothes for all weather conditions, hat, sunscreen, drinking water, gardening gloves, insect repellent, camping equipment
- Please note
We don’t provide catering for this activity, so you’ll need to bring drinking water, snacks, lunch and all required food if you’re camping overnight.
Volunteering in the Mitchell Park picnic area is a great opportunity to give back to the bush and work in a beautiful location.
The work involves removing weeds in a fragile environment. Volunteers have made a huge difference controlling multiple weed species in the area, including our main target, lantana. Without the Friends of Mitchell Park, the bushland would be in dire health.
Because of volunteers’ work, native plants and animals in the area can thrive to their full potential. Your work supports animals such as wombats, bandicoots, gliders, powerful owls, kangaroos and more across multiple remnant plant communities, including some that are endangered.
You’ll also have the opportunity to camp overnight at the Field Study Centre, which has toilets, showers, kitchen, barbecue facilities and an outdoor firepit.
We provide all training, and no prior experience or skills are needed. You’ll learn a lot and will feel a great sense of achievement. You’ll also meet new people with similar interests, and you can be certain that your work will have a positive impact on the environment.
Find out more about volunteering with us
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/volunteer-activities/friends-of-mitchell-park-bushcare/local-alerts
Park info
- in Cattai National Park in the Sydney and surrounds region
Cattai National Park is open 8am to 6pm from May to August and 8am to 8pm from September to April. The park may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
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Park entry fees:
$8 per vehicle per day (including motorbikes). Day passes are available from on-park pay machines that accept coins and credit cards, and you can also pay for your visit via the Park’nPay app.
Buy annual pass.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Friends of Mitchell Park bushcare.
Getting there and parking
Mitchell Park picnic area is located in the Mitchell Park section of Cattai National Park. To get there, take Mitchell Park Road from the Cattai Road or Wisemans Ferry Road. The picnic area is located in the large field downhill from the entry gate.
Road quality
- Sealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
Parking is available along the road throughout the park. Parking spaces are not marked.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - no wheelchair access
Learn more
Friends of Mitchell Park bushcare is in Cattai National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
A birder's bounty
The park's riverside location, close to Longneck Lagoon, makes it popular with birdwatchers. Spot vulnerable black bitterns, powerful owls or rufous night herons. Visit the park's major wetland areas to observe several bird species otherwise scarce within Sydney.
- Mitchell Park walking tracks Mitchell Park walking tracks offer several linked walks through remnant rainforest, diverse woodland and wetlands, in Cattai National Park, near Windsor.
Aboriginal culture
Cattai National Park is the traditional Country of the Darug people. The park's landscape, including the river provided a rich source of food, medicine, shelter and tools for the Aboriginal people who travelled through the area. The park protects a number of ancient Aboriginal sites that are evidence of the Darug people's ancient connection to the land, you may find axe grinding grooves on rocks as well as rock engravings and art.
An important landscape
Cattai National Park lies within the Cumberland Plain, an important land system near Sydney that has been impacted by agricultural processes and urban development. Mitchell Park is significant because it contains much of its original vegetation, including paper bark, red gum, stringy bark, grey gum and cabbage gums. The best way to see the changing vegetation is along the Mitchell Park track, you'll notice that each part of the walk is named to describe the type of vegetation along that part of the walk.
Colonial history
Cattai National Park is significant because it includes a parcel of land granted to First Fleet assistant surgeon Thomas Arndell. Cattai Farm and the surrounding area was home to seven generations of Arndell's, with the land remaining with descendents of Thomas Arndell for about 180 years. Today, several historic sites invite observation and journeying into the past; Arndell's 1821 homestead, convict-built walls and roads, grain silos and ruins of a windmill believed to be Australia's oldest industrial building.
- Cattai Homestead and historic farm buildings Cattai Homestead and historic farm buildings near Windsor, just north of Sydney, are an important part of Australian history and a must-see for history buffs.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
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Common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus)
Commonly found in forests, woodlands and leafy gardens across eastern NSW, the Australian ringtail possum is a tree-dwelling marsupial. With a powerful tail perfectly adapted to grasp objects, it forages in trees for eucalypt leaves, flowers and fruit.
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Sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps)
The sugar glider is a tree-dwelling Australian native marsupial, found in tall eucalypt forests and woodlands along eastern NSW. The nocturnal sugar glider feeds on insects and birds, and satisfies its sweet tooth with nectar and pollens.
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Common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)
One of the most widespread of Australian tree-dwelling marsupials, the common brushtail possum is found across most of NSW in woodlands, rainforests and urban areas. With strong claws, a prehensile tail and opposable digits, these native Australian animals are well-adapted for life amongst the trees.
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Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)
Of the 2 species of kookaburra found in Australia, the laughing kookaburra is the best-known and the largest of the native kingfishers. With its distinctive riotous call, the laughing kookaburra is commonly heard in open woodlands and forests throughout NSW national parks, making these ideal spots for bird watching.
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Brown-striped frog (Lymnastes peronii)
One of the most common frogs found in Australia, the ground-dwelling brown-striped frog lives in ponds, dams and swamps along the east coast. Also known as the striped marsh frog, this amphibian grows to 6.5cm across and has a distinctive ‘tok’ call that can be heard all year round.
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Cumberland Plain land snail (Meridolum corneovirens)
The endangered Cumberland Plain land snail is only found on the Cumberland Plain, west of Sydney. During drought it digs deep into the soil to escape harsh conditions. Its brown shell is thin and fragile.