Helping take care of the diverse flora and fauna at St Helena Bush Reserve through working bees and wildflower walks held on the 4th Sunday of each month. We are looking for volunteers, so please see the Events section and join us on a working bee!A brief history:The inaugural meeting of the Friends group was held on 28th August 1991. The group comprised a number of local residents dedicated to preserving and protecting this small area of high-quality remnant bushland. A number of these locals had been lobbying the local municipality (Shire of Diamond Valley) for 3-4 years to declare this area a reserve and fund hands on management of the site. Since the declaration as a Bushland Reserve the Friends group has worked hand-in-hand with the local municipal authorities (Diamond Valley and City of Banyule) to protect, maintain and enhance the significant environmental values of the reserve. Our monthly working bees focus on controlling invasive plants and preserving the native flora in as a natural condition as possible.Over the years the group has also advocated for councils to continue to fund management of SHBR, seek scientific advice on its management, undertake ecological burns when appropriate and inform the community on the environmental and historical significance of this site. Enquiries with local residents have confirmed the area now preserved as SHBR was fenced and protected from grazing as far back as the 1960's. Even then the floristic significance of this area was appreciated.The Friends of St Helena Bushland Reserve also has a Bowerbird site, see http://www.bowerbird.org.au/projects/3457