Pulling Together: Norfolk Island National Park

Pulling Together: Norfolk Island National Park – How volunteers are restoring Norfolk Island’s wild heart – by Sara Freeland

 

A Monday morning with a purpose

On a quiet Monday morning, a small group of locals gathers at the edge of Norfolk Island National Park with gloves, trowels, and a shared purpose. They are the Friends of the Norfolk Island National Park Weeding Group, ordinary people doing extraordinary work. Their mission is to clear away the invasive weeds that threaten the island’s rare and fragile ecosystem, one determined pull at a time. For visitors, it is a chance to roll up their sleeves, join in, and make an enduring contribution to the island’s natural beauty.

Who are the Friends?

The Friends of the Norfolk Island National Park Weeding Group is a passionate community of volunteers including locals, seasonal residents, and curious visitors who want to give back. Formed in 2022 by Jude Andersen, the group began by tackling Morning Glory creeper and some dense patches of Coral Berry in both the National Park and the Botanic Garden.

Every Monday morning, weather permitting, they meet at sites across the park and spend a few hours restoring the island’s natural vegetation.

Their focus now includes some of the island’s worst weed invaders such as African Olive and Hawaiian Holly, which can quickly smother native vegetation if left unchecked. By hand-pulling, digging, cutting, and sometimes applying herbicide, the group creates space for native plants to thrive.

“Keeping the weedy regrowth in check really helps these young natives to thrive, and once they are tall enough to form a canopy, the weeds aren’t so keen, preferring more open, sunnier locations.”
                                    – Jude, group founder.

Sites are chosen carefully to complement the park rangers’ ongoing weed-control and habitat restoration programs. Sometimes the Friends will ‘pre-sweep’ an area, clearing smaller weeds and vines that would otherwise slow the rangers down. Alternatively, the help can come at the other end, with the Friends working to maintain a new planting site by regularly revisiting a restoration area to control weedy regrowth.

The Friends group has visited various sites multiple times, each time resulting in less regrowth.

“It is a very satisfying way to spend Monday mornings, and we have already seen what a difference can be made with the group’s enthusiasm and persistence!”
                                                                        – Jude, group founder.

Data-informed management

Norfolk Island National Park is proud to lead with science, using the latest research and ongoing monitoring to guide every decision – and the Friends group is no exception. After every weeding session, volunteers log their efforts in a shared management app, recording where they worked, which species they removed, and the forest’s condition before and after their efforts.

This information is added to a central database, turning hours of fieldwork into valuable insights. It ensures the group’s contribution is measured, mapped, and recognised as a key part of the park’s long-term conservation goals.

More than just weeding

Monday mornings are about more than conservation. They are also about conversation. Volunteers share morning tea (the real highlight of the morning!), swap stories, and enjoy working side by side. Lifelong friendships have been formed among locals and regular visitors, and newcomers to the island often find the Friends group is the perfect way to connect with the community.

“Volunteering is a great way to destress and see parts of the island you wouldn’t normally get to see”
                      – Dee, long-time volunteer.

Visitors are encouraged to join in. It is not something you will find in a typical travel brochure, but getting your hands dirty is a unique way to experience Norfolk Island. It lets you provide a lasting contribution to the island’s future.

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Case Study:

The Mt. Pitt summit transformation

One of the group’s proudest achievements is the recent transformation of the roadside verge at Mount Pitt summit. After asking the rangers to stop spraying the area, the Friends group took full ownership and committed to regular, manual weed removal.

Week after week, they returned and slowly worked to control dense weed growth until the ground was clear enough to trial new plantings. The first test came with hardy native Dianella, and the results have been inspiring – the plants are thriving! The area has since been mulched to suppress weeds and retain moisture, and plans are underway to plant more Dianella and trial other species.

What was once a neglected, weed-infested verge has become a thriving native garden that greets visitors to one of Norfolk’s most iconic lookouts. For the volunteers, it is a source of pride and a living reminder of the power of persistence and what community-led conservation can achieve.

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Get Involved: If you would like to join the effort, the Friends of the Norfolk Island National Park Weeding Group meets every Monday from 9:00am to 12:30pm, with a well-earned tea break in the middle. The Park provides gloves, tools, and snacks. All you need is sturdy shoes and a willingness to get your hands dirty. For more information, email: norfolkislandnationalpark@dcceew.gov.au,  call: 22695, or drop by the Parks office for a chat.

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