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  Just another day on the job as we uncovered a busy beehive inside a tree we were removing from local school Russell Vale Public School! We were doing some removals and pruning from the school grounds before the students fully returned plus on weekends when none were present (so it was safer), and we uncovered a significant beehive inhabiting the interior of the trunk base.

We’re still here, caring for your trees. Unlike many other small, local family businesses that have unfortunately been directly affected by the Coronavirus causing them to close, we’re still climbing and caring for trees however some of our operations may be affected.

Sad to see it go: One of Wollongong’s most recognised and much loved trees Heavy winds recently brought down the large, iconic gum tree at the front of Wollongong’s Art Gallery. While the tree was beyond being saved, luckily no-one was hurt and there was only minor damage done to the building’s fourth floor balcony railing.

The endangered Illawarra Irene is a type of herb that is only found between Wollongong and the Shoalhaven River, mainly near waterfalls in the escarpment. Senior Threatened Species Officer with the NSW Department of Environment, Jedda Lemmon, said there had been very few sightings of the plant in the past four years due to the drought.

We are so proud to see so many of our neighbours, friends, customers, clients and entire community – many of whom are still being impacted by the South Coast NSW fires – come together to connect (even if it’s just online) and help eachother out in whatever way they can.The lengths that some people are going to to help our frontline and essential workers, the elderly or those who may be more vulnerable during these challenging times really is inspiring. We are continuing to support our chosen charities and organisations during these challenging times, including Need a Feed who are under immense pressure at this time.

Whilst we’re all still trying our best to adapt to how our world’s been thrown upside down in the past couple of weeks, there definitely seems to be more of an acceptance that this is the way things are for the foreseeable future. Amidst the understandable anxieties surrounding homeschooling, working from home (for those that are lucky enough to have kept their job) plus keeping the kids entertained 24/7 during what would usually be the school holidays, it’s certainly putting parents to the test.

When the recent bushfires swept through our South Coast communities, it seemed like our stunning and much-loved landscape was lost forever. However we see on a daily basis how it is showing new signs of life – thanks to Mother Nature.

How can severe dry weather followed by a heavy downpour of rain cause a safety hazard in trees’ branches? With all this wild weather we’ve been having, here’s a word of warning from Bohmer and why pruning can help prevent any accidents.

Check out the damage this Eucalyptus Tree did to these workers’ cars after the wild winds around Wollongong recently! Just another day in the life of an Arborist…      Luckily they owners had only just parked their cars to go into the office – then this happened.

We’re often asked what the best ways are to prepare and protect your home from bushfires – here’s some excellent advice from the RFS (at their website rfs.nsw.gov.au) we’d strongly advise you to take some time out to read (a few minutes could save your home, lives and livelihood!). Even if your plan is to leave early, the more you prepare your home the more likely it will survive a bushfire or ember attack, whilst making it easier for you or firefighters to defend and is less likely to put your neighbours’ homes at risk.

Check out Bohmer’s recent enews here (it’s not all doom and gloom!): tinyurl.com/spkc5qq  

Five million hectares of NSW forest have been burned in the recent bushifres, which is over half the entire forest and well over twice as much anything recorded before, so the scale of the problem is huge. Listen below to the fascinating interview with Dr Owen Price, from UOW’s School of Environment & Life Sciences to give you the facts, plus pose some discoveries that are yet to be made from the actual impact and hope for the future.