As you drive past the Riverlife grounds or walk across the bridge to our overflow carpark, you will see the tall trees in this area. It almost feels like we have a forest growing on our doorstep! 

That area hasn’t just grown by chance. The trees haven’t magically grown over the last six years. A team of five to six people have been lovingly caring for this space. They meet monthly on a Saturday, and some volunteer their time during the week as well.  

One of those people is Robert Troedson. He has been coming to KBC/Riverlife since 2006 and has been volunteering specifically in the Waterway Corridor area since 2019.  

Robert was an agricultural scientist, so he came with some background knowledge to help! But it has taken years to learn about the plants in our area, remove the large weeds and grow our native treasures.  

“Our prayer is that there will be another generation that comes,” Robert shares. “I’m in my seventies now and will not be around forever. We are praying for a new generation to come along and start learning the ropes. It just starts with recognising weeds and starting with that.” 

The team’s focus when they meet is to: 

• Plant new growth – it was not a pure block of bush when we got it. It was invaded by weeds and rubbish, so one of the first jobs was to chop down most of the big weeds that had grown into trees. When we chopped those down, they left big gaps, so we have been planting in those gaps. 

• Look after the things we plant. When the plants are little, they are vulnerable to animals, floods, and pests.  
• Manage the weeds – we have worked through most of the bad weeds. 
• Watch how the water flows. 

There are four main reasons why the group gathers: 

1. We had an obligation to Brisbane City Council when we moved to this land to care for the space and regenerate it. 

1. The Waterway Corridor is God’s created world on our doorstep and is an example of what we can see in God’s broader creation. “We can see His creativity, beauty, and interconnectedness. The Waterway Corridor is just a little example of it,” Robert says.  

1. It is a witness to our neighbourhood and people do notice when they drive past. 

1. This is our contribution to reducing carbon in the atmosphere by planting.  

If you would like to find out more about this team, email church@riverlifechurch.org.au. There is an amazing opportunity to volunteer monthly, even gather with a group of friends and turn this into a Life Group who goes out for coffee on a Saturday morning after helping. Anything is possible in this space!