Yarramundi Reserve has been marked to play a big role in taking the heat off the area's bat population.
The site is a base for a habitat regeneration project with the long-term aim of providing a sustainable home to the threatened Grey Headed Flying Fox.
A range of 445 native plants, grown at Hawkesbury Community Nursery, were planted at Yarramundi on Thursday, September 10, that once established, will become a prime food source for the bats.
The bush regeneration day was was organised by Hawkesbury City Council, Blue Tongue Eco-Systems, Hawkesbury-Nepean Bat Group and PhD Geographer Sara Judge .
Ms Judge obtained the funding for the project from the Australasian Bat Society.
"Planting these trees is an investment for the future," Ms Judge said. "We know that habitat loss and the impacts of climate change are the biggest threats to native bats.
"Western Sydney is rapidly urbanising, and is often one of the hottest places on the east coast of Australia during summer, so we know these threats are only going to become more prevalent over the next few decades.
"These trees won't create more habitat for bats, they'll just hopefully replace what we expect to lose over the next few years in an attempt to maintain some balance for bats and other wildlife out here. The irony is that planting trees along the east coast is exactly what bats do for us too."
The native plants that were planted include: Rough-barked Apple, Grey Myrtle, Cabbage Gum, Mountain Blue Gum, Sydney Blue Gum, Sandpaper Fig, White Feather Honeymyrtle, Native Peach, Cheese Tree, Willow Bottlebrush, Prickly Leaved Paperbark, Red Ash, Parramatta Green Wattle and Swamp Wattle.
It's hoped that by providing these native food sources, it will steer the bats away from Cocus Palms which are poisonous and dangerous to bats.
Ms Judge said that people often ask why it matters to humans if bats go down in numbers or go extinct.
"Well, the answer is that if you think it gets unbearably hot during summer now, you're in for a shock without bats," she said.
"Their long distance pollinating is what keeps this strip of temperate eastern Australia eucalypt forest growing. This is what makes it much cooler and less harsh than other parts of the country where you don't find flying fox bats.
"And not only for us, but for other wildlife too - we know that koalas need trees, and trees need bats! So bats are essential to protecting other species like koalas too."
Ms Judge said climate change has seen other bat species like the Black Flying Fox increase its range to head further south to our region.
Three heat stress events had taken place over the summer, and Ms Judge said one event led to significant abandonment of pups by their parents, which meant a huge chunk of the next generation of flying foxes had been lost.
"It's traumatic for people to have to deal with that, and we do it as volunteers," Ms Judge said. "It's more demanding than it was even 10 years ago.
"This project is a food and habitat investment for their future in the area."
Bushcare Officer Martin Gauci said that as part of the day, bat information, resources and a fun question and answer session was provided.
"We had a great day of batty bush regeneration," he said. "It's been really popular and we're planning more in future, all of our native animals can be supported by habitat regeneration in the Hawkesbury too."
Federal Macquarie MP Susan Templeman joined the volunteers last week and said that it was fascinating to hear Ms Judge speak about the long-distance pollinators.
"[Bats] will fly up to 50 km per night with pollen on their whiskers, pollinating trees when they settle," said Ms Templeman.
"The planting of food habitat for the bats is just one part of what the group is doing to raise awareness about how important bats are to our ecosystem. This work ... really show us the importance of these animals in our environment.
"Making changes to bat-friendly, smaller gauge netting, for example, will help protect not just bats but other wildlife as well. Places like Yarramundi are natural assets, so I say thank you to the group for doing this important work."
Connect with the Hawkesbury-Nepean Bat Group at www.facebook.com/plainsmountainsbats
More Bushcare volunteers are needed, contact Bushcare Officer Martin Gauci on 4560 4525 or email Martin.Gauci@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au to get involved.