Sutton Grange Landcare Group – Landcare Recovery planting
Posted on 3 August, 2022 by Hadley Cole
Sutton Grange Landcare Group has been out and about enthusiastically planting a range of locally-grown tubestock plants to build habitat in the Sutton Grange area, located north east of Castlemaine in central Victoria. This work was supported by Connecting Country’s ‘Rapid Response Landcare Recovery‘ project funded by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust to help Landcare groups regain their momentum following the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on their activities.
In early July 2022 the group got out on site, and with the young and the wise, planted a diverse range of lower and middle storey species. The planting was planned and the plants carefully selected with help from Connecting Country’s Landscape Restoration Coordinator, Bonnie Humphreys.
Enthusiastic planters at work (photo by Todd Ware)
Sutton Grange Landcare group photo! (photo by Todd Ware)
The group declared the planting day a great success!
‘We were blessed with a lovely sunny but cool morning, and a great team of volunteers – nine adults and seven children. We focussed our planting on a strip along Spring Creek with the aim of joining up the existing large trees with understory species such as Acacia, Hakea and Dianella. The Yellow Box trees in particular are habitat for the Tuan and we wanted to make a link between them for this species.
It is hoped that by adding mid-story shrubs that Tuans (and other native species) can safely move between the trees and have cover to hide from predators. It is also hoped that by planting more native species it will reduce invasion by St John’s Wort in this area. Where possible we dug out weed species and replaced them with a local native. Silver Banksia and Basket Sedge were planted lower down on the creek banks.
Overall it was a successful and fun day, and it was great to see our community learning about, caring for and connecting with the land on which we live. Sutton Grange Landcare Group sincerely thanks Bonnie [from Connecting Country] for organising the plants.’
Connecting Country congratulates Sutton Grange Landcare Group for all the amazing work they do to enhance and protect biodiversity in their pocket of the greater Mount Alexander region.
This project was made possible due to the generosity of the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and their commitment to supporting the restoration and protection of sustainable environments across Victoria.
Is this Landcare group involved with the Mining Land Rehabilitation regulations call for submissions? Cathy Wheel Castlemaine
Hi Cathy, if you would like to get in touch with the Landcare group directly you can find their contact information on the Landcare groups contact page.
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