Getting to know plants of Maldon and surrounds
Posted on 12 October, 2017 by Asha
Intern Sarah Edwards has recently commenced her placement with Connecting Country and attended the ‘Get to know your local plants’ workshop in Maldon on Saturday the 7th of October 2017. This is her account of the afternoon:
Out of the 1100 plant species found in beautiful central Victoria, 60% of these are native species. These native plants are separated by their characteristics (flowers, fruit, seeds, leaves, bark) and are crucial for the survival of the birds, bugs, marsupials and other native animals that are found here.
This was an invaluable workshop. When attempting to correctly identify plants using reference books, there is often a limited amount of information and pictures able to be displayed, making detailed identification a challenge. The last thing I would want to do is accidentally pull out a native plant that I thought was a weed. One of the values of this workshop was being able to use live plant samples to practise on and have experts (Bonnie Humphreys and Frances Cincotta) on hand to help.
We all undertook a series of activities, the aim of which was to use the brief descriptions and other clues provided to identify what a given plant specimen was called. Each table had different types of plants (eucalypts, wattles, pea flowers, prickly shrubs etc.) that share similar characteristics.
Working in small groups, we touched, inspected, smelt and viewed juveniles and adult plant samples and worked as a team to correctly name them. It was like trying to work out a puzzle. Some species were more difficult to identify than others and at times it was quite tricky (and prickly!) but collaborating with others made this activity very enjoyable.
There are two more plant identification workshops coming up that are focusing on local weeds in Newstead and Chewton. See https://connectingcountry.org.au/get-to-know-your-local-plants-weed-and-native-plant-workshops/ for the details.
Sarah working with her team to identify native plants and weeds
The Eucalypt table
Participants hard at work
Groups rotated to try out activities at each table
Barkers Creek bush delights in Nature News – October 3rd 2017
Posted on 4 October, 2017 by Tanya Loos
For this month’s Nature News, local landholder and member of Barkers Creek Wildlife Landcare and Wildlife Group, Lois Denham writes about the joys of getting to know the bushland on her block, and how to care for it. This article was featured on page 38 of the Midland Express, October 3rd 2017.
One of the many joys of living in the bush is observing the wildlife. Today we enjoyed watching the male blue wrens chasing females in and out of the golden wattles. Last week we saw scarlet robins, and we have been amused by the querulous, chattering choughs drinking from our bird bath.
Our soundscape includes the faint soprano sounds of the bats at night and the continuous croaking of the many frogs in our dam. We have learnt to identify some birds by their calls, but not many of the frogs! We are delighted by the kangaroos and the resident wallaby hopping through the bush; the lizard scurrying around or sunbaking on the rocks and then there is the thrill of discovering an echidna or two. No need for pets here!
A tiny Caledenia sp, by Bonnie Humphreys
My husband and I retired to live on eight acres of Box Ironbark bushland block 19 months ago. We had no desire to own much land but this block and its lovely mudbrick house and studio ‘found’ us. A friend, who is a local and an active Landcare member, informed us it was a good bush block even though it had been turned upside down by miners in the gold rush days. He also noticed that there weren’t too many weeds we would have to control. With our friend’s encouragement, we bought the property and joined Landcare with the knowledge that there would be help available to manage and continue the rehabilitation of the land.
We knew we would be on a steep but enjoyable learning curve. With the help of Landcare members, Connecting Country’s Bonnie Humphreys, and some professional assistance we learnt to identify the native plants and weeds. Our newly acquired weed management skills haver resulted in fewer invasive species and more natives on the property than were here when we moved in.
We were fortunate that there was good rain and a bumper wildflower season last spring. This year the wattles have put on a magnificent show, and I am enjoying watching many other wildflowers come into bloom. I will always remember the joy of discovering the tiny ground orchids as they emerged and I thought I had struck gold when I found our first spider orchid. I wonder how many orchids I will find this spring?
22 October 2017 – Little Habitat Heroes “Tree Caring Day”
Posted on 28 September, 2017 by Tanya Loos
The trees and shrubs planted by an enthusiastic crowd of young and old Habitat Heroes are thriving – with a 98% survival rate! The Little Habitat Heroes team invite you to come along to their first ‘Tree Caring Day’ on: Sunday 22nd October 2017, 9:30am – 12noon at Mount Alexander Regional Park.
The Tree Caring day will involve follow-up maintenance including replacing any missing guards and light weeding around the plants. Morning tea is provided – but please do BYO lunch.
The day will also include a half hour information session from Brendan Barbetti, a local environmental contractor and Little Habitat Heroes dad, about the species planted, the importance of ongoing maintenance, and the significance of biodiversity in your own garden and land.
The planting site in June – it will be great to see the site now!
A few things to note:
- No toilet on site. The closest is at the Leanganook Campground (aprrox 1km away).
- Parking: at Leanganook Campground or the Koala Park parking area (a few hundred metres away) and walk down the hill. Please take lots of care when walking on the road.
- BYO: gloves, sturdy shoes, wet weather gear, warm weather gear, sunhat, sunscreen, pen and paper (if staying for the talk), picnic lunch.
- Provided: tea, coffee and morning tea snacks.
Donations – If you’d like to donate to our Little Habitat Heroes campaign, please go to https://www.givenow.com.au/littlehabitatheroes. Funds will be used for ongoing maintenance of the already planted trees and future plantings to further enhance the site.
Feel free to pass on this invitation to others that might be interested. The more the merrier! So that the team can cater adequately, please RSVP through Eventbrite by 14 October. You can also RSVP and share the invitation at the Facebook event site.
For further information, contact the Little Habitat Heroes team:
Meg: 0466 333 419
Jodi: 0410 838 083
Get to know your local plants: weed and native plant workshops
Posted on 15 September, 2017 by Asha
Learn how to identify plants such as Bridal Creeper at Connecting Country’s “Get to know your local plants” workshop series (photo by Bonnie Humphreys).
Connecting Country and local Landcare groups will be running four plant identification workshops over the next couple of months for community members. These free workshops will include the chance to chat with a botanist, meet members of Landcare groups over a cuppa, and learn identification tips through fun games.
Three of the workshops will be focused on how to identify and manage noxious weeds; the fourth will be focused on both native and invasive plant species. With workshops in Sutton Grange, Maldon, Newstead, and Chewton, there will be a workshop nearby for everyone to learn about the plants and weeds most relevant to their local area. You can also bring along photos or samples of plants (in a ziplock bag) if you’d like help from a botanist to identify them.
Details of the workshops are below, or you can contact Asha Bannon for more information at asha@connectingcountry.org.au or 5472 1594.
Get to know your local weeds – Sutton Grange & surrounds
When: Saturday 23rd September 2017, 10am-12:30pm
Where: Sutton Grange Hall, 921 Faraday-Sutton Grange Rd
RSVP: by Wednesday 20th September for catering purposes
Get to know your local plants – Maldon & surrounds
When: Saturday 7th October 2017, 1pm-3:30pm
Where: Maldon Community Centre, 6 Francis St, Maldon
RSVP: by Wednesday 4th October for catering purposes
Get to know your local weeds – Newstead & surrounds
When: Tuesday 24th October 2017, 6pm-8:30pm
Where: Newstead Community Centre, 9 Lyons St, Newstead
RSVP: by Thursday 19th October for catering purposes
Get to know your local weeds – Chewton & surrounds
When: Wednesday 15th November 2017, 6pm-8:30pm
Where: Chewton Community Centre, Pyrnees Hwy, Chewton
RSVP: by Friday 10th November for catering purposes
North Central Chat – September edition
Posted on 13 September, 2017 by Tanya Loos
This month’s North Central Chat is a nice companion to Try Out Landcare month, and features an article by Tess grieves answering the oft-asked question “How can Landcare attract new people, and free up more time for our current, overworked members”?
You can download the September North Central Chat by clicking the following link : North-Central-chat-September-2017.
Local groups and volunteers honoured at the Victorian Landcare Awards 2017
Posted on 4 September, 2017 by Connecting Country
Environmental groups from the Mount Alexander Shire dominated the 2017 Victorian Landcare Awards ceremony at Government House last Friday, the 1st September 2017. Connecting Country was awarded the Landcare Network Award, and the Tarrangower Cactus Control Group was awarded the Fairfax Media Landcare Community Groups Award.
Individuals were also recognised for their voluntary work; Ian Higgins, from Friends of Campbells Creek won the Australian Government Individual Landcarer award, and Ian Grenda was Highly Commended in this category.
Around 350 Landcarers from around the state gathered at Government House, with a jubilant group of 16 from the Mount Alexander region. The Landcare Awards are an opportunity to showcase people and projects that are contributing to sustainable agriculture and the protection of Victoria’s environment.
This year’s awards received significant interest from right across the state, with 85 nominations submitted across the 14 categories. Also nominated from this region were Asha Bannon for the Young Landcarer Award; and Chewton Primary and Winters Flat Primary for the Junior Landcare Team Award.
These awards are a strong testament to the energy and enthusiasm of the Mount Alexander Shire community for our natural environment. Mount Alexander Shire is incredibly fortunate to have such an active network of Landcare groups, schools and individuals working together with passion and a focus on landscape scale restoration. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners at the Landcare Awards this year.
CLICK HERE to read all of the winners’ stories from across the state.
Here are a few shots from the exciting day:
Now is the best time to try out Landcare!
Posted on 31 August, 2017 by Asha
Tanya on a walk with some excited ‘nature detectives’ at the 2017 Camp Out on the Mount
Landcare Week is coming up next week: September 4th – 10th 2017. It’s the perfect time to get outside, get your hands dirty, and connect with other community members. We have over 30 groups in the Mount Alexander region alone, so it’s easy to find an event or working bee that’s near you and suits your interests.
Landcare and Friends groups are always looking for extra hands to help and are keen to share their knowledge of our beautiful local plants and animals. During September, there are more than eleven events being run by Landcare groups, including nature walks to learn from experts and soak up the bush, and working bees to develop some hands-on skills and help improve habitat for native species.
CLICK HERE to visit our page with information about all of the Landcare events happening in the Mount Alexander region in September 2017.
20 Million Trees Connects Woodland Bird Habitat
Posted on 30 August, 2017 by Asha
The Green Army helped with planting at Baringhup Landcare’s Loddon River site
Four Landcare groups, six sites, and over 6300 plants! Over the past 18 months Baringhup, Harcourt Valley, Sutton Grange, and McKenzie’s Hill Landcare groups have been working hard on a landscape-scale revegetation project funded through the Federal Government’s 20 Million Trees Programme. With the help of community volunteers, the Green Army team, and local contractors, the Landcare groups have revegetated private and public land across the region creating and connecting important habitat for our threatened woodland birds.
The photopoints below are taken from the same location at one of Baringhup Landcare’s 20 Million Trees sites along the Loddon River. The first was taken before planting in 2016, the second after planting in 2017. As you can see in the second photo, the revegetated plants are thriving at this site! Birds in abundance were already enjoying the new habitat on the sunny day it was taken.
JUNE 2016 – Baringhup Landcare’s Loddon River site
Planting along Baringhup Landcare’s Loddon River site (photo by Asha Bannon)
Well done to all the Landcare groups involved in this project and this amazing achievement.
This project was supported by the 20 Million Trees Programme, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.
New Map of Wheel Cactus in Victoria
Posted on 22 August, 2017 by Asha
The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group (TCCG) has recently completed a project aimed at increasing awareness and knowledge about the noxious weed Wheel Cactus (Opuntia robusta), funded by Wettenhall Environment Trust. One of the valuable outcomes from this project is the construction a new map showing the distribution of Wheel Cactus infestations in Victoria. 
Our well-known former Landcare Facilitator, Max Schlachter, was employed as project officer by TCCG and has collated 345 recorded sites of Wheel Cactus within our state. These sites covered 105 different localities around Victoria, mostly in a band from the northwest to Melbourne, but including some surprising outliers elsewhere. The majority of the sites (69%) were new records, and the rest were existing records taken from current government maps, such as the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas.
Some alarming conclusions from this mapping exercise were that within some of these localities, for example ‘Maldon’, there are too many infestations to record, plus there are very likely many infestations that were not able to be captured. The information gathered through this project will help communities and land managers better understand how Wheel Cactus spreads and how best to manage it.
If you want to know more about Wheel Cactus and how to control it, you can go along to TCCG’s next Community Field Day on Sunday 27th August, CLICK HERE for more details.
Tarrangower Cactus Warriors August 2017 Field Day
Posted on 22 August, 2017 by Connecting Country
Tony Kane from the Tarrengower Cactus Control Group has let us know that their next Community Field Day will be held on Sunday 27th August, starting at 10:30am. They’ll be meeting at a property on Tarrengower School Road, south of South Parkins Reef Road to inject an infestation of Wheel Cactus. From Maldon the way will be signposted from Parkins Reef Road. Tony notes that ‘our events are family friendly, but we ask that all children be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.’
Further information is provided in the attached flyer (click here).
Flora of Castlemaine and surrounds – the online guide is launched!
Posted on 9 August, 2017 by Connecting Country
On 1st August 2017, the online edition of the Wild Plants of the Castlemaine District was formally launched. This comprehensive guide contains details on the identification, locations, preferred habitats and history of hundreds of native and introduced plant species found in Castlemaine and surrounding areas. It can be viewed at the following stand-alone website location – https://www.castlemaineflora.org.au.
In November 2016, local natural historian – Ern Perkins – sadly passed away. Ern’s passion for the understanding the intricacies of natural environment was matched by his passion for sharing his knowledge with others. A few months before his passing, he first launched this compendium of local plant species as a freely available resource via USB memory sticks. Ern had developed this guide based on information that he and others had collected and compiled over more than 40 years. With the support of Ern’s family since his passing, the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club has worked with a local IT graphics firm to make this guide available as an online resource, allowing it to reach a much wider audience. Financial contributions and other support towards this important project has also been provided by the Friends of the Box Ironbark Forests (FOBIF) and Connecting Country. Each of these organisations will have a link to this flora guide from their websites. A permanent link to it has been established from the Connecting Country website here.
It is intended to be a dynamic website, with updates made over time in response to taxonomic changes, new photographs and new findings. Landholders, Landcarers, students and many other people from the Mount Alexander Shire and beyond will appreciate this valuable and easy-to-use resource.
We All Need A Home – Video by Chewton Primary School
Posted on 31 July, 2017 by Asha
“We All Need A Home” is a short video created by Chewton Primary School students late last year. It explains the importance of caring for our local wildlife by cleaning up rubbish and creating habitat through a very engaging story. It also includes tiles from Chewton Primary School’s reptile and frog monitoring site which students helped Connecting Country set up and monitor.
CLICK HERE or on the picture below to view the full video. There is a link to another interesting video made by students on the same page, plus a copy of the presentation that the “Coastal Ambassadors” gave on local reptile and frog conservation.
Birds thriving in Campbells Creek
Posted on 27 July, 2017 by Tanya Loos
Connecting Country has been carrying out bird monitoring at a site in Campbells Creek since 2010, and so it was with great pleasure that Tanya had an opportunity to lead a walk there on Sunday 22 July 2017, with some of the members of Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare that had a hand in the restoration of this part of the creek and surrounding land.
Over twenty people attended the Feathered Friends of Campbells Creek event, which was part of Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Sustainable Living workshop series. The workshop started with a bird walk at Campbells Creek, near Honeycomb Rd. We walked down to the Connecting Connecting bird survey site to carry out a twenty minute two hectare survey – the standard bird monitoring method. I was impressed to see nearly everyone had their own binoculars.
We all had great views of New Holland Honeyeaters, and at one point a Wedge-tailed Eagle soared majestically overhead. An abundance of thornbills darted about through the wattles, along with pardalotes, a Grey Fantail, superb fairy-wrens and a small flock of Red-browed Finches. Towards the end of the walk, we caught a glimpse of a female Scarlet Robin, and this was only the third sighting of this species in 28 surveys! For a copy of the Bird Monitoring results for the Campbells Creek site click here.
It was seven degrees, a bit glary and a bit breezy – not the best conditions for seeing small birds. However it was clear that the wattles, hakeas, native grasses, hop bush and cassinia were providing excellent cover and hiding places for the small birds of the area!
“Hmmm – are they Yellow Thornbills calling and bustling about up there? “
After the bird survey, David King from the Friends gave us an overview of the work of the group over the past thirty years, in particular Ian Higgins. David told us that before the group started their revegetation work, Ian had counted a mere five individual wattles between Castlemaine and this section at which we stood! An incredible transformation. We then walked back up the path to the sign, which had a whole range of information and QR codes so that you could use your smart phone to find out more about the flora and fauna the Friends are such fine custodians of.
David King talked about the sign. Moments later we saw a Swamp Wallaby!! Photo by Jay Smith.
After our walk we returned to the Campbells Creek Community Centre for a short presentation on birds and habitat, where I had the opportunity to emphasise how the restoration work has made the site so perfect for small bush birds such as thornbills, fairy-wrens and pardalotes. The Scarlet Robin is an excellent candidate for a focal or flagship species for the area – and I predict that sightings of the Scarlet Robin may become more frequent in the coming years – thanks to the work of this fantastic group!
Many thanks to David King, and to Jay Smith from Mount Alexander Shire Council for hosting the walk.
As previously posted, the Friends are participating in National Tree day this Sunday:
Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare will be planting in the Honeycomb Bushland Reserve in Campbells Creek. It’s a 10 minute walk from car parking to the site, along an bush trail used by recreational walkers, with interesting features along the way. The planting will be followed by a free BBQ lunch for all, catering for a range of dietary needs.
When: 10am – 1pm, Sunday 30th July 2017
Where: Meet at the Honeycomb Bushland Reserve, Campbells Creek, where Honeycomb Road meets the gravel trail (CLICK HERE for map).
More information: follow them on Facebook (CLICK HERE), go to their website (CLICK HERE) or contact Shona on 0408 724 699
Dams to Wetlands Workshop – Muckleford Catchment Landcare
Posted on 17 July, 2017 by Asha
Workshop attendees will visit dams like this one in Muckleford (photo by Beth Mellick).
Join Muckleford Landcare to visit two dams and discuss ways in which to improve their function for biodiversity. Everyone is welcome to come along and learn how to turn your dam into a thriving wetland.
The workshop is on this Sunday 23rd July, from 9.30am to 12 noon. Meet at the end of Lyndham Road (off Golf Links Road). For any questions, contact Beth on 0431 219 980 or bethmellick@gmail.com.
Enjoying birds in frosty July – two events to come
Posted on 11 July, 2017 by Tanya Loos
Any bird lover knows that a wintery day is no barrier to birdwatching! The birds go about their business undaunted by the cold; well-wrapped in their feathery coats. If we rug up well, and there is no wind, then winter birding can be a lovely change from huddling by the fire!
This Jacky Winter is well insulated! Photographed by Peter Turner
There are two events coming up soon for those that are interested in their local birds and their habitats. Both events involve a bird walk followed by a presentation about the birds of the local area.
Sunday July 16, 2017 – Bird walk and Landcare workshop for Guildford area
Bird Walk: Local bird and habitat walk along Casley Lane, near Guildford. 9:15am – 11:00am. Meeting point map sent with your RSVP.
Presentation: Guildford birds and how you can care for them, by Connecting Country’s bird enthusiast, Tanya Loos. Also hear from Maurie Dynon, Guildford and Upper Loddon Landcare. Morning tea and presentation: Guildford Hall 11:00am – 12:30pm
Please RSVP (with any dietary requirements) to Tanya Loos on 03 5472 1594 or by email tanya@connectingcountry.org.au
This section of Campbells Creek has been surveyed for birds since 2010. The birdlife is amazing!
Saturday July 22, 2017 – Feathered Friends of Campbells Creek (part of Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Sustainable Living Workshop series)
Castlemaine and Chewton now have beautifully revegetated waterways thanks to the tireless work of local community groups. This has benefited our local birdlife greatly. Connecting Country has surveyed the birds of Campbells Creek for 7 years – and is keen to present a portrait of the creek’s burgeoning birdlife. Dress warmly for a mid-winter presentation, morning tea and bird walk at nearby Honeycomb Rd if weather permits.
The details: From 10.30am to 12.30pm. Presented by Tanya Loos from Connecting Country. In Campbells Creek area (the address/location will be provided to registered attendees closer to the date). To reserve your place for the Feathered Friends walk contact Council’s Healthy Environments team on 5471 1700 or d.giles@mountalexander.vic.gov.au.
These two events are generously supported by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust.
Fryerstown bird walk and workshop
Posted on 3 July, 2017 by Tanya Loos
Last Sunday, June 25 2017, Fryerstown residents and bird lovers from as far afield as Woodend and Shepherds Flat enjoyed a bird walk and gathering at the old Fryerstown School. We were pleasantly surprised by the mild weather and yes – even sunshine!
Our group of twenty spotted 18 bird species , with Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters most definitely “bird of the day” as they were present in large numbers feeding on the flowering Yellow Gums. Another highlight was some very good views of one of our target species, the Brown Treecreeper. Nina Tsilikas took this lovely photograph of a Brown Treecreeper hopping about on the moss-covered ground. Out of shot is a large group of Long-billed Corellas who were digging for a bulb of some kind – the two species made quite a contrast. They were foraging on a site known as Blue Duck Mine – soon to be the site of an exciting new project, but more on this later!
They appear to be plain brown – but the Brown Treecreeper is very beautifully patterned when seen at close quarters.
We walked along Turners Road to the Fryerstown Cemetery. Sadly the Eastern Yellow Robins who are usually there were absent, but we did get some lovely views of a male and female Galah. Nina was there again with her trusty camera – and these shots show the subtle difference between the sexes – the male has a dark brown coloured eye, and the female a pinkish red eye.
Male Galah
Female Galah
After the walk we all enjoyed sandwiches, cake and tea and coffee served by the School committee – and I gave a short presentation on woodland birds and how to help them thrive in the Fryerstown area.
Maurie Dynon from Guildford and Upper Loddon Landcare kindly stood up and gave the group an update on an exciting proposed restoration project in the Fryerstown township – the weed removal and revegetation of a patch of land known as the Blue Duck Mine. The funding is yet to be confirmed, but the land managers (Department of Environment Land Water and Planning) are on board and so is the Fryerstown CFA, whose fire shed abuts the reserve. Fryerstown locals such as Clodagh Norwood, Helen Martin and Bill Burris are thrilled that the Blue Duck Mine project, auspiced by the landcare group, could set in motion a number of habitat restoration projects locally.
Many thanks to the wonderful residents of Fryerstown for their generosity and enthusiasm – it was a really fun morning!
Finally, Connecting Country is calling out for landholders who are interested in helping protect and enhance bird habitat on their property – if you are in the Fryerstown, Tarilta, Glenluce area and have remnant vegetation on your land – please fill in an expression of interest form – see Expression-Of-Interest-Form-July-2017-Connecting-Country and get in touch!
This event was generously supported by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust.
Watching the Brown Treecreeper
Tarrengower Cactus Field Day – Sunday 25 June 2017
Posted on 19 June, 2017 by Connecting Country
Help the Tarrengower Cactus Control Group treat infestations like this one on Sunday 25th June in Nuggetty.
The next Tarrangower Cactus Control Group community field day is on Sunday 25th June 2017. Attendees will be working at a number of sites in the Nuggetty area. The group will meet in Nuggetty School Road at the site of the old Nuggetty School. The way to the venue will be sign posted along the Shelbourne Road from the Tarrengower Prison corner.
The Nuggetty Landcare group has done a lot of work at the old school site with its historic Peace Cairn. It is well worth a visit and will be a great place to meet and to hold our sausage sizzle.
For more information about the field day please contact Tony Kane from the Tarrangower Cactus Control Group on 0400 495 480.
Issue 69: Victorian Landcare and Catchment Management Magazine now available
Posted on 15 June, 2017 by Connecting Country
Issue 69 of the Victorian Landcare and Catchment Management magazine, which is a special feature on climate change, is now available online.
Among the stories in this issue:
- Climate change – an opportunity to rethink, restore and reboot
- Helping the grains industry deal with climate volatility
- Victoria’s freshwater blue carbon stores
- Five crowdfunding tips from the southern Otways
- Introducing Landcare Victoria Incorporated
To read or download the current issue of the magazine visit https://www.landcarevic.org.au/landcare-magazine/ .
All the other back issues (i.e. from issues 1-68) of the Victorian Landcare and Catchment Management magazine are now on the Victorian Landcare Gateway https://www.landcarevic.org.au/resources/magazine-library/
Those who receive the magazine in hard copy will receive it in your letter boxes over the next week or so. Happy reading!
June 2017 – North Central Chat
Posted on 8 June, 2017 by Connecting Country
There’s lots happening in the region, even in the winter months. Click here to view the June 2017 edition of the North Central Chat and find out more about who is doing what in our region.
Help Little Heroes Plant New Habitat
Posted on 29 May, 2017 by Connecting Country
Little Habitat Hero, Sophie Haythorne, looks forward to planting on the 17th of June 2017.
A new story is being woven into the site of the Old Silkworm Farm on Leanganook, within the Mount Alexander Regional Park, this month, as a group of families and Landcare groups join together for the Little Habitat Heroes planting day on Saturday the 17th of June 2017, 9am-1pm. Open to all to participate, this ongoing initiative envisions 10 hectares of habitat regenerated on this historic site over the next few years.
Initiated by a group of new mothers in Castlemaine in 2016, Little Habitat Heroes, was a successful fund-raising campaign aimed at restoring native bush in honour of the region’s newest residents. Over $3,000 was raised by families and individuals, who were keen to see a beloved child in their life have the opportunity for a personal connection with nature.
This was matched with equivalent support from VicRoads to allow over 900 seedlings to be propagated ready for a wet winter start. Committed volunteers from Barkers Creek and Harcourt Landcare Groups, Connecting Country, and Little Habitat Heroes families and friends are providing their time generously to see the project succeed, with support from Parks Victoria.
“It’s amazing what a small group of committed people can achieve”, says Connecting Country Director Krista Patterson-Majoor. “From the start, when we were approached by the mothers’ group, we could see how closely aligned the project idea was with our organisation’s core objectives. We have been delighted to support the initiative, and we look forward to welcoming everyone to the planting day, it will be a lot of fun.”
For many, especially the nearly-two year olds, the planting day will be their first-ever tree planting experience, and an opportunity to see a habitat emerge that will support charismatic fauna such as sugar gliders and woodland birds. The location is exciting to local ecologists too, as it is uniquely suited to trial the return of indigenous species such as the Silver Banksia which once occurred on Mt Alexander and large areas through central Victoria before the gold rush.
“Just by living their lives, our children will no doubt contribute to environmental loss, so this is a chance for us to give something back,” says Little Habitat Heroes mother Meg Barnes, “The planting day will also offer a way to meet like-minded people and spend time at a gorgeous site.”
Little Habitat Heroes Planting Day Details: 9am-1pm, Saturday 17 June, meet at Leanganook Picnic Ground in the Mount Alexander Regional Park. Everyone and all ages welcome. Morning tea provided, BYO picnic lunch which we’ll eat together. More information visit www.littlehabitatheroes.org. To join the planting day or learn more, RSVP to littlehabitatheroes@gmail.com.
