Working bees resume in February 2022 and the Thursday Crew is back!

After a pretty quiet couple of years, we are looking forward to resuming our working bees in February 2022. There is lots to be done and new helping hands are always very welcome. Check our calendar for dates here.

In the meantime, the Thursday Crew continue their impressive work around town. Thursday Crew working bees are held every Thursday morning at different venues around Woodend during most of the year.  Please contact Dave on 0405 910 176 or email dvbower65@gmail.com if you are interested in being involved.

Five Mile Creek survey update

Woodend Landcare thanks everyone who has responded to our survey about File Mile Creek. We have had a tremendous response so far.

We will soon collate the information to pass onto the landscape designers who will begin working on the master plan in the new year. We will be sure to share the draft for comment when it is ready.

The survey closes at the end of November. Click here to tell us your five wishes for Five Mile Creek.

Plogging for health

One thing we have learnt from the community survey so far is that the biggest use of the Five Mile Creek corridor is for exercise and one of the biggest concerns about the creek is rubbish.

So, let us introduce you to something new and exciting taking Europe by storm – plogging! Plogging is the combination of two words ‒ ‘jogging’ and the Swedish phrase for pick up, ‘plocka upp’. It means picking up litter while you get fitter! You get your exercise and make a difference for the environment at the same time.

Plogging can be as simple as heading out on your normal exercise route, collecting rubbish as you go (sort and dispose at home). Or it might be a springboard for you to plan and involve friends or family, your business, or sporting club.

Clean Up Australia has a great guide to safe plogging if you’d like to learn more: https://www.cleanup.org.au/plogging-guide. Everyone’s contribution adds up.

We would love to hear about your plogging efforts. Email us at or share your photos on our Facebook page.

A Box of Habitat grows

Orders are now closed for next year’s Box of Habitat program. The take-up has been fantastic: 40 residents have ordered 78 boxes of habitat. Importantly, many of the orders are going to storm affected sites. It is really inspiring to see the effort people are putting in to restoring habitat on their properties.

Remember that different species of wildlife need different habitats ‒ so a property with a greater variety of habitat features is likely to support more native animal species. Characteristics of a healthy habitat include:

• a diversity of native overstorey, understorey and groundcover plants, reflective of the original vegetation type
• old, large trees (dead or alive) with hollows
• regenerating native trees, shrubs and groundcovers
• a ground layer dominated by native perennial plants
• fallen timber/debris and leaf litter
• areas that are largely free of weeds and introduced grasses