On Sunday 1 March, 15 people met at the Woodend Information Centre. They scoured up and down Five Mile Creek between Buffalo Stadium and Campaspe Park. Their mission was collecting rubbish. Still, some of us couldn’t resist the temptation to pick a weed or two along the way!

In total, we filled 8 big bags. They contained approximately 1,120 pieces of rubbish. This is an increase from 747 items in 2025. The increase is mainly due to soft plastic.

Of note:

• 11 plastic soy sauce fish (not the type of fish we want in our creek!)
• 20 dog poo bags (including some unused bags)
• 12 balls (tennis, golf, dog toys)
• 1 shopping trolley
• 1 pallet
• 2 vapes

It was pleasing to find no plastic straws, syringes or facemasks this year.

Additionally, no plastic plant guards were found. Instead, there were 4 biodegradable cardboard plant guards. This reflects Woodend Landcare’s switch to these for revegetation within the Five Mile Creek flood zone. Although cardboard guards are more expensive, it results in better outcomes for our local environment.