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Happy 2025 Woodend Landcarers!

We hope you you’ve had a great start to the year and are looking forward to helping restore nature in Woodend with Landcare in 2025. We have won 4 grants this year, so we’ll be undertaking a couple of planting days to continue the Black Gum BioLink Enhancement project in the vicinity of the tennis club – Scout Hall – Jeffrey’s St. Throughout the year we also plan to take part in Clean Up Australia Day, visiting Quarry Road Flora Reserve and Slatey Creek Black Gum Reserve.

Below is our our activities calendar for 2025 – make sure you mark these dates in your diary. Click here to download the 2025 Woodend Landcare Calendar – Printable version (PDF).

Our trusty Thursday Crew are back in action and continue to meet most weeks – contact Dave Bower (dvbower65@gmail.com) if you’d like to get involved.

February Working Bee

As usual we have December and January off each year. We begin our working bee season in the shade of the gum trees by Five Mile Creek, along the Rotary exercise track near Jeffrey’s Street. This has been the site of our annual February bee for a couple of years now and the impact we’ve made on the ivy can easily be seen by anyone strolling by.

When: 9am – 12 noon, Sunday 9 February
Where: Five Mile Creek near Jeffrey’s St

Don’t forget to check our website before the bee in case we have had to change locations or cancel at the last minute.

Taking Action Against Indian Mynas: The MRIMAG Project

The Indian Myna, while seemingly harmless, is a significant environmental concern in Australia. Its aggressive and adaptive nature has allowed it to disrupt ecosystems, threaten native biodiversity, and cause issues in urban and rural areas. Groups like the Macedon Ranges Indian Myna Action Group (MRIMAG) are taking action to combat this invasive species and protect the environment.

We have set up a new page to find out more about the MRIMAG project and how you can get involved – click here to view.

2024 in reflection

Woodend Landcare would like to express our gratitude to all our dedicated volunteers and generous supporters who have helped us achieve so much this year. Some of our 2024 accomplishments include:

Received Macedon Ranges Shire Council Healthy People and Environment Community Award.
Commendation presented to Nicole Middleton (our Treasurer) for the Joan Kirner Landcare Award.
Received donations from Woodend Rotary, Woodend Community Bags (MRSG), Natural Grace, Macedon Ranges Signs and several locals.
Filmed for Postcards travel and leisure tv show to air early in 2025.
Completion of the Pollinator Corridor Project, planting 750 understorey species along Five Mile Creek and surrounds.
Collaboration with Woodend Scouts to plant 660 seedlings for the Black Gum Biolink Project (Join us for more planting days in 2025).
Provided guided tours of our revegetation work along Five Mile Creek to two Victoria University student groups and the VNPA Nature’s Stewards program.
Negotiated approval by VicTrack to continue working to conserve the beautiful remnant flora along Quarry Road Rail Reserve
Applied for and acquitted 10 grants, including auspicing a GWW grant for Woodend Primary School
Monthly sampling of Five Mile Creek water to test for water quality (CMA Water Watch) and pesticide residues (Deakin University research)
Cleared 464 pieces of rubbish from Five Mile Creek for Clean Up Australia Day.
MRIMAG continued to reduce the impact of introduced Indian Myna’s on indigenous bird communities.
Sightings of platypus and rakali in Five Mile Creek within town, indicating a healthy riparian ecosystem.
Eleven Sunday working bees as well as Thursday Crew working bees during most weeks.
Gazillions of ivy, willow, blackberry, privet, broom, gorse plus other invasive weeds removed from our local environment.

Despite our successes this year, we only have 36 financial members, which is down from last year. If you’d like to support the amazing work of Woodend Landcare volunteers maintaining and enhancing the natural environment within and around our town, please sign up as a financial or financial/active member by clicking here.

Woodend Landcare is a not-for-profit, environmental community group run by a team of dedicated volunteers. We aim to enhance the natural environment within and around Woodend through, improving biodiversity corridors, restoring waterways, and protecting endangered species, all-the-while increasing the liveability of our town.

We are always happy to accept inexperienced newcomers at our working bees, new members into our group and financial donations from individuals, businesses or other groups who are unable to donate their time to help our cause.

There are numerous ways donations can made to Woodend Landcare:

1. Tax Deductible Donations via Landcare Victoria Fund

Go to Make a gift for nature today. Enter “Woodend Landcare” when asked which group you wish to support.

2. Non-tax Deductible Donations

Cheque donations via the post (Cheques payable to: Woodend Landcare Inc; P.O. Box 297, Woodend, VIC 3442)
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or online bank transfer (Contact woodendlandcare@gmail.com for our bank details)

3. Container Deposit Scheme (CDS)

Donate the money raised from recycling your 10c cans and bottles at a Visy CDS drop-off site. Simply download the CDS Vic North app to your mobile, and on the Donations tab, select Woodend Landcare. Our Woodend Landcare Zone ID: C2000016665 or show our barcode (see picture) and your donation will come through to us.

4. Ritchies IGA Community Benefits Program

When Ritchies IGA members nominate Woodend Landcare as the organisation they support, IGA will donate a proportion of their shopping total to Woodend Landcare, at no charge to the shopper.