Woodend Landcare Working Bee – Sunday 4 June 2023

May 30, 2023 / Woodend Landcare / Leave a comment

Join us, this Sunday morning between 9am – 12pm, for our working bee at Five Mile Creek, located near the new bridge, between Wood and Bowen Streets.

This is an extra special working bee as it’s a clean up prior to the official launch of the new bridge, in memory of former Woodend Landcare President, Jo Clancy. The official opening of the bridge will be on 18 June at 11.00am.

Newcomers and non-members are more than welcome. As always, we take a break midmorning for a cuppa, tasty snack and friendly chit chat. We’d love to see you there!

WORKING BEE – 30th April

April 25, 2023 / Woodend Landcare / Leave a comment

Join us this Sunday morning for our annual working bee at Slatey Creek Blackgum Reserve, Ashbourne Road, Woodend.

Newcomers and non-members are more than welcome. As always, we take a break midmorning for a cuppa, tasty snack and friendly chit chat.

2023 Calendar

January 17, 2023February 1, 2023 / Woodend Landcare / Leave a comment

Working bees are back!

After a damp 2022, we are looking forward to resuming our working bees in February 2023. Given the height of the creek last year, there’s lots to do and new helping hands are always appreciated. Many hands make light work! Check our calendar for dates and locations.

The Thursday Crew continue making a difference at various locations around town. Thursday Crew working bees are held every Thursday morning during most of the year. Contact Dave (sms 0405 910 176 or email dvbower65@gmail.com) if you are interested in being involved.

Woodend Landcare – November News

November 22, 2021 / Woodend Landcare / Leave a comment

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

Woodend Landcare – October 2021 News – What’s your five wishes for Five Mile Creek?

October 26, 2021 / Woodend Landcare / Leave a comment

Take Five Minutes to tell us your Five Wishes for Five Mile Creek

Five Mile Creek is a special part of Woodend. It links the town, protects important threatened species, and is a beautiful place to walk and enjoy nature. Woodend Landcare have been working for years to clear weeds, revegetate and enhance community access and facilities along the creek.

Now, in collaboration with Macedon Ranges Shire Council, we are creating a master plan for the public land along Five Mile Creek through the town.

We want to hear from you about how to make the creek even better in the years to come.

Please take five minutes to fill in our survey – CLICK HERE to access the survey.

Tell us how you use the creek and your top five wishes for the future of Five Mile Creek. We’re interested in your ideas for any or all parts of the creek from Romsey Rd downstream to Gregory St (near Buffalo Stadium).

You could consider improvements to the natural environment, facilities you would like to see and exactly where those should go, or fun ways to make the area more educational and engaging. We encourage you to be creative and think big!

Alternatively, visit the Woodend Library where we have paper versions of the survey available and a big map to illustrate your vision. You can also email us your ideas (woodendlandcare@gmail.com). We can’t wait to hear from you.

This project has been made possible with funding from Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s Community Funding Scheme.

Free Black Gums for storm affected properties

Do you live along the floodplains of Five Mile Creek or Slatey Creek in Woodend? If so, your property is likely perfect habitat for the endangered Black Gum (Eucalyptus aggregata).

How to spot a Black Gum:

Small to medium-sized woodland tree that grows 18–20 m tall
Bark on the trunk and main branches is dark grey to black, deeply fibrous or flaky
Glossy green leaves are alternately arranged along the stems and are 5–12 cm long by 1–2 cm wide
White flowers are arranged in groups of seven and appear from November to May
Grows on alluvial soils in cold, poorly drained flats and hollows

Woodend Landcare is aware that a number of Black Gums were lost during the June storm. We are keen to get a better idea of the impacts of the storm on Black Gum populations. If you have experienced Black Gum losses on your place, please email us with your stories woodendlandcare@gmail.com.

Thanks to the Threatened Species Conservancy, we have some Black Gum seedlings to give away – email us to express your interest (and quantities needed) and help to preserve Woodend’s iconic tree. You can pick them up at our stall at the Farmers Market on the 6 November.

Click here to download a guide to identifying and conserving Black Gums from the Threatened Species Conservancy

Working bees resume on Sunday 31 October

We are going to have a small, but much needed, working bee at 9am on Sunday 21 October along Five Mile Creek near Heron Street.

Jobs include cutting and painting some medium sized flowering broom plants below the track, also some small elms and willows and a few other woody weeds in the area such as Cordylines. Some of it will involve some steep areas in long grass, so sturdy footwear recommended. There is also a lot of ivy climbing up the trunks of trees as you head upstream (away from town) and it would be a very worthwhile task to at least cut those plants at the base of the trees to prevent them from flowering and seeding.

Please note the COVID safe requirements outlined in the flyer below and RSVP so we have an idea of numbers at woodendlandcare@gmail.com.

Woodend Landcare at the Farmers Market

On Saturday 6 November we will have a stall at the mini-sustainable living festival at the Woodend Farmers Market. We will have free Black Gum trees to give away and are keen to talk to you about your ideas for Woodend Five Mile Creek to inform the master plan. Please come along and say hello!

Click here for more information

Biodiversity Crisis: Animals & plants of the Macedon Ranges exhibition

Did you know that 376 animal species and 1,457 varieties of native plants have been recorded in the Macedon Ranges?

A new interactive exhibition launched at the Kyneton Museum showcases the unique flora and fauna of the Macedon Ranges while exploring the threats to our biodiversity and what we can do to help.

‘A Biodiversity Crisis: Animals and Plants of the Macedon Ranges’ brings together a collection of historical accounts of local species and photographs. This is a unique opportunity to get up close with a collection of animal specimens or peek inside some natural tree hollows to see who lives inside.

A family-friendly experience with hands-on kids activities, the Kyneton Museum is open Friday to Sunday 11-4pm.

Click here for more information