Help us to plant seedlings and care for our existing revegetation sites near the tennis courts on Five Mile Creek. On Sunday 26 April, volunteers will plant tube-stock, spread mulch, hand-weed and remove old plant guards. We have tools for moving mulch, but more might be handy, so if it’s easy to do, please bring a wheelbarrow, rake or shovel. Morning tea will be provided.
Discover the nocturnal wildlife that calls Five Mile Creek in Woodend home. From micro bats to fury marsupials and creek-side creatures, you’ll learn how scientists monitor wildlife after dark, and meet some neighbours you never knew you had.
Join Fauna Ecologist, John Harris, for a fascinating evening of biodiversity surveying as part of Woodend Landcare’s Fauna Discovery Project.
Details:
Date: Saturday 18 April
Time: 7 pm – 9.30 pm
Activities:
7 pm-8 pm – indoor presentation introducing some nocturnal animals we might see on our walk.
8 pm-9.30 pm – guided walk along Five Mile Creek to discover our nocturnal neighbours. John will demonstrate various types of surveying equipment that are used to spot animals hidden in the dark.
Location: Woodend Community Centre (adjoining Library), followed by walk along Five Mile Creek.
BYO: torch, sturdy shoes, clothing appropriate for the weather and activities (equipment for spotlighting and fauna surveying will be provided).
On Sunday 22 March help Woodend Landcare protect biodiversity at Slatey Creek Reserve. This reserve on Ashbourne Rd is a local Koala hotspot. We will focus on removing ivy and woody weeds. Briefing starts at 8.45 with morning tea provided. New volunteers are always very welcome!
Grab your gloves and tongs! Help us clean up litter along Five Mile Creek in Woodend as part of Clean Up Australia Day. Your help will prevent rubbish from polluting our waterways and natural environment. Meet us at the Woodend Visitor Center at 9 am on Sunday 1 March 2026. Hope to see you there!
Living in the Macedon Ranges, we are fortunate to have many native birds. These birds call the natural environment, our farms, and gardens “home”. Our native birds have to deal with various threats to their existence, like roaming cats and foxes. Perhaps the biggest threat comes from the sky in the form of Indian Mynas (also known as “Common Mynas” or “Rats of the Sky”). These birds were introduced in 1862 from Southern Asia to control insects in Melbourne’s market gardens. That idea didn’t work, but the birds spread across Australia.
Indian Mynas are medium sized birds, with a brown body, black head, and yellow feet and beak. They are aggressive birds that predate on native birds and small animals, actively taking over nesting hollows. In some places, they have effectively eradicated all native bird life. Conversely in some places, trapping programs have virtually eliminated the Indian Myna birds.
Indian Mynas are scavengers and will thrive in places where food scraps are available. Left over pet food, chicken food or lunch scraps are all attractive to them. With a little effort, it is possible to reduce these food sources.
Across Australia, some Landcare groups and local councils have initiated successful control programs. The Indian Myna eradication program in the Macedon Ranges started in 2013. It was initiated and continues to be organised by Ron Fink, a member of Woodend Landcare. There are trappers and coordinators in most Macedon Ranges towns, resulting in some areas being almost free of Indian Mynas. Still, there is an ongoing need for volunteers. At present Kyneton has no trappers or a town coordinator, so unfortunately the Myna population is set to grow again.
If you do see or hear Indian Mynas on your property, consider becoming a trapper. It is a very worthwhile and beneficial contribution to the biodiversity in your area. Traps are available for free on a loan basis and training is provided. Traps are basically one-way walk-in cages. Trapped birds are kept in comfortable conditions and humanely euthenased as soon as possible after trapping.
If you think you can help MRIMAG (Macedon Ranges Indian Myna Action Group), please contact Ron Fink on 0407 661 129 or via email at woodendlandcare@gmail.com.
Woodend Landcare 