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Woodend Landcare June 2016 News: celebrating our local landscape.

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Cobaw Biolink Field Day

Fifty five people recently attended a field day organized by the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network with Woodend, Carlsruhe, Ashbourne and Newham Landcare Groups. They toured the Campaspe River, Five Mile Creek, important remnant grassland sites, and ended the day overlooking the landscape at the top of the Jim Jims, near Hanging Rock.

Ecologists and Landcare members discuss workshops being planned to give participants an insight into the landscape and vegetation communities of the local region.They will provide a forum for the discussion of ecological restoration techniques and priorities. Pic by Sandy Scheltema

Workshop participants gained an insight into the landscape and vegetation communities of the local region. Pic by Sandy Scheltema

The field day, presented by Uncle Larry and ecologists Damien Cook and Paul Foreman, gave participants an insight into the landscape and vegetation communities of the local region. It provided a fascinating forum for the discussion of ecological restoration techniques and priorities.

Of particular interest to Woodend Landcare was how thrilled Paul Foreman was to discover the Woodend Grassland Reserve – which he said was one of best examples of remnant grasslands in the region, if not the state. Who knew we had something so special right in our own town!

Participants were also delighted to hear Taungurung Elder and knowledge holder, Uncle Larry Walsh, tell stories about local indigenous plants and animals and how they related to the lifestyle of Central Victoria oldest inhabitants.

Taungurung Elder and story teller Uncle Larry Walsh speaks of the importance of looking after the land from an indigenous perspective at a recent Field Day organized by the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network.Pic by Sandy Scheltema

Uncle Larry spoke of the importance of looking after the land from an indigenous perspective. Pic by Sandy Scheltema

Ecologist Damien Cook, said “Indigenous knowledge is a critical part of understanding how to restore our damaged landscapes.”

Landcare members were also present to tell their stories of successful revegetation and biolink projects and spoke of a vision for future conservation works in the area.

President of Upper Campaspe Landcare Network Barry Elliott felt “the day was successful because it was a lovely combination of being able to see sites that were in good and bad condition. The presenters were excellent.”

The field day was part of a series of workshops designed to feed into planning for regional landscape scale revegetation projects. The projects will tackle issues relating to biodiversity loss and climate change. Woodend Landcare looks forward to being involved in the development of this exciting biolink project.

Save the Date: Woodend Landcare AGM – Saturday 23rd July.

We will send out more information about our AGM and membership renewals very soon, but in the meantime, please mark the afternoon of Saturday the 23rd of July in your diaries as Woodend Landcare’s not-to-be-missed AGM (including a special guest speaker).

June 2016 edition of North Central CMA chat

The June 2016 North Central Chat is available for viewing (click here – 5MB).  Regional Landcare Coordinator, Tess Grieves, notes that the highlights this month include an invitation to the North Central Waterwatch 4th Annual Water Science Forum on June 4, an array of fishy news stories and an introduction to Gorse Project officer Jenny Johnson.

A tree for your mum on Mother’s Day

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Come along and plant with your mum or for your mum on Mother’s Day.

Woodend Landcare is hosting Trees of Mum on Sunday, 8 May from 9am to midday at Campapse Park off Campaspe Drive, just the other side of the creek to the Children’s Park near the free tennis court.

Trees for Mum is a series of Australia-wide free tree planting events run by Landcare on Mother’s Day.  First started in Sydney in 2002 by friends and colleagues, Deena Raphael and Lauren Adlam, as a way of paying tribute to their Mums, who they had both lost to cancer; Trees for Mum in Woodend is now in its fifth year.

The trees and shrubs will be a range of natives that are perfect for the Woodend climate.  The Woodend Landcare team will be on hand with plenty of tools to help you plant them into weed mat along the bank of the creek.  Everyone will be given a tree or a shrub and some grasses to plant to create an interesting habitat.

Bring along some gloves and we recommend gumboots; it might be wet and muddy. There’s no need to book this year, but if you do have a question call Angela on 0409 373 010
treesformum2016

Woodend Landcare News: March 2016

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Important Dates

Plant Guard Removal Working Bee: 3 April

Our next working bee is to be held on Sunday April 3rd from 9am till 12pm (note this is a changed date to the original due to Easter). We will undertaking the very important task of removing old plastic plant guards from previous plantings on the north side of the creek starting at the new access bridge over the creek to Shirley Park Estate and heading downstream. A good turnout would enable us to move into other areas on the same day.

'Willow Attack' Working Bee, February 2016

Our ‘Willow Attack’ Working Bee, 28 February 2016

Location. Five Mile Creek Reserve which is accessible from the Southern end of Tennyson St. Look for the working bee signs near the bike track.

What to bring? A pocket knife or stanley knife, long pants and long sleeves, boots, spare chaff bags or similar
The Landcare tool trailer will be onsite and morning tea will be provided.
RSVPs to Krista on 5427 2140 or woodendlandcare@gmail.com. Newcomers are always welcome.

Trees for Mum 2016: 8 May

Doug Delgeish has been working quietly behind the scenes preparing our site for the 2016 Trees For mum planting. Thanks Doug!

Doug Delgeish has been working quietly behind the scenes preparing our site for the 2016 Trees For mum planting. Thanks Doug!

Trees for Mum is a part of a national series of Mother’s Day tree-planting events hosted by Landcare. This year’s events will be held on Sunday 8 May. In Woodend, we’ll be planting trees and shrubs for mums at the Woodend Children’s Park. Save the date and come and plant with your mum or for your mum.

Our working bee on the 24th of April will be dedicated to preparing the site in readiness for the big day. We’ll provide more details about this in April.

Our Big Weekend in February

The last weekend of February was a big one for Woodend Landcare.

On Saturday the 27th of February, we were thrilled to be on display at the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Festival alongside several of our fellow local Landcare groups. Many interesting and inspiring conversations about our local environment were had on the day. Meanwhile, the kids enjoyed puppet play in ‘the stump’ which was highlighting the importance of hollows for homes for many of our native critters.

The following day we had a great crew gather for our Willow Attack Working Bee. Willow regrowth at the Tennyson St site was treated, as was about a fifth of the willows growing in the weir. We’re now looking into how to get through the remaining four-fifths! Thanks heaps for joining us everyone – it was a testimate to the old saying ‘many hands make light work’. Special thanks to Jo and Susan for the tasty morning tea and to David for his great on-site guidance.

Puppet play with 'the stump' at the Macedon ranges Sustainability Festival

Puppet play with ‘the stump’ at the Macedon ranges Sustainability Festival

Cobaw Campaspe Biolink Project

The Upper Campaspe Landcare Network recently received a Victorian Landcare grant to assist in developing long term action plans for landscape restoration along two natural corridors. One of them – the Cobaw Campaspe Biolink Project – involves Woodend, Ashbourne, Carlsruhe and Newham Landcare Groups.
A desktop study of the biolink area is currently being undertaken and workshops in the field are planned. Open to landowners, Landcare members and interested stakeholders, the workshops will include walk and talk events with ecologists and indigenous owners looking at issues such as threatened species, river and grassland restoration and remnant vegetation management. We will keep you notified as plans progress.
This map shows the approximate area of the Cobaw Campaspe Biolink Project.

This map shows the approximate area of the Cobaw Campaspe Biolink Project.

MRSC Draft Environmental Strategy

Many of you will be aware that the Council’s draft environmental strategy is currently open for comment. We encourage everyone to check out strategy and provide comment to council. The strategy is available for downloading and comment by clicking here. Ross Colliver has done a great summary of the strategy for Riddells Creek Landcare at http://nutsaboutnaturercl.blogspot.com.au/

Interesting Newsletters

These newsletters are worth a read if you’re interested in more Landcare news from the region.

Upper Campaspe Landcare Network: http://www.uppercampaspelandcare.org.au/february-2016/

North Central Chat: http://www.nccma.vic.gov.au/library/scripts/objectifyMedia.aspx?file=KMSMedia/pdf/143/80.pdf&fileName=North Central Chat- March 2016.pdf

Reminder Working Bee Sunday 22 November

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The next Sunday working bee is on 22 November from 9am to 12pm at Ruby McKenzie park off Tennyson Street in Woodend.

We’ll meet at the weir.

Tasks include removing redundant plant guards, whipper snipping around recent plantings, watering of recent plantings and some cutting and poisoning of woody weeds.

The tool trailer will be on site and morning tea is provided.

Put this date in your diary to attend the last Sunday working bee this year. Contact David Gossip on 5427 4117 for further details.

Working bee Sunday 23 August – new location

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Please note our next working bee will be held at the Chilreveg_crowd copydren’s Park (details below) NOT at Slatey Creek Reserve as previously intended.

Working bee Sunday 23 August

What: Site preparation on the creek flats at the Children’s Park, the location for major planting on 12 September.
When: 9am – noon, Campaspe Park, north side of Five Mile Creek, near the single tennis court.
Do: Cutting and pasting weeds, removing old blackberry canes, whipper snipping on the banks. Generally tidying up the site.
Bring: Gumboots, gloves, whipper snipper
Eat/drink: Hot drinks and morning tea provided

Hope to see you there