Working Bees

Next Working Bee: Sunday 28 May 2017

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If you loved our Trees for Mum planting day, or sadly missed out,  never fear! Our next working bee is only a couple of weeks away and will involve more delightful planting.

On Sunday the 28th of May 2017, from 9am till 12pm, we are aiming to plant 120 grasses in the Envirofund paddocks alongside Five Mile Creek. This will add important understory to our existing revegetation sites. Alongside Trees for Mum, this forms part of the planting component of our current Threatened Species Protection grant from the Victorian Government.

Parking will be at the North end of Wood St on the South side of Five Mile Creek (ie. near the Badgers Removals depot). Bring warm clothing, a kneeling pad, gloves and sturdy footwear. Morning tea will be provided and the tool trailer will be onsite.

Newcomers are very welcome. We are hoping to see many helpers at our last Sunday working bee before the the Winter break. Contact woodendlandcare@gmail.com or call 5427 2312 for further details and to RSVP.

treesformum2017big

We had perfect conditions for our 2017 Trees for Mum planting day on mothers day. A constant stream of eager planters saw 400 indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses put in near Lake Earnshaw. A huge thanks to all who came along to plant a living legacy for a loved one and to the incredible Woodland Landcare team of volunteers for making the morning the success it was. Click here to see lots more happy snaps.

Click on the following links for more local and regional Landcare news…

Upper Campaspe Landcare Network April News

North Central Chat – May 2016

 

Sunday 23 April – Working Bee @ Lake Earnshaw

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Our next Sunday working bee is aimed at final preparation for this years Trees For Mum planting day. Trees For Mum is held on mothers day (the 14th of May) and this years site is near Lake Earnshaw. We will be spreading some wood chips and laying out and pegging down some rolls of slotted jute matting. There is also some cutting and poisoning of woody weeds nearby.

  • When: Sunday 23 April 2017
  • Time: 9am till 12 noon
  • Where: Lake Earnshaw near Gilbert Gordon Oval
  • Parking: creek side of the grandstand at Gilbert Gordon oval
  • Bring: gloves, gumboots, secateurs, suitable old clothing. Tool trailer on site.
  • Morning tea provided!

Newcomers are most welcome – there will be engaging jobs for all ages at this working bee. Contact woodendlandcare@gmail.com or call 5427 2312 for further details and to RSVP.

earnshaw in snow

Hopefully there will be no snow on the 23rd of April – but Lake Earnshaw looks stunning in all weather conditions. Thanks to Pene Rice for the photo.

Land management information session

Date: Saturday 22 April 2017
Time: 9:00am – 1:30pm (registration 9am – 9:30am, lunch 1pm) 
Where: Romsey Community Hub, 96–100 Main Street, Romsey
Cost: Free, with a light lunch provided
What: This FREE information session will provide new, absentee and small-acreage land owners with an introduction to better management of small rural properties. It aims to ensure that natural resource management issues are a core consideration of landholders when making decisions about their property. Taking timely land management action now will save money, time and effort later.
What topics will be covered?: this information session covers a range of land management issues, including:

  • Land use & land capability
  • Soils
  • Livestock management & animal welfare
  • Grazing management & pastures
  • Controlling weeds & pest animals
  • Revegetation & biodiversity
  • Landholder responsibilities
  • Waterway health & farm water supplies
  • Landcare

Learn how to design a low-input (in terms of labour and capital) rural property while improving its environmental, biodiversity and aesthetic values.

Presenters:

  • Patrick Francis (‘Moffitts Farm’, Romsey), has a wealth of experience in agriculture and runs a highly successful small farming enterprise near Romsey.
  • Michelle Patrick (Environmental Planner, Macedon Ranges Shire), has a wide knowledge of weeds, pests, and biodiversity in the Macedon Ranges.
  • Tori Vincent (Rural Land Program, Melbourne Water), has a thorough knowledge of waterway management and farm water supplies.
  • Grant Godden (Landcare Facilitator), has a history working with Landcare groups and experience in land management.
  • Melissa Connors (This Farm Needs a Farmer), recently launched a farmer mentoring program for new landholders and has a hobby farm at Kyneton.
  • Bob Nixon (Gisborne Peak Winery), will share his knowledge on running a ‘boutique’ farming enterprise.
  • John Robinson (Chair, Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network), has a 40 hectare property at Bylands and has been involved in Landcare for almost 30 years.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions during the panel discussion at the end of the information session.

RSVP: register online by Wednesday 19 April  via  https://land_management_information_session.eventbrite.com.au
More information: email upper.deep.creek.landcare@gmail.com or phone 5782 0184 (John Robinson)

Woodend Landcare: February 2017 News

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Sunday 26 February Working Bee: Willow Attack

This important tidy up is to tackle the willow regrowth after our funded willow blitz last year. Controlling the spread of this weed of national significance is crucial for healthy waterways. We hope to target Five Mile Creek from Romsey Road downstream to the new Shirley Park bridge. There are some larger multi stemmed willow clumps requiring cutting off, poisoning and carting away which will need quite a few hands. We will also do the same to any small willows starting at the Romsey Rd end of the creek and working downstream. Other tasks include plant guard removal and maintenance, and whipper snipping in plantings.

  • When:  Sunday 26 February 2017
  • Time:  9am till 12 noon
  • Where: Meet at the weir on the North East edge of Ruby McKenzie Park in Tennyson street.
  • Parking:  Tennyson St or Ruby McKenzie Park
  • Bring:  secateurs, gloves, whipper snippers, sun protection, water bottle and durable clothing and boots
  • Morning tea is provided and the tool trailer will be onsite

All welcome. The working bee will be cancelled if the day is total fire ban. For further details contact woodendlandcare@gmail.com or call David on 5427 4117.

Twilight Working Bee Success

Friday evening on the 3rd of February was a ‘I love my town’ kind of night in Woodend. Delightful weather, purposeful work at the landcare working bee, and loads of friendly faces – what more could you want? David, our tireless Working Bee Coordinator, said; “I was really pleased with the turnout, the work done and the socialising afterwords so a great bee to kick off the year.”

A huge thanks to everyone who came along – and especially those who attended their first Woodend Landcare working bee. We truly appreciated having some new faces to meet and lend a hand. And we got a stack of work done – rubbish along the creek was cleaned up, blackberries removed, oak saplings eradicated from our plantings, long pasture grasses whipper-snipped, and a dangerous overhanging tree limb was cut up. A horde of happy kids helped, played, climbed and thoroughly enjoyed the BBQ lovingly prepared by our catering team. Check out the photos below from the evening… we are super impressed by how huge the poa grasses from our 2016 Trees for Mum and 2015 community plantings are now!

This is what the planting sites looked like a year ago – come and see how they have changed!
2017 – Plants establishing

Property Planning Workshop

Sun 26 March to Sun 9 April | 9:00AM to 4:00PM | Tylden Hall

Learn how to manage your property and plan for a sustainable agricultural business. This three day workshop will give you the tools to prepare a farm management plan specific to your property with ‘one-on-one’ guidance from an expert facilitator, including a visit to a local farm. CLICK HERE for more information and to book.

property-planning-poster-email-1_edited-1

“Power” Tools to Effect Change Workshop

Saturday 18 Feb | 1.30-4.30 pm | Woodend Neighbourhood House

Fellow Landcarers, Alice Aird and Helen Scott, have asked us to share the details of a community workshop coming up in February:

“As you know, last year was a busy one for many of us working for change in our Shire. Encouraged by the success of reinvigorating democracy and electing a progressive Council, there is an appetite among the community for building and maintaining momentum for social change. If you are curious or interested, diarize this first  workshop of a series on the theme of boosting community campaigning and collaboration in and around Macedon Ranges: “Power” Tools to Effect Change.  This workshop will outline practical and versatile tools relevant for those interested in environmental issues like climate change, sustainability, food localisation…or anyone working for social and policy change. If anyone would like information explaining more about the workshops contact Alice Aird at airda@bigpond.com and Helen Scott at orseda@bigpond.com.”

Quarry Road Wildflower Poster

For those that have not seen it, we are proud to share our new wildflower poster. CLICK HERE to download a copy.

quarry-rd-poster

24 April Working Bee and Other News

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Next Working Bee: 24th April 2016
Help us get our 2016 Trees for Mum site prepared on Sunday the 24th of April.

Help us get our 2016 Trees for Mum site prepared by laying jute mat on Sunday the 24th of April.

What: Site preparation on the creek flats near the Woodend Children’s Park for Tree for Mum 2016. Tasks include laying jute mat and removing ivy and other weeds from the site.
When: 9am – noon, 24th April 2016
Where: Campaspe Park, north side of Five Mile Creek, near the single tennis court.
Bring: Gumboots and gloves
Eat/drink: Hot drinks and morning tea provided
RSVP: Krista on 5427 2140 or woodendlandcare@gmail.com

Swamp Wallabies return to Five Mile Creek

Peter Yates has written the following piece about our latest discovery along Five Mile Creek.

wallabia-bicolorSwamp Wallabies are like a smaller, darker version of a Kangaroo. They are beautiful little animals and unlike kangaroos, they are more or less defenceless against dogs. In the past, they probably lived in the bushier areas along Five Mile Creek in Woodend , but in recent years they seem to have disappeared. This may be partly due to the increased prevalence of uncontrolled dogs.

Legally dogs are permitted to be off-leash as long as they don’t harass wildlife. Many people are quite sure that their off-leash dogs are harmless and don’t represent a threat to people or animals, but this is often not the reality. Voice control is never as effective as a leash. Dogs are companion animals and they certainly enjoy their walks just as much if they are with you all the time on a leash, so it should not be regarded as an imposition on their freedom.

At our recent Landcare working bee, a swamp wallaby was seen browsing between the walking track and the creek. At the same time numbers of off leash dogs were seen passing with their owners. This is an appeal to all dog owners to please consider making a small change if they are in the habit of letting their dogs roam near them during walks.  Many of us live in Woodend because of the fabulous natural environment it offers. Wallabies are beautiful, inoffensive, defenceless animals and it would be great if we could allow  them to co-exist with us in their natural habitat without threats like off-leash dogs. In the not too distant past, Landcare members have witnessed a loving pet Labrador harassing an injured wallaby which subsequently had to be put down. Please give this some thought.

Guard Removal Working Bee Success

Meet our latest Woodend Landcare working bee recruits… hardworking Annie and Ned helped us to remove several garbage bags full of old tree guards from our past revegetation sites along the Five Mile Creek at our last working bee on the 3rd of April. Thanks to everyone who came along and to Chris and Susan for the tasty morning tea.

nedannieNorth Central Chat – Landcare News

The April 2016 edition of the North Central CMA publication ‘chat’ is now available (click here), covering Landcare and Waterwatch activities in the local area. In addition, an interesting fungi workshop is coming up in Baynton on the 30th April 2016, see flyer below for more details.

baynton sidonia fungi

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