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

 

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 at this free event.

Woodend Landcare is hosting Trees for Mum on Sunday, 14 May from 9.30am to midday at Lake Earnshaw, behind Gilbert Gordon Oval.

Trees for Mum is a series of Australia-wide tree planting events run by Landcare on Mother’s Day. These events 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 in its sixth year.

Over the past few years Woodend Landcare’s Thursday crew have been hard at work restoring this historic site from an overgrown mass of blackberries to the tranquil open space it is today, which makes it the perfect choice for Trees for Mum 2017.
The trees and shrubs will be a range of natives suitable for the climate and location and the Woodend Landcare team will be on hand with plenty of tools to help you plant. Participants will be given a tree or shrub plus some grasses to plant, providing native understorey and further improving the habitat at Lake Earnshaw.

We recommend you wear gumboots and bring along some gloves. The site will be well sign-posted from High Street – parking is available. There’s no need to book this year, but if you do have a question call Angela on 0409 373 010 or email treesformum@gmail.com

Download poster here

All photo credits Kim Selby Photography www.kimselbyphotography.com.au

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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)

Local environment events – April 2017

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Environmental DNA Testing – 6 April

A very interesting talk on the use of environmental DNA testing of water ways as part of riparian protection works to be held in Drummond on 6th April, hosted by Malmsbury Landcare.

DNA Talk Poster*

Geology of Bald Hill Reserve – 27 May

A “Geology of Bald Hill Reserve” workshop with Phil Dyson is to be held on Saturday 27th May 2017.

Macedon Ranges Shire Environment Events

The shire have some interesting events coming up in April including land management workshops, a bird count in the Cobaws, and an evening about conservation covenants on bush blocks. CLICK HERE to check them out.

Prickly blitz: Sunday 26th March Working Bee

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Join us for our once-a-year blitz at the 3ha ‘envirofund’ site on Five Mile Creek – just upstream of the children’s park*. Massive amounts of poplar were removed over a decade ago, with follow-up plantings of close to 4000 native plants and 21 exotic trees and the addition of granitic paths. Tasks for our March Working Bee include cutting and poisoning of gorse, blackberry and willow regrowth, plant guard removal and maintenance, whipper-snipping in plantings.
* Please note this a changed location from what is provided in our annual calendar.

  • When: Sunday 26 March 2017
  • Time: 9am till 12 noon
  • Where: Five Mile Creek between Pyke St to Bowen St
  • Parking: on site at Wood St – next to Badger Removals
  • Bring: secateurs, gloves, whipper-snippers, sun protection, gumboots for creek access, suitable protective work clothing.
  • Provided: Our tool trailer will be on site and morning tea is provided (please RSVP to help with catering).

Newcomers are very welcome. For further details and to RSVP contact woodendlandcare@gmail.com or call 5427 2312.

Once covered by poplars, this is the envirofund site today – a Woodend Landcare success story.