Weed or native?

Have you got plants in your garden and have no idea what they are? This Saturday morning you can bring along a photo or sample to the Woodend Library and local botanists – Adam Barber and Bianca Aquilina – will identify them for you!

As part of Landcare week the Woodend Landcare team are running a weed/native identification session on Saturday, 6 September from 10.30am to 11.30am at Woodend Library. Pop in with your plant or photo on your way to the farmers’ market.

Sunday working bees are back – Sunday, 24 August

Spring is just around the corner and our Sunday working bees are back after the winter break

When: Sunday, 24 August

Time: 9am till 12 noon

Where: Slatey Creek Reserve

Directions: 1.4 km from the traffic lights along Ashbourne Road

Parking: On the “no through Rd” that runs along the East side of the Reserve

Morning tea provided

Tasks include burning off an existing pile of branches, picking up and burning off some other fallen branches throughout the reserve, plant guard maintenance, cutting and painting of woody weeds, pick up roadside rubbish, digging a trench to redirect water flow from a recently installed drain, etc.

This is an annual tidy up at Slatey Creek so all help is welcome and the reserve is a very pleasant location to carry out some community environmental work.

For further details contact David on 5427 4117 or email us

The Best Nest – What does it take to build the best nest?

A very proud Ellie

A very proud Ellie

Children who took part in Woodend Landcare’s The Best Nest workshop at the recent Woodend Children’s Festival discovered that a great selection of natural and recycled materials, nimble fingers and some love and care certainly helps. And in the process, we all had a ball exploring, creating and celebrating the hidden homes of our fine-feathered friends.

Thanks to those who joined in – we estimate over 300 nests were created on the day – and to the Woodend Children’s Festival for warmly welcoming Landcare into their exciting program.

 

 

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Thanks to everyone who attended the AGM on 12 July

The year was dissected, our achievements celebrated, members and supporters thanked, and a new committee elected.

Read copy of the Woodend Landcare AGM Report 2014 here.

Naturalist Tanya Loos gave a wonderful talk about nature’s six seasons in our part of the world. Tanya has observed the long winter, the later spring and short but intense true summer are hallmarks of our area, with the timing of wildflowers, the arrival and behaviour of certain animals and birds quite different to surrounding regions. Extra points to Tanya for improvising so effortlessly when the projector gave up the ghost and her beautiful photos could only be seen on the laptop. The talk was a great motivator and we’re all now longing for those warm summer evenings when we can next go for a nature walk.here

Reminder: $20 membership fees fell due on 30 June

Landcare at the Woodend Children’s Festival Sunday, 27 July

Prepare to be inspired at this exciting mid-winter festival!

Sunday, 27 July 2014 10am to 3pm

Buffalo Stadium, Forest Street, Woodend

The Best Nest: Landcare

The Best Nest is an interactive space that seeks to create and celebrate the hidden homes of our fine-feathered friends. It offers little people and big people an opportunity to work together to construct a nest made from natural and recycled materials. “I love my house, I love my nest, in all the world, my nest is best” sings the Mother Bird in the book The Best Nest. We invite you to join us to investigate and explore what makes The Best Nest.

Krista Patterson-Majoor and Sam Ford live on the edge of Woodend with their two children Banjo and Daisy. They enjoy being in the bush and sharing the wonders of the natural world with children….more on The Best Nest here

www.woodendchildrensfestival.com.au