The Future of Five Mile Creek: A community involvement plan

/ Woodend Landcare

The Five Mile Creek runs through the centre of Woodend township and is a major public open-space asset for the community. The creek catchment supports a range of threatened flora, fauna and vegetation communities and, in particular, the Black Gum of which the only known occurrence in Victoria is at Woodend.

 Woodend Landcare and its predecessor ‘Friends of Five Mile Creek’ have been working along Five Mile Creek for more than 20 years, primarily on woody and other weed control, and revegetation. In the past eight years, at least 20 working bees have involved the larger community and schools in bringing the creek back to a healthier waterway, and about 12,000 indigenous plants have been put in the ground.

Woodend Landcare needs help to maintain the work done to date and to further improve the creek. It would like to see the wider community and stakeholders engaged in helping to enhance and restore five Mile Creek. It hence initiated the development of a ‘Community Involvement Plan’ for the Five Mile Creek from Romsey Road to Gregory Street, Woodend. The plan compliments and updates the ‘Waterway Action Plan’ developed by North Central Catchment Management Authority in 2004.

The community involvement plan outlines a vision, as identified by stakeholders and community, to improve the Five Mile Creek. It also addresses the important issue of ongoing management and maintenance responsibilities for on-ground works that are undertaken along the creek. In doing so it identifies the level of involvement that people and groups are prepared to commit.

Click here to view the report: “The Future of Five Mile Creek: A community involvement plan”

Chainsaw Training – Sunday 12th February

/ Woodend Landcare

Our first chainsaw training session with Luke Dam was very useful to the participants. Luke is an excellent trainer and he has agreed to do a more “in-depth” session on Sunday morning 12th February next year. The first session was mainly about safety. This one will be a full 3 hours from 9.30AM to 12.30PM and will include the safety aspects again, but also many handy tips around the purchase, ownership and basic maintenance of a saw.

It will not be an accredited course, so there will be no diploma, but you will come away with some very handy information and maybe a few new skills. Even if you have used a saw for decades, as I have, you will still find the course informative.

If you have a saw, please bring it, together with ear protectors, goggles, boots and gloves if you have them. Landcare does have some protective gear if you don’t have any. There will be a small charge for non-Landcare members which will be no more than $20. More information nearer the day but we do need an indication of who will be coming, so please let me know.

Cheers, Peter

VENUE – NORTHERN END OF PYKE STREET NEAR THE CHILDREN’S PARK

DATE – SUNDAY 12TH FEBRUARY 2012

TIME – 0930 – 1230

COST – UP TO $20

RSVP – Peter Yates, pandaY@bipond.com

Working bee and chainsaw training – this Sunday (the 27th November)

/ Woodend Landcare

A reminder that the monthly Sunday working bee will be held this weekend on the 27th of November from 09.30am at the Envirofund area via the northern end of Wood St.

The general plan is to do the usual cleaning up around our plantings which will be mainly whipper snipper work. Others can weed in plant guards and generally tidy them up, and also cut and paint the gorse and broom plants.

Morning tea will be provided and whipper snippers would be useful!

ALSO … we have decided to proceed with the chainsaw safety session after the working bee.

Weather permitting, it will commence at noon in the paddocks near Badgers Removals at the northern end of Wood St. The charge will be minimal for non-members and free for Landcare members.

This session will only cover some basic safety aspects and will only last for about one hour, so those who need to can escape for lunch. Luke has agreed to stay around for anyone who wants to discuss things, but the likelihood is that we will run a slightly expanded course covering some maintenance aspects as well as the safety issues early next year. This may be a dedicated Sunday morning session rather than being at the end of working bee.

If the brief session on Sunday is OK for you, please come along with your saw if you have one. Otherwise let us know if you would like to be contacted for a longer sessions next year.

Two Events to Celebrate 25 Years of Landcare

/ Woodend Landcare

 

Woodend Landcarers may be interested in these two events celebrating 25 years of Landcare.

The 25th Anniversary of Landcare Conference will take place on 15 November at the MCG. It’s a chance for Landcarers and supporters to come together for a day of high level speakers and an extensive range of workshops and seminars.

The day will provide an opportunity to:

  • share successes over 25 years with inspiring stories of landscape change
  • learn about growing the landcare movement in the next 25 years
  • meet Landcarers and likeminded people from around the state

The Hon Ryan Smith, Minister for Environment and Climate Change will deliver the official welcome at the 25th Anniversary of Landcare Conference.

Guest speakers include John Williams, Andrew Campbell, Kate Auty, Alexandra Gartmann and Landcare co-founder Joan Kirner. A history panel lead by Pam Robinson with guests Joan Kirner, Rob Youl, Horrie Poussard and others will reflect on key milestones in Landcare’s past 25 years.

A futuristic panel led by Kate Auty, joined by Alexandra Gartmann and Cate Barham, will discuss the way forward for Landcare for the next 25 years and beyond. Over 25 workshops will be offered on sustainable primary production, a healthy Landcare community and our environment, challenges and solutions. Click here to view the complete list of workshops and speakers.

Registration for volunteers is only $27.50. Register online by following this link:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Y39VMSD . For more information go to:http://www.landcarevic.net.au/25years/conference/conference-information or contact David Rooks on tel: (03) 5952 3331, Mob 0418 115 935 for hard copies.

Registrations have been extended until Thursday 10 November.

 

The second event is a celebration of the North Central 25th Anniversary of Landcare on Friday 25 November 2011 at Bress Winery in Harcourt. This will be an opportunity to catch up with old friends and listen to guest speaker Shanaka Fernando (business entrepreneur of ‘Lentil as Anything’, a-pay-as-you-feel cafe in Melbourne). Also enjoy the mesmerising sounds of Kinja, local violin and didgeridoo duo.  Click here to see the details.

Chainsaw Training – Expressions of Interest sought

/ Woodend Landcare

If you would like to learn more about the basics of chainsaw use and safety, Woodend Landcare would like to hear from you.

Woodend Landcare is considering conducting a chainsaw training session to cover basic chainsaw operation. The training session will be conducted by a qualified trainer, however participants will not receive accreditation. The session is likely to take about one hour and may be conducted after a working bee.

The session will be free to Landcare members and at a modest cost to others.

Interested parties will be contacted with session details should the training go ahead.

Interested? Email Peter Yates at pandaY@bigpond.com.