April 2024

From the Upper Merri Landcare Facilitator

Welcome to the latest newsletter from the Upper Merri Landcare Facilitator and the Merri Creek Management Committee. Please find below information on local initiatives, opportunities and funding.

To subscribe see link below.

If you would like to share photos, events, updates and projects through the Upper Merri Landcare News. Please email through your submissions to: chriscobern@mcmc.org.au

Recent events

Clean up Australia Day in Hidden Valley

Members of the Hidden Valley Environment Sub-group and the local community gathered on Clean up Australia Day in March and did a great job cleaning up litter around the Hidden Valley parklands.    

Thank you to the Mitchell Shire Council for their support.

Landcare Biodiversity Field Day at Beveridge

Over 40 people recently attended a Landcare field day at The Crest Conservation Reserve in Beveridge. We got to see the results of a Landcare rehabilitation project undertaken 30 years ago by the Merriang Landcare Group.

Chris Cobern from MCMC and Aleks Arsoski from the City of Whittlesea spoke about the wildlife at the reserve including the threatened brush-tailed phascogale, and the importance of wildlife nesting boxes. We were thrilled to see sugar gliders using some of the nesting boxes, and we also found two blue-tongued lizards and weasel skinks. George Paras lead a walk through the reserve and spoke enthusiastically about the flora and botanical values at the site.

WEG planting activity on Taylors Creek

The Wallan Environment Group (WEG) recently held a working bee along Taylors Creek, Wallan. A small group of keen volunteers planted 250 plants that had been kindly donated by Fulton Hogan. The plants were mostly semi-aquatic species including sedges and rushes and were planted along the edge of the creek. It was fairly dry at the time but the recent rain will give them a boost.

Thanks to WEG the revegetation of this section of the Taylors Creek is now well established and while planting along the creek edge the volunteers said it felt as though they were in the middle of the bush.

Green Links Grants awarded to the Merri Creek

Swamp Wallabies, microbats, platypuses and pardalotes are among the many animals that are set to benefit from the recent awarding of over $800,000 in grant funding for four Merri Creek community groups.

The grant includes funding to revegetate a section of the Curly Sedge Creek running through the Wollert Community Farm property, adjacent to galgi ngarrk (Craigieburn Grasslands). The project will restore degraded Creekline Tussock Grasslands and reintroduce the endangered Curly Sedge (Carex tasmanica) to this portion of the creek. Curly Sedge Creek is a tributary of Merri Creek. 

More information here.

Coming Up

New Woody Weed Herbicide Information Session - Wednesday 17th April

Do you need to tackle woody weeds on your property such as Gorse and Blackberry, also Blue Periwinkle, Briar Rose and English Ivy etc?

We have a guest speaker, Paul Crack from Envu Australia talking about a new Herbicide Method 240SL for broadleaf, brush and woody weeds and will answer any questions on the night. We also hope to show a short video on practical Gorse control methods from Landcare Victoria.

Where: At the Shack 1240 Wallan-Whittlesea road Upper Plenty 3756
When: Wednesday 15th May 7.00pm till about 7.30pm (after our ordinary meeting 6.30-7.00pm)

Entry: $2 donation. All Welcome but please do not attend if you have Covid-19 or cold/flu symptoms.
Any questions phone or text the secretary Michael on 0412 408 048.
Tea and Coffee provided.

We will have weed ID books to browse and brochures to take away. If you have a problem with weeds and other management issues or would like to be a volunteer, talk to us about how you can join with us to improve your property and reduce the incidence of weeds and pest animals in our area.

This is a part of Upper Plenty Merri Catchments Landcare Group’s occasional information session held after our ordinary meetings at The Shack on the 3rd Wednesday of every month.

Save the date - Natural Treasures of Mitchell Shire brochure re-launch event

Date: Sunday 19 May
Time: 10am arrival for morning tea, with launch event proceedings to run approx 10:30am-12:30pm
Venue: Tallarook Cricket Club pavilion

The new updated brochure showcases more than 30 local 'natural treasures', highlighting key reserves and places in our region for locals and visitors to enjoy.

The event will have some short talks, stalls and displays, kids' activities, and a guided walk of the nature reserve adjacent to the cricket club (it's one of the reserves featured in the new brochure).

For more information contact BEAM Mitchell Environment Group on beam.inc18@gmail.com

Funding & grants 

Victorian Landcare Grants now open

The 2024 Victorian Landcare Grants are now open for all Victorian Landcare and environmental volunteer groups and networks that are community-based and have a focus on on-ground land and natural environment improvement work. 
The following grants are available:
Project Grants of up to $20,000 for on ground works, capability building activities, community education and engagement that protects or improves our natural environment such as native vegetation, native fauna, waterways, wetlands, and soils.
Support Grants of up to $500 to assist with costs such as insurance, incorporation and operational needs, or meetings and events or newsletters, websites and other communication.
Closing date: 30th April.
For more information and to access guidelines click here.

Melbourne Water Liveable Communities, Liveable Waterways Program

These Melbourne Water grants are open all-year around.
Eligible activities include weed removal, revegetation, erosion control, signage, habitat creation, stormwater management, fencing, irrigation plans, farm layout design and more.
Individual landholders encouraged to find out more here.

Fire and Gorse Webinar - Recording

This webinar will help you to understand the risks and threats of gorse infestations. Discover its growth  patterns, spread dynamics and the alarming fire hazard it presents, and learn actionable steps to mitigate its impact.

This session featured insights from Christina Boom of the Victorian Gorse Taskforce and Daniel Idczak from CFA.

Watch a recording of this webinar here.