May 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

Dry Creek Restoration Project

The Upper Plenty Merri Catchments Landcare Group (UPMC) held a working bee recently to identify and remove woody weeds from along Dry Creek Reserve in Upper Plenty.

This was the first activity of a series of working bees to restore native vegetation and wildlife habitat along Dry Creek in Upper Plenty in preparation of a National Tree Day planting day in July. 

The project is funded by Melbourne Water's Liveable Communities, Liveable Waterways Program.

Landcare Nest Box Workshop

Members of UPMC, Friends of Merri Creek and the Wollert Community Farm had a great day at UPMC's recent nest boxes for wildlife workshop. Participants made nesting boxes suitable for brush-tailed phascogales, sugar gliders, ringtail possums and various species of native birds.

Thanks to UPMC President Dave Markham for hosting and providing a delicious lunch, and to Upper Merri Landcare Facilitator Chris Cobern for teaching us what to do and helping us when we got stuck.

Also, a big thanks to Bunnings Warehouse in Craigeburn for donating the materials. Most importantly, once we paint our boxes and install them, we will have lots of new homes for our wildlife friends.  

Have you heard the call of the Growling Grass Frog?

When ecologist Michael Longmore first heard the beautiful but eerie call of the Growling Grass Frog at Fawkner his heart began to race. These distinctive calls had gone largely unheard from this part of the Merri Creek since populations began shrinking in the 1970s.

But now, Merri Creek Management Committee have a plan to stop the calls of this frog being lost forever ­– click here to read more about our plans and how you can help.

Watch the video here: Growling Grass Frogs Appeal

Barriers to Land Management - RMIT University project

Mitchell Shire Council is pleased to be partnering with RMIT University to investigate and understand the barriers landholders face when undertaking rural land management.
The project focuses on new rural landholders and lifestyle farmers living within the Central and South wards of Mitchell Shire. However input from all landholders is welcome.

Here is how you can contribute to the study;
Complete the survey
Pick up a copy from one of our Customer and Library Centres or contact us on 5734 6200
Take part in an interview by RMIT students, register your details here

Coming Up

Night walks in Tallarook Forest - Saturday 22nd June

Join BEAM for a Tallarook Forest night walk, and see if you can spot some Greater Gliders!
Over 150 were found in the forest during our surveys during 2020-2022 which makes Tallarook Forest one of the Greater Glider hotspots of Victoria.

Find details via this link, and please RSVP so we can stay in touch about plans:
When: Saturday 22nd June, 6pm-8.30pm
Where: Tallarook, Main Rd & Cable Track, Tallarook

Funding & grants 

2024 Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grants 

Grants of up to $5,000 are available to schools, kinders, childcare centres, Scouts, Guides, youth and Junior Landcare groups to encourage young people to support biodiversity. Funding is available for environmental education activities and biodiversity focused on-ground projects, such as an excursion to a wildlife sanctuary, incursion with local wildlife conservation scientists or planting indigenous vegetation to support native wildlife habitats.
Applications close at 3pm on Friday 14th June.

For fun project ideas, full guidelines and how to apply, visit the Junior Landcare website.

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.

Gorse Control Funding

The Victorian Gorse Taskforce’s (VGT) Community Grants for 2024-25 are now open. The VGT offers funding support for community-led gorse control projects.

VGT’s Community Grants’ objectives:

• reduce the impacts of gorse on environmental, agricultural, and social values
• strengthen community and stakeholder connections for better gorse outcomes
• build community knowledge and capacity in managing gorse
• promote best practice gorse management.

Funding: All participating landholders may receive up to $1,500 in grant funding, but must match this with their own monetary contribution.

Eligibility: grants are available to all Victorian community-based groups e.g. Landcare and Friends of, that have a focus on improving natural and agricultural areas.

How to apply: visit the VGT community grants webpage to download a copy of the Guidelines and Application Form.
Email your completed application to info@vicgorsetaskforce.com.au
Applications close: 12th July 2024.
Contact: for more information contact the VGT on 0417 593 250 or email to info@vicgorsetaskforce.com.au