July 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

UPMC Landcare & BUPA Planting Day

On Friday 28th June UPMC Landcare Group hosted corporate volunteers from BUPA to help plant 200 locally grown indigenous plants at Walwa Park to help regenerate farmland.

This was made possible with funding from Fifteen Trees to help purchase materials and plants.
The volunteers took to working in groups and pairs to plant indigenous plants consisting of Silver Banksia, Lightwood, Silver Wattle, Hedge Wattle, Black She-oak and Red Ironbark.

Once established with the help of tree guards and a fully fenced area the site will help to create a great habitat for all types of wildlife.
By Chloe O'Brien.

Dry Creek Restoration Program Working Bee 

The Upper Plenty Merri Catchments Landcare Group (UPMCLG) held another working bee to remove woody weeds from along Dry Creek Reserve in Upper Plenty.

Volunteers, with the help from Isabelle from TREC Land Services, focussed on cutting and painting, and drilling of Hawthorn bushes. They also tasked themselves with the manual removal and dabbing of gorse and blackberry along the waterway that were too close to the creek to be sprayed.

This was the second 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.

Coming Up

National Tree Day Events - Sunday 28th July

On Sunday 28th July Landcare and environment groups from across the Mitchell Shire will be taking part in Australia's largest tree planting and nature care event.
The Wallan Environment Group and Upper Plenty Merri Catchments Landcare Group will both be holding community tree planting days in their communities to celebrate National Tree Day.

Wallan Environment Group

Join WEG and local residents for a community planting event along the Hidden Valley Rail Reserve and help improve and revegetate an important wildlife corridor.

To register contact Claudia James on 5783 1325 or by email cjdart@bigpond.com

Upper Plenty Merri Catchments Landcare Group

Will rehabilitate and revegetate the Dry Creek Reserve in Upper Plenty to help increase native vegetation and provide habitat for local wildlife.

To find out more and to register for this National Tree Day event visit this website.

From the Ground Up - Film Festival - 18th July

Experience eight incredible films exploring the efforts of volunteers working for the environment in Greater Melbourne.

Melbourne Water and Grassland Films proudly presents the inaugural From the Ground Up video series, lighting up the big screen in a special afternoon screening compered by Costa Georgiadis.

Featuring eight inspiring environmental volunteer stories from across the Melbourne Water region, you'll also hear from a panel of special guests.

Thursday 18th July 2.45 -5.30pm at Cinema Nova in Carlton.

This event is free but tickets are required. Bookings here.

Owl Awareness Day - Sunday 4th August

Australia is home to 11 resident owl species. From the small-statured Southern Boobook to the mighty Powerful Owl.

But Australia’s owls are under threat. They’re facing a silent killer – poisoning from lethal rodenticides known as SGARs.

Second-generation rodenticides, or SGARs, are powerful, slow-acting poisons that can kill not only the rats and mice they’re targeting, but any animal that eats poisoned rodents.

Poisoning from SGARs is a serious threat to birds of prey like owls, as well as household pets and other native wildlife. But you can help keep them safe – by avoiding SGARs and practising bird-friendly rodent control at home.

Find a list of what products to buy and avoid here: bird-safe rodent poison

Funding Opportunities

Melbourne Water Liveable Communities, Liveable Waterways Program 

These grants, open all-year around, fund projects and longer term partnerships that provide value to Melbourne Water and the community by aligning with at least one of the following themes:

• Connected habitat and catchments
• Integrated water management (IWM) enablers
• Science, innovation and technology
• Liveable cities

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.