Thanks to the generosity of creek-loving people like you who supported our June campaign to Sow the Seeds of a Wetland, our vision to grow a seedbank of important local species to restore a hidden refuge in the once-vast Herne Swamp community, will become a reality.

Your donations helped us raise $49,492 to sow the seeds of a wetland, the most we've ever raised in an MCMC campaign. This is an amazing result, and it simply wouldn’t have been possible without you!

On a crisp, frosty July morning, ecologist Annett Finger stood with her border collie Atticus in the grasslands around Curly Sedge Creek, taking in a landscape that felt almost magical.

“There were kangaroos, wallabies and deer, and everything was frozen,” Annett remembers. “It was very special to be there, a bit like opening a storybook.”

Atticus at galgi ngarrk, by Annett Finger.

When Kate Looker’s father bought Merri Park in 1966, moving the family from potato farming in Kinglake to sheep farming on the banks of the Merri, the property gave Kate and her sister something they’d never had before: a creek to explore.

“We just loved it,” Kate remembers, of the 400 ha property near Wallan in the north of Merri Merri Country. “My sister and I would spend our entire weekends walking along the creek.”

The Merri Creek at Merri Park, by Kate Looker.

If you’re out and about along the Merri in the Wurundjeri season of porneet, you might see evidence of this season of rejuvenation and abundance as Country and its creatures emerge from the colder, preceding season of guling. Shaking off their various suits of wintery protection, or revealing the colours of their flowers, plants and animals alike are enjoying the longer sunlight hours – perhaps you are too!

Silver wattle flowering, by Jake Duyvestyn (MCMC).

We are delighted to share Merri Creek Management Committee’s new 2026 – 2031 strategy and refreshed brand.

This is an important moment for MCMC. For decades, our work has been grounded in community action, ecological expertise and a deep commitment to protecting and restoring the Merri Creek, its tributaries and surrounding landscapes. Our new strategy builds on those strong foundations and sets a clear direction for the years ahead.