Congratulations to two of our member groups on their success with the Melbourne Water Victorian Landcare Grants 2022. 

The Friends of Merri Creek LGBTQI+ subgroup, Queermates of Bababi Djinanang, were granted $14,227 for the project: Queermates - building biodiversity at Bababi Djinanang. The project will facilitate training workshops and activities to restore degraded sections of the Bababi Djinanang grassland, next to Merri Creek in Fawkner. MCMC staff developed the grant application in close consultation with the group.

The Wallan Environment Group received $19,785 to remove gorse and blackberry along an old rail reserve to the north of Hidden Valley on the outskirts of Wallan. This reserve, at the top of the Merri catchment, contains some stunning remnant vegetation, including wildflowers like the Button Everlasting (Coronidium scorpioides) (photo). The rail reserve is a focus for the recently formed 'Friends of Hidden Valley Bushland Reserves'. MCMC's Upper Merri Landcare Facilitator, Chris Cobern, helped with weed mapping and identification of significant plants of this area.