Congratulations to the Friends of Merri Creek, for gaining a $20,000 grant from the Port Phillip & Westernport CMA to restore critically endangered volcanic plains grassland in Kalkallo. The project: Stages in Restoration - Stony Knolls in Kalkallo aims to re-establish shrubs and continue weed control on areas of stony knolls in Kalkallo, where woody weeds have already been removed. It will also establish an access track that will also serve as a fire break, and continue woody weed removal effort along the eastern boundary of Donnybrook Cemetery. Merri Creek Management Committee is assisting the Friends in the delivery of this project in 2014-15.

Fifty-two species of indigenous plants have been identified at this Kalkallo Common Stony knoll project site. These include species that are rare in the Merri Creek valley, such as Slender Tick-trefoil, and Common Bronzewing Pigeon, which is not a common bird around here! Much of this rare remnant of stony knoll vegetation is still being smothered by dense thickets of Gorse and other woody weeds. This grant will enable the indigenous vegetation to be set free.

There’s a community planting scheduled for 22 June 2014 (see events calendar on lower left of page for details).

- the Ngarri-djarrang (Central Creek) example
Brian Bainbridge March 2009

Summary and introductory information

The State significant Ngarri-djarrang[1] Grassland Reserve covers approximately nine hectares of remnant volcanic plain grassland[2] to the east of Central Creek, a tributary of Merri Creek in the northern Melbourne suburb of Reservoir, Victoria, Australia. Threatened by weed invasion, adhoc biomass reduction and uncontrolled access, restorationof this site has been an ongoing commitment of the Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) since 1993.

The catchment-scale restoration of Merri Creek by Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) has been selected in the 'Highly Commended - Projects with Potential for Biodiversity Research Partnerships' category in the Ecological Management and Restoration Journal’s search for the ‘Top 20’ ecological restoration projects in Australasia.

For the project nomination we prepared a report on our experience of restoring a native grassland in the northern Melbourne suburb of Reservoir. The report Restoring a Native Grassland community – the Ngarri djarrang (Central Creek) example illustrates the ecological restoration work we undertake.

Download the Ngarri-djarrang Restoration report (pdf)

Location

Ecological Communities

Flora

Location

Ecological Communities

Flora

Location

Ecological Communities