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Acknowledgments The generous contributions of stories and photos by members of Landcare, Friends of, and other community environment groups, from across the Port Phillip and Westernport region, has made the preparation of this booklet possible. The Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority (PPWCMA) gratefully acknowledges the important role these many volunteers and their groups have played in the production of this booklet. The preparation of this booklet has been led by John Robinson from the PPWCMA’s Landcare Support Team, working together with the other members of the team, namely Daley Walker, Doug Evans, and Melissa Douglas. Sponsors The PPWCMA is also grateful for the financial support provided for this booklet by the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s Victorian Landcare Program, and from CitiPower. CitiPower is pleased to support the production of this booklet celebrating the success of Landcare and Friends groups in the Port Phillip and Westernport region. As the electricity distributor to Melbourne’s CBD and inner suburbs, we are committed to the principles of sustainable development and managing our business in an environmentally responsible manner. In addition to the many environmental programs specific to our electricity distribution network, we also partner with the community in programs encouraging environmental responsibility and sustainability. These partnerships are one of the ways we can support and acknowledge the vital role of volunteer groups in protecting and preserving our natural environment. Stories of community landcare success Port Phillip and Westernport Region 2004 ISBN: 0 9750709 4 0 Published by the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, Frankston. Copyright © The State of Victoria, Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, 2004 Website: http://www.ppwcma.vic.gov.au Cover photos: Top left: Chandler Hill Parkcare Group – Dandenong Catchment Top right: Darraweit Guim Primary School – Maribyrnong Catchment Bottom left: Little River Improvement Program – Werribee Catchment Bottom centre: Friends of Wurundjeri Garden Working Group – Yarra Catchment Bottom right: Friends of Bunyip State Park – Westernport Catchment Disclaimer: This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequences which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Contents Introduction 3 Dandenong Catchment Friends of George Street and the Urban Forest 4-5 Friends of the Brighton Dunes (Dr Jim Willis Reserve) 5 Friends of the Dandenong Valley Parklands 6 Friends of the Grange 6-7 Chandler Hill Parkcare Group 7 Friends of Koolunga Native Reserve 8 Friends of Long Hollow Heathland 9 Friends of Braeside Park 10 Friends of Balcombe Park 11 First Friends of Dandenong Creek 11 Maribyrnong Catchment Bullengarook Landcare Group 12 Clarkefield District Farm Landcare Group 13 Darraweit Guim Primary School 14 Friends of the Maribyrnong Valley 15 Greening of Riddell 16 Maribyrnong Landcare Association (Heinz and Max Gujer) 17 Mount William Rabbit Action Group (Deep Creek Landcare Group) 18 Werribee Catchment Little River Improvement Program 19 Rushing Waters 20 Wyndham Lakes Residents’ Association 21 Brisbane Ranges Landcare Group 22 Westernport Catchment Friends of Bass Valley Bush 23 Friends of Bunyip State Park 24 Maryknoll Tracks and Reserves Group 25 Phillip Island Landcare Group 28 Deep Creek Landcare Group 29 Australian Plants Society (South Eastern Melbourne Region) 29 Back Creek Landcare Group 30 Johns Hill Landcare Group 30-31 Bunyip/Cardinia Catchment Landcare Network 32 Manton and Stony Creek Landcare Group 33 Friends of Frog Hollow 34 Poowong Landcare Group 35 Mt Lyall Landcare Group 36 French Island Landcare Group 37 Loch/Nyora Landcare Group 38 Ripplebrook Landcare Group 38 Cardinia Hills Ragwort and Landcare Group 39 Stories of community landcare success 2004 Contents 1 Yarra Catchment Mt Evelyn Environmental Protection and Progress Association 40 Friends of Loughie’s Bushland 41 Montmorency Field Naturalists 42 Hochkins Ridge Flora Reserve Committee of Management 42 Fishcare 43 Holly Hill Community Fireguard Group 44 Friends of Wurundjeri Garden Working Group 45 Friends of Merri on Parade (formerly Friends of Ross Street) 46 Earthcare St Kilda 47 Friends of the Wildlife Reserves 47 Friends of Westgate Park 48 Macclesfield Landcare Group 49 Growing Friends of Yarra Bend Park 50 WACMAC Landcare (Whittlesea Agricultural Society, 51 Arthur’s Creek District, Merriang and Cottles Bridge Landcare Groups) Friends of Wilson Reserve 52 Map Where the stories came from 26-27 Port Phillip and Westernport CMA Region 2 Stories of community landcare success 2004 Westernport CatchmenContentst Introduction All across the Port Phillip and Westernport region, thousands of volunteers, typically as members of around 500 Friends of, Landcare and other community environment groups, are actively caring for our land, water, native plants and native animals. They strive to protect our public and private land from erosion and salinity, our creeks, coasts and wetlands from pollutants, and our native plants and animals from weeds, pest animals and other threats. This caring is a selfless contribution to the future health of our environment and all the benefits that we derive from it. Community landcarers volunteer a substantial amount of time, knowledge, skills and other resources towards achieving sustainable natural resource management in the region. Not only do they carry out significant works on the ground, but they successfully run events, develop plans, manage projects, establish partnerships, hold meetings, raise funds, create and distribute newsletters and posters, conduct and undertake training and learning activities, conduct promotional activities and hold social functions. These groups play a key role in implementing practical solutions for local environmental problems and developing an ethic of stewardship for catchment assets. They provide leadership, innovation and motivation for change within their local communities. They also provide valuable social interactions that contribute to the strength and fabric of local communities. The capacity of a group to be able to do this effectively is dependent upon many factors. One important factor is learning from the experiences of others, especially their successes, and this is the motivation for producing this booklet. This is a compilation of 53 stories of success from the five waterway catchments that make up the Port Phillip and Westernport region. These stories have been contributed by the groups and told in their words. Their stories illustrate the diverse nature of the groups, the activities they undertake and the issues they are tackling. Sharing these stories will inspire, motivate and build the confidence of other groups, as well as improve the connections between groups. Each story of success told in this booklet is accompanied by the name of a contact person, and a means of contacting them, who can tell more about their particular story. This booklet is also a way for the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, along with our key supporters in the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s Victorian Landcare Program and CitiPower, to express our appreciation for the efforts and achievements of community landcare volunteers across this region. Congratulations and thanks on a job well done to those highlighted in this booklet and the many other volunteers that are truly making a difference across our region. Dr. Mick Lumb Chair, Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority Stories of community landcare success 2004 Introduction 3 Friends of George Street and the Urban Forest Friendly fi re To promote regeneration of the woodland through an ecological burn In the early 1980’s, a large stretch of the woodland in the George Street Reserve was destroyed by accidental wildfi re. At fi rst, lovers of the Reserve were dismayed, but soon changed their attitude as they discovered the wildfi re had caused regeneration of the famous Sandringham Heathland. Having decided to make the survival of the Heath a priority, the Friends Group pulled up tea-tree seedlings Catchment and were rewarded with a rich fl owering of Correas, Wedding Bush, Bossiaea, Twiggy Daisy Bush, Beard Heath, Guinea Flowers and other well-known plants. Special attention was given to remnant orchid colonies. The work parties were informal occasions, led by Don Neale, a Black Rock resident with skills as a naturalist and a strong interest in indigenous fl ora. The Friends Group now operates as part of the Friends of Bayside Network. Work parties are held regularly with City-Wide (the Council’s service provider). We meet with Council representatives to undertake short and long-term planning within the guidelines set out by Simon Cropper of Botanicus. An outstanding achievement of the Group, was an ecological burn in 2000, assisted by a grant from Greening Australia Victoria, which saw the Friends Group as fi nalists in the National Banksia Awards. Following meetings with residents from adjoining properties, the Friends Group undertook site preparation, which Dandenong involved cutting and moving Tea-tree onto the burn site. On the day of the scheduled burn in March, members of the Friends