Plenty Gorge Park An excursion and fieldwork resource for schools Congratulations for taking the leap outdoors! Excursions and field trips are an important part of the educational experience for students, offering hands-on, concrete experiences that are important for reinforcing key concepts taught in the classroom. Our aim is that every student leaves a park or reserve with a greater appreciation not only of its unique values, but how these are connected to other places and larger issues, and a desire and the know-how to get involved in making a difference. Our excursion/fieldwork resources aim to help students: develop a sense of wonder, curiosity and respect for our parks and the people and environments they support develop their knowledge of their own locality and region and how places are connected understand the changes that are occurring in our parks and what strategies are being employed to manage these changes consider some of the complex interrelationships between the physical environment and the flora, fauna and fungi that live in our parks become informed, responsible and active citizens who contribute to the protection of our special places. This resource is designed to provide teachers with ideas for planning exciting and experiential learning activities out in our beautiful parks, reserves and waterways. 1 We would love to hear about ways we can improve this resource to support teachers who take their lessons outdoors. Please contact [email protected] with your feedback. Why visit? Plenty Gorge Park, 20 kilometres north of Melbourne, has the greatest diversity of habitats of all parks in the Greater Melbourne area. Not far from the fastest-growing suburb of Mernda, Plenty Gorge is a fantastic place to escape from the city – it has the feeling of being an isolated park whilst including the unique flora and fauna. Kangaroos are abundant in this park, and many migratory birds use the wetlands, making the gorge a very special park. Within the park the Plenty River is the dividing line between two distinct geological types, the western side is basalt and the eastern side is sedimentary rock. This provides Plenty Gorge Park with a wonderful diversity of vegetation communities and habitats, and it is recognised as being one of Greater Melbourne's most important refuges for both threatened and regionally significant species. The area is one of great contrasts between landforms, vegetation and land use, including steep gorges, the Plenty River, woodlands and forests. Around the Le Page Homestead, built in 1850, some of the original fruit trees can be seen in the gardens. In particular, the Hawkstowe Picnic Area is a great place to run activities that align to geography, history and science. For teachers This self-guided excursion is designed to be linked to the Victorian Curriculum for the subjects of geography, science and history, but can be enjoyed by a wide range of students who want to explore, discover and learn about our parks. It is suitable and scalable from Levels 5–10. Some suggested linkages to the Victorian Curriculum are provided below: Subject Level Content descriptions Geography 5-6 Factors that shape places and influence connections 7-8 Water in the world Landforms and landscapes 9-10 Environmental change and management Science 5-6 Biological sciences 7-8 Biological sciences Earth and space sciences 9-10 Biological sciences History 5-6 The Australian colonies 7-8 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures The field trip can be completed in 2-3 hours, or you can opt to spend a whole day, or stay overnight at Nioka Bush Camp, with prior arrangement, to complete multiple activities. Camping at Nioka Bush Camp is only available to schools and incorporated community organisations. For more information please call 13 1963. It is an idyllic site far removed from the hum of urban living. Before you go Make sure you have reviewed the information provided for planning an excursion at http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/learn for safety and permit requirements and have checked the facilities available. 2 For activities such as bushwalking (including overnight camping), group sizes are generally restricted to 16 people or fewer (including leaders). Multiples of 16 are acceptable where campsites cater for larger groups. For appropriate group sizes please refer to the Adventure Activity Standards. All groups are required to let us know you’re coming. Please complete a Group Activity Statement downloadable from http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/learn and email to: [email protected] at least four weeks prior to arrival. This will assist us to alert you to any park closures, storm damage or management activities such as planned burning or pest animal programs that may affect your visit. It also forms part of your group’s emergency management plan and provided quick access to emergency contacts, should your group need assistance. You will be visiting a park and it is an important home to many species of plants and animals, some found in only a few other areas, and others nowhere else in the world! Please remember to keep to the paths, don’t pick or take any vegetation and take your rubbish home with you. Watch Introduce students to Plenty Gorge Park by showing the following sights and sounds footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z2bpVTmSfs (7.37 mins). Collecting data We encourage you to gather primary data during your field trip to support a truly immersive and hands-on experience. Pictures, drawings and records of sightings are all easy to take and don’t require a research permit. If you’d like to do something that involves moving off the paths, including transects or quadrats, you are required to complete an application for a research permit. Structuring your excursion The most accessible place to take school groups within this vast park that stretches for 24 kilometres along the Plenty River, is to enter from Plenty Road in South Morang, off Gordons Road. Teachers should note that access to the river from this area is limited. There are three options for activities at this site: Option 1: Drop the students at Red Gum Picnic Area to walk through the Morang Wetlands only and return to Red Gum Picnic Area. Option 2: Drop the students at Red Gum Picnic Area to walk through the Morang Wetlands and then around to Nioka Bush Camp and access the Plenty Gorge. Arrange to have the bus meet the group at Hawkstowe Picnic Area. Option 3: Travel by bus directly to Hawkstowe Picnic Area (follow the sign to Le Page Homestead) where the students can focus on the colonial home, walk to Nioka Bush Camp and the gorge below and take the Wonga Walk to the river’s edge. Morang Wetlands – 1 hour walking Leave the Red Gums Picnic Area car park via the gate on the sealed road. This walk stays on the escarpment throughout. Immediately there are small areas of wetland. Observe the reedy vegetation and the bird nesting boxes; listen for the frogs and a number of bird calls; notice the she-oaks native to the area. Follow 3 this road until it becomes a wide gravel road and, at the T-intersection, take the left turn to follow the fence line around a grassy rise. After about 10 minutes, the turn into the Morang Wetlands conservation area is signposted “Bluestones” and the gate is clearly marked. Continue on the wide gravel path while spotting numerous kangaroos and wallabies in the open grass areas. At the next intersection keep to the orange indicators for Morang Wetlands, stay on the path to the right and the walk goes through a more densely-treed area. At the signpost to Marshland Track (about 10 minutes into the conservation area), take this well-mown, wide grassy track. Almost immediately (20m) veer to the left for a short distance and observe the exposed basalt revealed from quarrying long ago and now filled with water. Return to the Marshland Track and follow this track deeper into the wetland area, observing a wide range of vegetation types. Bird nesting boxes can be seen in the water, the sound of frogs is clear and there is a diversity of birdlife – look and listen for these. After about 10 minutes you will reach a T-intersection – a detour to the right will reveal the remnants of a quarry, more exposed basalt and a lake. Return to the T-intersection and continue ahead as if you had turned left. Shortly this path will return you to the main path at the sign post to Frog Hollow Track. Return the way you came. If you want to go back to the Red Gum Picnic Area, then take the “Bluestones” sign and reverse the walk (10 minutes to the picnic area). Morang Wetlands and Plenty Gorge at Nioka Bush Camp – 1.5–2 walking hours Begin by following the walk instructions for Morang Wetlands (above). If you want to take the longer walk, continue ahead at the sign to “Bluestones”, re-join the path around the grassy hill keeping the treed river area on your left. Further wetland areas are on your left and a planting of she-oaks can be seen on top of the rise. After about 10 minutes you will come to the sign to Nioka Bush Camp. Walk to this camp area and just beyond the timber building find the track down the hill to the Plenty River. There are a couple of very short but quite steep sections on this track, but this is the opportunity to see the river passing through the gorge.