Despite the constant rain, we had a terrific field day on Sunday, with ecologist and dam specialist Nathan Gregory. We visited a couple of dams with Nathan explaining functionality, and ways to improve dams for biodiversity. He looked at people’s dam photos and discussed potential improvements they could make, and showed us wetland plants suitable for planting in our area.

The pièce de résistance was a ‘how to make a floating island’ demonstration, culminating in being launched on a Walmer dam.

I’ve put some resources here, as well as suggested suppliers for appropriate plant guards.

This project has been made possible through funding from a Victorian Government Landcare Grant with support from the North Central CMA.

Thanks to Nathan for being an excellent guest speaker. Thanks also to: Connecting Country for loaning us their gazebos; Paul and his co-owners for allowing us onto their property for the workshop; Pam and PJ for allowing us to visit their dam; Chris and Brona for cooking the food; and committee members for setting and packing up. Thanks to Mount Alexander Shire Council for their community buses.

SUNDAY 25TH OCTOBER, 9am to 12 noon

This event is shaping up to be very informative and interesting. With local ecologist, Nathan Gregory, we will take you to some local dams around Muckleford, and end up on a property to make and launch a floating island.

Email a photo of your dam and you will be able to discuss its features, and potential improvements.

You will receive a resource pack, free plants, and a beautiful vegan lunch. There will also be plants from Newstead Natives for sale.

Meet at 347 Mucklford-Walmer Road, Muckleford. You can RSVP and email dam photos here.

 SUNDAY 25TH OCTOBER 2026, 9am to 12noon

This bus tour will visit several dams around Muckleford, ending on a wooded property deep in Walmer. Join us for this free event if you have a dam on your property that you want to better understand, modify, or improve for biodiversity. 

free resources, free plants, and a vegetarian lunch (and plants will be for sale from Newstead Natives)

Bring a printed photo of your dam (or email to us to print) and our expert can discuss potential improvements with you at the workshop. You will also get to see the building and launching of a floating island.

Guest Speaker: Nathan Gregory, ecologist.

Click here to RSVP for the event and to email your dam photos

Meet at the Muckleford Community Centre, 338 Muckleford-Walmer Road Muckleford

This project has been made possible through funding from a Victorian Government Landcare Grant with support from the North Central CMA.

After this beautiful rain the forest will be refreshed. Come for a quick morning walk (Sunday 4th October) and check out the wildflowers – but don’t forget to put your clock forward first thing!! We will meet at 10am on Sinclair’s Lane.

SUNDAY 4th OCTOBER, 10am, WILDFLOWER WALK. The wildflowers are out and we are having our annual wildflower walk in the forest. Meet on Sinclairs Lane (before the train line). Here is a map to help you. Every walker gets a free copy of the new butterfly guide.

Thanks to everyone who came out to take part in the supplementary planting of the 2021 habitat corridor. It’s doing very well and we are looking forward to finding a new property to plant a corridor on in the coming years.

As mentioned, the small Landcare planting is happening in the habitat corridor on Sunday. It starts at 10am and we’ll stop at midday for a vegan BBQ. Come and see how it’s grown after five years, and what is needed to keep it going. You’ll find us on the Muckleford School Road, near the Muckleford Bush Reserve.

If anyone you know has a potential east/west corridor of this size, we’d love to plan for another large connectivity project. Bring them along, let us know.

Let’s get together and do a small planting on
Sunday 27th September, 10am to 12 noon
Muckleford School Road

We received 100 plants from Connecting Country, which we are using to address specific gaps in the habitat corridor established in 2021. Let’s get together to plant, to see how the 3,000 plants are doing in the corridor, learn about effective planting techniques, and enjoy a vegan BBQ.

Please RSVP to Beth via email or phone Beth on 0431219980

Here are three dates for your diaries. Let’s get together, get out in the sunshine, and do some activities with Muckleford Landcare:

1. Small planting activity at the habitat corridor on the Muckleford School Road: going over good planting techniques (the three ‘ps’), and adding some extra plants – Sunday 27th September, 10am-12 noon
2. Wildflower walk: this year is going to be good! – Sunday 4th October, 10am-12 noon
3. Dams workshop: learn from experts on how to make major or minor alterations to dams for both wildlife and for better land management – Sunday 25th October 10am-12 noon

Join us at the Walmer South Nature Conservation Reserve
this Sunday 31st May at 10am for our annual nest box monitoring.

The reserve is on the Muckleford-Walmer Road (you will see the banner and cars). Please wear long pants and good walking shoes, bring your own water. It will be cold and dreary but we will warm up with our vigorous walking over a couple of hours.

After the monitoring we will be having a vegetarian BBQ. Please RSVP to the secretary, Beth Mellick.

SUNDAY 31ST MAY 2026, 10am to 12 noon
Walmer South Nature Conservation Reserve
Muckleford-Walmer Road

Join one of the two teams of monitors for our annual nest box monitoring program. We are monitoring fauna boxes, particularly looking at the prevalence of Brush-tailed phascogales.

If our equipment doesn’t fail us, we will monitor 74 boxes in two hours in our two teams. It’s a good workout as we walk a great deal- you’ll need covered shoes, long pants, and your own water.

Committee member Chris is planning a vegetarian BBQ after our monitoring, and you are welcome to join us. RSVP to the club secretary, Beth Mellick