During October 2022 Connecting Country presented the Landcare Sticky Beak Tour to celebrate the amazing Landcare and friends groups of the Mount Alexander / Leanganook region of central Victoria. We kicked off the month-long sticky beak into Landcare with a meet and greet event in Campbells Creek on Saturday 8 October 2022. Amazingly the sun came out for us, and volunteers and community members from the region joined us for a lovely and convivial morning out.
Representatives from 12 Landcare groups from across the region participated on the day, offering a great opportunity for not only community members to connect with the groups, but also for the groups to connect with one another. We began the morning at Honeycomb Reserve in Campbells Creek with a brief introduction and history of Honeycomb Bushland Reserve from Matt McEachran, Natural Environment Officer from the Mount Alexander Shire Council.
Honeycomb Bushland Reserve exists largely due to the efforts of McKenzie Hill Action and Landcare Group and Friends of Campbells Creek back in 2016. The two groups then joined forces with Connecting Country and Mount Alexander Shire Council to develop a management plan for the reserve, which saw weeds removed and indigenous flora re-introduced to the site. Honeycomb Bushland Reserve offers an inspiring example of how Landcare groups across our region have worked to protect and enhance biodiversity in the very heart of our neighborhoods.
Local Landcare and friends groups set up tables at the event displaying their work (photo by Ivan Carter)
Hadley (Connecting Country’s Landcare Facilitator) introducing the Landcare sticky beak tour map (photo by Ivan Carter)
We then took a walk with Landcare legend Ian Higgins down to Campbells Creek to explore the work of Friends of Campbells Creek, whose members have lovingly restored the creekline for over almost 30 years. We stopped off at a wildflower enclosure – an area that Friends of Campbells Creek fenced to protect plants from grazing pressure. Since fencing the area in 2019 they have introduced 100 species of indigenous plants. The enclosure offers an insight into the diversity of understory and midstorey wildflowers that can grow in a bush setting when disturbance and grazing pressure are limited.
To read more about the wildflower restoration at Honeycomb Bushland Reserve – click here
We also visited a site closer to the creek line that has been restored and replanted with tussock grasses. It is now a sweeping plain of native grasses providing habitat for local wildlife.
Friends of Campbells Creek is a local environment group who have demonstrated enormous commitment to the local landscape, bringing benefits for the entire community. To learn more about the work they do, their program of events and how to get involved, head over to their website – click here
Ian Higgins talking with event participants among the tussock grass (photo by Ivan Carter)
We are very grateful to Ian Higgins from Friends of Campbells Creek for volunteering his time to take us all on a walk, and sharing his vast knowledge of local plants and how to restore them.
As part of the tour, Connecting Country worked with local Landcare and friends groups to create a Sticky beak tour map, which shows the location of Landcare work sites across the region. The map empowers anyone at anytime to take themselves on a self-guided tour and explore the wonderful work of these volunteer groups. Please see the map below for more detail.
We finished the Sticky beak tour launch with morning tea and a meet and greet with Landcare and friends groups from across the region. Thank you to all the Landcare and friends groups who took part in the Sticky beak tour during October 2022.
The Landcare sticky beak tour was made possible through a Victorian Landcare Grant with North Central Catchment Management Authority.
