Friends of Edgar's Creek

Planting event this Sunday May 21st, 1-3PM at the Caravan Park site.

Hi All,

We are planting again this Sunday. Hopefully we will have lovely sunshine on Sunday - forecast is for 19 degrees light northerly wind and low chance of a late light shower (30%).

For those attending you may wish to monitor the rain in the preceding days as it might make creek crossing difficult if you come form the Elizabeth Street side. I think it is best to default to accessing the site from the end of Norfolk Court (off Nelwands Rd in North Coburg) as this eliminates the need for a creek crossing.

As per usual, expect Rob Stephen and me (Or any combination of us) on site well before the 1PM start time so please contact me if you wanted/needed to attend earlier. There will be a mix of terrain we are planting into so this project will cater for all ability levels. Our event host will talk people through this; we value and practice safety! Some terrain will simply not be for some folks - leave that for the mountain goats like me!

Details for the event are:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This project aims to extend and enhance the stream bank shrubland plantings undertaken by FoEC since 2012 at the Caravan Park site. FoEC has completed three Melbourne Water Community Grant projects at this site, however weed species have been predominant in this area (Source: B.J. Bainbridge, J.M. Bush & Faithfull, 1998. Moreland Remnant Vegetation Assessment - prepared for Moreland City Council by the Merri Creek Management Committee) and further revegetation works will enhance the existing asset created at the site. In 2013 FoEC secured Department of Sustainability and Environment support for a 2014 project protecting remnant vegetation at the site; works have now been completed on this project.  FoEC’s 2013-15 MW funded projects on the site targeted a lower escarpment area. The proposed project will in-fill and extend the planting along the upper escarpment area. An extension of an additional circular planting at this site to link with an adjoining established tree planting is proposed and will further enhance habitat value at the site. We are currently funded for works on this site in 2016 and are seeking to expand and consolidate the site through the provision of additional maintenance activities at the site.

This site has a number of identified significant remnant specimens including River Red Gum, Yellow Box, Sweet Bursaria, Purple Tree Violet, Weeping Grass, Lomandra filiformis and Danthonia species (Source: B.J. Bainbridge, J.M. Bush & Faithfull, 1998. Moreland Remnant Vegetation Assessment - prepared for Moreland City Council by the Merri Creek Management Committee). Additional areas of remnant Lomandra were identified and subsequently protected during brush cutting of the area planted during our 2014 DSE project.

Our previous works on the site incorporated design elements to increase the likelihood of self-seeding of the remnant species at the site including Red Gum, Sweet Bursaria and Purple Tree Violet. All species have now set seed and we have witnessed excellent self-seeding on the site by the remnant specimens. Further, Poa labillardierei introduced as part of the revegetation works are also now successfully seeding into the mulched area at this site.

Plant List for Caravan Park Site 2017

Scientific name	Common name	Quantity
Acaena novae-zelandiae	Bidgee-Widgee	10
Acacia melanoxlyn	Blackwood	5
Acacia implexa	Lightwood	5
Bursaria spinosa spp macrophylla	Sweet Bursaria	10
Austrodanthonia caespitosa	Common Wallaby-grass	30
Austrostipa elegantissima	Feather Spear-grass	20
Callistermon sieberi	River Bottlebrush	6
Dianella longifolia	Pale Flax-lily	20
Eucalyptus camaldulensis	River Red-gum	5
Einadia nutans	Climbing Saltbush	10
Goodenia ovata	Hop Goodenia	5
Leptospermum lanigerum	Woolly Tea-tree	6
Lomandra longifolia	Spiny-headed Mat-rush	54
Poa labillardierei	Common Tussock Grass	162
Wahlenbergia communis	Tufted Bluebell	10

We will have plenty more trees and grasses available for the planting event (this is our grant funded list for 378 plants - we have been able to secure additional excess stock from SP AusNet and also an additional top up of the order courtesy of FoEC).

See you on the creek!

David.