Hi FoEC'ers and Friends,
Well a word in high use right now - rain! There has been plenty of it in the last few weeks and looks like more ahead in the next week or so.
There is no shortage of sub surface moisture, possibly a bit on the surface too.
We are planting this Sunday, the last planting event of the year. It is also our Christmas in September celebration - an acknowledgement of another amazing year of planting and extending the FoEC drive transformation of the creek area. We will be working at the Gooseneck site, extending the planting on the east side of the creek (around the area where Melbourne Water undertook bank stabilisation works in 2014. We are on site from 1-3PM planting with the usual extension of time open to all - we will be on site before noon and usually go home well past 3PM as most of your know. The forecast is for a 16 degree day. There is a chance of some showers (70% chance of 1-3mm).
The great news alluded to in the subject line relates to Melbourne Water confirming that a project of major significance is about to commence on the Edgars Creek. The area in question stretches from the Silurian cliff site upstream towards the Caravan Park site (basically the parts of the creek we access from Livingstone street). For those who frequent the creek you will know the scale of the box thorn and woody weeds around the steep creek face and along the industrial fence line. Well in the next few weeks you will see them all go!!!!!!!!! There will be some major "munching" going on. An adapted excavator with a grooming piece will commence works, I have been advised this may be as early as the next couple of weeks. Basically this piece of equipment can mulch just about any tree on site. Melbourne Water will also undertake revegetation works on the steep slope area and surrounds; FoEC will hopefully get a chance to develop a series of projects along this area as well and open up the possibility of a true extension of the Gooseneck/Waterfall area through to the Caravan park site. Might be time for a FoEC 10 year plan I think!
I will be receiving more information on this project in the weeks ahead and will forward further details of this exciting development.
If I may indulge for a moment: I am so proud of what FoEC has achieved. We have all been part of creating an amazing legacy - some will claim (and deserve) more of the kudos than others, though thank you to everyone who has committed any amount of time and energy to the Edgars creek works over the years. Go FoEC!
See you on the creek!
The details of the planting are as follows:
Sunday 18 September 2016, 1-3pm (“Christmas Party”)
Planting: Stream bank grassland restoration at the rock wall area east side of the Gooseneck Meander.
Hosted by the FoEC, Planting funded by Melbourne Water Community Grant, Christmas celebrations funded by the FoEC
Meet at the Gooseneck Meander, access via Danthonia St, North Coburg (Melways Map 18 A9).
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project aims to extend the revegetation of a regionally significant ‘Gooseneck’ meander. Since September 2007, the Friends of Edgars Creek (FoEC) have undertaken works to restore and maintain stream bank shrub land and tussock grassland along the Creek meander. Fast-growing indigenous riparian species have begun to over-shade the stream to reduce eutrophic effects on the water quality, consequentially reducing the impact of aquatic weeds in the stream and improving aquatic habitat. Selection of plant species and locations at this site will be made with consideration of easement restrictions that apply to this area (SPAusNet – overhead high voltage powerlines).
This project proposal is seeking an extension of the revegetated and maintained area of Creek line Tussock Grassland (EVC 654) to the currently barren east bank on the south side of the meander. This will help stabilise the Creek bank and extend on our significant previous revegetation work. This will improve the longer term maintainability of the site by extending on the fully contained inner bend of the meander with a revegetated strip downstream of the Gooseneck, including both the east and west sides of the creek.
PLANT LIST
| Scientific name | Common name | |
| Sep-16 | ||
| Acacia acinacae | Gold dust wattle | 12 |
| Acacia verticillata | Prickly moses | 6 |
| Acacia paradoxa | Hedge wattle | 6 |
| Acaena novae-zelandiae | Bidgee-widgee | 6 |
| Allocasuarina verticillata | Drooping sheoak | 6 |
| Austrodanthonia caespitosa | Common wallaby-grass | 36 |
| Bursaria spinosa | Sweet bursaria | 3 |
| Callistemon sieberi | River bottlebrush | 6 |
| Dianella longifolia | Pale-anther flax-lily | 30 |
| Dodonea viscosa | Wedge-leaf hop bush | 12 |
| Einadia nutans | Nodding saltbush | 18 |
| Eucalyptus camaldulensis | River red-gum | 12 |
| Goodenia ovata | Hop goodenia | 6 |
| Juncus usitatus | Club rush | 30 |
| Leptospermum lanigerum | Wooly tea-tree | 6 |
| Lomandra longifolia | Spiny-headed mat-rush | 108 |
| Melicytus dentatus | Tree violet | 3 |
| Rhagodia parabolica | Fragrant saltbush | 6 |
| Rubus parvifolius | Small-leaf Bramble | 6 |
| Poa labillardieri | Common tussock grass | 108 |
| Wahlenbergia communis | Tufted bluebell | 24 |
Total 450
No comments:
Post a Comment