Friends of Edgars Creek

Hi All,

Well who knew hey! We are at that time of year again and the planting season begins for FoEC this Sunday, April 23rd.

We are planting near the easement on Livingstone Street in North Coburg.

You will not be able to miss us if you make your way to Livingstone Street and look across the easement towards the creek. There is a very easy rocky creek crossing at this location.

As per our usual set up, officially the planting goes from 1-3PM, with Rob, Stephen and myself (or a combination of us) will be on site well before that. Let us know if you want to head along earlier and we can make sure there will be tasks for you. Rob and Stephen have already done the holes for the site so planting will be the main task of the day.

Weather forecast is a pearler - sunny and 24 degrees - so hat and sunscreen will be in order! Also plenty of water is a good idea.

More details of the planting follow; as per my Melbourne Water grant application:

Silurian Cliff site extension: Streambank Shrubland Revegetation at the Livingstone Street Escarpment area (EVC 851).

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Silurian Cliff site extension encompasses an extension from the 2014/15 FoEC plantings (MWCG funded projects) at the northern fringe of the Silurian Cliff site (‘the Willows’) on the east bank of the creek, linking with the west bank of the creek. The planting area is within the area being targeted for woody weed removal through capital works expenditure by Melbourne Water. The woody weed removal also compliments previous removal of nine mature willows growing in this area.

The proposed projects will seek to re-establish an indigenous creek line with canopy cover and under-storey plantings of shrubs, grasses and reeds. Fast-growing indigenous riparian species will be planted to produce over-shading of the stream to reduce eutrophic effects on water quality; consequently reducing the impact of aquatic weeds in the stream and improving aquatic habitat.

The project seeks to help build and maintain volunteers engagement with this area of the creek and it’s amenity as it is currently significantly impacted upon by the density of boxthorn growth. A sense of custodianship will be enhanced in the short term as the project will be FoEC’s first planting in the newly reclaimed area and also over time as the project evolves into a mature planting site.