Return to top of Walks ProgramFRIDAY SPECIAL ACTIVITIES - WALKS PROGRAM
WCIPP committee agree that walks/excursions will be cancelled when the temperature is predicted to be 33 degrees or more
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22.3.2013. Walking the Healesville Freeway Reserve from Springvale Road (outside Strathdon Orchards) to Morack Road.
We walked the Healesville Freeway Reserve with Anne Makhijani whose passion for the preservation of this site is inspiring. What was thickly timbered bushland now varies from cleared open space, through a section of the beautiful Bellbird Dell to the Nadrasca community farm.
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28.6.2013. Visiting Blackburn Lake Sanctuary to see the effects of recent cool burns.
Over the past couple of years Whitehorse Council has conducted two cool burns to encourage the growth of indigenous vegetation. Staff members David and Ian led us in a walk to look at the effects this has had. Vital follow up work being carried by bushcare specialists is impressive, with vibrant regrowth of many and varied species.
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27.9.2013. Visiting Mullum Mullum Park.
Crossing the Mullum Creek near Schwerkolt Cottage, a path leads up the hill towards Chaim Court.
In Spring there is an abundance of wildflowers; a special place where our local indigenous flora must be preserved.
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27.12.2013. Visiting Antonio Park - Newlands.
Just two days after Christmas, Les led us on a walk through the Newlands off Edgerton rd. Mitcham and up into Antonio Park.
Even though everything was very dry, we managed to spread out, collect and bag some seed, and take our time looking and learning at how plants from trees to tiny grasses and ferns, and insects, survive in high summer..
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28.3.2014. Visiting Southern Dandenong Ranges Community Nursery (Tecoma) and Knox Environment Society Community Nursery (Ferntree Gully).
Venturing further afield, the day was one of inspiration. These two nurseries produce an amazing variety of indigenous plants for their local areas. Learning and sharing from other community nurseries in so many aspects - including growing techniques, labelling, irrigation systems and seed storage - helps us all protect our precious natural remnant vegetation.
 Southern Dandenong Ranges Community Nursery |
 Knox Environment Society Community Nurseryy |
 Knox Environment Society Community Nursery |
 Southern Dandenong Ranges Community Nursery |
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27.6.2014. Creating Corridors - Blackburn Lake area.
Blackburn Lake Sanctuary – an ideal start to understand a bushland setting in our urban environment.
Out into the Blackburn streets. Lynette, Su and Anne; three local residents working tirelessly to link the Sanctuary with new plantings; while also preserving and enhancing this beautiful habitat for countless birds, animals and other critters (including people!).
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26.9.2014 Goats are weed eaters - Campbell's Croft/Abbey Walk
The City of Whitehorse with the support of Melbourne Water, through a "corridors of green" project grant,
and the Campbell's Croft Abbey Walk Advisory Committee is conducting a pulse grazing trial using goats to control vegetation growth.
Goats appear to have a preference for weed plant species which would result in a regeneration of native vegetation.
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27.3.2015. Gardiners Creek, Burwood.
Woodcutters, painters, farmers and plans for part of the Healesville Freeway, have all been part of the history of this park..
Plagued with weeds by the 1980's, Greenlink Box Hill members commenced years of dedicated weeding and planting..
A major bio-link from the mouth of the Yarra, it is still under serious threat.
Brian Pell led us on this very informative walk.
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26.6.2015. Koonung Trail, (Springvale & Junction Rds., Nunawading)
This walk was led by Brian Duvoisin and John Louden. With the extension of the Eastern Freeway, this vast hidden gem of open parkland is still subject to improvement by various authorities.
An active local lobby group maintains a continuing interest in its development.
Across Springvale Rd, yet another hidden gem – R.E. Gray Reserve (Unfortunately no photo).
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31.12.2015 Blackburn Creeklands
On a warm Thursday morning Alan and a group from Blackburn Creeklands Advisory Committee led us on a walk through one area to have a look at a small but important billabong.
Having taken some years to achieve, at considerable Council expense, water is now trickling through the billabong and into the main creek.
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23.9.2016 Damper Creek Valley Reserve. The Secret of Mt. Waverley
With Doug and Campbell as our enthusiastic guides for the morning, we were inspired by the transformation of this valley, formerly infested with blackberry, ivy and noxious weeds,
as well as being a local rubbish dumping ground. It is now a beautiful valley with towering gums, flowering shrubs and an amazing hillside of Microlaena stipoides (Weeping Grass).
The Friends Group, founded in 1993, has worked tirelessly with Monash Council in a staged restoration of the creek.
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30.12.2016 Heatherdale Retarding Basin and Creek.
Plants for this major restoration were supplied by both Bungalook Nursery and Greenlink Box Hill; our contribution being 2,105 shrubs and wetland species. Despite an overnight deluge, the plants survived.
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31.3.2017 Charles Rooks Reserve (Mitcham) and Buckanbe Park (Vermont).
A very pleasant morning, first to the Reserve where a eucalypt rare in the City of Whitehorse, Eucalyptus globoidea (White Stringybark), can be found and then to nearby Buckanbe Park where huge original gums tower over a large pond, home to a family of ducks. Buckanbe Park Advisory Committee host a popular jazz festival annually in March.
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