Local ecologist and web developer, James Maino, has created a brand new website for our organization, and we are so thrilled about it! We'd love you to check it out and share any thoughts you have. The site will continue to grow in the new year, as we work with our Landcares to include information on their projects, past and present, as well as build a resource section. The address has not changed, you can still find us at www.platypus.org.au

Kicking off new collaborations between our local Landcares

Our local Landcare groups have recently kicked off the next phase of landscape wide collaboration in the Upper Wimmera. Supported by a Victorian Landcare Grant, we are establishing a 'Biolink Team,' made up off members of all our Upper Wimmera Landcares, as well as our neighbours in Ararat and the Pyrenees. The team aims to improve collaboration between Landcare groups, which often have highly aligned values and run similar projects, but can sometimes feel a bit 'silo-ed' in their own local region.

This team held its first get together on November 11th at the Pomonal Community Hall. With representatives from 8 local Landcare groups we brainstormed the shared goals and values between each of our groups, set a plan for better collaborations in the coming year, and enjoyed a walk around a site in the Jallukar Reserve that has been a focus area of the Jallukar Landcare for over a decade.

Wildflower day at the Archery Club

The Ararat and Stawell Archery club has a hidden gem - a beautiful remnant grassland, an endangered habitat type in Victoria. Club members have undertaken a great deal of habitat improvement over the last 20 years, planting native trees around the previously bare area, to restore the original habitat. Moreover, the club's annual mowing regime has been timed perfectly to allow the native grassland flowers and herbs in the grassy woodland's understory to continue to flourish.

This year, the club is partnering with Project Platypus to launch the next phase of habitat improvements, with a new understory revegetation project, creating important habitat for birds and insects, while also creating new shrubby obstacles for the club's 'field course.' To spread the love for their beautiful grassland, and for their favourite sport, the club held a community open day on Sunday October 29.  We learned about native grasslands and how to spot them, and then let newcomers try their hand at archery.

Protect habitat for all the creatures that call Mt Cole Creek home

Have you heard of the Mount Cole Creek Restoration project? It was launched last year, after $100,000 was secured through the Murray-Darling Healthy Rivers Program. The first year of the project is now concluded, and to mark the next round, we held a community information and feedback session in Warrak on November 23rd. The Project Platypus team shared updates on what's been done so far, and plans for the coming year, which includes a survey of the Mt Cole Creek using environmental DNA technology.

Landcare members are teaching local students to grow native wildflowers

Pomonal Primary School is teaming up with local Jallukar Landcare Group members, known for their award winning native grasslands propagation project, to teach students about what it takes to grow native wildflowers. The school was successful in receiving a Junior Landcare grant for the 2023-2024 season to help them fund a series of workshops to train their students in native plant propagation, and plant more native species around their school. 

This project kicked off last month with a field trip for the whole school to Jallukar Landcare's native nursery just down the road from the school, owned by Landcare member Phil Williams and maintained with weekly help from the Jallukar Landcare's Wednesday morning nursery working bee team.  The students got a lesson in how native plants are grown, and had a look at some of the species they will be growing for themselves in the new year, like chocolate lilies, bulbine lilies, and trigger plants.