We held our first December barbecue in December 2018 and it proved to be a sucessful time of year.

This year we were almost a week later and the Reserve was more crowded but the weather was pleasant and we were able to find a spot to accommodate us all.

We were pleased that our newly elected Mayor, Stuart James, attended with his family and our local member, Matt Fregon, came along as well. A happy time was had by all our members who joined us.

Guest Speaker - Mick Brasher - Unusual Flora and Fauna of Australia -

Mick gave us a great presentation showing many of the wonderful flowers and birds in Australia.

21st Annual General Meeting -

The normal business of the 21st Annual General Meeting was then conducted. This covered the President’s, Waterwatch, River Officer and Treasurer’s reports and the election of the Committee for 2019-2020.

The President, Tony Walker, started by reminding us of the existing committee members and the various areas that they cover. He summarised the group’s achievements for the year which included the regular Valley Reserve work party, planting projects, community events and events with local schools and universities. The Waterwatch coordinator, Fred Bullock, reviewed the team’s work for the year making some observations about the health of Scotchmans Creek. Rex Dusting our River Officer gave his first report of the state of Scotchmans Creek from Waverley Road to Stanley Avenue. Finally Sally Walker presented the Treasurer’s Report which was accepted.

The election of the Committee resulted in the following:

President:	Kallista Sears
Vice President:	Tony Walker
Secretary:	Alan Moore
Treasurer:	Fred Bullock
Ordinary Committee:	Rex Dusting
Ordinary Committee:	Kelvin Ferguson
Ordinary Committee:	Sally Walker

 

We are working on a plan with Melbourne Water to re-vegetate the wetlands. Hu gave us an interesting overview of the history of the wetlands, what has been done and looked forward to what can be done in the future.

He explained the issues with wetlands in general and our wetlands in particular.

There was much information to take away and digest.

The day started cloudy but soon we had a blue sky as 244 volunteers came along to help us plant 8,000 plants in the Scotchmans Creek corridor on National Tree Day.

This year we planted on the south side of the creek, so entry into Fairway Reserve was from Forster Road near Wilga Street. Our volunteers had a pleasant walk along the gravel track to reach our planting site just beyond the Stephensons Road overpass. All 8,000 plants were in the ground by 11:30 am.
Thank you to everyone who came to help make this a very successfull morning of planting.

We had great support from the local scouts and other groups such as SEWA International, the Dharmasoka College Past Students Association Australia, the SriMithuru group and the Chinese Professionals Club Australia - CPCA. The local community turned out in force as well. Our thanks go to all of these willing volunteers.

The Scouts cooked their usual great sausage sizzle. This time by the banks of the creek.

Melbourne Water and their Community Grants Program provided the funding for the plants and assisted with the cost of the refreshments. The City of Monash Bushland & Wetland Maintenance crew laid out the plants and this year also created most of the holes. They were also willing to help new planters.

Here is the list of the 45 different species planted:

Acaena novae-zealandiae - Bidgee-widgee Arthropodium strictum - Chocolate Lily Austrostipa mollis - Soft Spear-grass Billardiera mutabilis - Common Apple-berry Brachyscome multifida var.multifida - Cut Leaf Daisy Bulbine bulbosa - Bulbine Lily Clematis aristata - Austral Clematis Clematis microphylla var.microphylla - Small-leaved Clematis Correa reflexa var. reflexa - Common Correa Dianella admixta - Spreading Flax-lily Dianella laevis var. laevis - Pale Flax-lily Gahnia sieberiana - Red-fruited Saw-sedge Goodenia ovata - Hop Goodenia Hibbertia riparia - Erect Guinea-flower Indigofera australis - Austral Indigo Leptorhynchos tenuifolius - Wiry Buttons Lomandra longifolia var.longifolia - Spiny-headed Mat-rush Microlaena stipoides - Weeping Grass Poa ensiformis - Purple-sheath Tussock Grass Poa labillardierei - Common Tussock-grass Poa sieberiana Var.sieberiana - Tussock Grass Pultenaea gunnii ssp.gunnii - Golden Bush-pea Rytidosperma Mixed - Wallaby Grass

Wahlenbergia communis - Tufted Bluebell Acacia leprosa - Dandenong Ranges Cinnamon Wattle Acacia paradoxa - Hedge Wattle Acacia strictophylla Acacia verticillata var verticillata - Prickly Moses Banksia marginata - Silver Banksia Bursaria spinosa var.spinosa - Sweet Bursaria Cassinia aculeata - Common Cassinia Cassinia arcuata - Drooping Cassinia Coprosma quadrifida - Prickly Currant-bush Dillwynia cinerascens - Grey Parrot-pea Gynatrix pulchella - Hemp Bush Hakea decurrens ssp. physocarpa - Bushy Needlewood Hakea nodosa - Yellow Hakea Hakea ulicina - Furze Hakea Kunzea leptospermoides - Yarra Burgan Leptospermum continentale (heath) - Prickly Tea-tree Leptospermum lanigerum (scotch ck) - Woolly Tea-tree Leptospermum myrsinoides - Heath Tea-tree Melicytus dentatus - Tree Violet Pomaderris aspera - Hazel Pomaderris Carex appressa - Tall Sedge

This is a good mix of wildflowers, grasses and middle storey shrubs. Not only will biodiversity be enhanced, but the way the planting has been structured will make maintenance a lot easier to cope with.
 

Some of the species planted were:

Acacia melanoxylon - Blackwood
Eucalyptus radiata - Narrow-leafed Peppermint
Dianella leavis var laevis - Pale Flax-lily
Dichondra repens - Kidney Weed
Ficinia nodosa - Knobby Club-sedge
Gahnia sieberiana - Red-fruited Saw-sedge
Gonocarpus tetragynus - Common Raspwort
Goodenia ovata - Hop Goodenia
Hakea nodosa - Yellow Hakea
Melicytus dentatus - Tree Violet
Microlaena stipoides - Weeping Grass
Myrsine howittiana - Muttonwood
Olearia lirata - Snowy Daisy-bush
Poa ensiformis - Purple-sheath Tussock-grass
Poa labillardierei - Common Tussock-grass
Poa morrisii - Velvet Tussock-grass
Pomaderris aspera - Hazel Pomaderris
Pomaderris racemosa - Slender Pomaderris
Prostanthera lasianthos var.lasianthos - Victorian Christmas Bush
Stylidium armeria - Grass Trigger Plant
Veronica gracilis - Slender Speedwell
Baumea rubiginosa - Soft Twig-sedge
Bolboschoenus caldwellii - Sea Club-sedge
Carex appressa - Tall Sedge
Carex inversa - Knob Sedge

A great range of plants for this area. The plants that we have planted over the last few years on the east bank have grown very well. This year's plants will start the transformation of the west bank of the creek.
We must thank the Monash bushland crew for all the preparation of this new area and the hard work in supervising the enthusiastic group of 15 employees of AGIG.

Have a look at the photogallery to see the happy planters and what the area looked like before and after the planting.

Thursday, 11 July 2019 - Planting at Crosby Drive with Novotel -

The conservation group from the Novotel Hotel in Glen Waverley supported us again this year. Fifteen of their staff joined us in planting 2000 tubestock on the south side of Scotchmans Creek east of Crosby Drive.
After a good morning's hard work, they rewarded themselves and us with a great BBQ.

Our thanks go to Novotel for their continued support with our planting program. This was our first planting for 2019 with plants purchased with our Melbourne Water grant funds.

Some of the species planted were:

Brachyscome multifida - Cut Leaf Daisy
Dianella admixta - Black-anther Flax Lily
Dianella leavis var. leavis - Pale Flax Lily
Cassinia longifolia - Shiny Cassinia
Dichondra Repens - Kidney-weed
Gahnia sieberiana - Red-fruited Saw-sedge
Gonocarpus tetragynus - Common Raspwort
Goodenia ovata - Hop Goodenia
Gynatrix pulchella - Hemp Bush
Hakea decurrens ssp physocarpa - Bushy Needlewood
Hakea nodosa - Yellow Hakea
Lomandra filiformis - Wattle Mat-rush
Melicytus dentatus - Tree Violet
Microlaena stipoides - Weeping Grass
Myrsine howittiana - Muttonwood
Poa ensiformis - Purple-sheath Tussock Grass
Poa Morrisii - Soft Tussock Grass
Pomaderris aspera - Hazel Pomaderris
Pomaderris racemosa - Sender Pomaderris
Stylidium armeria - Grass Trigger-plant
Wahlengerbia stricta - Tall Bluebell
Carex appressa - Tall Sedge
Carex inversa - Knob Sedge

A great range of understorey plants for the creek and we must thank the Monash bushland crew for all the preparation and the hard work in supervising such an eager group of workers.
The new plants will help to thicken up the planting in this area and help to supress the weeds.

Have a look at the photogallery for some photos from the planting.

Our president, Tony Walker, presented an illustrated talk on the current situation with Scotchmans Creek to a small but interested group of members.
He noted that while the creek has issues as has any suburban creek in general the creek is in a reasonable condition.
The full report is available on the publications page.
 

Last March Peter gave us a very interesting talk about the fungi in Valley Reserve. This year Peter introduced us to the amazing world of slime moulds.
These creatures are not fungi but are simple animals which live both as individual cells and as a multi celled animal.