Western District Tree Muster Project A Great Success

The Western District Tree Muster Project has been a great success this year with over 100, 000 trees planted along the coast and inland.

Basalt to Bay Landcare Network recieved $62,000 from Mobile Muster via Landcare Australia this year to plant 31,000 trees. As a result we engaged 12 landholders to plant seedlings (15, 265) and 11 landholders to direct seed 18.755 ha (approximately 85,000 trees).

Direct Seeding projects were delivered in Caramut, Mortlake, Woolsthorpe and Toolong North, while seedling projects were delivered in Toolong North, Purnim, Mepunga, Woolsthorp, Killarney, Port Fairy, Rosebrook, Wangoom, Warrnambool and Hawkesdale.

3 public sites were involved, including Hopkins Falls, Tozer Reserve and Hawkesdale Common.
Students from 4 schools helped plant some 6,000 trees during 4 community planting days. Several community groups were also involved in planting days, including the Warrnambool Motorcycle Club and Hopkins Moyne Landcare Network.

Trees were planted in some areas, where little native vegetation is found such as at Lake Gillear between Allansford and Mepunga.

A big thanks to Mobile Muster and Landcare Australia for getting behind this project. And thanks to all the volunteers who assisted us in transforming the landscape. And finally, thanks to all the Landholders who who participated in the project. Job well done !

For further information about Mobile Muster see their website at :
http://www.mobilemuster.com.au/ .

RACV Funding for the Port Fairy-Warrnambool Rail Trail

Basalt to Bay Landcare Network has been successfull in an application to RACV's Community Foundation.

Basalt to Bay lodged an application for $9,999 to begin Rail Trail Habitat Restoration at the area just opposite Glaxo on the Princess Highway in Port Fairy.


The funding will be used to eradicate weeds, plant some 5,000 seedlings and direct seed an area running paralell to the rail trail.

It is anticipated that a community planting day will be held in 2010 with local community volunteers, community groups and school children from Port Fairy Consolidated School and Saint Patricks Primary School. The Rail Trail Committee will erect signage to acknowledge the contribution that RACV has made.

This is a great start to restoring habitat along the rail trail. With some 20 km out of a possible 26 km availible for restoration, much work remains to be done. But this project will mark the first milestone.

RACV's committment makes it clear that they keen to support local environmental projects that make a lasting difference to rural communities. So thanks RACV, we look forward to attending the presentation and starting work on the project. Thanks to Peter Haydon, Manager of the RACV Community Foundation, for his encouragement in applying for the grant.

Tozer Reserve and Jemena

Last Friday was an awesome day at Tozer Reserve with about 90 kids from Warrnambool Primary School, all really enthusiatic and excited about being there.

The kids were really focussed and worked very hard to plant 2,500 shrubs, grasses and trees in the lower paddock. This time we had the kids concentrate on back filling the upper area that we direct seeded this time last year - mainly with grasses and shrubs but they also filled in some areas we missed last year around the rocky outcrops and one of the drainage lines at the bottom of the paddock.

Overall they did an excellent job. Tim Bligh and myself were extremely impressed, when we walked around after and saw how well they had planted and staked the guards. They really listened to our introduction at the beginning.

So thanks kids and teachers and parents - a job well done !!!

Tanya Johnson from the local branch of Jemena came out later to lend a hand and she's keen to come out again next Thursday, when we hope to continue planting with students from Warrnambool College.

Thanks to Jemena for the funding and demonstrating such a strong committment to supporting local environmental projects. We anticipate that Jemana funded works at Tozer Reserve will be completed in the next 10 months with further tree planting, the development of a walking track/driveway, additional weed maintenance, fixing of fences, flora and fauna mapping with volunteers and the development of signage for the walking track.

Press Release : Local Jemena branch supports vital growth at Community Reserve

The local branch of national company Jemena is supporting Basalt to Bay Landcare group activities to restore native vegetation at Tozer Reserve.

Leading national utility infrastructure services company Jemena – as part of their community partnership program with Landcare Australia – will fund the planting of 4,500 trees, shrubs and native grasses, as well as helping to improve walking tracks and vehicle access to the reserve.

Located on Wangoom Road, the Tozer Reserve provides hands-on educational experience for students through local school environmental programs. Tozer Reserve is jointly owned by Warrnambool Primary School, Warrnambool College and Brauer College.

Warrnambool Primary School Principal Peter Ocatel said “Children love coming out to Tozer Reserve and are always surprised by the changes in the vegetation once they visit”.

The 20 hectare site was formerly a pine plantation and grazing block but is now home to many rare native orchards, shrubs and frogs.

Confirming the significance of flora within the reserve, Basalt to Bay Chairman Tim Bligh said “While there are small amounts of coastal scrub around Warrnambool, there is no other grassy woodland with the scale and diversity of Tozer within the Warrnambool City Council boundary.”

Jemena’s partnership with Landcare through their Vital Service, Vital Planet community partnership program reflects their ongoing focus to provide local support for environmental initiatives.

On Friday October 9^th, 90 students from Warrnambool Primary School, along with volunteers from the Basalt to Bay Landcare Network planted 2,500 ghrasses, shrubs and trees.

Basalt to Bay Coordinator Richard Hudson said that “The contribution that Jemena has made to Tozer Reserve really helps improve the site’s educational potential.”

Successfull Direct Seeding Demonstration at Demo Dairy

Yesterday saw a successfull direct seeding demonstration at Demo Dairy with the boys from Direct Seed - Bill O'Shea and Ricky Mansbridge.

About 25 people, inlcuding students and farmers braved the cold for the demonstration, which was part of Demo Dairy's monthly farm walk. The day began with an introduction to direct seeding from Bill and a short speel about B2B from me. We then jumped on a bus to the site and watched Ricky and Bill using the Mouldboard technique (see their webpage for details of the technique). People seemed pretty enthusiastic about seeing just how easy this form of direct seeding is.


Thanks to Landcare Australia, The Department of Planning & Community Development & Mobile Muster for the funding to run the day and Louise Shelba and Marni Barber from Demo Dairy for all their support in getting it up and running.

Next year we'll target a demonstration to the southern region and another one up in the northern region of the B2B area.


If you reckon that your area could benefit from a demonstration day next year, contact me on the mobile 0458 268 119 or by email : richardb2b@gmail.com . You can learn more about Direct Seed via www.directseed.com.au, Mouldboarding via http://www.directseed.com.au/html/whatis.html and Demo Dairy via www.demodairy.org.au .