Blackwood and Barry's Reef Landcare Group | Community organisation

Blackwood and Barry's Reef Landcare Group

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Community organisation

24.01.2022 Anyone looking for local indigenous plants? These are perfect for planting out, following weed removal or landscaping/earthworks...

24.01.2022 Couldn't agree more.

24.01.2022 There is an interesting piece in The Conversion about how the phases of the moon affect wildlife: https://theconversation.com/predators-prey-and-moonlight-si

22.01.2022 If you missed our AGM, you also missed a wonderful presentation from Melissa Coon of BADGAR Wildlife Rescue Service in Greendale (http://www.wildlifeshelter.org.au). It was incredibly informative and it would be repeat it in a post-COVID world. The take-away message was to put this phone number in your phone 1300 223 427 so you know who to call if you come across injured wildlife. Go on, add it now! Maybe also add "wildlife rescue" so you can find it in a hurry.

21.01.2022 Himalayan Honeysuckle week starts today as the nine-week/nine weed Ultra-Weed-a-thon moves into week six. See our page at http://blackwoodlandcare.org.au/our-/himalayan-honeysuckle/ for all you need to know about this weed.

21.01.2022 Q: What's better than 10 dead Holly trees? A: 11 dead Holly trees!!

20.01.2022 Brazen wasp nest-building in a plastic-covered wood pile. Wasps had cut through for a neat access hole. But they were no match for Bayer Ant and Wasp Dust (available to the community for free from the Post Office). A few hours later the plastic was lifted to reveal the elaborate nest amongst the timber. If anyone needs a hand with a nest, yell out, as several Landcare members are now veterans of a number of seasons.

20.01.2022 Week seven of the Ultra-Weed-a-thon starts tomorrow and it's time to attack our worst weed, English Holly. Holly is a beast to kill and it's spreading freely through the forest. But let's start by cleaning up the town. If we can eradicate it here, there's a chance of getting rid of it in the forest too. See our new website page (http://blackwoodlandcare.org.au/week-7-holly/) for details, tips and tricks.

20.01.2022 This looks like something that Blackwoodians would be interested in.

19.01.2022 There is no end to these Landcarers' talents!

19.01.2022 Round 2 working bee coming up on Saturday 5th December 10.30am! Come and help us finish the job of cleaning up the grounds around the Uniting Church and Blackwood Town Square. Details in event link... https://www.facebook.com/events/2877625602339975/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22surface%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22create_dialog%22%7D]%7D

19.01.2022 Tomorrow’s working bee at Blackwood’s new Town Square Thanks to the Uniting Church for making this property available for future community use. In return, let’s all pitch in and help make it a meeting and event space for all Blackwoodians. Time and place:... Between 10.30pm until 4pm. At the old Uniting Church grounds, Martin St, Blackwood. Also parking in Byres St. What we’ll be doing: We’ll be clearing weeds and extraneous shrubbery/plants from the Martin St boundary to open the new community space up the street. We’ll also be tackling weeds along the side and the back perimeters. Weeds that are free of seed will be put through our chipper to make mulch for the native garden which will come later. Seed-ridden weeds will be piled for burning at a later date. Holly will be cut and painted (with herbicide). Broom will be hand-pulled. Dragging and preparing (cutting to size) branches for chipping will require plenty of person-power. What to bring: Bodies: The more the merrier. There’s plenty to do, so many hands will make light work of it. COVID: Mask, sanitiser, etc. Remember to socially-distance. Tools: Gloves, hats, sunscreen, branch-pruning loppers, mattocks (or other tools to dig out weed roots), saws. Refreshments: Morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea. Make it a picnic.

19.01.2022 Another frog finds a home.

18.01.2022 Speaking of Broom ... who would have thought there would be this much of the weed in Cann St. Thanks to DJ Weedman for sending this one in.

17.01.2022 More great work from Peter Donnelly.

16.01.2022 The Ultra-Weed-a-thon continues into week three on Monday with an assault on Broom. Broom's easy, so there's no excuse for not getting out and getting into it. There's a new page on our website - http://blackwoodlandcare.org.au/week-3-broom/ - with all you need to know and links to references and maps showing local infestations. Someone may even win a prize next week!

16.01.2022 Well done little mate. Have a rest and I'll drop around a chocolate frog for you.

16.01.2022 How good is fungi? Blackwood can't get enough of it!

15.01.2022 This is a great introduction to Fungi, by our local expert Alison Pouliot. It was filmed in our very own Wombat Forest and surrounds. We are very lucky to have such a rich and diverse fungi wonderland at our doorstep! https://vimeo.com/457577341

15.01.2022 The Ultra-Weed-a-thon continues into Week 5 with Gorse being targeted. Have a look at the new page on our website for more details, maps and eradication tips: http://blackwoodlandcare.org.au/week-5-gorse/

15.01.2022 Had a queen wasp drop in tonight. She must have come in on some firewood. The queens are currently out looking for somewhere to hunker down for winter before re-emerging in the spring. Offered her a drink. Didn't like the Mortein cocktail. Party pooper!

15.01.2022 Day 2 and only 8 metres into the blackberry. 75 metres to go. Can't wait for Blue Periwinckle next week!

14.01.2022 Week 8 of the Ultra-Weed-a-thon starts tomorrow and our weed of the week is Radiate Pine. See our new website page on how to get involved and where to find the pines. http://blackwoodlandcare.org.au/week-8-radiata-pine/

13.01.2022 A long but satisfying day of toil in celebration of Holly Week. With assistance from Peter Donnelly, the large infestation at the sports ground is no more. The major trees are still standing but have been poisoned and will die before the cricket season. Dozens of others have been felled and their stumps poisoned. Hundreds of off-shoots have also have the Triclopyr treatment. The cricketers will be happy. No more lost balls in the Holly!

13.01.2022 Had a crack at the Spanish Heath in Grace St today (Shire of Moorabool's responsibility). If Broom and Gorse are the COVID-19 of our weeds, Spanish Heath is our Ebola virus! With up to 100 seeds per tiny flower capsule (3mm), it is highly infectious to say the least. This lot was grubbed out and burned (but burning this time of year is easier said than done!) There's about the same amount again around the corner on Greendale-Trentham Rd if anyone is keen? Melbourne Water should take note as seed dropped from this outbreak will drain into the river.

13.01.2022 An unexpected bonus while weeding Broom today was to come across and eliminate this wasp nest.

13.01.2022 The Ultra-Weed-a-thon continues on Monday with Week 2 - Blue Periwinkle. A new page has been added to the website with everything you need to know: http://blackwoodlandcare.org.au/week-2-blue-periwinkle/ At this stage the Week 1 prizes will be held over (not enough action!). A late entry today or tomorrow could take home the chocolate bunny and/or the wine so it's not too late to savage some blackberry.

13.01.2022 Ironic message? Or just plain ignorance? Found discarded in our forest on the Whipstick Walking Loop today.

12.01.2022 A bucketful of aspiring blackberry to start the day! Try to get all the roots out if you can.

12.01.2022 How good's this? Jinny is going to get two frogs

11.01.2022 After all, it is Gorse week!

11.01.2022 Thanks to Brett Bond for cleaning up the community noticeboard recently. There's new content too including every page of the current Blackwood Times. Community information has never looked better!

10.01.2022 Hi all, I found a large patch of gorse across the river. Approachable from 2 ways. 1 Easiest walking over Mineral Springs bridge on walk to Shaw's Lake up the h...ill, when the track turns right turn left downhill to mullock heaps keep going it forms a blockade. The other way is down Whalebone cross river & leftist in Shaw's Lake direction. See more

10.01.2022 There's a small window to prevent Blackwood and Barry's Reef's weed crop from multiplying. The Gorse is already starting to flower (so you can see it), the Broom is developing buds (and some "seedling-sized" Cape Broom is coming out of the ground with flowers ready to go! Spanish Health is in full bloom and Blue Periwinkle is sporting is pretty (pretty-evil!) blue flowers. Left to flower and drop seed, the infestations will multiply by a factor of (?) - who knows? The infestations could be 10 times worse in a year. Maybe 20 times worse! So, if you've got some time, get outside and pull/dig them out. Do out the front of your place. Do down the street. Do up the street. Get the roots out, or it will just grow back. If there's no seed yet, you don't need to burn the weeds. Just leave them in a pile to rot.

09.01.2022 Warming up for this afternoon's AGM with a bit of pre-Zoom doom to the Broom. Don't forget to get onto Zoom at 5pm. If you need the access URL, etc, email [email protected]

08.01.2022 Glen gets a chocolate frog delivered to his gatepost for his great work against Broom yesterday. Thanks for caring!

08.01.2022 And Peter and Shaun, frogs are hopping your way too. You've gone earlier on the Gorse but, hey, it's never really too early. Thanks for the pic.

08.01.2022 Louise gets a chocolate frog for pitching in against Blue Periwinkle at the end of Simmons Reef Road today. We hit a patch with the whipper snipper before collecting what we could for the rubbish bin and then followed up with a thorough spraying with Round Up.

07.01.2022 Was pulling out Broom beside the road this morning musing about the difference between weeds and rubbish. Rubbish is annoying but, if left undisturbed, will one day break down and disappear (unless it is radioactive!). One single weed (say Broom), however, if left where is it is, will multiply and multiply and multiply over and over forever and ever and one day its offspring will cover the entire town as well as the forest.

06.01.2022 We've added this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqHGSfCJ3uM to our website to show the credentials of our Hansa C13 chipping machine. The machine is available to Landcare members for just $30 per day. Membership ($10 per year) is required for insurance purposes. Email your interest to [email protected]. You can book the machine at http://blackwoodlandcare.org.au/equipment/

06.01.2022 Sports ground Holly reduced to mulch. Community chipping machine to the rescue.

05.01.2022 Thanks Peter Donnelly for the Broom harvest.

04.01.2022 Talking of cats ...

04.01.2022 Check out some of the photos we've been getting from our wildlife motion sensor cameras. The mountain brush tail possums were so sweet and inquisitive! Unfortunately we captured a LOT of cats and foxes in the same areas, hunting at night . The dark cat pictured, has a collar on. Anyone recognise it? On Bates Road, Blackwood - not far from the cemetery... Might be time to check up on Moorabool Council rules for domestic animals...

04.01.2022 The Nine Week Ultra-Weed-a-thon enters it's final week tomorrow with Spanish Heath in the firing line. Spanish Heath seems to be confined to our roadsides. Could it have been introduced in roadside aggregate? In any event, we need to keep this virulent species under the control as it has been known to spread like wild-fire and take over vast areas particularly if it is mowed. It can be poisoned but, because it is currently in flower (seeding), the best approach is to grub it out and burn it. Try not to transport it too far least it drop seed. See our page http://blackwoodlandcare.org.au/our-problem-/spanish-heath/ for identification photos and further eradication techniques.

04.01.2022 It was great to see Regional Roads Victoria crews out spraying Blackwood roadsides today. Broom, Gorse and Spanish Heath is in the firing line.

03.01.2022 Now fungi is something that loves the micro-climate here in Blackwood.

03.01.2022 What a cracker of a day! More than 20 people pitching in to break the back of the weeding and clearing needed at Blackwood's new "Town Square". Mega thanks to everyone involved.

02.01.2022 Deck the Halls! .... 100sqm of immature Holly gone. Hundreds of stems cut at the base with garden shears and painted with 100 per cent concentrated herbicide (Triclopyr). Shire of Moorabool roadside responsibility.

02.01.2022 Come along and help us clean up the Town Square! Saturday 14th, any time between 10.30am-4pm

01.01.2022 Two of us are putting the rest of the fallen foliage through the chipper at the church in the morning. We ran out of time at the last working bee and were then unable to burn the pile due to the fire restrictions season. Some further cutting to size is required, but the main game is to drag them up for chipping to add to the (now considerable) pile of mulch which will be used during the revegetation phase. If you can spare an hour from 9am (Saturday, January 16), your help ...would be appreciated. Another pine (weed) was removed today and the timber has been sectioned and stacked. Anyone interested in these pine logs is welcome to take them. See more

01.01.2022 One very satisfying reason for hand-pulling weeds is to leave the natives unsprayed and undisturbed. The roadsides are alive with tiny orchids at the moment. You just have to look under the Broom to see them. Liberate an orchid today!

01.01.2022 Ultra-Weed-a-thon WEEK 4 GALENIA Monday, May 4 Sunday, May 10 As far as we know, there is no Galenia in Blackwood and Barrys Reef. The last outbreak occurred several years ago after the Shire of Moorabool top-dressed the recreation oval with infected soil. Thanks to the diligence and perseverance of the late John Davies, the threat was averted. On his hands and knees, John picked out by hand every trace of Galenia. Galenia is on our problem weed list because of the devas...tating effect it would have on the town and the forest if it ever reached us. And its not far away. Motorists can see it all over the sides of the freeway near Bacchus Marsh and its creeping slowly towards our town. There are full details on our website page here: http://blackwoodlandcare.org.au/our-problem-weeds/galenia/ So, this week is like an early mid-season bye. But thats not to say you cant get out and finished the Blackberry, Blue Periwinkle or the Broom you have missed. Our you could get started on the Gorse, the Himalayan Honeysuckle, the Holly, the Pines or the Spanish Heath. Post your progress on this page. See more