Many environmental problems face us today. Members of Echuca Landcare Group are working toward enhancing our local natural environment.Some of Echuca Landcare Group's projects are outlined on this page.
If you are interested in becoming a member you are invited to call in to the Tangled Garden bookshop in Echuca and introduce yourself to Jenny or Carol. Alternatively, write to PO Box 1351 ECHUCA 3564 or come along to our monthly meeting at the bookshop (usually held from 7.30pm on the second Thursday of each month except December).
Latest Upgrades
Most pages on this site were redesigned and revised during January 2010. Some pages on gardening were added during 2010. The news items were updated in May 2012.
No current newsletter is available for downloading.
This site was offline for several days in July 2010 whilst we found a new service provider, the previous provider having decided to cease hosting sites. Fortunately, we have been able to retain our URL domain name.
The site map is on the Links Page.
Echuca Landcare Group
Welcome
to the home page of
Echuca Landcare GroupEchuca is located alongside the Murray and Campaspe Rives in northern Victoria, Australia. Echuca Landcare Group usually meets on the second Thursday of each month (often in the Shire's Function Room or at the Tangled Garden Bookshop from 7.30pm) to plan activities. Working Bees and outings are held from time to time. Our annual general meeting is usually held in August each year. For information about the group, call in to the Tangled Garden Bookshop and ask for Jenny or Carol, or write to the Secretary, Carol Headberry at P.O. Box 1351 ECHUCA 3564. New members are welcome!
Our work involves projects and activities such as:
• the planting and promotion of indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses ;
• recording Platypus sightings along the lower Campaspe River;
• the Shinbone Alley Project (see separate page on this site);
• removing rubbish and removing weeds from river banks and other areas, and
• educating ourselves and our community about environmental management issues in our local area.Much of our revegetation work, rubbish removal and weed removal work is along the lower stretches of the Campaspe River, just upstream of its confluence with the Murray River, and in local bushland, including Banyula Forest.
Echuca Landcare members planting indigenous trees and shrubs alongside the Campaspe River, Echuca. Photo: Keith Stockwell.
Second Thursday of each month
Echuca Landcare Group Meeting
7.30pm. Please check time and venue with President Jenny or Secretary Carol (phone 03 5482 1560) or enquire at Echuca's Tangled Garden Bookshop. Prospective new members are welcome to attend work bees, monthly meetings and other activities.Latest platypus sighting reported to us in Campaspe River was in January 2011. Please report sightings to the webmeister or report them to the Jenny or Carol at the Tangled Garden Bookshop, or to Secretary Chris Bilkey.
NewS
Current projects
Echuca Landcare began in 2001, so this year marks its 10th birthday. “While we have enjoyed the support of a core group of 20 or so members, new blood (and hands and brains!) will enable us to extend our reach and tackle new projects,” said Chris Bilkey, immediate past secretary of the group.Current projects include the eradication of Prickly Pear along the bank of the Campaspe River near Eyre Street, using a range of methods to control a cactus infestation and our Shinbone Alley Project (see separate page).
Landcare Coordinator leaves
The Shire of Campaspe's Landcare Co-ordinator Rhonda Day was recently farewelled at a dinner in Rochester. Rhonda has been of immense assistance to Echuca Landcare Group. Rhonda has recently married and is relocating elsewhere. Echuca Landcare group hopes that the Shire of Campaspe will appoint a replacement. We understand that the job specifications may be amended. May 2012.
Cactus removal project
During 2011 and 2012, Echuca Landcare Group has worked to eradicate Prickly Pear from private and public land alongside the Campaspe River within the town. The infestation covered many hectares. Most of the infestation has now been removed and steps are under way to plant much of the area with indigenous plants. We are presently planning an indigenous garden on an 11 metre-wide strip alongside the walkway leading to the Eyre Street foot-bridge over the Campaspe River. The on-going project has already cost several thousand dollars. Fortunately, however, Echuca Landcare Group has been able to obtain grants to help cover the cost. We thank the private land-holders for allowing us to remove the cactus plants from their land.
Bridal Creeper eradication project
Bridal Creeper is one of Australia's; 20 weeds of National Significance. Unfortunately, in Echuca, this weed, introduced to Australia as a garden plant, has smothered native vegetation alongside the Campaspe River. Echuca Landcare Group is working with The Shire of Campaspe and local school students to control the infestation.Bridal Creeper is a perennial climber, growing up to three metres.
In 2007, Echuca Landcare Group and the Shire identified areas of major infestation. Biological control was seen as the best way to tackle the problem. Echuca East Primary School participated in the Victorian Government's Weed Warriors programme, students breeding Leaf Hoppers (Zygina sp.) and releasing them in areas of infestation. Unfortunately there are few signs of Leaf hopper impact in the area where they were released.
Later in 2007, DPI Franks ton, in conjunction with the Shire of Campaspe and Echuca landcare Group, made rust fungus sport water to spray on infestations. Rust Fungus (Puccinia myrsiphylli) was approved for release in Australia seven years earlier. It is host specific and is not known to attack other plant species. The fungus affects the vigour of Bridal Creeper, reducing growth and seed production.
Later, in 2008, the Bridal Creeper Leaf Beetle was released but has not survived in the area.
In Early 2010, five students of St Joseph's College in Echuca who were doing a Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) course mapped infestations along the western side of the Campaspe River in Echuca. The students noted impacts on native vegetation, fauna and visible signs of previous biological control. They found that infestations had significantly increased over the four years since the last survey but that there were areas where the Rust Fungus was impacting on the weed.
A Caring for Country Grantd has been obtained and our Banishing Bridal Creeper Project ~ coordinated by the Shire of Campaspe and our Landcare Group ~ is now under way.
The aim of the project is to trial various method of control including physical removal, Rust fungus, chemical control and fire. It is hoped that up to half of the Bridal Creeper alongside the Campaspe River in Echuca can be removed by the middle of this year (2012).
Bridal Creeper Infestation. Photo: Keith StockwellIn March 2011, the VCAL students marked out quadrants, recorded information and took photographs. In April, National Bridal Creeper Co-ordinator Shauna Potter and DPI bio-control expert Greg Lefoe presented a community session on methods of biological control of the weed.
In June 2011, the students physically removed Bridal Creeper plants, including underground tubers. Within each quadrant, indigenous grasses and groundcover species were planted. the quadrants were monitored and, by the end of 20112, no Bridal Creeper plants had grown back.
VCAL students and Echuca Landcare Group members spraying Bridal Creeper
Photo: Rhonda DayThe VCAL students purchased equipment for making Rust Fungus spore water and infected plants. A community session was held, explaining how spore water is made. Bridal Creeper plants sprayed with the spore water are not looking healthy.
Later this year (2012), a hot burn of an infested area is planned.
The 2012 VCAL group will continue with the project, assisting with revegetation and community awareness.
Later this year, Echuca Landcare Group hopes to involved Echuca Secondary College students with the project. We hope that this nasty weed will be eradicated from within the town of Echuca.
~ The above article is based on a report written by Rhonda Day and which appeared in Victorian Landcare, Issue 54, Autumn 2012.
Shinbone Alley
Late in October 2011, the Echuca Historical Society launched a booklet entitled "A Walk in Banyule Forest". The booklet contains much information about Shinbone Alley, an area of slightly higher land in Banyula Forest, a forest upstream of the Echuca-Moama bridge.In lieu of having a meeting in January 2010, members strolled alongside the Murray River from the Echuca Visitor Information Centre to an area where one of our members lived as a child. Shinbone Alley is a shinbone-shaped neck of higher land on a section of the flood plain of the Murray River known as Banyula Forest. Several hundred people once lived here. But flooding led to the abandonment of this part of Echuca. Today, natural regeneration has occurred and there is little evidence that many houses and a sporting field once existed.
Members noted some of the tasks that could be undertaken in this section of bushland, e.g. rubbish removal and removal of exotic saplings. No work is likely until the land manager has been determined, until approval has been obtained and until funding has been made available.
We hope to be involved with the development of a marked walking trail and with the er4ection of informative signage We also hope to remove rubbish and to revegetate some parts with indigenous plants.
We have a page about Shinbone Alley on this site. The page was last updated on 1st November 2011.
Click here to enter our Shinbone Alley page.
Gardening Page
A page has been added to this site with advice on composting, mulching and water-wise gardening. The new page has links to several other gardening sites.
Click here to access this new page
Brochure featuring our local native birds
Echuca Landcare Group has produced a coloured brochure which features photographs of about 40 birds found in our area. Free copies are available from the Echuca-Moama Visitor Information Centr4e and from the Tangled Garden Bookshop in High Street Echuca.Gunbower Development Group has produced a similar brochure based on the one we prepared.
Both brochures are available from local Visitor Information Centres.
Restoration of Gunbower Creek
A Caring for Country has been obtained (by DPI Kerang and the North Central CMA) for restoration work alongside Gunbower Creek. Fencing is being erected between public and private land so that cattle are unable to damage the creekside soils and vegetation. Where necessary, revegetation work and weed removal is taking place. Various Landcare groups and other groups have offered to carry out work such as tree planting and bird surveying.Much of the fencing is now in place and work on a new weir which allows free passage by fish has been completed. Box Thorns, Willows, Peppercorns and other woody weeds are being removed and indigenous plant species have been planted and protected from rabbits and hares with guards. Further rabbit eradication work is needed. Enquiries may be directed to DPI Kerang.
2012 is the final year of project funding.
Across the Murray in NSW, a $600,000 project to improve the delivery of environmental water to the Perricoota-Koondrook Forest is nearing completion. A DVD has been produced about the project. Much of the Perricoota-Koondrook Forest has been closed during much of 2011 so that engineering works can be carried out. New road bridges need to be completed before all of the forest is open to the public. April 2009, upgraded May 2012.
Change of legal identify
At its inception some years ago, Echuca Landcare Group was 'a committee of Campaspe Shire'. This is no longer the case. The group is now an affiliate of the Victorian Farmers Federation Farm, Tree and Landcare Association. This change is expected to give the group greater financial autonomy. April 2008.
Kanyapella Basin
To help overcome inappropriate grazing, boundary fences around Kanyapella Wildlife Area have been either repaired or replaced. Tracks have been cleared of fallen timber and new signage has been erected, e.g. advising that trail bikes must be registered and driven only on tracks. A brochure about the reservehas been prepared by DPI Tatur and is now available free of cost at Visitor Information Centres.Fox eradication work has been carried ou by contractors and by Field and Game Australia. A committee of stakeholders meets quarterly to advise on management issues and there some Landcare members on the advisory committee.
Bush Stone Curlew: a few pair survive in Kanyapella Basin (Photo: K Stockwell)
Landcare in Loddon Shire
In September 2007, some Shire of Campaspe Landcare supporters went on a bus tour of Loddon Shire, northern Victoria.First stop was at the Kamarooka Project, 35km north of Bendigo (Vic) where a small number of families run large cropping and sheep farms in an area suffering from salinity. 40 acres of badly salt-affected land which carried just 10 sheep per acre was planted out to farm trees and indigenous plants, mainly wattles and salt bush, by local farmers (Northern United Forestry Group). Carrying capacity has increased tenfold to 100 sheep and the number is expected to double again this year. Various agencies have worked with the farmer group to produce a CD on the Kamarooka Project (each of those who attended the bus tour received a copy).
Second stop was at a nearby property where the farmers make their own liquid fertiliser; super-phosphate is not used. Over 10 years, they have also planted several kilometres of indigenous plants in wide strips on the property. Again, much use has been made of wattles. There were many old Box trees, with hollows for wildlife, along adjoining roads.
Participants then stopped off alongside East Loddon P-12 school where the students and locals are involved in the restoration of a very degraded area of public and private land between the school and Bendigo Creek. The idea is to involve students from planning to implementation in a restoration project which may take generations to complete. it is hoped that the students, almost all of whom come from surrounding farms, will implement projects on their own properties if and when they get a farm of their own.
We stopped at the Loddon River. Much of it has already been fenced. We observed how wattles, casuarinas and other shrubs are being planted amongst the remaining Box and Red Gum trees. The old trees had lots of hollows. A noisy mob of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos screamed their concern at our presence. The owner of the strip we visited has also been revegetating another property near Bears Lagoon.
As we drove along, we observed a belt of trees and shrubs about 50 metres wide which has been planted by Salisbury West Landcare Group ~ and more plantings are under way ~ to link Kooyoora National Park and Inglewood to the Loddon.
The next stop was observe the restoration of Powlett Swamp (which has been dry for many years) between Kooyoora National Park (Melville's Caves) and the Loddon River. The swamp we stopped at has been fenced and some indigenous species planted to supplement the existing vegetation by local land-holders, two of whom were present to talk about the project. Since cattle have been excluded, some rare and endangered plants have been found in Powlett Swamp.
After a stop at Wedderburn, the bus then took participants to Mt Buckrabanyule which is smothered in Wheel Cactus. The cactus has rampaged out of control since the demise of rabbits. Locals spend several hours each week injecting the cacti with Glyphosate. Much cactus-infested land on nearby Mt Egbert and Mt Kerang has been reclaimed; indigenous vegetation and bird life are recovering.
Wheel Cactus ~ it has run rampant in places (K Stockwell)Our guide pointed out the wildlife corridors being created by (then manager) Timbercorp around olive plantations at Boort.
He also showed us revegetation works between Little Lake Boort and Big Lake Boort, now home to crakes and quail.
We then drove through Fernihurst to a property at Bears Lagoon (locality). The farming couple have spent thousands of inherited dollars converting flat farmland into a large billabong and ponds suitable for specific indigenous birds. Old trees have been brought in and placed upright and thousands of indigenous shrubs (including Eremophilas and Acacias and trees planted to created a completely natural appearance. Brown Tree-creepers have appeared, climbing up the old dead trees. Reed Warblers sing in the rushes. A Singing Honeyeater (not at all commonplace on these plains) was filmed in a Box tree. Welcome Swallows have taken up residence, gliding over the water. Farm owner Bill reckons the birds are thrilled with his creation and birds he has never sighted in the area before have moved in. Bill has also planted tens of thousands of indigenous shrubs and trees on the remainder of his large property, plus alongside many kilometres of public roads.
The bus tour was filmed so that the CMA can distribute a video.
Most wattles were in full flower throughout the region.
It was inspiring to learn of so many projects involving revegetation. There are many other similar projects in the Shire of Campaspe and in Murray Shire. A lot of great work is being done by farmers despite the terrible and prolonged drought afflicting the area. The tour illustrated how a few individuals can have a dramatic impact on landscape and inspire others to follow their lead. Everyone on the bus seemed inspired to do more Landcare work. ~ Keith Stockwell, September 2007.
Group meets alongside the Campaspe
One of the meetings of Echuca Landcare Group was held on private property alongside the Campaspe river south of Echuca. Leigh Mitchell of the North Central CMA demonstrated how to carry out procedures to test the quality of river water. After collecting a sample of river water, the follow tests were carried out:Orthophosphorous Test. Chemicals were added to a sample of river water and a colour chart was used to determine the amount of free phosphorous in the water. Ideally, the figure is less than .05 and we measured .02. Very good.
pH Test. was used to determine the acidity of the water. Ideally, pH should be between 6.5 and 8.5. We recorded 7.5. Very good.
Turbidity Test. A sample of river water was poured into a long test tube until markings on the bottom of the tube became unclear. We recorded 28 on a logarithmic scale. Good.
Salinity Test. An electronic device was used to measure salinity. The reading was 158.1 ppm. Very good.
Members then went for a walk along the river. The water level was very low and there was little flow. We noted lots of snags and woody debris. Very good. Along the river we observed lots of very old Red Gums with lots of nesting hollows, Willow Wattle (Acacia salicina), native grasses, River Callistemon and reeds (Phragmites). Excellent. There were a few introduced Peppercorns (Schinus molle). The river has been fenced to prevent cattle accessing the water and damaging the banks and riverside vegetation.
Other regional Landcare groups
Landcare groups in areas surrounding Echuca include Broken-Boosey CMN, Campaspe-Runnymeade Landcare Group, Cornelia LAP Committee, Corop Action Group, Echuca West Salinity & Land Management Group, Green Gully Landcare Group, Gunbower Landcare Group, Koyuga-Kanyapella Landcare Group, Kyabram Urban Landcare Group, Lockington and District Landcare Group, Moama Landcare Group, Nanneella-Timmering Action Group, Northern Plains CMN, Strathallan Family Landcare Group, Terricks Ridge Landcare Group, Wharparilla West Landcare Group and Wyuna Landcare Group.
Echuca Landcare Group
