On Friday 12th August, Mitta Valley Landcare) held another successful planting day at Chloe Giltrap Mittavale property on the Mitta River. The rain held off and a great team of 16 people planted 500 native species into a wetland area semi established on property. The current wetland eco system will benefit from an extensive mixed plant list consisting of Acaia melanoxylon (Blackwood), Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Red Gum), Eucalyptus melliodora, (Yellow Box), Bursaria spinosa (Sweet Bursaria), Callistemon sieberi (River Bottlebrush), Callistemon pallidus (Lemon Bottlebrush), Grevillea rosmarinifolia (Rosemary Grevillea), Kunzea ericoides (Burgan), Leptospermum brevipes (Slender Tee Tree), Melicytus dentatus (Tree Violet), Carex sp. (Commeon Sedge), Lomandra longifolia (Spiny Headed Mat Rush), and Poa labillardieri (Common Tussock). Thank you to Project Officer Audrey Beard for coordinating and ordering the species schedule.
Catering for the day was provided by Eskdale Café, a locally owned and operated business, which has been revamped by Toni and Lee Hodgkin. So, if you haven’t already stopped in for a coffee or a bite to eat, then make sure you do for friendly, country service with a classic menu selection that offers home delivery every Friday and Saturday night!
The ability to offer fencing and revegetation projects in the local community is thanks to MVL winning the ‘Healthy Rivers and Wetland Projects’ program, offered by The Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment. The program aims to support community-led, on the ground projects, and improve the health and ecological condition of rivers and wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin whilst supporting economic development and jobs. The current project will cover 10 properties with 12 sites over 32 hectares in total and involves planting 3510 local native species.
To the amazing volunteers who keep turning up at the planting days, thank you! giving up your time to help at these events is very much appreciated by the MVL Committee, the Project Officers, and the property owners. If you’ve been thinking of coming along then please do get in touch with either a MVL Committee member or one of the Project Officers. All are welcome and the events are normally a 2–3-hour social outing that helps the environment, you meet new people, and you get free lunch! WIN WIN!
by Libby Paton, project worker