On Friday 12th August, Mitta Valley Landcare) held another successful planting day at Chloe Giltrap Mittavale property on the Mitta River. Sixteen landcaers and family turned out to plant 600 native species around a wetland, off the Mitta River. The existing EVC Vegetation Class includes River Red Gums, sedges and tussocks. The wetland is a habitat for the Growling Grass Frog.

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). Project Officer Audrey Beard f coordinated and ordered the species schedule.

Catering for the day was provided by Eskdale Café, a locally owned and operated business. 

The ability to offer fencing and revegetation projects in the local community is due to funding from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment and the Murray Darling Healthy Rivers Program. 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.

This project is supported by Mitta Valley Landcare, through funding from the Australian Government’s Murray–Darling Healthy Rivers Program.
Murray–Darling Healthy Rivers – an Australian Government initiative.

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

This project is supported by Mitta Valley Landcare, through funding from the Australian Government’s Murray–Darling Healthy Rivers Program.
Murray–Darling Healthy Rivers – an Australian Government initiative.

Mitta Valley Landcare (MVL) recently received a grant under the ‘Healthy Rivers Program, through The Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment. The program aims to support community-led, on the ground projects, to improve the health and ecological condition of rivers and wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin whilst supporting economic development and jobs. The MVL project will cover 9 properties with 12 sites over 32 hectares and involves planting 2510 local native species. Two Project Officers have been employed to implement the Project, Audrey beard and Libbe Paton.

On Sunday 17^th July, the first of the planting days was held at Faith and Clem Wallace’s property on Tabor Creek at Dartmouth. Tabor Creek is a tributary of the Mitta River  and is a known habitat of the Barking Owl.Nine  local volunteers planted over 450 native plants The plant list was a mix of trees, large and small shrubs, grasses and rushes,  and consisted of Acacia melanoxylon (Blackwood), Eucalyptus globulus (Blue Gum), Eucalyptus radiata (Narrow Leaf Peppermint), Eucalyptus viminalis (Manna Gum), Bursaria spinosa (Sweet Bursaria), Callistemon sieberi (River Bottlebrush), Grevillea rosmarinifolia (Rosemary Grevillea), Gynatrix pulchella (Native hemp bush), Kunzea ericoides (Burgan), Leptospermum brevipes (Slender tea tree), Mirbelia oxylyobioides (Mountain mirbelia), Brachyscome multifida (Rock Daisy), Poa labillardieri (Common Tussock Grass), Lomandra longifolia (Spiny headed mat rush), and Carex sp. (Common Sedge). These plants were hand-picked to thrive in a local wetland area and will complement the native plants already established.

The catering on the day was provided by the GREEN GALAH Tallangatta, who supplied a delicious spread of roast pumpkin and sweet potato soup with fresh bread, and a mixed grazing platter board; lunch went down well with a cosy fire and a hot cuppa. GREEN GALAH is a support service focused on employment preparation and skill building with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). As a not-for-profit community group, we were delighted to support this amazing local social enterprise.

Lastly, thank you to Project Officer Audrey Beard for ordering and coordinating the plantings and to the volunteers who braced the wet weather to improve a local water system 

This project is supported by Mitta Valley Landcare, through funding from the Australian Government’s Murray–Darling Healthy Rivers Program.
Murray–Darling Healthy Rivers – an Australian Government initiative.