Lorax Project 2012

The Upper Goulburn Landcare Networks revegetation 'Lorax Project' has finished for another year after a very successful year of tree planting throughout the fire affected areas of Murrindindi Shire.

JBWere volunteers at Buxton

This year 452 volunteers from NAB, ANZ, JBWere, Camberwell Secondary College, Strath Creek Landcare Group, Kevin Heinz Garden Centre, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Kinglake Landcare Group and the Salvation Army helped plant a total of 12110 indigenous plants.

ANZ volunteers at Kinglake

We also had great support again from Fifteen Trees who were able to provide much needed funds to purchase many plants for our project.

NAB volunteers planting trees funded by 15Trees

The Kevin Heinz Garden Centre with funding assistance from Rotary again grew many thousands of plants for us and even came up for a day to plant some at the Kinglake Lions Park.


Kevin Heinz Garden Centre volunteers at Kinglake Lions Park

We developed a great project with the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority which allowed us to fence and revegetate many kilometres of riparian areas along the King Parrot Creek and Spring Creek in Flowerdale.

NAB volunteers planting along the Spring Ck at Flowerdale

We revegetated 32 hectares of farmland and waterways on properties at Strath Creek, Flowerdale, Kinglake, Glenburn, Buxton and Murrindindi.


ANZ volunteers at Glenburn

The Lorax Project will continue in 2013 and thousands of seedlings are being grown as we speak in preparation for next years planting season.

NAB volunteers at Buxton

We will also be helping the Strath Creek Landcare Group with the tree planting component of their biodiversity project.

Volunteers at Strath Creek

Anyone interested in volunteering with our project in 2013 or landowners interested in getting tree planting carried out on their properties contact Chris Cobern on 5736 0104.

Lorax Project In Full Swing

Our fire recovery revegetation program 'Lorax Project' is motoring along at the moment and the volunteers are enjoying getting outdoors amongst the fine spring weather.

Over the last two months with the help of many volunteers from NAB and CVA as well as local volunteers from the Kinglake Scouts and Strath Creek Landcare Group we have planted almost 3000 plants throughout properties in Flowerdale, Kinglake, Glenburn and Kilmore East.

We have also had great support from the following organistations and business' by supplying plants or funding for our plants: Fifteen Trees, Kevin Heinz School of Horticulture, Apprenticeships Plus, NAB and Rotary.

Fencers Without Boundaries - Still bounding along



Terry Hubbard thanking our volunteers

We recently said goodbye and thank you to two of our stalwart fencing teams SA Rotary and the 4WD drivers at a bbq in Strath Creek (pictured left). Between the two teams they have rebuilt 62km of fencing as part of UGLN's Fencers Without Boundaries (FWB) fire recovery fencing program.

This is by no means the end of FWB.
UGLN is committed to the program until the end of 2011. With the continued assistance of the Uniting Church, our loyal volunteers from Shepparton and Melbourne and corporate groups such as NAB and Earnst & Young, all ably lead by our fencing team leader Alan Stafford.
We will continue to assist landowners rebuild their fences.

Alan Stafford and UGLN Coordinator Chris Cobern

Volunteers from  E&Y.

JBWere joins the fire recovery with record effort

Our most succesfull tree planting day for the 2011 season so far was held at Steve and Linda Jungens property in Spring Valley Rd Flowerdale.

13 volunteers from JBWere were joined by members of the Strath Creek Landcare Group to plant over 900 plants along a section of the Spring Creek that the Jungens have fenced off from their stock. it was a great day and we all enjoyed the delicious bbq lunch provided by Linda and JBWere.

Familiar Faces Return . ANZ Risk Management Team

31st May 2011.
John Tilley was surprised and delighted to host 15 tree planting volunteers from the ANZ Risk Management Department on his Strath Creek Property. Janet had told him a few people were coming around to plant some trees in his 2ha steep hillside revegetation project. Very casual , landcare was organising the BBQ , toilet , plants and tools etc , just leave the gates open and leave it to us. John was amazed when he returned home to find a large team of volunteers had planted 400 plants and hand seeded the very steepest slopes where assess for the direct seeding machine would be impossible. This was my 3rd visit to the Tilley property since the fires and it was hearting to see things nearly back to normal .
It was great to meet many old friends in this team . They had helped out during last years ANZ Mega week and enjoyed themselves so much they signed up again this year. Hey Bridget , there were a few requests for the pumpkin soup ! Janet & Cath provided a BBQ lunch but we couldn't do the 20 litres of pumpkin soup without Bridget .

Janet Hagen & Cathy Olive UGLN

Focus On Fauna

These photo's were take on a property at Kinglake West on the Pheasant Creek using remote sensor cameras.
It is part of UGLN's 'Focus On Fauna' fire recovery program which is being carried out in the Strath Creek and Flowerdale area by David Wakefield from Strath Creek Landcare Group and also the Kinglake Ranges with assistance from the Kinglake Landcare Group.

The lyrebird photo's were taken at a display mound I found at the site. The male was calling for about 8 minutes when a female came by which of course attracted his attention.
The other photo's were taken at a disturbed area next to the forest where it looked like animals came out to graze.
For more information on UGLN's Focus on fauna go to http://focusonfauna.wordpress.com/

ANZ Landcare Fire Recovery Week

Another very succesful week of volunteer work carried out with volunteers from the ANZ bank.
Throughout the week 96 volunteers assisted us with fencing, weed control, nest boxes and tree planting at fire affected properties at Kilmore East, Pheasant Creek, Strath Creek, Heathcote Junction and Narbethong. The team did a great job despite at times having to battle steep slopes and thick scrub with leeches and prickles.

Strath Creek Nest Boxes

While checking nest boxes provided by the UGLN fire recovery program David and Laurie Wakefield from the Strath Creek Landcare Group were delighted to find a Brush-tailed Phascogale curled up in one of the boxes. Phascogales would have been hit hard by the Black Saturday fires, due to loss of tree hollows, ground cover and food sources. The Wakefield's and others in the district, have also found Sugar Gliders and an antechinus in nest boxes installed after the fires.

ANZ Risk Department MEGA WEEK Day 2

31st August 2010 .

The Banking world's financial year ends this week and all unused volunteers days cannot be carried into the next year. This has created our ANZ Risk Department Mega Week. We have committed to finding work for 40 volunteers for each day for a week. This also includes providing morning tea and lunch in the field (catering for a wide range of dietary needs), providing mobile toilet facilities and ensuring coach access to all sites.

Day 2 Report Treeplanting at Steve and Heather Joblin's in Strath Creek

32 ANZ volunteers plus 20 students from Mercellin College in Bulleen, with Sister Margret.

Cathy, Janet & Bridget from Landcare.

The speedy ANZ workers planted 660 trees.

Mercellin College boys planted 18 trees.

Three Sisters, Strath Creek.

6th August 2010
25 ANZ/GE volunteers plus Chris , Cath , David and Janet met at Terry Hubbards property in Strath Creek to do some serious tree planting . The paddocks were beautifully soggy and the hills impressively steep. We travelled to the planting site via 4WD tractor . The weather was not that kind so Terry's shearing shed made a welcome retreat for our BBQ lunch . The team was very efficient -1800 trees were planted.

Highlights of the day : Chris's ability to drive any machine . Tractors & Four Wheel Motorbikes. The left-overs from the Strath Creek ladies catering for the playground opening , Terry's dog , wedgetailed eagles and the guys who headed off for a weekend skiing straight after the planting.

Successful ANZ & Landcare & Treeproject partnership continues.

July 2nd 2010
Heather and Steve Joblin were assisted in repairing their large revegetation project which was burnt by the fires in Strath Creek. 300 trees were added to the steep hill sides.
Volunteer workers included 8 ANZ bankers from Southbank in the city , Timothy from Treeproject plus Justus and Janet Hagen from Landcare. The chatter over a BBQ lunch centered around events at the World Cup Soccer .
This multi-cultural group had representatives from France, New Zealand, India, Holland, England and Paraguay as well as a few Aussies. Several pairs of shiny new gum boots were christened on the day .
Thanks for your help guys.