Merri BirdWatch surveys will be held on Sunday 1 May and Sunday 8 May from 8:45 – 10:30am.
No need to register beforehand, unless you are going to the Galgi Ngarrk survey (see below).
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Category Archives: Merri Creek
Merri Creek Trail seating blitz: submission
After two years of the pandemic, many people have discovered the delights of the Merri Creek Trail. They have also discovered a shortage of seating along long stretches of this path, especially in Coburg North and Fawkner.
Moreland Council has set aside funding for projects from community submissions. Sustainable Fawkner joined with other Moreland Community groups – Walk on Moreland; Friends of Merri Creek; Brunswick Residents Network; Friends of Coburg Lake and Surrounds; Neighbours United for Climate Action – to put in a submission on upgrading the seating along the Merri Creek Path.
We need your VOTE to make the Merri Creek Trail more accessible
Please vote for our proposal to Moreland’s Community Budget Ideas: the Merri Creek Trail: Seating Installation Blitz.
Continue readingPosted in Merri Creek, Moreland City Council, news
Tagged Merri Creek Path, Moreland Council, Seating, submission, walking
Frogs of Fawkner (well Moomba Park ) – February 6
Growling Grass Frog Source: Wikimedia Commons
Friends of Merri Creek have a frog familiarisation walk and talk in Moomba Park.
And this comes with the news that Growling Grass Frogs have been identified in Fawknwer. Whoo hoo!
When: Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 6:30 PM
Where: Moomba Park Reserve, Fawkner,
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Posted in Friends of Merri Creek, Merri Creek, news, wildlife
Tagged Growling Grass frog
Bird watching along Merri Creek Spring 2019
Red-capped Robin
It’s spring and here is your chance to get out and explore the avian wildlife of the Merri Creek catchment.
The Friends of Merri Creek runs bird surveys along the creek. The early spring bird surveys along Merri Creek are on 15 September and 22 September. Come along and enjoy a busy time of year for the birds!
Posted in bird survey, Friends of Merri Creek, Merri Creek
Tagged birds, Friends of Merri Creek, Merri Creek
Planting & free BBQ at Bababi Djinanang Fawkner
You are invited to help out at the following event:
Sunday 23 June, 10.00am-12.30pm
East end of Jukes Rd, Fawkner (Melway 18 A2 – see Google map)
Help re-establish a range of grassy ground-cover plants and reintroduce several rare wildflowers to this native grassland in Fawkner. Free BBQ lunch with halal and vegetarian options.
Funded by Port Phillip & Westernport Catchment Management Authority.
It would be appreciated it if you are able to post the attached poster where interested people might see it.
VicRoads land sale of open space parkland bordering Merri Creek Trail
Sale of VicRoads land between McBryde street and Merri Creek Trail, Fawkner
VicRoads has declared its intention to sell vacant land linking McBryde street to the Merri Creek parkland in Fawkner.
Sustainable Fawkner strongly believes the State Government should gift this land to Moreland Council to continue to maintain this as open space, and perhaps expand the bordering native grassland reserve into this space.
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Posted in Merri Creek, Moreland City Council
Tagged Land Sale, open space, parkland, VicRoads
The journey of Kermit the Growling Grass Frog from Craigieburn to COP23 UN climate conference
Kermit introduces the Black throated finches threatened by Adani
Kermit, the Growling Grass Frog couldn’t resist the opportunity of hitching a ride in my bag to Bonn, Germany and COP23. What frog doesn’t want to see the world beyond their own wetlands? Especially when their species is declining and climate change may be an important factor determining future species survival?
Kermit was centre stage at the Fossil of the Day awards on Day 2 of the conference, when Australia received it’s first Fossil of the Day award for the Adani coal mine.
The 23rd meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – to give it it’s full title – was held from 6 to 17 November in Bonn, Germany, under the presidency of the government of Fiji, the first time that a small island nation has served in this role.
I was attending the conference along with Andrea Bunting as members of Climate Action Moreland, part of the Climate Action Network Australia, a node of the global Climate Action Network, an environmental NGO (also called an ENGO).
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Posted in climate, Merri Creek
Tagged adani, Bonn, COP23, endangered species, Growling Grass frog, journey, species
Friends of Merri Creek local flora program gains biodiversity funding
Congratulations to Friends of Merri Creek for receiving $50,000 in community biodiversity grant funding from the state government for their program: The Secret Seven: Seeds for our Flora’s Future.
Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio visited the sheoak woodlands at Moomba Park in Fawkner on September 14 where the announcement was made that an additional $4 million will go towards community-based projects in the latest round of grants under the Biodiversity On-ground Action program. (See Ministerial press release)
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Posted in community, Merri Creek, news
Tagged blue banded bee, Friends of Merri Creek, Merri Creek, pollen
EPA acts on Salsa spill at Campbellfield
While Fawkner residents still have unanswered questions with the EPA over the Fawkner toxic site, a recent spill in Campbellfield was promptly acted upon by the EPA.
A spill of tomato salsa from Baxters Foods Australia P/L, of Jesica Road, Campbellfield into a drain that connects with Merri Creek brought prompt action of a fine issued for $7773 and a notice and a legally enforceable instruction to the company to modify and install controls to ensure waste from the site is not able to enter the soil or stormwater.
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There are 36 threatened species in Moreland
Matted Flax lilly
Here in the City of Moreland we have a highly urbanised environment, but we still have parks and creeks that permeate through our suburbs. A wealth of natural species, including at least 36 threatened species, manage to co-exist with human settlement and all of our buildings and roads.
Today – September 7 – is National Threatened Species Day, and we should pay attention to the species threatened with extinction in both our local environment and nationally.
Here in Moreland some species have learnt to live among the houses and roads and in the street trees we have planted.
Many more live in the parkland environments along watercourses and flood mitigation basins and wetlands, including along Merri Creek, Moonee Ponds Creek and Merlynston Creek.
A few find some refuge along the Upfield rail verge. Some find solace and nesting holes in mature trees and live among our dead in the Fawkner and Northern Memorial Cemeteries.
At least 36 threatened species partially live or visit Moreland. Many are bird species which visit the area, but we also have moths, lizards, dragons, fish, frogs, flying foxes and grassland flowers. Each is unique.
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