We aim to put in over 1000 plants (mainly grasses and ground-covers) over the next 10 weeks.
We start on 27 July at the Indigenous Food and Fibre (IFF) area, and then continue there and other places in August (10 & 24) and September (7 and 21) and finally October 12.
The plant numbers will vary across our sites and we hope to make our planting days enjoyable by having achievable targets for each site. We may need to dig holes for some of the sites.
You may have noticed that our first planting is on National Tree Day (July 27) but we are not heading to a big community event this year. Our largest planting will be on 24 August so if you cannot come any other time, that would be the one to join. But we would love to see you all, and see you often!
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Castlemaine Landcare Group Inc (CLG) was held at 7.30 pm on Thursday 8 May 2025. The speaker (Graham Stockfeld from Turtles Australia) was great and he brought some friends with him.
We did the normal business matters and elected the following committee: President – Christine Kilmartin Treasurer – Elizabeth Eager Secretary – Gerry Egan Committee members – Rosemary Hooke and Malcolm Robins. We thanked Jack Piper for his stint on the committee, and noted that he was unable to renominate due to pressure of other commitments.
We would like some more committee members – if you are interested please email or ring Christine on 0418 325 350.
The recently received grant for the Forest Creek Revitalisation Project—Castlemaine under the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program will be a major focus for 2025. It will enable the partners [North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA), Mount Alexander Shire Council (MASC), Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), DJAARA, Friends of Campbells Creek (FoCC) and Castlemaine Landcare Group (CLG)] to work together over the next 3 years to deliver a more natural stream and streamside within the channelised section of Forest Creek and additional upstream and downstream benefits to habitat and biodiversity. NCCMA will manage this grant.
Under that grant, we will spread the CLG work from 2025-27 at –
The Wilding Site behind Best Motors, between Patterson Bridge and Ten Foot Bridge, to enhance vegetation, improve access to viewing areas of the creek and monitor water quality and wildlife including aquatic species;
The Indigenous Food and Fibre (IFF) site, expanding its upstream and downstream riparian treatments, creating a series of ponds and riparian areas to provide refugia for wildlife including Bibron’s toadlet and expanding informal walking and viewing along the creek;
The lower section of the Montgomery Street grasslands, to reintroduce some threatened and rare species (note that we also anticipate a cultural burn by DEECA / DJAARA to the upper grasslands where there is kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra) but this is not part of the grant);
The footbridge waterhole and surrounds, to increase aquatic habitat and species and provide a viewing path and additional planting to the currently hidden anticlinal fold area; and
The junction of Moonlight and Forest Creeks, in the Copses area, to improve native grassland habitat.
FoCC will also be doing considerable work downstream, especially to reintroduce threatened species and protect platypus. More of that as we go, but also will assume “weeding” is still part of the task, although it will be shared with contractors.
For 2025, we will also –
Continue our work on the existing section of the IFF site, with a small planting – mainly grasses;
Follow up, via a small planting by volunteers, on work to be carried out by DEECA along Moonlight Creek that will enhance an existing waterhole and place some tree trunks and limbs to slow water before it reaches the washaway; and
Set up some citizen science opportunities for our volunteers.
Sunday 10th November, 10 -11:30am At the footbridge, Leanganook Track, Castlemaine
Castlemaine Landcare Group invites you to a seed collection workshop on Sunday, November 10th, 10am-11:30.
Come and spend a morning along the Leanganook Track in Castlemaine learning about collecting native seeds with Mark Walker.
This free workshop will cover collection techniques for different species, tools of the trade, timing your seed collection efforts, the ethics of seed collection, and a little about direct sowing. We will explore native grasses, wattles, shrubs with woody capsules and eucalypts.
The workshop will be an hour and half of walk and talk plus some hands-on activities.
Mark holds a wealth of knowledge having worked for the North Central Catchment Management Authority and the Department of Primary Industries (now DEECA) in Bush Revegetation and Landscape Management for over a decade in the Box Ironbark country. He has been a commercial seed collector and professional educator. He is passionate about bushcare and sharing understandings of the natural environment.
To help with catering (a modest morning tea), please RSVP by email to clgvolunteers99@gmail.com with your name and any dietary requirements.
For further information, contact Jack on 0435 721 756.
This workshop is funded through a Victorian Landcare Grant from the Northern Central Catchment Management Authority.
When Sunday 10th November, 10-11:30am
Where We will meet at the footbridge over Forest Creek along the Leanganook Track (see map below or Google Maps pin here). We will walk together approximately 400m to the Montgomery Street Native Grasslands where we will end with morning tea. Note, the path we will take has some moderate slopes.
What to bring Bring gloves, secateurs, sturdy shoes and protection from the weather. Be prepared for some hands-on activities.
Parking Limited parking is available along Montgomery Street near where we will end the walk or on Happy Valley Road (see map below), with a short walk or ride along the track to the footbridge. Note, Connecting Country are also planning a full day seed collection workshop on Saturday 9th November if you aren’t free to join us on the Sunday. See here for further details and registration.
We had a very successful AGM at Castlemaine Community Centre. The feature speaker was Dr Peter Rose from the North Central Catchment Management Authority talking about actions underway to preserve and promote native fish in waterways. The committee was elected, being the same members as last year, except for the retirement of John MacIntyre (who will however continue to do our website and social media – thanks John). The ‘winners’ are Christine Kilmartin (President), Gerry Egan (Secretary), Elizabeth Eager (Treasurer), and committee members Malcolm Robins, Rosemary Hooke and Jack Piper. There is still space on the committee if you are interested in helping out in that way.
Our AGM will be held on Wednesday (22 May) at 7.30 pm at the Castlemaine Community House in Templeton St. The speaker is Peter Rose from the North Central Catchment Management Authority, an expert in native fish.
There are three species of Needle Grass, Nassella spp., along with Espartillo, Amelichloa caudata, found in the Castlemaine area. All are highly invasive and should be reported to the relevant authorities. Chilean Needle Grass, N. neesiana is a declared noxious weed and classed as a restricted weed across Victoria. Volunteers from the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club have been working to eradicate these weeds from the Castlemaine Botanic Gardens and along streets throughout the town. This poster provides information about needle grasses in general and you can find more specific information about Chilean Needle Grass in this brochure or from Agriculture Victoria.
We are very pleased that we have been successful in obtaining a Victorian Landcare Grant to continue work along Moonlight Creek. The project is called “Linked by Moonlight Stage 2: ‘twixt La Niña and El Niño”, indicating some of the challenges we expect to face. The project aims to build on the outcomes of work done, and weather experienced, during 2022, to
repair flood damage to 2022 plantings through removal of new weeds, additional soil preparation and further infill planting
continue to reduce Phalaris aquatica across the site to open up more areas for natural recruitment and new plantings, including increased spread of native grasses to provide protection for kangaroos from Phalaris Staggers
build habitat, especially for phascogales, sugar gliders, woodland and grassland birds and pollinators
work together with neighbouring private landholders to reduce weed competition and expand complementary habitat
develop options for future reparation of streambank erosion arising from 2022 floods • consult with DEECA, NCCMA, MASC, Djaara and other partners regarding additional natural upstream works to reduce ongoing flood damage and retain water in the landscape
keep contact with the wider neighbourhood by letterboxing an update on our 2022 work and providing a further invitation to help improve the area
continue to provide an annual planting opportunity in conjunction with The Good Op Shop to the students of Castlemaine Secondary College
Maintain a focus on building a biolink from the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park to Forest Creek through this investment. The grant has been obtained through the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA). This will keep us very busy for the next 9 months or so.
The recently installed water tank serves many purposes – in this instance after a working bee at the IFF. A very well positioned occasional table for morning tea.
NCCMA released some pygmy perch into the waterhole at the Forest Creek footbridge on Friday 1st September. It’s great to think that the creek is healthy enough to support a fish population. Some attendees took a symbolic turn at the dispensing. See photos below.
Castlemaine Landcare Group 