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Friends of Waurn Ponds Creek is an environmental initiative,
to preserve the amenity of a largely suburban waterway and its flood plain.
As the Friend's first year draws to a close we can look back at what we've done and think ahead for next year:-
All in all a good start to the 10 year plan! Before the year ends we will have a meeting with the neighbourhood group coordinators, so if you are interested in becoming a co-ordinator for your area please phone Jackie for more details as to what is involved (5241 7369). On SUNDAY DECEMBER 1st we are having a free sausage sizzle so that you can get to meet each other
It will be held at the playground just to the east of Cobbin Farm. Walk in entry only from Grove Road or Highmont Drive/Apaloosa Ct. The neighbourhood groups that have formed along the creek have kindly written a small piece for this newsletter. The first is by Dr Menzie Lipson from Geelong Rotary Club who has been organizing plantings along the creek for years:- For the past 10 years the Rotary Club of Geelong has been planting indigenous trees on the land where the Waurn Ponds Creek crosses the Barwon Heads Road. The project started from an approach to the City of South Barwon by the Club's Preserve Planet Earth Committee for a suitable site near the creek. They suggested cleared land along the bike track that starts at Crows Rd and borders an industrial area in Belmont. We have been restoring this with co-operation from South Barwon staff and its successor COGG. Tree growth has been good, changing from what was near desolation to an attractive environment. Recently the work extended across the footbridge to include a flood prone area where, advised by Trevor Pescott, we are planting red gums and other suitable species. Students from the Matthew Flinders Girls College and Oberon High School are participating as part of their Enviroment Studies. M. Lipson 13/11/02 Jackie, from area 'C'-Thanks to the Zanghi family, Bliss family, Lukacz family, Athol Hubbard and Angela Meir for their help-with the first planting in Sept on the corner of Bailey and Winter Streets. Hope to see you all again next autumn, plus a few new faces, -when planting will start again. Murray Box, from area 'F'-We started with a "Symbolic Planting" in October which was attended by Katrina, the Friend's Convenor, Cnr Shane Dowling and many residents and from that we now have a monthly working bee on the first Sunday of each month, 9am-12am, to clean the creek and banks in preparation for plantings of native vegetation next autumn. We had our first session on Nov 3rd with 20 volunteers in action who managed to collect 200 bags of rubbish!! Well done and thankyou to you all. A1so thanks to Safeway Waurn Ponds for donating a $20 voucher towards our sausage sizzle and to Readings Cinema for 40, 'two for one' movie tickets to give out to our volunteers. Jillian from area "M' (Rossack to Ghazepore)Please note April 13th next year for the first planting day. Silvana, from Area 'K/L' (Meadowvale Drive)The last treeplanting west of Rossack Drive was well attended and productive. The-weather was a little showery but we persevered, realizing that the plants were probably happier in these conditions than we were. Nevertheless, it was a great opportunity to meet new people and catch up with others. Great things start with a vision, passion, commitment and perseverance. Remember Johnny Appleseed? He started planting apple seeds as he walked around the country and in no time he had created a forest! There are some such people right here in Geelong. I know of a lady who, along with some neighbours, planted trees along their stretch of the creek about 6 years ago. They even carted buckets of water from quite some way to keep the trees alive and growing through their first summer. Now the trees are prospering. There are others who have taken the initiative and done similarly in their own area. Now we have an up and running community group overseeing the whole area, thanks to dedicated people with vision and commitment, like Katrina and Jackie. Friends of Waurn Ponds Creek is their gift to you. It now belongs to the community. Take advantage of the activities it offers, its an investment in your future. Our members list is growing daily with people offering all sorts of ways to help. If you know of any small businesses who would like to help by donating goods/services which could be used as 'thankyous' to the volunteers, please let us know. Any butchers or bakers with spare snags or bread will always be welcome!! We also need someone to compile this newsletter on a quarterly basis, so if this is your way of contributing please contact me (Jackie 5241 7369) Thanks to all the volunteers who have delivered this newsletter, those who helped at the forum, including the speakers, and to Dave King for his excellent display on the day. To Bruce Humphries and Di Luscombe from COGG who give us their time and expertise, to Tony Woods who patiently oversees the plantings, to Suzanne Woolford from Conservation Australia who has organized several working parties to help us and to Trevor Pescott whose Flora Survey and Revegetation Survey is our blueprint to restore the creek. Hope to see you on Dec 1, or next Autumn. Katrina (Convenor) ph 5244 2108 Bruce Humphries, Senior Environmental Planner for COGG has given Permission for us to deliver this newsletter to all houses along the creek. |