Yesterday’s Grow West Community Planting Day at Yaloak Estate in the Rowsley Valley exceeded the expectations of organisers with 140 volunteers braving the cold weather to help plant 6,500 seedlings on the 9 hectare site.
This annual event has fast become a popular community project in the area, helping to contribute to the overall vision of Grow West; to connect areas of environmental and landscape value and establish a biolink from the Lerderderg State Park to Werribee Gorge State Park.
Grow West Coordinator Helena Lindorff said “The planting day was again a tremendous success thanks to the tireless work of our volunteers and the support of the Victorian National Parks Association, Parks Victoria, Moorabool Shire Council, Friends of Werribee Gorge and Long Forest Mallee, Yaloak Estate, Victorian Mobile Landcare Group and eTree”.
Helena was very pleased that this year’s plantings will yield tremendous benefits in the future. “On average, over 80% of the seedlings will thrive, and will go on to help control Serrated Tussock, increase biodiversity in the area and reduce soil erosion and runoff into Parwan Creek. This is a great legacy to build for our children and future communities”.
The planting day attracted members from far, with the Project Hindmarsh Committee, travelling over 300km to participate. Project Hindmarsh are no strangers to community planting days, they have been organising weekend plantings in August for the past 13 years with the aim to link the Big and Little Deserts in western Victoria.
Grow West also had international attention, with four salinity specialists from Thailand visiting the site as part of their tour of Victoria to see how Landcare promotes community action. The tour is hosted by Australian Landcare International (ALI), and partly supported by Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
If you would like further information regarding Grow West, contact the Grow West Coordinator on 03 9216 5613 or the Port Phillip and Westernport CMA on 03 8781 7900.
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