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Merriang District Landcare Group started in 1991 when a group of locals were motivated to do something active and positive to address the increasing land degradation in our area and had a desire in particular to re-vegetate our hills and degraded waterways. Amongst the founding members was a botanist, Rob Dabal, familiar with our indigenous flora and fauna. With his help a core team was trained in plant identification, seed collection and basic propagation. We started our nursery in a small way and after some time using our back gardens and sheds, the City of Whittlesea invited us to use their glasshouse complex at Epping. This allowed us to expand our nursery from beyond our members needs to a wider group. Even with City of Whittlesea (COW) community grants, we were limited in our scope and we all had ambitions to further Landcare in our area. With the assistance of David Jones, Port Phillip NHT coordinator, Port Phillip Region, we joined with three other local Landcare groups and applied for a Second Generation Landcare Grant. Our bid was successful and WACMAC come into existence. WACMAC stands for Whittlesea Agricultural Society, Arthur's Creek District, Merriang and Cottles Bridge Landcare groups. . Merriang District Landcare Group’s contribution to Landcare focuses on the nursery complex and the propagation of indigenous plants for use by landowners to combat soil erosion and salinity in our area. Soon the glass houses at Epping were full and we had a space problem. We had an active team who grew the plants and active teams who collected the seeds for us but we were really constrained. And then Melbourne Water came to us and we talked about the possibility of active cooperation between Merriang District Landcare Group and Melbourne Water through their Stream Frontage Program, addressing the issue of our degraded waterways. We successfully applied for funding from Melbourne Water Community Grants to pay for a polytunnel of our own, some basic propagation equipment and a newsletter grant to tell everyone about it. So it looked like we might be able to actually have our own facility. But where? The Whittlesea Secondary College has a horticulture program, for students undertaking a Certificate 2 in Horticulture. The school was keen to provide those students with an example of how horticulture can be both a career and a force within the community. Being a semi-rural town, it was felt that a Landcare slant to horticulture was a good way to go. After some discussions, it was agreed we would move onto the school campus with our own independent facility. However, as a volunteer group and we didn't have money for a security fence around these new facilities and without the fence we couldn't even begin to erect them. We managed to attract funding from Pioneer through Landcare Australia and that paid for the fence, and Conundrum Holdings, donated the screenings used as the floor and drainage system in our new polytunnel. Building began in earnest with all volunteers working feverishly to achieve completion of the premises before the propagation season starting in January of 2003. We achieved that goal and our facility at Whittlesea was ready for occupation. The Polytunnel proved a great success and in that first year, 2003, we grew approximately 15,000 plants. An automatic mist spray watering system ensures that plants are kept moist according to the demands of climate changes. In 2004 the propagation team has prepared approximately 20,000 tube stock for distribution. Early in 2004 the potting shed was erected making conditions much more pleasant for the volunteers. A grant from community services allowed for the purchase of anti fatigue mats for the concrete floor and stools to sit on plus other extras that make our propagation sessions a happy social time. A shade house offers protection for the stock that is ready for sale. An additional area without cover offers the opportunity to 'harden off' the tube stock to ensure it is ready for outdoor conditions when planted. The shade house has tables built by one of our members and that has been a wonderful asset as there is very little lifting of heavy boxes and so no more back problems! We're always looking for people who want to join us. We meet one evening a week at the Whittlesea Secondary College campus site. We are hoping to also have a daytime group but we can only grow if we keep up our number of members who volunteer a little of their time for either seed collection or propagation duties in the potting shed. One of our first joint projects with the school will be the establishment of gardens on the school grounds and in particular an indigenous garden which will serve as a demonstration site showing our local flora. An extensive wetland project is underway with grants given to the Whittlesea Secondary school. That means that in years to come, both students and the wider community will be able to visit the area to look at what grows in our district and begin to understand each plant and its part in the ecology of our area. |
