Friends Of Local Koalas

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Current FOLKLAW Projects

Currently we are also propagating indigenous plants for planting in various places around Somers.  We have a license to collect seeds and have been collecting a variety of them locally. A member of our group has a fairly large hot house which is equipped with trestle tables.  We have collected 'pre loved' seed trays and plastic tubes which we use for planting the seeds in and repotting up.  We have obtained number of used polystyrene boxes which can hold about 50 tubes each.  

Recent FOLKLAW Projects

We have grown and supplied 100 plants for the Somers Foreshore Committee to put in the Lower Carpark.  This is a project that has been carried out by the Somers Foreshore Committee and the Somers Primary School children.  Equipment was supplied by FOLKLAW.

FOLKLAW trailer with new signage on 3 sides of the trailer paid for by FOLKLAW and kindly put on by Signforce who donated their time.

Ongoing FOLKLAW Work

FOLKLAW's original purpose was to plant out and maintain the Somers Koala Reserve.  Each year we set up a Memorandum of Understanding with the Shire together with a budget which is then forwarded to the Mornington Peninsula Council. We then receive funding for the year to maintain the reserve.  The Reserve is maintained by a combination of voluntary work and contractors paid from the Shire’s budget.  Note: the above phone number is out-of-date.  FOLKLAW also donates hundreds of indigenous plants for the Reserve each year and also supplies all the necessary materials and tools.

Over the years more trees, shrubs and grasses have been put in.  About four years ago, South East Water connected Somers up to the reticulated sewerage system.  They put the main pumping station in the Campsie Court end of the Koala Reserve.  Although the pipes were put in using boring, a large number of weeds were brought into the Reserve by outside contractors.  During this time there was no point in trying to control the weeds.  After the sewerage works was done, FOLKLAW had to spend a large amount of it's budget and a great deal of voluntary time on weed control.  This is an ongoing battle of weeding and revegetation.

Pathways in the Reserve are maintained to ensure good access .  We also prune back any branches which block them and pick up any litter.   Mulch is delivered at various sites which we spread during our working bees to prevent some of the plants from dying during the long dry Summers.  We also continue to plant out parts of the Koala Reserve that still require infilling.  Fire truck access tracks around the perimeter of the Reserve are kept clear to a width of 4 meters.

As many people walk their dogs through the Reserve we have built dog poo boxes and one of our members regularly supplies plastic bags for people to use. 

We have installed bat and bird boxes at various places in the Reserve and these are cleaned out and monitored. 

Below is a link to a map of the Somers Koala Reserve.  The drainage basin in the center is an ephemeral wetland.  ie it dries out each Summer.  The reserve is approximately 17 acres in size.

Map of Koala Reserve

FOLKLAW has two notice boards - at the Somers General Store and near the Balnarring Shopping Center.  The Somers notice board is changed during the first week of every month, advertising any working bees and other projects and displaying any other articles of interest.  The Balnarring notice board is a permanent one but it still needs to be cleaned and repaired and the photos in it need to be replaced on a regular basis because they fade in the sun.

We also print and provide brochures, leaflets and membership application forms at a number of sites around Somers and Hastings.  They are at the following venues:

Somers General Store

Somers Caravan Park

Coolart Homestead (in Friends of Coolart shop and the main office)

Lord Somers Camp

Somers Education Camp

Hastings Library

Hastings Council Offices

Warringine Park Office

These brochures need to be replenished on a regular basis.  We print the brochures on our own printer.   

The brochure can be viewed below by clicking on them.

 FOLKLAW Brochure

We publish 4 newsletters each year detailing what we have done and any future events and projects.  These newsletters are
sent to our members and some are available at the Somers General Store for any interested reader.  Refer to the section on Newsletters for more information.

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