Mullum Mullum Festival 2009 :: 22nd March, 28th March, Sunday 29th March

About the Mullum Mullum Festival

The catchment of the Mullum Mullum Creek in the municipalities of Maroondah, Whitehorse and Manningham encompasses some of the largest and best preserved areas of remnant bush in urban Melbourne. The area is home to more than 300 species of indigenous flowering plants, 120 of indigenous birds, as well as many mammals and reptiles, and countless insects. It is also home to more than 60,000 human beings. The 12th Mullum Mullum Festival gives you the opportunity to learn about many of the environmental and cultural aspects of the Valley.

The Festival will be opened at Yarran Dheran by Dr Greg Moore, a former Principal of the Burnley Horticultural College and he will also lead a walk on tree management. The majority of the opening day will involve indigenous activities, which will relive some of the creative and recreational activities practiced by Indigenous Australians, help us to understand the impact of European settlement and help us to understand the importance of maintaining indigenous culture, all part of the Festival's aim of understanding the environment and culture of the Mullum Mullum Valley.

As usual, the walks organised for this Festival cover a wide range of aspects of the valley. At the time of the last Festival in 2008, the Mitcham - Frankston tollway was almost complete; it has now been in operation for 9 months. One of the walks will be led by Mike Cusack, Project Manager for the area above the tunnel being managed by Parks Victoria.

We hope you enjoy the 12th Mullum Mullum Festival and come away from it with a greater understanding and knowledge of this beautiful native bushland and the flora and fauna within.

Day One :: Sunday 22nd March 2009

Festival Opening Day Events - Welcome - Walks - Talks - Activities

The 12th Mullum Mullum Festival Opening Day provides an opportunity to spend a wonderful day learning about the Mullum Mullum creek valley and enjoying Indigenous, arts, crafts, food and stories.

Opening Day Program
From 10:00 am, Yarran Dheran Information Centre, Ashburton Drive, Mitcham. Melways 49B6.: Enter from Ashburton Drive, Wattle Valley Road or Quarry Road, Mitcham.
20 minute walk from Heatherdale Station, via Antonio Park and the Mullum Mullum valley.
You may wish to bring a rug to sit on, for the Festival Opening.
10:00 am Guided Walk - Water Issues Ray Beaton: Walk starts from Yarran Dheran Information Centre.
See Guided Walks Program below.
Opening Day Indigenous Activities for the whole family: The Mullum Mullum Festival has always acknowledged prior occupation and indigenous heritage of the Mullum Mullum Creek Valley.
11:00am - 4:00pm Indigenous Art/Craft Display: Yarran Dheran Information Centre
Healesville Indigenous Arts Enterprise.
11:30am - 3:00pm Indigenous BBQ and damper: Healesville Indigenous Arts Enterprise.
1:00 - 2:00 pm Welcome to Country & Opening of Festival: See details below
1:30 - 4:00 pm Indigenous Activities for the whole family: See details below
2:00 pm Guided Walk - Tree Ecology Greg Moore: See Guided Walks Program below.
2:30 - 4:30 pm Afternoon Tea: Yarran Dheran Information Centre, provided by the Koonung Mullum Forestway Association.
7:00 pm Guided Walk - Frogs of the Mullum Mullum Valley Craig Cleeland: Walk starts from Currawong Bush Park, Conference Centre.
See Guided Walks Program below.

Welcome to Country & Opening of Festival

: 1:00 pm Yarran Dheran, near Information Centre, Mitcham. Melways 49B6.
1:00pm Welcome to Country Doreen Garvey-Wandin
1:10pm Opening Comments Mullum Mullum Festival Committee
1:15pm Opening of Festival Greg Moore: Greg Moore was Principal of Burnley College at Melbourne University from 1988 to 2007, with interests in arboriculture, horticultural plant science, revegetation and ecology. He chairs the National Trust's Register of Significant Trees and has been on the Board of Greening Australia since 1989.

Indigenous Activities for the whole family

: 1:30 - 4:00pm Yarran Dheran, near Information Centre, Mitcham. Melways 49B6.
1:30 - 4:00pm Basket Coiling Aunty Dot Peters
1:30 - 4:00pm Various Activities Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place
1:30 - 4:00pm Ochre Painting Uncle Roy Patterson
1:30 & 3:00pm Traditional games for kids Barry Firebrace,: Indigenous Project Office, Sport and Recreation Victoria
1:30 & 3:00pm Yarning with people from the Stolen Generations
1:30 & 3:00pm Gum Leaf music Herb Patten
2:00pm Cultural Heritage Walk: Discussion about the heritage survey carried out in the Mullum Mullum valley.
2:00pm Talk on Indigenous culture/ spirituality Lance Briggs
3:30pm Aboriginal Dance Performance Aboriginal dancers group: This group performed at launch of SGV report.

Opening Day Guided Walks

: Walks are typically around 1.5 hrs duration.
Guided Walk: Water issues Ray Beaton: The walk will be along the Mullum Mullum Creek from Yarran Dheran to Ringwood and back. Along the way there will be discussions with experts from Yarra Valley Water and other bodies on many aspects of water and the environment. It is designed to progress from high level, Yarra Catchment and government planning, to the local environment, what Yarra Valley water is already doing, and, finally, what local residents can themselves do as part of the system, and how they can work with Yarra Valley Water on these issues.
Meet 10:00 am at the Yarran Dheran Information Centre, Mitcham.
Melways 49B6. Duration: about 1.5 hrs.
Guided Walk: Tree Ecology Greg Moore: Trees are major assets to cities. They reduce pollution, provide shade and reduce energy consumption and so contribute to reductions in greenhouse gases. Urban trees are not just decorations but have major functional roles which make cities liveable and sustainable. At this time of chronic drought our trees and urban landscapes must be managed effectively to ensure their survival and this may require the use of occasional irrigation. Without vegetation our cities are simply unsustainable!
Meet 2:00 pm at the Yarran Dheran Information Centre, Mitcham.
Melways 49B6. Duration: 1.5 hrs.
Guided Walk: Frogs of the Mullum Mullum Valley Craig Cleeland: Join us for a short presentation in the Currawong Bush Park Conference Room on frogs of the Mullum Mullum Valley, their identification , biology and conservation, followed by a twilight walk to some of the local wetlands. Participants should have walking shoes and a torch but please make sure any mud in your shoes from previous walks has been cleaned out prior to arrival.
Meet 7:00 pm the Conference Centre at Currawong Bush Park, Reynolds Rd, Warrandyte.
Melways 34H7. Duration: 1.5 - 2 hrs.

Day Two :: Saturday 28th March 2009

Guided Walks / Talks - Bats

Guided Walk: What Birds like about the Valley Peter Paul: Peter regularly walks the Mullum Mullum Valley between Quarry Road and Schwerkolt Cottage and is intimately acquainted with its Fauna and Flora. He also does a monthly bird survey for Birds Australia. In this walk he'll share his knowledge of what provides a favourable habitat for the various bird species. Wear sturdy shoes and bring binoculars. This walk would not be appropriate for dogs.
Meet 8:30 am, Schwerkolt Cottage, Deep Creek Road, Mitcham.
Melways 49D7. Duration: 1.5 hrs.
Guided Walk: Walk the Whole Mullum Mullum Creek - Part 1 - 8km Ken McInnes: Ken McInnes, local naturalist, will lead this walk from the Mullum Mullum Creek's source to the historic Schwerkolt Cottage in Mitcham. Wear sturdy footwear, appropriate clothing, a smile and a small day pack.
Meet 9:00 am at Schwerkolt Cottage, Deep Creek Rd, Mitcham,
Melways 49D7. Duration: about 4 hrs.
A free bus will take people to the start of the walk.
Guided Walk: Exploring the Walert Creek (Possum Gully) Cecily Falkingham: From Hillcrest Reserve we will walk into the valley and explore further north. See the Walert Creek, a small tributary of the Mullum Mullum, from its source to where it flows into the Mullum Mullum Creek. Tree Ferns and wetlands, then onto an area rich in plant life and birds.
Meet 10:00 am at Hillcrest Reserve, Lizbeth Avenue, Mitcham.
Melways 48K5. Duration: about 2 hrs.
Guided Walk: Water Watch & Macroinvertebrates Trish Grant: Waterwatch! Ever wondered about the water quality in Mullum Mullum Creek? Ever wondered if there was anything living in it? Come along and investigate the waterbugs that are integral to the life of a creek and find out how they tell us about water quality. A wonderful activity for children and adults with an interest in nature and a curiosity about their local creek icon. Those attending this activity will meet with Ken McInnes's walkers when they stop here for morning tea.
Meet 10:30 am at Mullum Mullum Reserve, Mullum Mullum Road, Ringwood.
Melways 49K5. Duration: about 1.0 hrs.
Talk: Hear about the effects of climate change on native wildlife, and learn what it is that you can do about it Monique Decortis.: This will be a talk in the Conference Room
The climate affects where animals and plants live and reproduce, and the types of ecosystems they form. Wildlife moves, if possible, towards preferred climate conditions for breeding, nesting, growing or feeding. Climate change will bring changes to ecosystems and Australian animals and plants are vulnerable to long term changes in climate. With the expected temperature increases many plants and animals will need to be on the move. Some will not be able to keep pace with the changing times.
Copies of Ian Temby's book "Wild Neighbours" will be for sale. $30.00
Meet 11.30 am in the Conference Centre at Currawong Bush Park, Reynolds Rd, Warrandyte.
Melways 34H7. Duration: about 1.5 hrs.
Guided Walk: Bush Management Ian Moodie: Have you ever looked at an area of urban bushland and wondered what is involved in maintaining it? After all "How hard can it be?" Join Ian, from Whitehorse Parks Dept, on a gentle walk and have a look at some of the issues that threaten urban bushland and some of the challenges that are faced in maintaining these precious resources.
Meet 2.00 pm Yarran Dheran entrance, Ashburton Drive, Mitcham.
Melways 49B6. Duration: about 1.5 hrs.
Guided Walk: Opportunities and challenges of implementing ecologically sustainable urban fringe development Steve Mathews: Steve will discuss the opportunities for developing urban fringe areas to minimise the impact on the environment. These include planning to incorporate large areas of open space, measures to protect biodiversity, and ways of achieving water and energy savings. Steve will also discuss some of the difficulties of achieving innovative developments of this sort, and why so few new developments incorporate environmental initiatives.
Meet 3:00 pm at Mullum Mullum Creek Linear Park, Tindals Road carpark, Donvale.
Melways 34J10. Duration: about 1.5 hrs.
Talk: Nature: The ultimate wildlife shelter Adriana Simmonds: I am a Colombian Biologist specializing in Zoology. I have had the privilege to work for our wildlife for the past 8 years, rehabilitating injured, orphan and sick native animals to be released back into the wild.
During the presentation, we will explore the adventure of running a wildlife shelter, as well as restoring the natural habitat, which sustains us all. Finally, I would like to share my experience in environmental education, spreading the word of conservation and promoting a more compassionate, responsible and sustainable way of living.
Meet 3.30 pm in the Conference Centre, Currawong Bush Park, Reynolds Rd, Warrandyte.
Melways 34H7. Duration: 1.5 - 2 hrs.
Activity: Bats Dr. Lindy Lumsden Department of Sustainability and Environment: Bats are a fascinating group of our native fauna but are often little known or misunderstood by the general public. Lindy will give a talk on the numerous bats found in Melbourne and cover aspects of their amazing life history. Participants will also have an opportunity to meet George, an Eastern Freetail Bat, who has been coming to talks with Lindy for 19 years! After dark, a bat detector will be set up so we can eavesdrop on the bats high frequency echolocation calls, and we will check harp traps, that have been set earlier, in an attempt to catch some of the local Mullum Mullum bats. Bring along a torch.
Meet 8:00 pm in the Conference Centre at Currawong Bush Park, Reynolds Rd, Warrandyte.
Melways 34H7. Duration: 2 - 3 hrs.

Day Three :: Sunday 29th March 2009

Guided Walks / Talks - Spotlighting

Guided Walk: Walk the Whole Mullum Mullum Creek - Part 2 - 12km Ken McInnes: Ken McInnes, well known local naturalist, will continue this walk following the Mullum Mullum Creek from Schwerkolt Cottage, through the Mullum Mullum Gorge to Currawong Bushpark, Tikalara Park, historic Pontville Homestead and the Yarra River. Wear sturdy footwear, appropriate clothing, a smile and a small day pack.
Meet 9:00 am in Websters Road, Templestowe.
Melways 34D2. Duration about 6 hrs.
A free bus will take people to the start of the walk.
Guided Walk: Mullum Mullum Park Mike Cusack: Mike is the Project Manager for this bushland park above the Mitcham - Frankston Tollway tunnel, which is managed by Parks Victoria. Mike will discuss management issues for the area, an important remnant of Valley Heathy Forest, of which only 2% of its pre-European era remains, during the walk into the Chaim Court area of the Park.
Meet 9:30 am at Yarran Dheran Information Centre, off Ashburton Drive, Mitcham.
Melways 49B6. Duration about 1.5 hrs.
Guided Walk: Sambar in the Mullum Mullum Valley David Cameron: David will discuss the implications for the Victorian flora and our native vegetation of the current explosion in Sambar populations across the forested regions of the state. More than 60 plant species have been identified as directly or indirectly threatened by Sambar within Victoria and David will illustrate potential impacts of Sambar within the Yarra Valley with specific reference to species at risk encountered during the walk.
Meet 10:00 am at Yarran Dheran Information Centre, off Ashburton Drive, Mitcham.
Melways 49B6. Duration: about 2 hrs.
Guided Walk: Bryophytes Matt Dell: Bryophytes are plants that include the mosses, liverworts and hornworts. They are found in almost all vegetation types and there are over 1800 species in Australia. Matt will point out some of the common species found at Currawong Bush Park and talk about aspects of their ecology and distribution. Participants will also learn a few techniques to assist with identifying species.
Meet 11:00 am at Car Park, Currawong Bush Park, Reynolds Rd, Warrandyte.
Melways 34H7. Duration about 1.5 hrs.
Guided Walk: Environmental Weeds Cathy Willis: Weed removal is an vital part of maintaining a pristine environment such as Mullum Mullum. This walk will cover what defines an environmental weed and how this differs from the weeds in your own backyard. You will also learn some of the simple techniques for identifying and dealing with the most common environmental weeds so that we can all take part in this important process of ensuring the bush remains as native as possible.
Meet 2:00 pm at Yarran Dheran Information Centre, Ashburton Drive, Mitcham.
Melways 49B6. Duration about 1.5 hrs.
Guided Walk: Nature Ramble John Harris: Join local naturalist, John Harris, on a walk in search of local plants and animals along the Mullum Mullum Creek just north of Tindals Road. Keep an eye out for birds, reptiles, koalas and other native animals that frequent this area. Wear sturdy walking shoes and bring water, a hat, and binoculars (if you have them).
Meet 4:00 pm at Mullum Mullum Creek Linear Park, Tindals Road carpark.
Melways 34J10. Duration about 1.5 hrs.
Guided Walk: Spotlighting & Stagwatch Ray Gibson: Join us for a stroll through Yarran Dheran at night, taking in the sights and sounds of the nocturnal wildlife. Possums, Owls, maybe even Sugar Gliders could be in our focus. No experience is necessary and spotlights are provided. Bring binoculars if you have them, and if you bring a torch, cover the lens with red cellophane. Early birds may be able to participate in a stagwatch (observation of a nest hollow). Phone for details.
Meet 8:00 pm at entrance to Yarran Dheran, Ashburton Drive, Mitcham.
Melways 49B6. Duration about 1.5 hrs.
Contact Ray Gibson on: 0417 861 651; 9874 4408

More about Mullum Mullum Festival Get Involved: The Mullum Mullum Creek valley needs your assistance! Learn what you can do to help us preserve this beautiful piece of native Australian bushland. If you would like to contribute to the next Mullum Mullum Festival, please join our committee - we would love to hear from you! Mullum Mullum Festival Inc. PO Box 173 Mitcham VIC 3132
Telephone: 03 9874 2641 (Les Smith)	A0037017H
e-mail: Les Smith	web: http://www.vicnet.net.au/~mulfest/
Celebrating the ecological and cultural values of the Mullum Mullum Creek valley
The Mullum Mullum Festival Committee would like to thank Manningham, Whitehorse and Maroondah City Councils as well as the Mullum Trust and Yarran Dheran Advisory Committee for their funding of this Festival.
email: webmaster

12th Mullum Mullum Festival 2009