Field Trips/Activities
A friendly bunch of people from Bungalook Nursery go on activities/field
trips (excursions) "outside" the normal nursery work to various sites
around Victoria.
2009
The Secret World of the Butterfly House. Melbourne
Zoo. 15 February 2009
Friends of Bungalook joined an IFFA (Indigenous Flora and Fauna Association
Inc.) excursion to see the amazing infrastructure required to support the
Butterfly House. Hosted by the zoo’s Curator of Horticulture, Richard Rowe, we
marvelled at the behind the scenes nursery where around citrus plants are
constantly being rotated to provide host plants for the orchard butterfly; one
of many species required to support the huge variety of butterflies.
Meticulously kept nursery Citrus trees for
orchard butterfly Glass house for butterfly cycle
Indigenous wildflowers
The nursery also grows many indigenous plants for the zoo’s garden beds. As one
of our members exclaimed “Nearly two hours and we’ve hardly seen an animal”
For information on IFFA check out its website
http://wiki.iffa.org.au
Melbourne Water Western Treatment
Plant at Werribee. 2 April 2009
On a sunny Friday morning in 2008 Bungalook friends completed a questionnaire
for Melbourne Water, little knowing that we would be awarded a free tour
(including bus from the nursery) of the Werribee Treatment Plant. What an
experience.
Modern lagoon systems that allow nature to take its course are complemented by
the latest technology that purifies sewerage and removes contaminants.
Water re-cycling schemes, capturing methane gas and the world-renowned wetlands
mean the plant is the centre of the Victorian Government’s plan to create an
internationally recognised region of sustainable development.
Near outlet into Port Phillip Bay Treatment
Almost clear water after treatment Display of Catchments
2008
PPWCMA -
Landcare group visitation 12.03.08
Landcare invited interested
people to a
community
indigenous nursery tour which consisted of visiting two nurseries, Bungalook & Greenlink,
in the City of Whitehorse and included a Morning Tea and a BBQ lunch.
The Landcare Community Nursery Tour provided an opportunity to:
-
Network with
other community run nurseries in the catchment
-
Hear from
experienced nursery hands on issues such as -
General
nursery operation and management,
Advertising
and moving stock,
Managing
volunteers,
Propagation,
OH & S,
Record keeping
-
Identify
potential future collaborations between community nurseries.
At Bungalook an enthusiastic group heard an informative talk by the
nursery Co-ordinator who explained its various tasks, OH&S and the general nursery
aims. The group viewed plants,
seedlings etc and
saw the volunteers doing hands on work. A tour of the nearby rain garden
and
ephemeral wetlands was led by Nursery volunteers. Landcare provided a most enjoyable
morning tea which was appreciated by all.
29.02.08 Excursion to Furness Park - Blackburn
Creeklands. The first bushland park visit for
2008 was on a mild summers day and was enjoyed by those members and friends
present.
2007
Excursion to Warrandyte State Park in October.
Warrandyte State Park was the
destination of our spring walk. Fifteen of us met near the Park Office where the
Friends of Warrandyte State Park have their Nursery. Josh Revell, the
Co-ordinator, flanked by a spectacular stuffed powerful owl in launching mode
and an impressive rat-sized tuan or brush-tailed phascogale, gave an interesting
talk about the Park and the Nursery. The Nursery Volunteers work closely with
botanists and DSE staff and grow up to 60,000 plants per year, some of which
differ from ours, of course. Many are for revegetation and many for sale to the
public (Thursday mornings). Some of us couldn't resist their sale items. Pots of
donkey and duck orchids were magnificent but not for sale. A few years ago an
interesting botanical accident happened when a Correa reflexa hybridized itself
in the nursery. This plant has since been propagated commercially by Austraflora
and included in its Tucker Time series under the name Correa multibella.
Royalties go to environmental works for the protection of the Common Dunnart.
After a friendly visit we moved
on to Jumping Creek Reserve and had lunch. It rained! Gently and steadily! But
we donned parkas and set off through the forest. The drought had affected the
number of flowers we would see. Red stringybarks and burgan are dying back in
the Yarra Valley in general and the hot winds the week before had shriveled up
the helmet orchids and some of the other plants we should have seen, but,
surprisingly, there was maidenhair fern in abundance and 6 or 7 varieties of
annuals and shrubs in flower. Native cherries, tea tree, burgan, stringybark and
manna gum forests varied the scenery.
A round trip of 6 km or so took
us to Blue Tongue Bend and as far as the old homestead site of "Stane Brae", now
a picnic area. Here are a thousands of eucalypts and shrubs planted on the
former farmland by DSE and the Friends of Warrandyte State Park as part of the
Biolink Project of the Yarra Valley.
Kangaroos are in abundance. We
inspected the protective metal collars where the Friends had reintroduced
greenhood orchids to the forests. Choughs apparently will dig up orchid bulbs,
but the collars were really to keep away rabbits.
From Blue Tongue Bend we
followed the river over rock bluffs and through damp gullies, the bush fragrant
in the dampness of the day. Back at the carpark a butcher bird watched closely
as we ate afternoon tea, before departing homewards after a successful outing.
Mt Eliza - Melb Water Workshop -
groups from around Melbourne (Yarra Catchment areas) joined together
- sharing and learning from each others experiences.
Spring Festival Whitehorse City Council -
Bushland Parks & Community Nursies Display.
2006
Truganina & Jawbone excursion 2006
Cranbourne Botanical Gardens Excursion in September
Tree planting by wcipp volunteers at a farm at Harcourt
in June
Volunteers excursion to Point Nepean
Bungalook friends had a pleasant visit to Point Nepean. This part of the
Mornington Peninsula was closed to the public for more than 100 years, and
proclaimed Point Nepean National Park in 2005. On 16th June this
year it was granted National Heritage Listing, which is great news.
We divided into two groups for the visit, one walking and the other using the ‘transporter’.
Unfortunately, this made it difficult for us to meet for lunch, which was a
pity.
After a number of us met at the visitor’s centre for morning tea, we proceeded
along the sealed roadway to Fort Nepean and its extensive system of
fortifications. Built in 1882, and still in service until the end of World War
Two, its guns fired only two shots, which were supposed to be the first in the
world to be fired in World War 1! It was interesting to explore the tunnels
and gun emplacements, ammunition stores and bunkers set in beautiful coastal
scenery with views of Bass Strait, The Rip and Port Phillip Bay.
We stopped at Port Nepean Cemetery, which contains historical burials from the
1850’s, which are linked to early European settlement, quarantine, shipwrecks
and defence. Then, through a gate and we were in thick bush; the vegetation
changes from coastal grassy forests to banksia woodlands and sand heathlands.
Along the beach, just past the Old Cattle Jetty, we saw a small family of Hooded
Plovers running away in front of us, and sometimes throughout the day we saw
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters and possibly Singing Honeyeaters doing aerial
acrobatics. The walkers saw a grey kangaroo jump out ahead.
We missed out on the Quarantine Station, and Aboriginal shellfish middens, as
they were either protected, or closed to the public. After lunch however, on
the way back we stopped to look at Cheviot Beach where Prime Minister Harold
Holt disappeared while swimming on 17th December 1967.
Visit by WCIPP volunteers to property of Trevor & Beryl Blake.
Visit from Mayor Cr Sharon Ellis and council officer David Stewart visit
nursery together with members of Greenlink Nursery and Bushland Advisory
Committees
January 2004
WCIPP
excursion to
LAKE
MOUNTAIN
Lake
Mountain
plateau undulates between 1330m and 1490m. From Marysville you pass
through ash forests and rainforest gullies. As you approach Gerraty’s car park
the effects of high elevations and extreme weather conditions become obvious.
The tall forests give way to unique sub-alpine plant communities such as snowgum
woodlands and significant areas of sub-alpine heath and bogs.
We saw a wide variety of plants. In late December/January purple mint bushes and
white daisy bushes line the forest road at lower levels and the tiny sky lilies
and pratias form mats in the boggy grasses around Echo Flat. Trigger plants were
flowering in their thousands, and there were many other shrubs and annuals
flowering.
A great time was had by all - Many volunteers hope this will become a
semi-regular activity.
November 2003
On the first Friday of the month a large number of our volunteers gathered
for a celebration to wish Dennis a fond farewell. Dennis was a long term
Treasurer for our group, he also helped in the nursery with weeding,
potting up, etc. Dennis and Joan have moved abode outside the Whitehorse
precinct, however we hope they can visit us even just for a 'cuppa'.
Cheerio Dennis and a big thankyou for all your hours of voluntary and
dedicated work you did for WCIPP.
August 2002 - quarterly visit to a bushland park was held at Joseph St
Reserve Whitehorse
December 2001 - quarterly visit to a
bushland park was to R E Grey Whitehorse
Christmas 2001 - a lunch BBQ with lots of
different salads was enjoyed after a mornings work.
September 2001 - the quarterly walk was to
Campbells Croft Abbey Walk Whitehorse - enjoyed by all those who went.
Christmas Party - December 2000 by WCIPP, for
Volunteers and Council Nursery staff
This Christmas celebration
was the last held at the old WCIPP nursery site in Jolimont Road.
Getting ready for the party, volunteer
carry 'supplies' into the field at the back of the
Nursery, the old WCIPP igloo can be seen in the
background.
Volunteers enjoyed the B-B-Q in the area behind the Council Nursery,
Council Horticultural Staff also come to this gathering, salads etc
were brought by volunteers, 'drinks' provided through WCIPP funds.
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