“Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play.
Every individual makes a difference”.
Jane Goodall, renowned scientist and leading figure
in primate conservation.
Photo courtesy of Beverley Van Praagh, Hume In Focus entrant
TALKING WITH
OUR COMMUNITY
ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY
COMPETITION PUTS HUME IN FOCUS
How many old mobile
phones do you still have
and are you aware that
they can be recycled?
Craigieburn photographer Dr Beverley
Van Praagh has scooped the pool at the
inaugural Hume In Focus environmental
photography competition, claiming top
prize in three of five categories.
Yeliz from Dallas
Answer:
I have a couple of old phones
hanging around at home that I
have not yet recycled.
Dr Van Praagh – a specialist in invertebrates,
won the Rural Landscapes, Animals and
Weeds categories top prizes at the award
night and exhibition held at the Hume
Global Learning Centre in May. The other
categories were taken out by Robyn Cutts
of Bulla (Native Plants) and Coolaroo’s
Sheridan Tate (Living Green At Home). In
total 330 entries were received across five
categories including Rural Landscapes,
Animals, Native Plants, Weeds and Living
Green At Home.
The Hume In Focus environmental
photography competition was a wonderful
way for talented local photographers to
connect with their local environment. It
provided entrants with the opportunity to
get out and about in Hume, to take shots
of our natural environment, or of people
they know doing their bit to help the
environment.
This year the Hume In Focus competition
was judged by a panel including
environmental photographer and educator
Bob Winters, Youth Sustainability Taskforce
member Sania El-Najjar and Mayor of
Hume, Cr Helen Patsikatheodorou.
Jrumi from Broadmeadows
Start pulling:
Many weeds can be easily
removed by hand, particularly
after a deep, soaking rain. It’s
also a great way to exercise! So
pick your day and start pulling.
L-R:
revegetation
L–R:1998
1998before
before
revegation and
and in
in2011
2011 at Bulla Hill Railway Reserve
ON THE GREEN WITH THE
TULLAMARINE LIVE STEAM SOCIETY
WINNING PHOTOGRAPHS
Beverley Van Praagh
Animals: Caterpillar
Did you know there are many
environmentally friendly ways
to remove weeds? Some tips to
get you started include:
To view all the finalist photos visit
www.hume.vic.gov.au
Enver from Roxburgh Park
Answer:
I have one phone at home and I am
aware of recycling.
WEED THEM
OUT….
NATURALLY!
Robyn Cutts
Native Plants: Kangaroo Grass
Restoration works conducted at the Bulla
Hill Railway Reserve have been outstanding.
Wayne Roberts discusses how Council’s
Community Greening program has helped
restore our Community landscape.
Spring, every year since 1999. Council has
also helped with the maintenance of the
restoration works.
Why did your group choose to restore
the landscape?
This work has been very satisfying. You
only need to look at the aerial photographs
to see the change from a desolate area to
one which is beaming with life.
After all of the earthworks were complete
from the site in 1999, Bill Goold and I
felt the site looked empty and desolate.
At the time there were only three trees
on the entire site. The site needed more
trees and plants to bring it back to life. Bill
contacted Hume City Council for assistance
in restoring the landscape.
How has Council assisted you on site?
In the beginning, plants were donated by
Council even before there were official
planting days. We have been running two
planting days, one in Autumn and one in
Beverley Van Praagh
Rural Landscapes: An Evening Wonder
Answer:
Yes, I have recycled 3 mobile phones
at the ANZ recycling drop off point. I
am a technician so I also naturally reuse the old parts of phones as well.
2
LIVE GREEN SPRING 2011
Beverley Van Praagh
Weeds: Dancing Thistle
What are the plans for the future?
We intend to keep planting out new areas
and filling in older planting.
Are you a green family or community
group in Hume? If you are interested
in sharing your environmental tips and
advice, please contact Council’s Sustainable
Environment Team on
9205 2200 or email
[email protected]
AITKEN COLLEGE: FIRST FIVE STAR
AUSSI VIC SCHOOL IN HUME
Congratulations to Aitken College in
Greenvale who is one of the first three
schools in the state to achieve a five star
AuSSI (Australian Sustainable Schools
Initiative) Vic rating.
Sheridan Tate
Living Green at Home: Apple
Would you recommend undertaking
this kind of project to other groups?
ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic provides
a holistic approach to sustainability
in schools. It integrates educational,
environmental, social and economic
outcomes as components of the bigger
picture of sustainability.
Utilise the sun:
You can let the sun help you
get rid of persistent weeds.
A dark, plastic sheet covering
the ground surface should be
left for six weeks. The high
temperatures reached will cook
the weeds.
Alternative products:
Some weeds can be killed
with everyday items such as
boiling water and household
white vinegar. These methods
are ideal for small emerging
weeds.
Cover up:
Without adequate light, weeds
are unable to grow. So add a
thick layer of mulch to suppress
their growth. Mulching
provides additional benefits to
your desired plants.
Spacing matters:
Weeds pop up wherever
conditions allow. With that in
mind, desirable plants should
be grown close together. They
will consume the available
space, nutrients and sunlight,
thereby pushing the weeds
out.
Persistence:
This is your most important
weapon against weeds. If you
use a combination of all these
methods consistently for a few
seasons, you will weed them
out, naturally.
It’s great to see a number of schools in
Hume on their sustainability journey with
ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic in 2011.
LIVE GREEN SPRING 2011 3
GOOD GUY,
BAD GUY
Good Guy – Kangaroo Apple
Solanum aviculare
Jane Bevelander, left, and the Bhutanese community
Rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster) in Elwood Canal – Photo courtesy of Andrew McCutchon
CONNECTING WITH OUR CREEK
FAUNA SIGHTINGS
A colourfully dressed and animated group of
nineteen Bhutanese refugees enthusiastically
connected with the Merri Creek in May.
Healthy Waterways Waterwatch and Hume
City Council joined to take the group
on an excursion to Galada Tamboore
in Campbellfield. Galada Tamboore is a
precious conservation area that boasts
spectacular rock formations and tranquil
creek surrounds.
The group enjoyed learning from
Waterwatch facilitator Jane Bevelander
about the native wildlife, the creek habitat
and a variety of waterbugs.
Council is proud to have Bhutanese refugees
as part of our community and we look
forward to sharing the local environment
with them in the future.
Kangaroo Apple, an indigenous native
plant to Hume, is commonly referred to as
a colonising plant. This means that it is a
fast growing plant, particularly following a
fire or other disturbances to the soil.
vegetation in Kalkallo common, near the
Donnybrook cemetery.
This medium-sized shrub can grow up
to four meters tall, has glossy dark green
lobed leaves and clusters of deep-purple
flowers in spring. The oval shaped fruits
are pale green and change colour from
yellow to orange and then red as they
ripen in late summer.
KALKALLO GETS A CRITICAL KICK
Merri Creek Management Committee
(MCMC) is undertaking a project to protect
critically endangered grasslands and grassy
woodlands at five sites between Wallan
and Reservoir. The Australian Government
Caring for our Country program has
funded a total of $290,000 for this
important work. Of this, $80,000 will go
towards the Kalkallo Common Grassland
and $16,000 for works at Bababi Marning.
MCMC recently gained $9,900 to extend
works to a new area of significant
If you would like to join the MCMC
emailing list for community events and
newsletters, call Ray at MCMC on
9380 8199 or email [email protected]
Bad Guy – Silverleaf Nightshade
Solanum elaeagnifolium
Upcoming MCMC events:
Event
Location
Merri Creek Bird Survey
Sunday 4 September
8.45am -10.30am
Location 1:
Galgi Ngaark (Craigieburn Grasslands). Meet at O’Herns Rd gate off
Hume Hwy, Somerton (Melway Ref: 180 E6).
Location 2:
Galada Tamboore. Meet at the end of Hatty Court, Campbellfield
(Melway Ref: 7 K6).
oody Weed Removal – Kalkallo Common
W
Sunday 11 September, 10am-12.30pm
Contact Ben at MCMC on 9380 8199
Free (Light refreshments provided)
alcolm St Kalkallo - across from the old cemetery - turn off the Hume Highway at
M
Kalkallo Hotel
(Melway Ref: 367 F2).
Bird survey at Bababi Marning
Sunday 11 September, 8.45am-10.30am
ear the Istrian Club Cooper St Campbellfield
N
(Melway Ref: 180 K10).
Merri Creek Management Committee members controlling Gorse
Silverleaf Nightshade, a noxious weed,
has been found in a number of small
infestations across Hume. It is not a
widely distributed weed, but is capable of
spreading further if left unchecked.
This plant can be distinguished from the
Kangaroo Apple through its prickly stems,
lighter purple flowers and yellow fruit
resembling a small tomato when ripe. It
can grow up to one metre tall and has
silvery-green leaves with wavy edges.
The Water Rat or Rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster) is a small and shy native mammal
that lives along our local creeks and rivers. Like the Platypus, Rakali burrow along
the banks of creeks and swim to catch their food, which includes insects, yabbies
and small fish. The best time to see them is just before sunset.
Visit the Rakali Watch Team website at www.rakali.com to find out more about
this amazing creature.
Fauna
Location
Sighted by
New Holland
Honeyeater
Anderson Reserve,
Jacana
James Gibbon
Blue Billed Duck
Spavin Lake, Sunbury
Ecology Australia
Straw-necked Ibis
Nichol St, Sunbury
Anne Young
Rakali
Malcolm Creek,
Craigieburn
Brad Spear
Growling Grass Frog
Frog Court, Craigieburn
Antechinus
Konagaderra Bridge
Reserve
Bushcrew
Hume City Council
White Faced Heron
Kalkallo Cemetery,
Kalkallo
Roger Cook
Black Shouldered Kite
Frog Court, Craigieburn
Buff Banded Rail
Malcolm Creek
Grassland, Craigieburn
Bushcrew
Hume City Council
APRIL
Nankeen Night Heron
Rakali
MAY
JUNE
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Brown Falcon
Bulla Hill, Bulla
Gareth Cook
Greening Australia Victoria
Kestrel
If you make a fauna sighting, call Council's Natural Heritage Officer on
9205 2200 or email the sighting to [email protected] along with
your name, location and time of the sighting.
Council has developed WEEDeck,
a manual designed to assist you in
identifying Hume’s priority weeds.
Please contact Council’s Sustainable
Environment Department on 9205 2200
for your copy.
4 LIVE GREEN SPRING 2011
Merri Creek Management Committee members controlling Gorse
LIVE GREEN SPRING 2011 5
GREEN
WEBSITE
SPRING
What to eat
ABC Environment Website:
www.abc.net.au/environment
Vegies
The latest in news, features and
science from Australia and around
the world; a comprehensive green
resource.
Artichoke, asian greens,
asparagus, avocado, broad
beans, broccoli, cucumber,
lettuce, peas, spinach, spring
onion and watercress.
SPRING PLANTING COMMUNITY EVENT
What to plant
Fruit
Sept
Oct
Nov
Beans
Beetroot
Broccoli
Capsicum
Carrots
Cauliflower
Fruit
GREEN BOOK
The Story of Stuff:
Bananas, berries, cherries,
honeydew, mandarins, mangos,
oranges, papaya, pineapple and
rockmelon.
Learn how to save your own
seeds to grow again next year.
Visit www.seedsavers.net
Chilli
Cucumber
Understand Hume’s local cultural
history
This year Spring Planting Day is taking
place in National Biodiversity Month and
will give you the opportunity to:
Enjoy a barbeque lunch and local
food catering to cultural tastes.
Onion
Peas
Sweet Corn
Tomato
RECIPE OF THE SEASON
Recipe by Amanda Dodd
Vegetarian, vegan, lactose free, gluten free
Ready in under 25 minutes
Cane Toads: The Conquest
Mark Lewis charts the cane toad
phenomenon (in 3D!), meeting
interesting and eccentric characters
along the way.
Ingredients
Method
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1)Heat small saucepan with half of
the oil. Add in the onion and carrot.
Sauté for 1-2 mins until onion has
softened and begun to caramelise.
Add in the water/stock and rinsed
quinoa and stir. Place lid on pan
and stir occasionally. When cooked
the quinoa will be soft and tender.
1 red onion, small dice
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 ½ cups of water or stock
4 bunches of washed Asian Greens
chopped into large even pieces
(e.g. Bok choy, brocollini, choy sum,
spring onion)
Thumb size piece of ginger,
finely grated
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp chinese five spice
1 tsp light soy sauce
Juice and grated rind of 1/2 lime
For more information contact the
Environment Community Development
Officer on 9205 2200.
Learn more about local native plants
and animals
COMMUNITY GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Grant
Details
Closing Date
Website
Inspiring Environmental
Solutions –
Environmental
Protection Authority
Community Funding
Program
Proposals should tackle significant
environmental issues and work with
Victorian communities to bring about
changes in the way people think and
act around issues like climate change,
pollution and resource use.
30 September 2011
www.epa.vic.gov.au/projects/
community-project-funding.asp
Stream Frontage
Management Program
Participating landowners are offered
funding assistance, technical advice
and educational opportunities. Funding
may continue for several years if a
project needs to be done in stages.
The most common works required
are weed control, fencing to exclude
stock, and revegetation of banks with
indigenous plants.
Expressions of
interest can be
submitted at any
time until grants
close.
www.melbournewater.com.
au/content/rivers_and_creeks/
our_programs_and_projects/
community_engagement_
programs/stream_frontage_
management_program.asp
Asian Greens with Quinoa
GREEN FILM
Get involved in a range of enjoyable
and educational activities, and;
Rhubarb
Citrus Trees
1 small carrot, small dice
 Socialise with friends
To RSVP email
[email protected]
by Thursday, 1 September.
Lettuce
Zucchini
I
Spring Planting Day is happening on
Friday, September 16 at Ripplebrook
Drive in Broadmeadows. It's about
cultures connecting with one another
and the earth through planting trees
and generally having fun!
2)In a wok heat the remaining oil and
sauté the garlic, ginger, chinese five
spice and chilli until fragrant. Add
in the greens and toss until tender.
Add in the soy sauce, lime rind and
juice. Season with salt and pepper if
required.
3)Serve greens on top of the cooked
quinoa.
MARK THESE SPRING COMMUNITY
PLANTING DATES IN YOUR DIARY
SUNDAY 4 SEPTEMBER
SATURDAY 10 SEPTEMBER
SUNDAY 25 SEPTEMBER
Friends of Upper Moonee Ponds Creek
The Tarnuk – End of Wright Street
Westmeadows
(Melway Ref: 5 G6)
10am – 1.30pm, Lunch at 12pm
End of Hammersmith Court Sunbury
(behind Vic Uni)
(Melway Ref: 382 G10)
10am – 12pm, followed by lunch
Friends of Malcolm Creek
Malcolm Creek – East of Hanson Road
Craigieburn
(Melway Ref: 387 B6)
10am – 12pm, followed by lunch
Salt, pepper and chopped red
chilli to taste
If you’re a keen cook and have a summer recipe you’d like to share, email your
recipe to [email protected]
6
LIVE GREEN SPRING 2011
LIVE GREEN SPRING 2011 7
LIVING GREEN AT HOME QUIZ
The answers to this quiz are at the bottom of this page.
QUESTIONS
1. How do you stop junk mail delivery to your mail box?
2. How many people over 18 volunteer in Australia each year?
3. Around how many plants per year are planted by volunteers in Community Greening Days organised by Hume City Council? A. 500 B. 5,000 C. 50,000
4. Which Hume City Council Councillor holds the Environmental Portfolio?
5. Who is Victorian Minister for Environment and Climate Change?
6. Who is our Federal Minister for Sustainability Environment, Water, Population and Communities?
7. What is a carbon tax?
8. Which political and ideological leader said “You have to be the change you wish to see in the world”?
9.In which children’s book does a creature named the “Once-ler” ravish through a forest of “Truffula” trees to use their soft
tufts to knit “Thneeds”?
10.Which non-for-profit organisation which started in 1982 in regional Victoria, now has a presence in 30 locations across
Australia and New Zealand and works to improve wildlife habitats along Jacksons Creek in Sunbury?
WHAT'S ON IN SPRING
September
National Biodiversity Month
All September
www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/month.html
National Threatened Species Day
7 September
www.wwf.org.au/ourwork/species/ntsd
Landcare Week
5 – 11 September
www.landcareonline.com.au
Sustainable House Day
11 September
www.sustainablehouseday.com
12 October
www.bv.com.au/general/ride-to-work
National Recycling Week
7 – 13 November
www.recyclingweek.planetark.org
World Fisheries Day
21 November
www.gdrc.org/doyourbit/21_11-fisheries-day.html
October
National Ride to Work Day
November
HUME CITY COUNCIL
1.Place a ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker on your box, register under Australia’s Direct
Marketing Association’s Do Not Mail Service, contact the advertiser directly
or lodge a complaint with the Distribution Standards Board on
1800 676 136 or email [email protected]
2.5.2 Million people volunteer (Australian Bureau of Statistics: 2006 Voluntary
Work Survey)
3. B. 5,000
4. Cr Drew Jessop
5. The Hon. Ryan Smith, MP
6. The Hon. Tony Burke, MP
7. A carbon tax is a tax on energy sources which emit carbon dioxide
8. Mahatma Gandhi
9. The Lorax, by Dr Seuss (HarperCollins, 1971)
10.Conservation Volunteers Victoria,
www.conservationvolunteers.com.au
This newsletter is printed
100%
recycled
Tudor
8on LIVE
GREEN
SPRING
2011
LIVE GREEN
FEEDBACK
We would like to hear your feedback
and comments. Contact the Sustainable
Environment Department by emailing
[email protected] or call
9205 2200.
SUBSCRIBE
If you would like to be added to our Live
Green mailing list email
[email protected] or
call 9205 2200.
WEBSITE
Visit www.hume.vic.gov.au to view
previous environmental publications.
LIVE GREEN.
Small changes. Big difference.