Manton and Stony Creeks Landcare Group

 

Manton & Stony Creeks Landcare Group is an active group in the hinterland of the Mornington Peninsula with over 50 families/households currently involved. The group is composed of community-minded volunteers from a range of backgrounds, whose aim is to improve the local environment by:

• Connecting remnant indigenous vegetation through biolinks across the landscape
• Improving habitat for native animals
• Promoting weed control and regeneration of indigenous flora

Our Landcare group has been carrying out works and projects since 2003. Our work has focused on the creation of a network of biolinks. Thanks to a generous grant from the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority we have been able to construct a biolink along Punty Lane interconnecting Musk Creek Rd and Shoreham Rd and traversing Manton Creek and Stony Creek.  This grant was followed up by a Melbourne Water grant to concentrate on a fantastic area of remnant vegetation along Manton Creek from Punty Lane up to the Main Ridge Flora Reserve on Mornington-Flinders Rd.

It was envisioned that the work being undertaken would help conserve our native wildlife. Our part of the south-east Peninsula is blessed with some superb surviving natural habitat, in parks and reserves as well as on private property. These remnants could support a remarkable array of small fauna, including bandicoots, ringtail possums, antechinus, echidnas, native swamp rat (no relation to the reviled European black rat) and small skinks and lizards. These creatures are small, shy and often nocturnal, so many landholders do not realise what a diverse and extended wildlife family their plantings support. The creation of links allows creatures to move through the landscape, increasing the viability of their populations and the reducing the likelihood of local extinction.

There has been a lot of weed control work to target the invasive woody weeds including blackberry, Sweet Pittosporum, Karamu and Hawthorn as well as the scrambler weeds such as Bridal creeper and ivy.

Also, there has been over a 1,000 indigenous plants put in place to re-establish the native vegetation along the Punty Lane biolink  and the waterways.

Brilliant !!

We welcome enquiries and new members.

Joining is easy, simply register online by clicking on the ‘Get Involved’ button to the right of this page or download and return our Membership Brochure.

For more information, please contact:

David Maddocks, President
Email: david.maddocks@bigpond.com
Telephone: 0429 990 518