Westgate Biodiversity: Bili Nursery & Landcare and 77 eager volunteers planted over 2000 indigenous plants at three events to celebrate National Tree Day:
- Friday. City of Melbourne staff, their Citizen Foresters plus 14 volunteers put in more than 500 understorey plants along the Maribyrnong River. The site had magnificent Eucalypts, Sheoaks and various other trees but no groundcovers, wildflowers and small shrubs.
- Sunday. At Elwood Beach 35 volunteers put in over 1000 coastal plants to increase the habitat for the small colony of Superb Fairy Wrens and other birds that use this section of foreshore.
- Sunday. At Westgate Park 28 volunteers from 15 Trees planted 500 wetland plants in the new western section of Southern Wetlands. This wetland will become excellent habitat for birds, frogs and insects.
These planting activities help form corridors for small animals and critters that are overlooked when only trees and non indigenous shrubs are used. Indigenous understorey species provide good cover and they flower at different times of the year, providing food for caterpillars and vital nectar and pollen for native birds, bees and other insects. These are in turn food for the Superb Fairy Wren and of course other small birds.
Did you know?
- Superb Fairy Wrens form family groups – generally one male, several females and the young. They feed on insects on the ground and in low bushes.The female incubates the eggs alone, but the whole family group helps feed the young.
- Bili Landcare plants all year round at Westgate Park – Monday to Wednesday and the third Sunday of each month and Bili Nursery operates weekdays and Saturday mornings and grows over 200 species of indigenous plants. We supply 100,000 plants every year for projects like these.
Check out our page for volunteering options that might interest you.