Sorry, this event is now fully booked. Register here for the next! Join us for an exciting evening of microbat monitoring at Westgate Park BBQ shelter in Port Melbourne, Vic. This in-person event is perfect for nature enthusiasts and curious individuals alike....
Category: News
event: 9 Sept – bird tour
Join us for an exciting Walk and Talk Bird Tour, meeting at the Westgate Park BBQ Shelter, Todd Road, Port Melbourne 9am-11am. Get ready to explore the beautiful park, discover the birds that nest in hollows and how our 20 nest boxes might encourage breedi...
Microbat nest box monitoring
The Wildlife Conservation Society at Melbourne Uni came to the Park in force on Saturday. Their tasks were to finish microbat box numbering, record the facing direction, and measure the heights of the nest boxes erected for microbats. We do this to see what di...
event for kids: 24 Sept – bird nestboxes
Some birds in Westgate Park like the Sacred Kingfisher and the Southern Boobook (owl) prefer to nest in tree hollows but these hollows take many years to form so we have erected special nest boxes where it will be safe to lay eggs and raise chicks. Come with u...
Hollows for Habitat
As part of our project – Hollows for Habitat – we are running a series of tours, field trips and monitoring events. This is to see if the 50 nest boxes erected in the park are supporting microbats and birds that would normally use tree hollows. Not...
News on park management
It’s now official! Management of Westgate Park is to be taken over by the City of Melbourne on 1 January 2026. In the meantime, we will be working with the Council to develop a master plan and prepare for the new arrangement. More to come on this …
Wetlands and why we love them
Large areas of Victoria’s wetlands have been cleared and drained over time so it is not surprising that some aquatic species have become rare. Sedges, rushes and aquatic herbs grow in wet or swampy areas – bogs, ponds and lake edges – providing exc...
Weedy vine tackled
Araujia sericifera – Moth or milky vine – used to be a garden favourite but like so many weeds, it is a huge pest. It has been coming into the Park and we discovered the source is next door – the former Herald and Weekly Times printing works ...
Disappearing plants
Though not listed as threatened in Victoria, many of the 320 native plant species that once existed in the Melbourne region have all but disappeared. (Ref Flora of Melbourne) This makes Westgate Park and Bili Nursery important in protecting and conserving this...
Dr Kylie Soanes at our AGM
We had the great pleasure in hearing about the work of Dr Kylie Soanes who is an urban ecologist at the University of Melbourne in the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences. She investigates creative and practical ways to conserve biodiversity in cities and ...