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 ...
Category: News
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 ...
Happy Christmas!
Bili Nursery, 525 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, will be open over the Christmas period – 9-4 weekdays, 10-3 Saturdays – closed public holidays. We hope to see you there.
Sunday working bees back on
Starting in March, we will be resuming our monthly volunteer work days – the second Sunday of each month – 10am to 2pm with a well-earned break for lunch. There is much to do at Westgate Park and we will be mostly weeding or planting. You will need...
Clematis microphylla
Ubiquitous, unique, fragrant, and dioecious. On any visit to Westgate Park in winter/spring you can’t miss the sweet perfume of this small-leaved Clematis. It can scramble over the ground and climb as high as 3 meters over other plants or rocky outcrops. It&...
Thanks, JH and Melb Water
The crew from John Holland and Melbourne Water are working in the park on the major task of duplicating the sewer under the Yarra River – a project to be completed in 2024. They took time out this week to see more of the park and to help out with spring ...
Telstra Purple steps up
Thanks to the Telstra crew for a morning of tough weed-pulling in the Southern Wetlands followed by planting on the steep slopes of the freshwater lake edge and along the steps up the hill. Thanks too to our core volunteers for making it happen. The earth arou...
Coastcare project 2022
People often turn a cheek to the saltmarsh, it has rarely captured interest in the same way our forests or flowering heathlands historically have. The slippery sedimentary soils, blaring heat and occasionally offensive odours don’t lure the passer-by, but th...
Volunteers wanted – working with seed
Some of our indigenous plants are grown by cuttings or division but most are propagated from seed. Preparing seeds, or seed cleaning, is a hugely important role in our propagation process. But all it requires is an aptitude for careful and methodical work, gui...