Club News
Recognising Special Members
at the Stirling and Hills Garden Club AGM 2021
Enthusiasm and long-standing involvement by members and a welcoming environment for new members are at the core of the ongoing success of the Stirling and Hills Garden Club (SHGC) so it was a special night at the 2021 AGM when members not only commiserated the big hole to be left by outgoing President, Elizabeth Dobson but at the same time celebrated two special garden club members who have contributed significantly, David and Sara Weston, were presented with awards.
Read about these special father and daughter gardeners and their Awards HERE
Donation by SHGC to
Friends of Scott Creek Conservation Park
following fire in January 2021
In late January 2021, fire burnt savagely through the Scott Creek Conservation Park (SCCP), the Mt Bold Reserve and many neighbouring properties. The fire burnt through approximately 500 hectares of the Scott Creek Park’s total area of 720 hectares. After a tense night for many SHGC members, the fire was not extinguished but at least controlled after a mammoth operation by CFS and other emergency service personnel and a deluge of rain the following day.
Parks and Wildlife (DEW) will use the opportunity to try to eliminate goats, sheep and deer from the park, and will also be replacing infrastructure but as we know, invasive weeds are often the first to take hold after fire.
The Friends of SCCP work closely with DEW on the weed program and receive much support and guidance from the Department staff. Volunteers and DEW work together on weed control, creation of vegetative habitat for wildlife species and encouraging native plant regeneration. SCCP is a haven for many rare plant species and they will be carefully looking out to see how well they come back after the fire.
Wildlife in the Park has been decimated including a rare remnant population of Southern Brown Bandicoot whose plight is yet to be determined. There are also two rare bird species found in the Park - the Chestnut-rumped Heathwren and the Western Bassian Thrush - both of which were seen in the Park in the months before the fire.
Over the years, many hours of volunteer toil has been providing habitat for these species and others, but now, much is needed to be done.
Remediation by Friends of SCCP will begin as soon as possible and will take years. The Friends are looking for volunteers to set up work groups and will be needing funds to buy equipment for work groups to selectively deal with weeds etc. as well as materials for making and installing nesting boxes for birds, pygmy possums and microbats etc. and plant protectors for regenerative plantings. The tasks appear to be almost overwhelming, so any help is gratefully received.
The Stirling and Hills Garden Club have donated $1000 to the Friends of SCCP.