The Wedderburn CMN Observers Group

The recently formed WCMN Observers group is a subgroup of the Wedderburn Conservation Management Network. The group has the declared aim of raising awareness of the overall biodiversity of the focus area within the general community. One of the main aspects of communication chosen by the group to achieve this aim is that of photography and the incorporation of such photographs into environmentally based articles for publication in local news media and on one of the group`s websites - the group`s blogspot. The group has managed, so far, to publish articles in the Loddon Times entitled `Nature Notes`. These articles are a result of observations of the environment made by members as they go about their normal work or relax in their environment. It is also the intention of the group to make available to the general community a gallery of biodiversity – a collection of nature photographs of the focus area.

Members of this group also enjoy participating in "hands on" activities. Over a period of a few weeks in August members have been involved in planting various species of plants in the Korong Reserve which is located just off the Calder Highway between Wedderburn and Inglewood. The plants were kindly donated by fellow WCMN member Doug Pocock. Parks Victoria staff ripped the ground in preparation for the planting and also supplied the stake and guards for the plants.

Members have also been involved in laying out transect lines for monitoring kangaroo numbers in the northern part of the focus area. Laying out a transect line involves running out 150 metres of string which is then tied to stakes in the ground, stones are placed on the string to keep it flat on the ground. A strip of ground one metre out from the string is then cleared of all visible kangaroo droppings and this area left for one month. After the month is up the area is then surveyed again for kangaroo droppings, the droppings counted, and the results sent to DSE for processing. This is quite easy work in open country but a different prospect when surveying in fairly dense bush.

Article - Michael Moore , photograph - Annette Robertson