Elsie Lange
After a two-year, pandemic-related hiatus, the Friends of Emu Bottom Wetlands Reserve in Sunbury (FEBWR) are back.
For 28 years, the group revegetating the farmlands have worked to restore the area to the eco-friendly community facility it is now.
And on June 26, FEBWR want you to come along to Jacksons Creek to get involved with the initiative.
FEBWR president Christina Cheers said when the group started there were just 17 mature native trees down there, where now, there is an abundance.
“Together with [Hume] council… we’ve been responsible for revegetating that area and it’s a really lovely area now, a savoured walking place for a lot of locals,” she said.
“It was wonderful during the lockdown, because we were allowed to go for a walk, and we could walk through the reserve.”
Ms Cheers said the planting and restoration helps the environment for the platypuses in Jacksons Creek to thrive, as well as numerous, special birds.
“We’ve done bird counts in the area where we’ve revegetated, and we’ve found all these wonderful little bushbirds there, which you don’t find in the open grassland areas,” she said.
“They’re coming back as a result of our efforts planting down there.”
She said her “chest swells” when she walks down there.
“We are proud of what we’ve done… it’s been a wonderful experience,” she said.
The revegetation bee will meet at the car park on Racecourse Road, Sunbury, opposite Albert road, from 10am until noon. The activities will be followed by a light lunch and mingle.
