Leader: – Cameron O’Mara (Biolinks Alliance Ecologist)
As we heard from Executive Director Dr Sophie Bickford at our November Monthly Meeting last year, the Central Victorian Biolinks Alliance aims to work with partner organisations to restore and reconnect large landscapes across Central Victoria. For our August Excursion, we now have the opportunity to visit a Biolinks Alliance project site in the Spring Plains Nature Conservation Reserve near Heathcote.
Here, innovative ecological interventions are being trialled to restore hydrological function to a landscape in the Box-Ironbark Forest extensively degraded by gold mining, agriculture and forestry. Ecologist Cam O’Mara will lead us on a walk around the site demonstrating the different approaches being trialled – contour ripping, ponding along the valley bottom and ecological thinning. He will also describe the monitoring program underway to measure the project impacts on both wildlife and hydrology in comparison with a matched control site nearby.
The walk will be about 2km max. and easy walking along tracks. We will contribute a bird and flowering plant list to Cam at the end of the walk.
Meet: 1.00pm opposite the Information Centre and toilet block, Barrack St, Heathcote, just around the corner from the main road (Northern Highway/High St). See Google Maps link. We will then travel in convoy to the Project site, about 15 mins away. There are many local cafes where lunch could be had beforehand or have a picnic lunch in the park next to the Information Centre.
Bring: Water, snacks, clean sturdy shoes, chairs and afternoon tea.