Would you like to see what’s been happening recently at McKay Brook?

Thanks to recent intermittent rainfall, our plantings from 11th November have established well and have only needed a single follow-up watering.

This Saturday 6 January we’ll be working further upstream where a tree has fallen across the grassed area. We’ll be controlling weeds along the margins, where we also plan to plant some Lomandras.

This area has established well and includes some peanut trees which are propagating on their own and deserve to be looked after!

Care to join us? Just park in Pamela Place around 2pm, look to your left (upstream) and you should soon find us!

Wear protective clothing (long-sleeved shirts, jeans, sensible shoes/boots), gloves and bring drinking water, a hat and some sunscreen. We’ll bring the refreshments!

For more info, contact Bryan Hacker on 3374 1468 or via email at: [email protected]

Please come if you can – we need lots of help!

If you’re intrigued by owls and birds of the night, then you must check our latest Bush Bites article!

Vicki and Paul Campbell share details of their encounters over many years with Boobooks and Barking Owls on their property.

Vicki’s stories are embellished by some wonderful photos taken by Paul .. just like this one!

Click here to read, learn and see more!

… but this is not the traditional way we think of Pheasants at Christmas!

On Christmas morning, Ed Frazer stepped outside his Brookfield property and came across a startling sequence of events.

As always, Ed’s camera was nearby and he has kindly shared the experience with us. 

Please click here to see some amazing photos which demonstrate how Ed’s Christmas Day for 2017 started.

…  whatever is meaningful, whatever brings you purpose and happiness … the MCCG wishes you these gifts during the Christmas season and extending into 2018.

We acknowledge the support and generosity of our volunteers, partners and the catchment community in general, and we look forward to an engaging and productive year ahead!

(Photo – Red-browed finches, courtesy of R Riccetti)

Last week Jim Butler set us all a challenge: to identify the species of three birds from photos in the December edition of ‘Feather Fascination‘. The photos were taken in our catchment by Ed Frazer. Jim suggested using our online Catchment Field Guides to identify the three mystery birds. 

We are delighted to share some of the winning entries of this year’s Photography Competition.

The entries submitted this year were of extraordinarily high quality, each showcasing a different delightful angle of our wonderful Catchment.

We extend our congratulations to all winners, our sincere thanks to our sponsors and of course to the talented local photographers who submitted entries for the competition.

Please click here to view some of the winning shots!

 

Here’s a holiday challenge!

In this month’s issue of “Feather Fascination”, Jim Butler presents you with a challenge!

Click here to open the December issue and give it a go!

Note – check back right here next week to see how well you did!

There are just a few copies of our 20th Anniversary Celebration Photobook left for sale.

These lovely albums are filled with photos which paint a vivid portrait of life within our Western Suburbs Catchment. 

There are stunning images of scenic vistas, close-ups of fauna and wildlife, historical memories, colourful community activities, and the calamities we face such as floods … and much more.

At just $20 per copy, the 20th Anniversary Celebration Photobook could just be the perfect Christmas present for someone special.

For more info, please contact Malcolm Frost on 0418 552 409. 

Click here to open the order form: {module_literature,i,179801}

 

Calling young artists, budding scientists and children  who love CWCN’s school holiday activities to come back for their 2017 workshops and a huge range of exciting activities!

This summer CWCN (Cubberla-Witton Catchments Network Inc) is holding the following workshops for school-aged childred:

Tuesday 9/01/2018	Let’s go funghi hunting!
Thursday 11/01/2018	Catching critters – the tiny ones!
Tuesday 16/01/2018	Enviro Detectives Roaring Rhonda and William Whisper investigate sound

Visit the CWCN website for more info or click here to register: {module_literature,i,179776}

 

Do you have wallabies on your property?

We have many species in our catchment.  Ed Frazer has seen Red-necked Wallabies and Swamp Wallabies on his Brookfield property.

We know we have Red-necked Pademelons and Whiptails in the catchment as well. And there may well be even more species!

Perhaps you can share some stories of your own encounters with our local wallabies! 

In the meantime, please enjoy Ed’s latest Bush Bites article and his pictures by clicking here.

If you have story that you’re willing to add to our Bush Bites collection, please send an email to: [email protected]