Upcoming events:

Monthly bird survey on Wednesday 9 September
Community working bee on Sunday 20 September

Welcome to the August edition of our Blackburn Creeklands newsletter.

As the seasons change, so too does the ‘vibe’ of the Creeklands. From flowering wattles and birds looking for nest sites to the dedicated work of our volunteers so there is always something new to discover. We hope this newsletter inspires you to explore, learn, get involved and take a moment to appreciate the diverse nature in our park.

In this edition, we have:

Sunday working bee
Wattle season has arrived
Brickworks rally
Bird flu update
Illegal collection of wood in the park
A friendly reminder to cyclists
Reducing litter in our waterways
Sightings – photos

Sunday working bee

Greg (wearing blue beanie) thanking our hard-working volunteers over a ‘cuppa’ and biscuit at morning teatime.

At 9AM on Sunday the 16th of August we held our seventh working bee with a focus on planting in 2026. Twenty-five volunteers braved the early-morning foggy conditions to dig holes, plant, water and mulch 370 native tube stock sourced from Bungalook indigenous nursery in Blackburn South. Enthusiastic volunteers did such a great job that all plants (lots of native grasses, groundcovers, shrubs and small to medium sized trees) were in the ground within 1 hour (see photos below). This time, some cheeky magpies joined us for their own morning tea by taking advantage of the insects that we disturbed under the leaf litter prior to and after planting. Greg’s half-time speech was partly interrupted by a vocal kookaburra that was watching our every move from a nearby tree. After morning tea, we continued with some weeding, mulching and staking of plants before calling it a day and heading home to enjoy the Sunday afternoon sun 😉

Thanks to Evelyn and Megan for hosting morning tea that was enjoyed by everyone. A quick shout out to all our dedicated volunteers that help us revegetate and beautify the Blackburn Creeklands. We look forward to seeing you at our next working bee on Sunday 20th September where the focus will most probably be on weeding (location TBC).

Wattle season has arrived

Wattle season has arrived in the Blackburn Creeklands, but this year’s flowering is proving unusually patchy due to the unseasonal weather patterns we have experienced all year. While all 12 wattle species on display in the notice board are known to flower around August some have only a handful of flowers on them at the moment.

The usually spectacular early-flowering Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata) is particularly subdued, with many trees carrying far fewer flowers than expected. Other species are flowering at different times and intensities, creating an intriguing patchwork across the Creeklands. Keep an eye out as you walk around because flowering can change quickly, and in the coming weeks and months they should bring an increasingly colourful display of these iconic Australian natives.

The 12 wattle species currently on display include:

A. pycnatha (Golden wattle)
A. melanoxylon (Blackwood wattle)
A. myrtifolia (Myrtle wattle)
A. decurrens (Sydney Black wattle)
A. paradoxa (Hedge wattle)
A. acinacea (Gold-dust wattle)
A. strictophylla (Dandenong Ranges Cinnamon wattle)
A. prominens (Gosford wattle)
A. dealbata (Silver wattle) – bluey-green leaves
A. verticillata (Prickly moses)
A. stricta (Hop wattle)
A. floribunda (Gossamer wattle) – hanging over the school fence in Blacks Walk

A big thanks to Megan for sourcing the plant material and setting up the very coulourful and informative display 😉

Which one is your favourite?

Brickworks rally

With major housing and development plans now proposed across Melbourne’s key Activity Centres, the pressure on our remaining green spaces has never been greater. As high-density housing expands around transport hubs in established suburbs, it is essential that parks, trees and natural areas are protected and enhanced alongside any new development. Green space is not a luxury – it provides habitat for wildlife, places for recreation and connection, cooler neighbourhoods during heatwaves and healthier communities.

Rather than allowing this significant parcel of open land be lost to further intensive development, now is the time for the community to rally behind the vision of keeping the Brickworks site as a major public park and green space.

As Melbourne grows, we must plan not only for more homes, but for liveable neighbourhoods as once open space is built over, it is almost impossible to replace. Protecting and expanding green space today is an investment in the wellbeing, biodiversity and resilience of future generations.

If interested, there is a public (not political) rally to save the Box Hill Brickworks site as parkland. For more information and to make your voice heard, feel free to attend the rally and/or sign the petition below (over 7,000 signatures already):

When: Sunday 23 August, 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Where: Surrey Dive in Box Hill (near corner of Canterbury Rd and Elgar Rd)

Petition · SAVE THE LAST GREENFIELD SITE IN BOX HILL FOR PARKLAND – Box Hill, Australia · Change.org

Take your family, neighbours and your voice!

Bird flu update

As of mid-August, Victoria has recorded 74 laboratory-confirmed cases of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5 bird flu) in wild birds. The virus continues to spread through wild bird populations, with recent detections in new locations and species such as the Fairy penguins on Phillip Island.

Key developments include:

Australia’s first confirmed H5 bird flu death in a little penguin was reported this weekend, raising concern for Phillip Island’s internationally significant population of about 40,000 little penguins. Authorities are planning a major vaccination program targeting up to 5,000 little penguins, including birds at Phillip Island and St Kilda.
Recent Victorian detections include birds around Warrnambool, Apollo Bay, Port Fairy and Christmas Hill. A fluttering shearwater has also tested positive for the first time in Victoria.
Importantly, H5 bird flu has not been detected in Victorian poultry or the wider agricultural production system.
Victorian health authorities say the risk to the general public is low, and there have been no locally acquired human infections with this H5N1 strain in Australia.

What to do:

If you find five or more sick or dead wild birds, or even one sick or dead seabird, waterbird, shorebird, bird of prey, seal or dolphin, do not touch it. Avoid contact and report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

For the latest information, please visit H5N1 avian influenza | Poultry diseases | Animal diseases | Biosecurity | Agriculture Victoria

Illegal collection of wood in the park

Recently a visitor to our park was seen collecting sticks most likely for use as firewood at home. As a friendly reminder, please help protect the Blackburn Creeklands by not collecting firewood from the park. Fallen branches, logs and other woody debris play an important role in supporting a healthy ecosystem. They provide shelter and habitat for insects, reptiles, birds and small mammals, while fungi and other organisms help break down the wood and return valuable nutrients to the soil. Removing firewood can disturb wildlife and reduce these important natural resources.

We ask all visitors to leave fallen timber where it is and source firewood from legal, sustainable suppliers instead. By leaving nature in the park, you can help protect the Creeklands for wildlife and future generations.

A Friendly Reminder to Cyclists

The Blackburn Creeklands is a much-loved place for walking, exploring and connecting with nature by park users of all ages and abilities including people with mobility issues, the disabled, elderly residents, toddlers, young children and vision impaired people.

Therefore, for safety reasons we kindly ask ALL cyclists to use the path on the south side of the creek (see sign above) as it is wider, flatter and easier for people to ‘see and hear‘ approaching riders.

Slowing down will also reduce startling, frightening or colliding with pedestrians especially the more vulnerable path users. Cyclists are also encouraged to use the designated East–West (4) cycling route (see pink line on Easy Ride Routes on park map) which is located one street further south of the park.

Using these alternative options allows cyclists to travel safely while keeping the Creeklands paths a more relaxed and enjoyable environment for pedestrians and nature lovers, especially on the narrower, more undulating, winding and less visible path on the north side of the creek. This message is not about excluding cyclists but recognising that different users have different needs.

Thank you for choosing the south side of the creek or alternative bike routes (where possible) and slowing down to help keep the Blackburn Creeklands safe and welcoming for everyone.

Reducing litter in our creeks and waterways

The KooyongKoot Alliance (KKA) Clean Waterways Team is developing a replicable, catchment-wide approach to reducing litter and pollution before it flows into Gardiners Creek, the Yarra River and ultimately into Port Phillip Bay. The program combines community education, targeted litter collection and data recording at pollution hotspots.

Nine collection sites in the KKA are now registered, stretching from Blackburn Lake to lower Ashburton. Volunteers use a Litter Stopper app to record what they collect, with the data contributing to a live Geographic Information System (GIS) developed through the Gardiners Creek Strategic Plan. This will help identify litter hotspots and support future action by councils and other authorities.

Early results demonstrate the impact: volunteers collected 30 kg of litter and around 2,000 cigarette butts during their first five fortnightly clean-ups from a small shopping-strip in Box Hill – waste that would otherwise have entered our local creeks and waterways. Reducing this incessant accumulation of litter in our precious waterways requires us to act as a community, to think and act locally and holistically 😉

The team is now seeking more volunteers to help build a cleaner and litter-free catchment. For more information or to get involved, please contact Mark on 0408 354 070 or Graham on 0407 046 358 or email cwsc@kka.org.au

Sightings

We thank our wonderful photographers for sharing their amazing images with us. If you would like to contribute, please email your photos to: blackburncreeklands@gmail.com