Greater Dandenong Environment Group

Nature Strip Revitalisation Project by GDEG

Do you love helping bees?

Are you up to making your street-front prettier?

Would you like to see more butterflies in your neighbourhood?

The Greater Dandenong Environment Group would love to help you in reconverting your nature strip to nature! We are searching for residents in the City of Greater Dandenong who would like to see their street verges replanted with native and indigenous plants. We will work with you to create a plan for the space, prepare the area, provide the plants and even work with you to do the planting!

All this for free! See here for more information.

More Brown Butterflies

You may have noticed the Common Brown Butterflies towards the end of last year. Right now they are mixed in with other brown butterflies, perhaps a bit smaller. Look carefully at the Sweet Bursaria, which is flowering now and the butterflies love it. The one below is a Ringed Xenica.

Ringed Xenia (Geitoneura acanthi)

Community Climate Resilience

Greater Dandenong Environment Group is both supporting and participating in the Community Climate Resilience Mapping Workshop, which is being organised by South-East Monash Legal Service (SMLS) in partnership with Friends of the Earth.

Climate change impacts are here and now. The workshop will explore how we can strengthen our community’s response to climate change. Community Resilience Mapping reveals which residents are most vulnerable, highlights areas of strength, and uncovers gaps in our readiness. This session will equip us to better identify risks and work together to enhance our preparedness in the face of climate change.

Date: Monday, 11th November
Time: 7pm – 9pm

If you would like to attend, contact Matthew Kirwan mkirwan.clm@gmail.com or 0419 597 000

Further information:

This Climate Resilience Mapping Workshop is part of SMLS’s Climate Justice Project (see https://dandenong.starcommunity.com.au/news/2023-10-08/law-service-leads-climate-game-changer/).

For information on what a Climate Resilience Workshop involves (and why it takes 2 hrs!) please see https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/community_resilience_mapping

Carnivorous Plants

The Grass Triggerplant (Stylidium graminifolium) is flowering now. Gently touch the “trigger” and watch it react. This helps the plant get its pollen onto insects that land on the flower. But does it have other uses? The sticky area under the flowers can trap and digest prey.

Another plant just beginning to produce tiny flowers is the Tall Sundew (Drosera auriculata). Look carefully near the edge of a path and you may spot one. Close up, it looks like something from another world. The hair-like tentacles lure insects, then trap them on the sticky droplets. The tentacles bend in to form a trap and the plant secretes digestive enzymes to absorb the nutrients.

Photos: Ian Kitchen

Butterflies are Hatching

The first butterflies of spring are hatching. This beautiful Imperial Jezebel, or Imperial White, hatched out this weekend from a larva on a Grey Mistletoe in Churchill National Park. The caterpillars had eaten most of the mistletoe’s leaves before pupating.

Save the Trees!

Two beautiful River Red Gum trees are under threat by a housing development in Noble Park. Residents have presented a petition with 1800 signatures to the City of Greater Dandenong asking them to save the trees. Questions were asked at a council meeting, including by this group’s President, dressed as the Lorax (who speaks for the trees).

Discover Dandenong Creek

The “Discover Dandenong Creek” festival was on again on 11th April in Tirhatuan Park. There were various displays about the area and the environment. Our group had a display of photographs of wildlife and trays of waterbugs that are found in the creeks and lakes in the area. One notable bug was the Water Scorpion below.

Council Climate Plan Needs More Funding

Greater Dandenong Council has a good plan for tackling climate change. But plans need resourcing to happen. This group considers that the current staffing and resources within the Council are inadequate. See a discussion of this issue in the Star Journal.

Clean Up Australia!

Come along with Greater Dandenong Environment Group members to clean up one of the sites where we monitor the health of the Dandenong Creek and Dandenong Wetlands. Meet up at the picnic area to the south of the Dandenong Stadium in Stud Road (just to the south of the Monash Freeway) between 9:30 and 11:30 on Sunday 3rd of March. Morning tea will be provided.

See here to register or for more details.

Congratulations, Matthew Kirwan!

Congratulations to GDEG member Matthew Kirwan for receiving Greater Dandenong’s Sustainability Award for 2024. Matthew is a highly valued member of our group who is dedicated to sustainability and environmental progress. Well earned Matthew! Thank you for your commitment and efforts in protecting and improving our local environment.