News & Views

---

GLENLYON ANNUAL RAINFALL

August 2026 - 148 mm

For more rainfall data, see HERE

NEWS UPDATES

Landcare Victoria

North Central CMA

NEXT EVENT 

AGM & 40th Anniversary Celebrations

Sunday 11th October 2026

Glenlyon Recreation Reserve

Details here

HISTORY

GULLG History

Local Indigenous History

GULLGs AGM will be held at 10am on Sunday, 11th October at the Pavilion, Glenlyon Recreation Reserve.

Our 40th Anniversary Celebration will follow the AGM at 12.00pm 

Dear Members.   

As we move towards spring, it has been another busy and productive period for the Glenlyon & Upper Loddon Landcare Group. This update includes details of our recent hands-on day and information about upcoming events.

August Hands-On Day

A small but productive group of volunteers gathered this past Sunday for our quarterly hands-on morning. Along with Biolink track maintenance and pollinator garden weeding, volunteers worked to clear the fenced area near Loddon Drive that is protecting a gorse infestation from local wildlife. Part 1 of the gorse cut-and-paint program was completed, along with the planting of 22 trees, shrubs and grasses within this area (photo above).

Several jobs needed to be deferred due to recent rain creating boggy conditions and preventing the use of heavy vehicles. The following tasks will be completed before the AGM or scheduled for the next hands-on morning in spring:

• Relocation of log seats and posts to the GULLG shed
• Removal of scrap metal and wire along the Biolink
• Preparing the pile of timber near the GULLG shed for an upcoming bonfire
• Guard maintenance from previous plantings

Thank you to Evan and Glenda for once again putting together the member BBQ.

Wetland Project

Work continues to progress on the Wetland Project, with the Wetland Subcommittee advancing several key planning and restoration activities. The group has been applying for grant funding to support weed management works, obtaining quotations for annual grass maintenance, continuing discussions with neighbouring landowners, and planning future fencing and grazing-exclusion measures to support natural regeneration.

The subcommittee is also exploring hydrology options for the site, including engagement with Alluvium Consulting to better understand water flows, stormwater management opportunities and potential permit requirements. Funding opportunities are being investigated through external grant programs, while planning has commenced for future fauna surveys, wildlife monitoring, community engagement activities and collaboration with Traditional Owners and local stakeholders.

Annual General Meeting & GULLG 40th Anniversary Celebration

GULLG's AGM will be held on Sunday 11 Octoberat the Glenlyon Recreation Reserve. Papers for the meeting will be circulated closer to the date.

As 2026 marks 40 years since the establishment of Landcare in Glenlyon, the committee is planning a celebration of our organisation's history to accompany the AGM. More details will be shared in the coming weeks, but for now, please save the date.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed their time, knowledge and enthusiasm so far this year. Your ongoing support continues to make a positive difference to our local environment and community.

Justin Rowe, President

Dear Members. For the middle of winter a surprising amount is going on at GULLG.

Schools Tree Day

This past Friday, a small group of GULLG volunteers hosted students from St Michael's Primary for Schools Tree Day. 80 trees, shrubs and grasses were planted in 4 areas of the Reserve and Biolink in what was a enjoyable and successful event. It was great to have so many enthusiastic students getting their hands dirty and learning about revegetation and the work we do as an organisation.

Wetland Project 

There has been an enormous amount of work completed by the wetland project subcommittee over the past couple of months. With the approval of the GULLG Committee, a formal application has been submitted to DEECA to take on the Committee of Management of the 4.66-hectare area. This is a significant milestone in the project and marks a transition from the planning and consultation phase into the next stage of the project, identified in Karl Just's report as the priority 1 activities

The subcommittee has since sought quotes for weed management and fencing and is working through available grant options to fund this work.

Membership

Just a reminder. Membership renewals are now due for the coming year. If any of your contact details have changed, please complete the attached membership form and return it to us. Details for payment of the annual $10 membership fee can be found at the bottom of the form. Thanks to those that have already paid.

Call for Nominations - GULLG Life Membership

GULLG Committee is encouraging members to nominate current or former members for life membership to recognise individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to our organisation

To nominate a person for Life Membership, provide a detailed rationale outlining why you believe they deserve to be recognised as a Life Member, including examples of their contributions, achievements and impact on GULLG.

Nominations close Friday 7th of August.

August Hands On Day

Our next event is our August Hands-on Morning and BBQ

· Sunday August 23rd 9:45am for 10:00am start

You will receive a reminder email closer to the day

Justin Rowe, President

Dear Members. It’s been a busy Autumn for GULLG, so I have a few updates for you all.

Hands On Morning

We had a well-attended and thankfully dry, hands on morning this past Sunday. The following activities were undertaken:

• Clean up in and around      the GULLG shed to make this space our own
• Relocation of the final      tree guards back to the shed for reuse
• Ground maintenance      throughout the Biolink
• Weeding, pruning and      mulching of the Pollinator Garden
• Spot spraying of gorse
• BBQ lunch

Thanks to everyone who attended for you hard work.

Weekday Working Party

Big thankyou to our group of regular volunteers who have been completing works and projects between hands on days. Recently they have installed a combination lock and bracket on the shed roller door to improve our security, spread road base inside the shed to allow us to park our trailer inside, and completed clean up works along the Biolink path. Please speak to Ian or Colin if you would like to get involved.

Glenlyon Wetland Project and Walkaround

The GULLG Wetland Subcommittee continues to make progress with plans for the ‘Glenlyon Swamp’. Meetings have proceeded with DEECA and Council over the past couple of months as well as a tour of the projects of Malmsbury Landcare with John Walter. As a result of these efforts, the GULLG committee has now formally agreed to take on the Committee of Management for the 2 pieces for crown land 

In Brief

• The Biolink iNaturalist      Nature Survey project led by Julie is almost ready for launch and will feature in the next GDN
• The Secretary role remains vacant with these responsibilities being managed by the President      and Treasurer. Please keep an eye out for someone who might suit this role.
• GULLG has supported      Friends of Kangaroo Creek by auspicing some of their recent grant applications

Regards, Justin Rowe 

President

8th May 2026

Dear Members,

In 2025, GULLG commissioned Karl Just to complete a nature survey of the 'Glenlyon Swamp' that was funded by a Hepburn Shire Council Biodiversity Grant.

The completed report has now been delivered,  and you can find a copy here.

Karl has offered to host an on-site discussion to provide an overview of the survey findings and discuss the management recommendations outlined in the report.

Date/Time: Saturday, 23rd of May at 1pm

Meeting point: Proposed Wetlands - Molesworth St end 

Everyone is welcome. 

Please note that we will also be inviting the wider community via the GDN.

Regards, Justin Rowe, President

Adam Rowe, Rod Sewell, Justin Rowe, Evan Fleischer, Julie Coyle, Evan Davis, Colin Metcalfe

At the GULLG AGM held on Sunday, 21st September 2025, the following were elected as Office Bearers and Committee Members for 2025-26.

President - Justin Rowe

Vice Pres - Rod Sewell

Secretary - Julie Coyle

Treasurer - Adam Rowe

Member - Evan Fleischer

Member - Colin Metcalfe

Member - Evan Davis

Feral deer are having a devastating impact on nature, farmers, foresters, gardeners and are a danger to road users.

Feral deer are emerging as one of Australia’s most serious environmental and agricultural threats. Victoria has four species of deer running wild and possibly the largest feral deer population in Australia, estimated to be over a million animals. The feral deer population is expanding rapidly, invading new areas and increasingly harming the environment and the economy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.vdccn.org.au

A small band of GULLG members meet near the Reserve pavilion each Thursday at 9.30 am for a 2-hour working bee – followed by a coffee and chat at the General Store.

We are the Thursday Morning Group.

Our work is focused on the maintenance of the Biolink walking track - from Dysart Street through to the track entrance on Daylesford-Malmsbury Road.

The work includes mowing and brush-cutting along the track to preserve a comfortable path width for walkers (and their pets), removing fallen branches, burning off, spraying blackberry & gorse, and pulling broom – together with various one-off projects.

The morning of 19th Dec 2024 was a one-off project – with the installation of a drainage pipe and an improved walkway around 100 meters from the pavilion bridge. This area has been a perennial wet spot committing walkers to wade through a waterway across the path.

The group is led by past GULLG Committee member Ian Fleischer and current members include Ian, Colin M, Colin P, Mick, Allan, John, Evan and Ken. 

It’s an informal group with attendance based on ‘if you can make it’.

So, if you are passing by on a Thursday morning don’t hesitate to say hello. 

At the GULLG stall at the New Year's Day Mixed Sports Day event, many new residents asked about appropriate plants for their gardens. It just so happened that Jill Teschendorff was at the event which reminded us of her beautiful and factual book

GROW WILD - Gardening to sustain wildlife in the Hepburn Shire.

Also, see Hepburn Shire 'Indigenous plants for landscaping'

& 'Threatened flora and fauna in Hepburn Shire

Birdly is BirdLife Australia’s new bird ID app. It combines the strengths of traditional field guides with the power of AI technology. 

BirdLife Australia says Birdly is Australia’s first bird identification guide specifically designed and built as an app only. It uses cutting-edge AI technology for bird image (700+ species) and sound recognition (60+ species) as well as 200 videos and 200 3D images. 

Download the Birdly app from the Google Play store or Apple’s App Store.

SOURCE: NCCMA February Chat

Have you seen the nesting boxes installed along the Biolink by GULLG Committee Member Rod Sewell?