We recognise the rich Aboriginal heritage of this country and acknowledge the Wurundjeri Willum Clan and Taungurung People as the Traditional Owners of lands within the City of Whittlesea. 

Welcome to the Autumn 2024 edition of Living Green, a newsletter that provides tips for the season and information on how to get involved in nature and your local community. 

With Earth Day fast approaching in April, we hope this newsletter inspires you to care for your local waterways, reduce your environmental impact and get involved in a local community activity. 

Energy Heroes spotted in Whittlesea

There’s a new group of superheroes in the municipality! Six community members in the new Energy Heroes Training Program completed 14 hours of home energy audit training on 17 and 18 February. Hosted by City of Whittlesea’s Sustainable Environment and facilitated by Lucinda Flynn of Going Green Solutions, the group learned foundational knowledge and skills they can share in the community. The goal of the program is to create a group of non-accredited but still highly knowledgeable community members who can advise others on easy ways to increase their home’s thermal comfort and decrease their power bills. Energy Heroes will conduct presentations and conversations with a diverse group of residents from around the municipality over the coming year. Special thanks to Mernda Neighbourhood House who was the host location and served as the practice-home for our heroes. Congratulations to our first Energy Heroes group- thanks for your community service!

Future trainings are currently being planned. If you would like to become an Energy Hero, please get in touch.

(Pictured L to R: Kaynat Virk, Dhanjeet Sah, Annette Carle, Lucinda Flynn, Spiro Kalantzis, Beatrix van Lunenburg, and Himali De Alwis)   

Reverse vending machines transform community recycling

The City of Whittlesea is excited to announce over 1.3 million containers have been recycled through the reverse vending machines at Council reserves as part of Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme.

The four machines at Council reserves were installed in collaboration with Visy and CDS Vic and are located at Waterview Recreation Reserve in Mernda, Mosaic Reserve in Lalor, Meadowglen International Athletics Stadium in Epping and Mill Park Lakes Recreation Reserve in South Morang.

City of Whittlesea Chair Administrator Lydia Wilson says the partnership between Council, Visy and CDS Vic in establishing the reverse vending machines has been productive for the community.

“These machines are not only an accessible way for the community to participate in Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme, but also demonstrate our shared commitment to reducing waste and fostering a circular economy, while rewarding the community at the same time," Lydia said.

“Through this exciting recycling option, our community can help contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable city by reducing litter and landfill. The scheme also allows charities and community groups the opportunity to raise funds while making an impact. We are delighted to see so many of our community already taking part.”

The City of Whittlesea celebrates this significant milestone and encourages residents to continue to play a role in creating a more sustainable city.

Introducing a trial drop off soft plastics recycling program

In light of the absence of soft plastics recycling options at major supermarkets, Council is now offering a solution with our new drop-off plastics recycling program.  This initiative is an opportunity for our community to lead by example in sustainability efforts and to contribute to a healthier environment.

You're invited to bring your soft plastics to the designated recycling bins at the Wollert Landfill Transfer Station (55 Bridge Inn Road, Wollert).

Here's a list of what you can recycle:

• Plastic bags
• Bread bags
• Pasta and rice bags
• Biscuit packet wrapper (please separate the tray and place it in the mixed recycling bin)
• Confectionary bags
• Chip packets
• Cereal box liners
• Veggie produce bags
• Frozen food and veggie bags
• Clear Bubble wrap
• Clear Shrink wrap

If the plastic can be scrunched into a ball, it’s likely acceptable for recycling through this service. However, please note that cling wrap/glad wrap cannot be recycled through this service because it is made from a different type of plastic.

For successful recycling, please ensure the items you recycle are clean and free of food waste before depositing them into the bin. 

The soft plastics collected through this program will be processed by APR Plastics, transforming them into oil for new plastic products. This process not only helps divert waste from landfills but also supports the creation of a circular economy, where materials are reused and repurposed.

This initiative is a testament to our community's commitment to environmental stewardship. Let's come together to make the most of this recycling opportunity and make a positive impact on our planet.

Pass It Around - Packshare 

Love supporting the economy but hate the waste that comes with necessary packaging?

Business owners, have you tried to think of a way to reuse your waste packaging but have come up empty handed?
Now, thanks to one brilliant idea, you no longer have to worry about how to reuse your packaging.
Packshare is a platform that allows businesses and individuals to connect with one another to reuse their single use packaging. It has been designed so individuals can donate to businesses, businesses can give to individuals or other businesses.

This site doesn't just focus on cardboard boxes and bubble wrap but delves deeper into everyday items that we all use.

You can give or receive everything from dry cleaning coat hangers and beer clips to egg cartons and elastic bands.
Their online platform has been made with simplicity in mind, making it easy to get what you need.
With businesses already registered around the northern suburbs, it's a great local initiative to get onboard with.

Darebin Creek needs your help! Greenhills Restoration Project

Eight months ago, volunteers and the Darebin Creek Management Committee, planted along the Darebin Creek from McLeans Road to Greenhills Road in Bundoora. For the most part the plantings have taken off with Manna Gums towering over us as we walk along.

We planted a variety of trees, shrubs and groundcovers. In a few places we can see plants struggling in the drier slopes. Returning to the site we notice a trail of ants walking up and down a young wattle sapling. The ants are swarming around the pupae of the Imperial Blue Butterfly. In this symbiotic relationship the ants protect the butterfly larvae in return for their sugary secretions. A few minutes later we observe the butterflies fliting about. As the name suggest they are blue, but a very pale shade. At rest they are an orangey brown with small black patches that run horizontal, and they have very ornate lower wings.

We are excited to see that in less than a year the volunteers living in this patch of the Darebin Creek are contributing to the biodiversity of the Darebin Creek.

This is just the beginning so if you live close to this area, we need you to continue this long-term project.

Photo credit: Therese Grinter - Darebin Creek Management Committee & Carly Altree-Williams for butterfly portrait. 

Borrow for sustainability at Yarra Plenty Regional Library

Yarra Plenty Regional Library is committed to sustainability in our everyday practices. Did you know that we have seed libraries at nine of our branches, or that we have solar panels on five of our branches?  

Want to learn more about how you can live more sustainably every day? Perhaps you want to discover more about sustainable fashion, or gardening at home? Check out these book recommendations and learn how to live sustainably! 

• Discover how your sustainability efforts matter with Planting a seed: 3 simple steps to sustainable living by Kate Gaertner 
   
• Celebrate sustainability in the garden with the whole family in Costa’s world: gardening for the soil, the soul and the suburbs by Costa Georgiadis 
   
• Learn about sustainable practices in the fashion industry with Woven & worn: the search for well-being and sustainability in the modern world by Canopy Press 
   
• Discover how you can make changes in your life to be more sustainable in Live more with less by Kate Luckins

Think sustainably and borrow a book from your local library today!

Automated tracking of bird calls

The City of Whittlesea is a haven for both local and migratory bird species with one of our rarest visitors being the threatened Swift Parrot.

Bringing technology and nature together, the creators of BirdNET have introduced an innovative tool known as Bird-PUC. This tool is a compact computer designed to automatically record and identify bird species based on their distinct calls. These tiny computers have been programmed to recognise up to 3000 different bird calls. The data collected can be used by Australian researchers and the public to monitor populations of different bird species. This data is then published to Bird Weather.

Bird-PUC's have already been successfully installed and recording at sites across the municipality. The City of Whittlesea hopes to install more Bird-PUCs on rural land adjacent to remnant forests and waterways, to help build a more detailed map of birdlife in the area. Council is also loaning the devices out to schools to help build a better understanding of birds are local to the area. For more information, contact us.
In turn, we hope this increased knowledge about our local birdlife will encourage greater community involvement in environmental activities such as tree-planting, to enhance bird habitat.

For more information about your local neighbours, click below. 

Photo credit: Kara Lascaris - Artistic impression of device

Giving a helping hand to suffering wombats

There is nothing better for nature lovers than to find a wombat foraging in the wild. They are hardy animals and can be found right throughout Eastern and Southern Australia in all kinds of habitats.
Unfortunately for these cute and cuddly animals, they can suffer from mange. Mange occurs when the wombat becomes infested with a biting mite that causes terrible itching. The infestation can be so bad it can dry and crack the skin, causing open wounds that become infected. If the infected wombats are not treated, it can become life threatening, and the animals suffer for a long time before it eventually kills them.
But the good news is that it is treatable!
 
Common signs of mange include:

• Dry and cracked skin with a loss of fur
• Thick scabs or ridges mainly on the torso and limbs
• The animal appearing blind and deaf

A wombat that looks unwell and can be approached during daylight hours will normally indicate that something is wrong. 

If you notice a wombat that appears like it could have mange or looks flat and slower than usual, report it here so it can get treatment: mangemanagement.org.au or Wildlife Victoria - Australian Wildlife Emergency Response

If you're the type of person that is willing to go out of their way to help a sick animal, get in touch with Mange Management. They need as many locals as possible to help these animals and offer free kits so you can treat your furry neighbour. No experience or handling is needed as you do not need to touch the wombats, although having a good idea of where their burrow is will help as treatment progresses. (Be sure to write the location down so you can find it again.)

If caught early enough, these wonderful animals can live a normal and healthy life, but only with your help.

Photo credit: Manage Management

Event details may change from time to time so please check the status of any events promoted in this newsletter as the date draws closer.  

Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary 

Year 9 and 10 students, if you haven't secured your work experience placement yet and love to get out in nature, why not consider placement with Nangak Tamboree. The placement positions are best suited for those who are interested in Horticulture or park ranger work (not animal handling/veterinary jobs). Students can apply/find out more here.

School Holiday Workshop - Nature Journaling
Tuesday 9 April
10:00am - 12:00pm
Register Here

Stagwatch
Tuesday 9 April
5:00pm - 8:00pm
Register Here

Forest Therapy Walk
Sunday 21 April
9:00am - 11:30am
Register Here

Breakfast with the Birds
Sunday 28 April
6:00am 8:45am
Register Here

Mother's Day Twilight Tour
Sunday 12 May
5:15pm - 7:15pm
Register Here