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 August/September 2023 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.  

We hope this newsletter inspires you to care for your local waterways, reduce your environmental impact and get involved in a local community activity. 

Platypus of the Plenty River

Did you know that platypus are still present in the Plenty River!

If you haven’t experienced the joy of watching The Platypus Guardian on ABC iview, do yourself a favour and check it out. This documentary about a Hobart resident on a mission and a platypus called Scoot will warm your heart and inspire you to look after your local waterways.

If you’re not sure where to start, why not contact your local Friends of the Gorge (Plenty Gorge Park, Melbourne) to find out how you can help. 

This September, head down to your local creek or river, find a quiet place on the bank, try to spot a platypus and record what you see as part in the Platy-project. 

Image Credit: John Bundock

Cat management

To help protect and enhance the welfare and safety of cats in our municipality and create a more harmonious environment between pets, people and other animals, cat confinement and mandatory cat desexing for newly registered cats has been introduced in the City of Whittlesea. 

From 1st of August 2023, all cats in the City of Whittlesea must be confined to their owner’s property or under effective control when outside the property. All cats being registered for the first time must also be desexed. Council endorsed the introduction of these two key actions identified in our Domestic Animal Management Plan 2021-2025. 

We understand this is a big change for cats and their owners and the City of Whittlesea will continue to provide support and information to help with the transition, including educational information, videos and practical advice on preparing your pet and your property. 

Frogs out in force in Whittlesea

On a chilly night in May, around 30 participants joined Whittlesea Landcare, The City of Whittlesea and Julia Cirillo from Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) on a night of frog discovery in Whittlesea.

The aim was to learn about and identify the local frog species of the Whittlesea township. In Melbourne there are 16 species of frogs, but not all of these are found in Whittlesea. Or are they?  After a game of Frog bingo to train everyone in the recognition of local frog calls (the safest and least stressful way of recording frog populations and species), we walked from the Whittlesea Community Activity Centre along Bruce’s Creek,not far from the Plenty River. Here we heard the distinct tones of the Victorian smooth froglet (Geocrinia victoriana) and the Eastern froglet (Crinia signifera) though hard to hear over the nearby traffic noise.

We  finished up at the Whittlesea Secondary College frog pond behind the Whittlesea community garden. Species heard here included the Smooth froglet, Eastern froglet, Spotted marsh frog (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis) and the Southern brown tree frog (SBTF) (Litoria ewingii). A SBTF was also spotted on a tree guard which got everyone excited!

All frog calls, and species were recorded and stored on the Melbourne Water Frog Census app.

Whittlesea Landcare, MCMC and City of Whittlesea wish to thank all participants for a great night out.

To join in with future Whittlesea Landcare events you can email or contact the Landcare Facilitator on 0437 345 475. 

Image Credit: Arthur Chapman

Nature strips are an important part of our streetscapes. They help beautify our streets and contribute to creating liveable neighbourhoods.  

We have updated our nature strip guidelines to reflect current environmental, design and community considerations. The guidelines will provide a consistent approach on what changes residents can make to the nature strip adjacent to the home, while ensuring safety for road users and pedestrians is considered. Some of the changes proposed include the ability to plant additional plants and edible crops such as vegetables and shrubs. 

Nature Stewards Program

Applications are now open for the City of Whittlesea Nature Stewards Spring program, which will run from Saturday 16 September to Saturday 2 December.

Nature Stewards is a 10-week course run by Victorian National Parks Association, with support from local councils, to equip participants with the skills and knowledge they need to help protect our natural environment.  

Learn more about your local and Victorian environment, explore new employment opportunities, hear from experts spanning Traditional Owners, CSIRO, Council, volunteering and industry and find ways to connect with and care for nature. 

The course includes 10 classes and 4–6 field sessions 
 Applications close Sunday 3 September 2023 

Threatened Species Bake Off

What is the Threatened Species Bake Off?
The Threatened Species Bake Off is an invitation to Australians to bake a dessert in the shape of a threatened species. The Bake Off aims to build awareness in the community about Australia’s remarkable and unique threatened wildlife.

The Threatened Species Commissioner is delighted to announce the Threatened Species Bake Off for the seventh year running in 2023!

Key dates
24 August – Entries open
7 September – Threatened Species Day 
24 September – Entries close

How to participate
Using your baking skills, produce a baked creation that resembles or represents an Australian native threatened species and share it with the Threatened Species Commissioner on social media. A list of nationally threatened species can be found on the right under resources.

Upload an image of your baked creation to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram by using the hashtag #TSBakeOff2023 and tag the Threatened Species Commissioner. Include your first name, the species and the category you are entering. If you are unable to enter via social media, please send your entry to tsbakeoff@dcceew.gov.au.

Schools and organisations are encouraged to submit their entry along with a short video or 100-word comment about why their threatened species is important to their school, organisation or region. Schools and organisations can enter via social media or by sending their entry to tsbakeoff@dcceew.gov.au.

Winning entries will be displayed on the Threatened Species Commissioner's social media channels.

Loving the unlovely and getting to know the unknown:
This year’s Bake Off theme will highlight the threatened species that don’t often hit the headlines and the species that some people might call ugly or uncharismatic. It’s a reminder that these species matter too. They play important roles in our ecosystems and are valued parts of Australia’s biodiversity.

The Urban Plant Health Network

The Urban Plant Health Network brings together urban and peri-urban community gardeners across Greater Melbourne, industry and Government, to share information and knowledge about exotic pest plants and diseases, including: where to find them, how to manage them, and who to contact if you see them.

Carrot Dip

(Created by Reşat Sürücü) 

A great way to use up bumper carrot crops

• 6 medium carrots / around 500g-ish, grated
• Olive oil 
• 200-300g Greek-style yoghurt 
• 1 garlic clove, crushed (or more if you like things garlic-y) 
• Pinch of salt 

1. In a frying pan, cook the carrots in ½ tablespoon of olive oil, until just softened.
2. Turn off the heat and add the crushed garlic, stir through and leave to cool.
3. Once cool, add yoghurt slowly, tasting to get the balance of flavours and consistency to your liking.
4. Add salt to taste and enjoy!

What's in season?

Eating seasonally is good for the environment; they're easier to find and cheaper to buy too!

Here are some common vegetables and fruit that are in season for the rest of winter: 

Apples, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, grapefruit, jerusalem artichokes, kiwi fruit, leeks, lemons, lettuce, limes, mandarins (imperial), onions, oranges (navel), parsley, parsnips, pears, potatoes, rhubarb, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, spring onion, turnips 

Here are some common vegetables and fruit that will be in season in spring: 

Spring Artichoke (globe), asparagus, beans, beetroot, berries, broad beans, broccoli, capsicums, carrot, cauliflower, chillies, cucumbers, grapefruits, leeks, lemons, lettuce, limes, mandarins (imperial), onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, potatoes, rhubarb, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, spring onion, squash, strawberries, zucchini    

Is it winter? Is it spring? No, it’s Barbie Season

It appears every Ken and his Tanner have booked tickets to the new Barbie movie. Often movie crazes lead to excessive purchases of fad items that find their way to landfill in the not-so-distant-future. "Toys are the most plastic-intensive consumer goods in the world. Worse, very few toys are recycled. That’s often because they can’t be – they’re made of a complex mixture of plastics, metals and electronics. When children get bored, these toys often end up in landfill." 

Mattel has a goal to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials across its entire range of products and packaging by 2030. If you must buy a Barbie this Barbie season, make it a recycled plastics Barbie. Better yet, buy a Barbie with a backstory from your local second-hand shop, or even better borrow one from your local Toy Library in Lalor! We understand that as a parent it can be difficult to avoid buying such toys entirely, especially if your child cannot get enough of the franchise.

If you find yourself with an unwanted Barbie, you can take it to your local second-hand shop, or if you had a little too much fun, you can drop off your old or broken Barbies to Toys for Joy recycling program at Big W stores. 

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.  

City of Whittlesea Sustainable Communities Workshop Series
Mending and Rag Roping - Two back-to-back workshops 

City of Whittlesea Sustainable Communities Workshop Series
Discovering Biophilia: Mindfulness and Observation in Nature

10am - 12pm, Saturday 30 September 2023, City of Whittlesea Council, Fountain View Room

This no-cost, in-person workshop is the ninth in the City of Whittlesea's Sustainable Communities Workshop Series for 2023. 

In this workshop, Lisa Conley, Environmental Educator for Sustainability at City of Whittlesea will lead a session grounded in the understanding of biophilia, or love of nature and living things. During the workshop attendees will learn how biophilia can better help us protect and care for our planet. The group will discuss the nature/happiness connection, mindfulness, and the role of observation as a starting point for becoming a conservationist or environmental steward. Hands-on activities will sharpen attendees' nature observation skills. 

Weather permitting, the group will head outdoors to make field observations of the pond and natural spaces near the council offices. Attendees will leave the workshop with a handicraft and a nature observation guide they can complete on their own, or with others.

Whittlesea Recycling Collection 

Wednesday 9 August, 11am - 1pm
Whittlesea Showgrounds, Whittlesea-Yea Road, Whittlesea 

To get rid of cardboard boxes, soft plastic packaging and polystyrene from new furniture in an environmentally friendly way, bring them to this free collection event. 

What will be accepted on the day?

- Cardboard and recyclable packaging, including: 
- Cardboard boxes (broken down)
- Soft plastic packaging from new furniture  
- Polystyrene packaging from new furniture 
- All items must be clean and remove any tape

If you cannot make this event cardboard boxes can be recycled for free at: 
Wollert Landfill, 55 Bridge Inn Road, Wollert or Visy Pty Ltd, 13 Reo Crescent, Campbellfield 

La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary  

Winter Frog Census
Thursday 17 August 2023
5:15pm to 8:15pm 
Register for the Winter Frog Census

Twilight Tour
Thursday 24 August 2023
6:30pm to 8pm
Register for the Twilight Tour

Father's Day Twilight Tour
Sunday 3 September 2023
6:30pm to 8pm
Register for the Father's Day Twilight Tour

Twilight Tour
Thursday 7 September 2023
6:30pm to 8pm
Register for the Twilight Tour

Spring Stagwatch
Friday 15 September 2023
5pm to 8pm
Register for the Spring Stagwatch

Warm Up with No Waste Cooking
Tuesday 15 August 2023
6:30pm to 8pm
Lalor Library
Register for Warm Up with No Waste Cooking

Libraries After Dark: Introduction to Worm Farming
Thursday 24 August 2023
7pm to 8pm      
Mill Park Library
Register for Introduction to Worm Farming

Libraries After Dark: Cost of Living Chat
Thursday 24 August 2023
7pm to 8pm
Mill Park Library
Register for Cost of Living Chat

Libraries After Dark: Seed Saving, Storage and Harvesting 
Monday 31 August 2023
7pm to 8pm
Thomastown Library
Register for Seed Saving, Storage and Harvesting

Using Food to Improve your Mood
Wednesday 6 September 2023
6.30pm – 8.30pm
Whittlesea Library 
Register for Using Food to Improve your Mood