Garden day for biodiversity

TO celebrate the natural biodiversity within the region, Integra is hosting another Lucas Community Garden Day.

Taking place at Lucas’ Central Park, at the Eleanor Drive and Daly Drive intersection, the garden event will run from 4.30pm to 7.30pm this Friday, 19 March and is free for anyone to come along and join in.

Integra’s community engagement coordinator Victoria Rushton said the event was made possible thanks to partners including Ballarat Neighbourhood Centres, Corangamite Catchment Authority, Alfredton Rotary Club, Wilsons Fruit and Vegetables, Ballarat Community Health, Gardens for Wildlife and Birdsong Nursery.

“October last year, Integra and Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre decided to plan a garden day for the community with the intention of exploring the many ways you can attract bird and wildlife to suburban gardens,” she said.

“The idea was to provide information to create safe places for the birds and wildlife that live where we live and how we can best use our gardens to provide for our wild friends.”

Ms Rushton said the event builds on Integra’s design principals used for Lucas community which included enhancing the existing drainage lines to habitat indigenous and native plants and improve biodiversity.

“Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre are giving away plants and there will be experts giving out tips for how to create safe havens for bird and wildlife in your garden,” she said.

“Some popular activities for kids will be the pot a plant activity and woodcraft, kids can decorate wooden cockatoos, grasshoppers, crickets, dragonflies and bees, all made from reclaimed timber.

“We will also have the Smoothie Bike that will be run by Wilsons, there will be food trucks and Alfredton Rotary are putting on a sausage sizzle and highlighting the work they are doing at Mullawallah Wetlands.”