THE Bruces Creek catchment area near Lethbridge, Bannockburn and Teesdale is currently without a dedicated community environmental group, but this will soon change.<\/p>\n
Geelong Landcare Network facilitator Bronwyn Merritt is seeking expressions of interest from residents who would join a Landcare team of volunteers in this space.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s up to the group what they would like to make of it, but the broad aim would to be look after and rehabilitate the environment in that area, and increase community capacity for environmental action,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s also a social side to this, getting likeminded people together who want to achieve things for their local community, and increase their knowledge.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be a formalised, incorporated Landcare group. It doesn\u2019t officially have a name yet, but is likely something to do with Bruces Creek catchment. We\u2019ll wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n
The landscape is part of the endangered Victorian Volcanic Plains and includes peri-urban areas.<\/p>\n
The next Bruces Creek Landcare meeting will be held on Monday, 30 May at the Bannockburn Cultural Centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you think this group might sound interesting, you are more than welcome to come along and see where it goes,\u201d Ms Merritt said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor those who are on an acre or two, lifestyle or agricultural blocks, and not knowing what to do with it, we\u2019re also interested in targeting them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is about environmental sustainability and what people can do help achieve that in our local area.\u201d<\/p>\n
GLN received a Community Strengthening Grant from the Golden Plains Shire to build community capacity for environmental action, which has allowed this initiative to go ahead.<\/p>\n
The Network is working with natural resource management worker Dale Smithyman at the Shire in the set-up of the group.<\/p>\n