'Bendigo Creek Biolink, Huntly' project
The 'Bendigo Creek Biolink, Huntly' project is the overarching Northern Bendigo Landcare Group project of several smaller projects such as Whirrakee Wattle biolinks. The project commenced on 1/1/2008 and is focused on projects which are on public land, the Huntly Streamside Reserve.
Start-up funding was through the Victorian State government and now includes funding from a range of sources such as 13 Trees, Bendigo Council & Parks Victoria.
Whirrakee Wattle Biolink – Whipstick to Bendigo Creek
Whirrakee Wattle Biolink aims is to improve native vegetation linkages between Greater Bendigo National Park Whipstick Block/Whipstick Nature Conservation Reserve and Bendigo Creek/Huntly Streamside Reserve (2-5 kilometers northwest of Huntly)
The linkages will improve ecological connectivity between these public land areas and help prevent local extinctions caused by natural disasters/climate change. A section of road reserve has been revegetated and wildlife nestboxes installed in scattered trees. Northern Bendigo Landcare Group vision is to engage neighbouring landowners in extending core habitat onto their land by including scattered paddock trees. A Whirrakee Wattle Walking Trial brochure has been produced.
Project funded by a State Government of Victoria Community for Nature Grant.
Huntly Streamside Reserve Biolink - Creekline Grassy Woodland (Goldfields) Community, Bendigo Ck
Huntly Streamside Reserve Biolink aims to enhance a highly degraded Creekline Grassy Woodland Community. The Biolink will perform a vital role in conserving threatened species by assisting their dispersion/movement & will also act as a refuge during prolonged droughts likely to be exacerbated by climate change. The Reserve is 216 ha of public land located 2 km east of Huntly township, in the Central Victorian Goldfields Region.
The Huntly Streamside Reserve is a significant remnant within a largely cleared floodplain. A rapid increase in housing developments through Epsom and Huntly has compounded the loss of native vegetation and connectivity. Project activities include community plantings, weed & rabbit control, educational activities, nestbox installation & monitoring Northern Bendigo Landcare Group has the support of Parks Victoria, local primary schools, Bendigo TAFE Conservation & Land Management and other community groups.
Project funded by a State Government of Victoria Threatened Species Protection Initiative – Community Action Grant Round 2.
Nest Boxes
The group has installed 50 nest boxes so far (February 2017) with a range of designs to suit a range of species including; Brush-tailed Phascogale, Sugar Glider, Pardalote, Duck sp., Lorikeets, Brown Treecreeper, Owlet-nightjar, Microbats. Monitoring has found at least one of each type of box has been used by all these except for Lorikeet, Brown Treecreeper and Owlet -nightjar.
Threatened fauna near these projects
Conservation status from Victorian threatened species advisory lists
- Australian Shoveler - Vulnerable
- Brown Toadlet - Endangered
- Brown Treecreeper - Near Threatened
- Brush-tailed Phascogale - Vulnerable
- Common Greenshank - Vulnerable
- Common Sandpiper - Vulnerable
- Curlew Sandpiper - Endangered
- Glossy Ibis - Near threatened
- Grey-crowned Babbler - Endangered
- Hooded Robin - Near threatened
- Swift Parrot - Endangered
Threatened flora near these projects
- Blue Mallee - Rare
- Common Saltbush - Rare
- Cotton Cassinia - Rare
- Dwarf Cassinia - Rare
- Whipstick Westringia - Endangered
- Whirrakee Wattle - Rare
Whirrakee Wattle Biolink Trail brochure pdf
Whirrakee Wattle & Huntly Biolinks on Google maps
Biodiversity habitat projects on SWIFFT