Friends of Coburg Lake and Surrounds

Friends of Coburg Lake and Surrounds has been busy!

Over the last year, over 3,300 plants went in the ground across a number of the sites we have been working on in Coburg North and Coburg. While most of our plantings happen along the Merri Creek, between Parker Reserve (Keady Street Coburg North) and the point at which Edgars Creek meets the Merri, we also work with local schools and across a range of other local sites.

Two weekly working bees

We have two regular weekly working bees (thanks to Ian and Zoe) to which all are welcome.
These happen every:
•    Wednesday morning (9.30 – 11.30 am) at the Rocky Outcrop at Coburg Lake (north side of lake between the toilet block and DeChene/Flying Fox Park); and
•    Friday morning (9.30 – 11.30 am) at the eastern end of Ida Street around to where the Merlynston Creek meets the Merri, Coburg North.
See the events section of the Friends website for more details.

Building partnerships and over 20,000 indigenous plants since 2009

Since the group started in 2009, we have worked in partnership with Merri-bek Council to put in over 20,000 indigenous plants. We have worked with local residents to transform their nature strips into biodiversity havens, local kinders and schools to transform their grounds into nature-based play spaces, added shade and biodiversity to local parks, patches of green space and helped restore biodiversity, shade and habitat along the Merri. We also run a number of other working bees throughout the year, the most recent of which was at Coburg High School. We have put in 1000 indigenous plants into this site over the last 2 years.

An environment to relax in

We have worked to create more meeting and resting spots along the sections of the Merri in which we work. We have also explored how to help people learn more about the plants we are planting and habitat we are creating, by installing a range of low-cost signage options.

Keep an eye out for our working bees and events in the FoMC events section, Facebook events, or email me, Emma, at coburg.lake.surrounds@gmail.com to be added to our mailing list.
If you’d like to join us in our efforts, we’d love to see you!

   
Before and after photo from one of the earliest sites we planted out along the Merri Creek, the eastern end of Goleen Street, Coburg North, Emma Hopkins.