From Humble Beginnings

In 2003, while having lunch at a Greening of Riddell working bee in Wybejong Park, an idea was discussed about forming a group to look at working on environmental issues in the Gap Road/Sandy Creek Road area. It took a year but the two people became three and these three people got together and started to form such a group (getting an ABN, opening a bank account, organising insurance, etc). It was soon realised that there were many assets in and around Riddells Creek, many things that we wanted to do, and there was no point limiting ourselves to the Gap Road/Sandy Creek Road area. In 2005 Riddells Creek Landcare was formally launched with its first activity ... a 'Community Walk Through the Bush'. We were hoping for 5-10 people to turn up. When ~70 people turned up we were more than pleasantly surprised. Following the success of the first walk, we arranged three more walks in 2005, each with a similar turn-out. Riddells Creek Landcare has been established now for few years and we have about 45 active members, we have won numerous grants, produced the book "Macedon Range Flora", produced an informative website, produced numerous newsletters, killed hundreds of weedy trees in our surrounding bushland, helping (with other groups) to put about $1million worth of solar panels on local houses, and we are having lots of fun (our main goal)!

Statement of Purpose

To conserve and improve Riddells Creek's environmental assets for this and future generations.

Committee Members

President: Russell Best (5428 7546)
Treasurer/Membership:Jacquey Booth (5428 6605)
Secretary: Narelle Sutton
Committee members: Reilly Beacom (technology & web developments), Gill Best (marketing), Russell Best (website), Jacquey Booth (book sales), James Booth (seed collection & propagation, weeds), David Francis (newsletter, plant ID book), Lyn Hovey, Alison Potter, Narelle Sutton (grants, stream frontage program, TFN covenants, land for wildlife, micro-landcare), Lachlan Milne (non-voting - Council)

Goals

Our main goals are (but not exclusively):
•  Having fun!
•  Developing Barrm Birrm as a community asset
•  Information compilation and dissemination about Riddells Creek and its environmental assets (eg. plant lists, bird lists, frog lists, weed mapping, map series)
•  Environmental education (eg. plant ID book, community walks, wattle ID key, newsletter, website)
•  Helping members improve their own land (eg. Stream Frontage Program, Land for Wildlife, grant applications, Covenants, etc)
•  On-ground works (eg. planting, rubbish removal, weeding)