Friends of Bass Valley Bush Inc Landcare Group

The group has been involved in a wide range of public education programs, including hosting two native orchid festivals in Grantville where the surrounding bush is  home to 54 species of native orchids as well as more than 140 bird species. We have published planting lists for home gardeners as part of an urban landcare project and have conducted flora and fauna surveys throughout the region.

Infra red equipment has been used for night surveys and species identified include Powerful Owls, Barking Owls, Feathertail Gliders, Sugar Gliders, Mountain Brushtail Possums and Lace Monitors.

Survey work has been conducted on the Bass River, identifying in-stream biota as well as streamside vegetation. Members have recently been involved in establishing an environmental flow for the Bass prior to the allocation of a bulk extraction entitlement for Westernport Water. The river is also under threat from sand extraction operations and unlicensed diversions from the river and aquifer by various businesses.

Group members work closely with local landholders, as well as Parks Victoria on many projects throughout the region. Our members work closely with organisations like Trust for Nature and Coastcare to help identify and protect remnant native vegetation. We are called in to identify EVC's prior to clearing native vegetation for 'essential' works. We provide a range of advice and information on land management and our website at http://bassbush.htmlplanet.com has been set up as a community resource. It covers issues including maintaining biodiversity, sustainable production, regenerative agriculture, brittle landscapes, deep ecology, native vegetation offsets and a host of other information. Our data is often accessed by consultants preparing surveys for commercial enterprises and by other landcare groups. We have regular contact with similar community groups working throughout the world as well as with major bodies such as Friends of the Earth and Ecological Internet

The group offers a wide range of advice to farmers and urban dwellers on ecological issues - including what trees and shrubs to plant to form effective shelter belts, improve farm productivity or simply to attract birds to a garden.

For some years we have advocated the need for a return to traditional mixed family farms rather than continue the rush to specialised production which usually results in a monoculture. Specialised farms with one type of production whether it's olives, grapes, dairy or whatever, almost invariably store up future trouble. They may be tax-effective but they are unlikely to be sustainable in the long term - and that's what sustainability is about. 

Our members have prepared many submissions on Government proposals dealing with bushfire management, water, land and biodiversity issues.

We have many practical farming ideas which help primary producers increase profits while maintaining regional biodiversity and we have participated in projects like Future Food and Fibre. You can find some ideas on sustainability on the Freeranger Eggs site. 

We also operate the Margo Kroyer-Pedersen Wildlife Shelter, looking after sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife throughout the region. We have a wildlife ambulance and our facilities are able to cater for animals including wombats, echidnas, possums, gliders, wallabies, reptiles (excluding venomous snakes) and most birds. We don't have the facilities to handle large raptors such as wedge-tailed eagles, but we can cope with most others!

All our activities are voluntary and we have no paid staff.