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Natural environment community groups

A number of environmental community groups are active in the Maroondah municipality. These groups are mostly volunteers who contribute many hours to preserve and maintain the local natural environment.

Why join an environmental group?

Joining an environmental group is a great experience for those who would like to help the environment, or want to get experience in an environment related field of work. No previous experience is necessary, groups are made up of people of all ages and students can often complete compulsory work experience hours with a group  

Benefits of joining a group include:

  • Meeting a variety of interesting people and useful contacts
  • Gaining skills in article writing, drawing and or publishing (if the group has a newsletter)
  • Obtaining plant identification skills
  • Gaining additional skills from field work such as revegetation works, seed collection, plant propagation and weed control
  • Learning general ecology principles
  • Preserving invaluable flora and fauna

To apply to become a Maroondah bushland volunteer, please complete the Bushland Volunteer Form

Cheong Street Environment Group (Croydon)

Residents come together on an annual basis to help enhance the natural values along Cheong Street.

Croydon Conservation Society Inc. 

Croydon Conservation Society is a non-profit community group that works to preserve and increase canopy trees, open spaces, wildlife habitat and good design.                   

First Friends of Dandenong Creek

First Friends of Dandenong Creek (FFDC) works with a range of organisations and individuals to enhance the creeks that sustain life in our area. They dedicate their time, expertise and energy towards the wider catchment area of Dandenong Creek. Membership enquiries welcome. Please refer to Facebook for upcoming events.         

Friends of Bungalook Conservation Reserves (Kilsyth South)

Volunteers help maintain the nationally significant habitat of the Bungalook Conservation Reserves and enjoy regular nature walks and ecological activities.    

Working bees held 2nd Saturday of the month (except January), 9.30am to lunchtime.

Friends of Candlebark Walk Reserve Inc. (Croydon Hills)

Volunteers are helping to enhance the biodiversity of Candlebark Walk Reserve and improve habitat for local wildlife.                               

Friends of Cheong Park (Croydon)

Working to help maintain and improve the significant environmental values of Cheong Park.

Friends of FJC Rogers Reserve (Heathmont)       

Carefully caring for a remnant pocket of bushland in Heathmont. Volunteers document the indigenous flora through photography, collect litter, remove weeds and sometimes do planting. Working bees held 1st Wednesday of the month (except January), 12-2pm.

Friends of Herman Pump Reserve (Heathmont)

A group of local residents that meet 2-3 times per year to maintain and revegetate this beautiful reserve (mulching, planting, weeding). For details of working bees, keep an eye out for posters in the reserve, the group's closed Facebook group and flyers.         

Friends of Longview Reserve (Croydon South)   

Working to ecologically improve a reserve through the creation of a habitat stepping stone, connecting with remnant bushland such as Cheong Wildflower Reserve.                   

Friends of Melview Reserve (Ringwood North) 

Connecting community to nature. Fostering a care for their local environment at Melview Reserve.

Friends of Ringwood Lake (Ringwood East)

Volunteers are helping to improve the biodiversity values of Ringwood Lake, focussing their efforts on the eastern end of the reserve.

Friends of Tarralla Creek (Croydon)        

A passionate group of locals who are providing stewardship for Tarralla Creek in partnership with Maroondah City Council and Melbourne Water.

Friends of The Terrace (Croydon)

The Terrace and adjoining lane connect Alto and Ellesmere Avenues. They date to the earliest history of Croydon and give lovely views over Croydon towards the Dandenongs. Volunteers are improving the environmental values by revegetating with indigenous plants.     

Friends of Walhalla & Hume Reserves (Ringwood East) 

Helping to care for and enhance the natural environment along Hume Street and help provide a wildlife stepping stone to nearby bushland reserves.                        

Friends of Warrien Reserve (Croydon North)

Providing careful nurturing of the precious pocket of natural bushland of Warrien Reserve to ensure future generations have the opportunity to enjoy the flora and fauna unique to the area.            

Friends of Wombolano Park (Ringwood East)     

Helping to care for remnant bushland comprised of Valley Heathy Forest, with White Stringybark in Wombolano Park.

Working bees held 3rd Sunday of the month, 10am – 12pm, meeting at Wombolano playground.

  • Contact: Merrilyn Smith 0409 127 299 or Andy 0414 999 491

Friends of Woodland Park (Croydon South)        

Formed to foster community relationships through their focus of making improvements to Woodland Park, volunteers are helping to improve the biodiversity and habitat in the Park through planting indigenous plants and monitoring wildlife.

Heathmont Bushcare

For the past 18 years a group of Heathmont residents, who have adopted the name of Heathmont Bushcare, have met in remnant bushland each month to undertake planting, weeding and restoration projects.

Working bees held 1st Sunday of the month, 10am - 12pm

Hillside Drive Environment Group (Croydon)    

A group of residents undertaking revegetation to create a wildlife stepping stone to provide connection with Cheong Wildflower Sanctuary.                   

Maroondah Bushlands

Maroondah Bushlands is the umbrella group for volunteers who work in their own local reserve, enhancing weeding and nurturing indigenous plants in our municipality. It has broad membership for all “friends of” groups, and connections with groups doing similar work in neighbouring municipalities.          

Mullum Mullum Creek Bushcare (Ringwood)     

An environmental group who are bringing back the bush to the Mullum Mullum Creek between Oliver Street and Oban Road.

Working bees held 2nd Saturday of the month (except January & February), 9:30-11:30am/12pm.

Warranwood Landcare Group

Helping to maintain and improve Warranwood Reserve and surrounding areas with a focus on weeding and replacing weeds with indigenous plants. Also helping to promote community engagement by enhancing the amenity of the area.     

Working bees held throughout the year, usually on a Sunday from 10am-1pm.

CRISP Nursery 

Address: 17 Greenwood Avenue, Ringwood  
Phone: 9879 3911 
Email: info@crispnursery.org.au 
Website: http//www.crispnursery.org.au/  

Candlebark Community Nursery 

Address: Cnr. Hull & Taylor Roads, Mooroolbark
Phone: 9727 0594 or 0499 021 315 
Email: info@candlebark.org.au

Website: http://candlebark.org.au/

Further information

For further information on Maroondah’s environmental volunteer groups and opportunities please contact the Maroondah Bushland team via email Derek.Ashton@maroondah.vic.gov.au or maroondah@maroondah.vic.gov.au or call 1300 88 22 33.

21/07/2017
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