Into Nature?
If you’d like to get out into the bush for the beautiful Spring time flower display, then we’re a great place to start. Kara Kara National Park boasts an amazing range of orchids and native flowers during mid-September to late-October. Redbank Alpacas offers guided nature walks around our block at certain times of the season. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages for dates!
Bushland Revegetation
We are very fortunate to live alongside the Kara Kara National Park, which represents one of the last remaining intact Box-Ironbark forests in Victoria. The local flora and fauna provide us with endless happy surprises throughout each year – there always seems to be something new to observe and identify!
Unfortunately, some parts of the landscape still bear the scars of the devastation caused during the various Gold Rushes that swept through our area in the 1860s: evidence of mining activity is still visible throughout the bush and also down along the banks of Cherry Tree Creek. Subsequent logging impacted the region and the resultant cleared areas have been slow to regenerate.
We intend to regenerate parts of our property, creating a green corridor from the National Park down to our creek. This will involve both direct planting and seeding of selected areas with species appropriate to the original Box-Ironbark habitat. The phascogales and sugar-gliders are going to love it!
The best part of all is that our visitors will help us to achieve this without even getting their hands dirty! At the end of each Alpaca Trek, our participants will be able to nominate (from a list comprised of suitable species) which type of tree or shrub they would like planted. We’ll place our orders with the nursery and then the following planting season (autumn) the next section of habitat will be planted! (Of course all trekkers would be welcome to come back and help if they really do want to get their hands dirty!)
Helping the environment just by walking a loveable, cuddly alpaca? How good is that!
Our first seedlings were planted in July 2018, and the area is already attracting birds and insects. Since then we’ve planted around 350 plants!
It’s already been fantastic to have visitors return and ask after their trees – and even help us with the planting. Thank you all so much!
Squirrel Glider Captive Breeding Program
After the bushfire experience in the summer of 19/20, we decided that we wanted to do more for our fragile ecosystems. After talking with several groups, we made the decision to assist with a statewide captive breeding program for Squirrel Gliders (Petaurus norfolcensis) – not seen in our area since 1996.
Working with Campaspe Gliders, we constructed our first cage, and three squirrel gliders – Chad, Pam and Pav – now call Blue Gum Rise home. We are hopeful that Pam and Pav (twin sisters) are now pregnant! They have a young Rufous Bettong named Daisy in their cage as company!
You can assist our program by becoming a Friend of Blue Gum Rise: e-mail us to find out more at acdlborg@bigpond.net.au
