By Callum Ludwig
The Birrarung/Yarra River is the heartbeat of the Warburton township, with locals and visitors alike regularly enjoying its natural beauty.
The River Reserve group dedicate their time to maintaining the river and trails nearby and is inviting residents to a Community Planting Day on Sunday 26 March to help do so.
Group member and landscape designer Jane Stormer said this year’s planting will be done between the Swing Bridge and Martyrs Road in Warburton.
“It’s part of the reserve that’s predominantly used by picnickers and locals wanting a moment of quiet enjoyment, so we’re looking forward to doing some work to both increase its beauty but also increase the biodiversity of plants in that area,” she said.
“It’s a heritage-listed river, vital to the Wurundjeri people and for supplying 70 per cent of Melborune’s drinking water through the Upper Yarra Dam and its catchments, so we see it as part of our responsibility to enhance the amenity for both our species and other species and protect the water quality.”
Planters will be planting a variety of grasses and plants that provide a biofiltration function along the riverbank as well as help prevent erosion and create a buffer zone between the car park and the reserve. They will also plant some shade trees that will provide some shady respite for passersby.
Ms Stormer said the buffer zone will help ensure no pollution makes it way into the river from the car park.
“We are working with a very limited planting palette because that has the most impact for protection and it also means we can then go back to the park when the time is right and introduce new species as need be,” she said.
“We’re also wanting to just take out some of the weed species that are there and replace them with beautiful and well-known local indigenous plants.”
Attendees will meet at the picnic shelter on Dammans Road at 10am with their own gloves, drink bottle and all-weather gear. Around 12pm, there will be a sausage sizzle to fuel up after all the hard work.
Ms Stormer said Warburton can show the the rest of Melbourne on the Birrarung/Yarra River how to look after the river.
“Warburton is the first major urban configuration on the Birrarung/Yarra so if we can ensure that the water quality is the same when it leaves Warburton as when it reaches Warburton, we will be doing a great job, especially with the increasing number of visitors,” she said.
“Once it’s all planted and has actually grown, you can go back and say ‘I helped with that, I planted that tree, I helped put in all of those grasses’ and it really enhances a sense of belonging.”
Potential planters are asked to RSVP by March 23 by marking themself as going on the ‘Yarra River, Birrarrung, Community Planting Day’ Facebook event or by messaging Ms Stormer at 0414 858 609.
