For Lynlee Tozer, Wanderslore at Launching Place is a great example of what the Trust for Nature has been able to achieve.By Kath Gannaway
LYNLEE Tozer is in her element as she makes her way along a bush track at Wanderslore.
Making her way towards a gully, which she says is an inspirational example of what volunteers have achieved through continuous weeding, she is thrilled by the sight of some early bird orchids in flower.
A little bit further along, a huge old tree grabs her attention.
Thanks to the Trust for Nature, which has been custodian of the 10 hectare bush remnant since 1987, it enjoys the luxury of just being there simply to provide habitat for wildlife and a reassuring sense of continuity for humans.
“Theoretically this should have multiple houses on it but Constance kept buying properties adjoining her land and that protected it from development,” said Ms Tozer, the trust’s regional manager for Port Phillip Region.
Constance is artist, writer and poet Constance Coleman.
Ms Coleman inherited the property in 1933 from her father.
She devoted her energy and money to the creation of a bushland sanctuary by purchasing adjoining blocks throughout her life.
She named it Wanderslore when she came to live on the property after retiring from her work as a teacher.
Ms Coleman died in 1990 having gifted the property to the trust three years earlier to ensure it remained as a high-value natural conservation site.
The Friends of Wanderslore group was formed in 1994.
Their aim, Ms Tozer said, was to maintain the area and promote regeneration of the natural environment.
That means, largely, weeding.
“We don’t plant here,” she said. “By keeping the weeds down we allow natural regeneration.
“In 100 years this will be back to what it was originally.”
It is, she admits, a long term goal but that’s not a problem for the Trust. It intends to keep the property for … ever!
“The problem we have (as a society) with our view of the environment is people think of everything in terms of their own lifetime, but it’s a much longer term project than that.”
As a result of the extensive work carried out by the Friends group, Wanderslore has become a valuable reference area for demonstrating the recovery of bushland from disturbance.
The gully, once smothered under a thick blanket of honeysuckle, is on its way to what it might have looked like in some distant past.
Now indigenous plants are shooting up creating a vibrant, natural understory to the huge gums and tall ferns.
Wombat burrows and scratchings where echidna have been feasting give some clue to the area’s wildlife.
Feathertail and sugar gliders enjoy the treetops undisturbed and Wanderslore is home to more than 80 bird species.
A survey of reptiles and amphibians has yet to be done but with the presence of permanent water and damp habitat areas it provides ideal living conditions for a variety of species.
The property is closed to the public for most of the year but on Sunday 18 November it will throw open its gates to the public.
The open day, between 10am and 4pm, is a wonderful opportunity to observe the conservation efforts of the Friends volunteers and to discover a hidden treasure just off the busy Warburton Highway.
Parking is at the Launching Place Hotel carpark with a short walk to the entrance.
For further information phone Trust for Nature on 1800 999 933 or visit the website www.trustfornature.org.au.
