Events

All members of our group receive regular emails with updates regarding meetings, working bees and events.

Meetings are held monthly on a Monday at 7:30 pm in the annex of the Lancefield Mechanics Hall. All members are welcome to attend.

We are at the Lancefield Farmers Market from September through to autumn.

Working Bees are usually held once a month on Sunday mornings from 9:00 - 11:30 followed by morning tea.

Coming Up in 2026

July 13 7:30 - 900 pm. Members Meeting Mechanics Institute Lancefield, Annex.

July 19 9:00 - 11:30 Working Bee.s Lancefield Park/Five Mile Creek Romsey

August 10 7:30 - 9:00 Members Meeting Mechanics Institute Lancefield, Annex

August 15 Bush Dance Mechanics Institute Lancefield

August 16 9:00 - 11:30 Working Bee. Roadside Clean-up

September 14 AGM. Mechanics Institute Lancefield, Annex

September 5 10:00 - 12:00 Tree Project Workshop

September 13 9:00- 11:30 Working Bee. Dowie Crt Romsey

September 27 9:00 - 11:30 Working Bee. Five Mile Creek, Romsey

September 29: eDNA Community Event Doggetts Bridge -details TBA

Lancefield Farmers Market

From September through to autumn we will be back at the Lancefield Farmers Market. We are able to give advice on a range of land care matters. We also sell booklets, indigenous plants and nest boxes and can chat to you about joining our Landcare group or Wildlife Gardens, which operates under our umbrella.

Local schools in Lancefield Park

In drizzly conditions on Friday morning October 31, 2025, St Mary's PS, Lancefield PS, three Landcare members, Judy Stammers (Park Committee) and our Junior Landcare, Facilitator Emma Stevens, joined forces to plant a new section on the eastern boundary of the park with indigenous shrubs and grasses with an emphasis on species favoured by our native pollinators.

The St Mary's work brigade

Before planting could begin the mulch had to be spread.

With their nimble fingers, many youngsters have a talent for assembling the corflute guards.

Guides in Lancefield Park

Our Junior Landcare Facilitator, Emma Stevens along with Guide leader Rita Van der kalk and some of our Landcare members, organised a planting along the eastern border of Lancefield Park on Saturday, September 20 .

Over one and a half hours the guides planted and guarded 125 indigenous shrubs, ground covers and grasses .

The area was mulched to retain moisture and suppress weeds. The indigenous plants will add to the biodiversity of the area and attract important insects and wildlife.

Biolink Boost Grant

Deep Creek Landcare received a Biolink Boost Grant from the Macedon Ranges Shire Council. The grant is supported by Macedon Ranges Community Enterprises Limited and Community Bank Gisborne and District. It will enable us to engage the local community with two plant giveaways in Romsey, an understorey planting at Doggetts Bridge and a planting at Five Mile Creek in Romsey. All plants are indigenous and sourced from Grow Locals or grown from seed by us through the Tree Project.

Plant Giveaway 1

Our first of two indigenous plant giveaways took place on Saturday, May 3 at Coles in Romsey from 9:00 till midday. It enabled us to engage the local community. We gave away 354 plants to 44 landholders. Thanks to COLES for their support.

Plant Giveaway 2

Our second giveaway was at the IGA in Romsey on June 14. Enthusiastic gardeners arrived at 9:00 and all 469 plants were given away by 11:00 am. Thanks to Craig and IGA for their support and their contribution to the occasion by running a free BBQ concurrently.

Bush Dance -Winter 2026

Our winter bush dance at the Lancefield Mechanics Hall on Saturday, August 15 was a great success. Our best bush dance ever! The event was SOLD OUT. Unfortunately we had to deny requests to attend. Our review of our initial bush dance in the hall meant that we resticted the number of attendees to ensure that people had space to sit down with friends and family, yet leave plenty of room for dancing. The Drongo and the Crow provided the music and dance instructions. We also provided a lovely supper for attendees which included a large birthday cake celebrating 40 years of Landcare in Victoria!

To make the dance possible, once again we were generously supported by our business community: Nutrien Harcourts Kilmore, Liberty in Lancefield, Romsey Bakery, Anthony Stevens Real Estate, Property Management Macedon Ranges and The Aesthetic Medic in Kilmore.

We also held a raffle on the night to raise money for the Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network. Prizes were donated by the IGA in Romsey, The Lost Watering Hole, Aesthetic Medic in Kilmore and Lyons Will Estate.

Door prizes were donated by Wilimee winery.

Summer Bush Dance -February 28, 2026.

Due to popular demand following our successful event in July, the Bush Dance returned to Lancefield! The event was a great success with plenty of room in the Laurie Green Pavilion for revellers to kick up their heels. A big thankyou to the Bush Dance organising commitee for their great work!

Thanks to our major sponsors: Liberty Lancefield, Community Bank Lancefield and Romsey, Romsey Auto Care, Lane's End Winery Macedon Ranges,Nutrient Harcourts Kilmore and the Lancefield Hotel . Local businesses including: The Lost Watering Hole,Wilimee Wines, Cleveland Estate and the Romsey IGA also jumped on board enabling us to conduct a raffle and offer door prizes to lucky attendees. Proceeds from the raffle went to Murrindindi Ranges Wildlife Shelter which supported burnt, injured and orphaned native wildlife impacted by the recent Longwood bushfires.

Inaugural Bush Dance -Winter 2025

In the Lancefield Mechanics Hall on Saturday, July 5 a Bush Dance was held with over 100 people in attendance. We worked with the host, Willowmavin Landcare to organize the dance which was sold out a couple of days prior. It was pleasing to see quite a few of our members enjoying the evening. We are currently conducting a review and assessing feedback. We hope that we can do it again next year. A big thank you to Macedon Ranges Shire Council, The Lost Watering Hole and Coles in Romsey for their support.

Junior Landcare Facilitator

Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network employs a Junior Landcare facilitator, Emma Stevens, whose primary whose primary role is to connect schools, and youth groups, and provide a link to the landcare community when extra support and encouragement (e.g Schools Tree Planting Day) is required. Strengthening and supporting these relationships is what helps to keep the the Landcare movement thriving. For example, Romsey Primary School recently finished a 5 year planting project in an area along the school boundary fence that provides habitat for pollinators. The project was completed with the help of the Deep Creek Landcare Group and and coordinated by the Junior Landcare Facilitator. Plant selection was guided by the Junior Landcare Learning Centre Biodiversity module.

Lancefield P.S and St Mary’s P.S recently (March 6) joined Emma Stevens to clean up at Lancefield Park as part of the Clean Up Australia campaign.

The UDCLN Junior Facilitator is available for 1 day per week and supports schools that fall within the UDCLN area.

To attend the working bee members of the public require a current Working With Children Card.

Lancefield Agricultural Show

The Lancefield Show gives us a chance each year to engage the public. We have booklets on the local environment and nest boxes for sale and are able to assist landowners with their queries. We also giveaway indigenous plants to encourage showgoers to help our environment.

PAST EVENTS

Seed Collection Workshop Sunday 30 November 2025

Locals joined Jim Robinson (photo left) for a booked out workshop on seed collection. Participants were introduced to the theory and practice of indigenous seed collection, which included:

how to recognise mature fruits & seeds of summer ripening local species

timing of seed ripening and when to collect seeds
equipment and safety considerations
collecting ethics and guidelines
cleaning, extracting seed and storing seeds
labeling and record keeping

Presenter: Jim Robinson (formerly Greening Australia) has many years of experience collecting indigenous seed, propagating plants, and carrying out large-scale revegetation projects around Victoria.

Bring and Brag Session 29/10/25

On Wednesday, October 29 the Bring and Brag session brought together member groups from the Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network and the Jacksons Creek EcoNetwork for a social gathering and pizza night. Thirteen groups presented a snappy 4 minute update on what they are doing in their neighbourhoods. The session was enjoyable, informative and uplifting and finished off with a discussion on possible future “across border” initiatives.

Lancefield Show October 2025

Once again we at the show, just inside the entrance, with members rostered on to engage showgoers and assist them with their enquiries. We had booklets on the local environment and nest boxes for sale. We provided free indigenous plants and assisted many landowners with their queries. We had 18 volunteers rostered on over the day as a steady stream of showgoers passed through.

Our theme this year was pollinators. Four years ago we published an article titled “Insects we need you”. Never has that call for help been more apt. With varroa mite, climate change and other challenges, the health of our insect population has never been more important. We showed people how to build "insect hotels" and advised them on how they can make a difference. Our pollinator displays attracted interest and artwork by the kids from St Mary's PS added colour and interest to our exhibits.

Pollinators: our Show theme for 2025

Varroa mite is spreading across the country and “if the mite reaches the feral bee population, also known as the European honey bee, 95% of the species will be wiped out” according to the Department of Primary Industry and Regions, South Australia (PIRSA). There has been some success in treating managed hives but it is not considered feasible to protect wild bees against the pest. Did you know that one in three food items that you eat is dependent on the pollination of a bee? “About two-thirds of Australian agricultural production benefits from insect pollination, most of which is supplied by the European honey bee, according to Agrifutures Australia.” While varroa mite poses a threat, extinction is not considered likely as the mite has been around in other countries for a long time. However, it adds to a already worrying situation. Flowers collected over the past century have given a rare glimpse into the historical pollination decline in Australia …… and a growing body of research in the US and western Europe indicates both regions are suffering a pollination crisis that could threaten agricultural productivity.

People on acreage can play a huge role but everybody can contribute with indigenous plants on a suburban block or with pot plants on a balcony. Providing accessible drinking water is vital and buying or constructing insect hotels to place around the yard is also useful. Our local trees and shrubs are important for food and habitat but don’t ignore our native grasses; they are part of the natural environment that many of our native pollinators need.

The blurb above is an excerpt from our November articles in the Lancefield Mercury/Romsey Rag.

Most plants are grown by us with seed from the Tree Project. Our volunteers were able to use their expertise to guide them in choosing the most appropriate plants for their needs.

Freshly minted insect hotels. The activity was popular across age groups.

Insect hotels

Visit Wil-im-ee Moor-ring! 10/02/25

Our Landcare Facilitator, Ammie Jackson, along with the MRSC, has organised an opportunity for you to visit Wil-im-ee Moor-ring on Mt William just out of Lancefield. I have been up there twice and cannot recommend it highly enough. It is worth visiting for the location alone, add in the history of the ancient archaeological site and the importance of the greenstone trade to the Wurundjeri owners until the 1840's and we have a compelling case to take up the opportunity to visit the site and hear from the traditional owners.

Details for our next tour of Wil-im-ee Moor-ring ("Home of many axes), on Tuesday 10 February , are here - https://events.humanitix.com/february-tour-of-will-im-ee-moor-ring-with-wurundjeri-woi-wurrung

If interested, I suggest you get in sooner rather than later as past events have filled up quickly.

Update (1/12/25): Booked out already! Ammie is currently adding people to a waiting list.

Paddock Trees Field Day

Lancefield Show 2024

Rob Walsh, an Aquatic Microfauna expert was our guest at the 2024 show. He brought with him powerful microscopes to see all the life we cannot see in our fresh water.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse