We have established the Anniversary Garden In Lancefield Park which is now reaching maturity. The many natives attract a myriad of birds and insects. We are also working with the park committee, local schools and the girl guides to plant indigenous trees and shrubs along the eastern boundary. On Wednesday, November 13, nine volunteers assembled in Lancefield Park. The group carried out maintenance work in the Anniversary Garden and completed planting the new section on the eastern boundary that St Mary's PS and Lancefield PS pupils started off at a recent working bee.

Doggett’s Bridge is a site that the Deep Creek Landcare Group has been working on since the group’s beginning.

Deep Creek Landcare Group was one of the earliest groups formed and as such this site is one of the earliest worked on.

It has taken many years for this exposed and degraded site to be established and in more recent years it has improved significantly. Tree growth has improved and the Deep Creek Landcare Group is attempting to increase species diversity. This includes the planting of a threatened species Dianella amoena. Also, nest boxes have been put up and monitoring has shown birds and sugar gliders reside in this area. A recent bird survey, in partnership with Macedon Ranges Shire Council, has shown a quite diverse bird population. This area is culturally significant to the Wurundjeri People. This particular location of the creek supports the threatened Yarra Pygmy Perch. Our group's aim is to make this area a waterway corridor and to align with the Macedon Ranges Shire biodiversity strategy. 

In October we will be conducting a working bee at the site to improve the biodiversity by adding to the understorey vegetation.

In recent years our Landcare group has completed a series of plantings at Forbes Crossing where Forbes Road crosses Deep Creek.  Many of the trees and shrubs are now well established. At our June working bee, 7 attendees removed hundreds of guards and stakes from many of the trees and shrubs that we have planted at Forbes Crossing over the years. We like to practice what we preach and will reuse at least 70% of the guards and 95% of the stakes. 

We plan to have another planting on the rocky hillside next autumn.

Mount William Range Biolink Project (MWRB) is a partnership between the Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network, Deep Creek Landcare Group and Macedon Ranges Shire Council. The Biolink aims to improve habitat values in the Mount William Range area by protecting existing native vegetation, controlling weeds and revegetating to improve and create linkages between isolated habitat patches. 

There are nine private properties involved (to date) in the MWRB. 

A MWRB Project Plan has been developed, and each property has an individual site plan, to guide the landholders in sourcing funding to undertake on-ground works. The project plan (below) will be a useful resource for the Deep Creek Landcare Group in applying for future funding grants and potentially expanding the biolink to more properties. 

This year we have been involved in working bees at two of the properties.

https://www.upperdeepcreeklandcare.org.au/projects

The Upper Maribyrnong Landscape and Deep Creek Biolink project is a collaborative initiative with Biolinks Alliance, Melbourne Water and UDCLN.

The biolink, currently in its early stages, is designed to restore ecological connectivity and enhance biodiversity across the upper Maribyrnong catchment.  This will build on previous works by Melbourne Water and UDCLN's three member groups to improve habitat linkages in priority areas of Newham, Lancefield, Springfield and Darraweit Guim.

Most recently, we worked with our partners to develop a communications strategy for the project. As part of the strategy, Cameron O'Mara from the Biolinks Alliance will join us at the October Lancefield Farmers Market and there will be an Information Session at the Lancefield Mechanics Hall On November 29 from 9:00 till midday. Drop in and have a chat with our local Landcare representatives.

For more information, visit Deep Creek biolink — Biolinks Alliance 

Wildlife Gardens is a sub-group of Deep Creek Landcare. Membership is $20. Members receive a lovely plaque and 6 indigenous plants. The aim is to encourage the planting of native plants and especially indigenous plants in order to attract native insects and birds into our gardens. Contact us or pop along for a chat at the Lancefield Farmers Market.

We are one of 110 groups that participate in Keep Australia Beautiful's Adopt A Roadside program. Twice a year we conduct a working bee to clean up along the Lancefield-Kilmore Rd from the service station in Lancefield to Doggetts Bridge.

We are also committed to being part of Clean Up Australia Day. This year, Clean Up Australia Day will be on Sunday, March 1. We have registered sites in Lancefield and Romsey to significantly improve the amenity of the sites.

Container Deposit Scheme: We are registered as a charity with the CDS enabling us to tap into another stream of funds. People can drop their containers into the depot at 8 Mitchell Ct Romsey.

We recently received this message from Landcare Victoria... "We’re pleased to let you know that your group has been selected as one of the Top 10 performers in the recent Container Deposit Scheme Community Competition, delivered in partnership between Landcare Victoria Inc. and the Victoria Container Deposit Scheme. Your group collected an impressive 1497 containers, which equals $149.7 raised through the scheme. Congratulations on this fantastic achievement and thank you for your contribution to reducing litter and supporting community-led environmental action. As part of the competition, Landcare Victoria is matching the value of your container refunds." For the time period of the competition, LV matched the 10 cents received for each container.

Each month we have an article in the Lancefield Mercury and Romsey Rag. The articles give us a chance to promote our activities in the area and to educate the community on environmental issues. For example, pictured is a patch of gazanias which like agapanthus has the potential to damage our natural environment and are examples of what not to plant. (May 2025)