First plants in the ground!
A milestone celebration for Reimagining Moonee Ponds Creek.
On Friday 19th May we celebrated a significant milestone - the first of 43,000 native trees and shrubs went into the ground at the Reimagining Moonee Ponds Creek project site.
It was all action stations on the day! We were visited by some special guests who, along with our fabulous partners and volunteers put on their gloves and got to work planting 500 happy wanderers and flax lillies into their new homes.
This achievement marks the beginning of the next stage of the project where we’ll continue to transform this previously concrete-lined section of the creek in Strathmore and Oak Park into a more natural and inviting space for the community. It's a big step towards creating a cooler and healthier environment, and thriving habitat for native animals. It also supports biodiversity along the creek.
We're grateful to everyone who made this a wonderful morning by welcoming and supporting us, while generously sharing their own personal stories of the Creek.
On behalf of the Chain of Ponds Collaboration, a very special thanks to our guests on the day Uncle Andrew Gardiner, Wurundjeri Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation; Kathleen Matthews-Ward MP; Anthony Cianflone MP; Cr Angelica Panopoulosl – Mayor of Merri-bek; Cr Pierce Tyson - Mayor of Moonee Valley; Maree Lang, Managing Director of Greater Western Water and Rob Considine, Head of Waterways and Catchment Delivery Melbourne Water for joining us.
Thanks also to our partners Melbourne Water (who are leading the project on behalf of Chain of Ponds), Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Merri-bek City Council, Moonee Valley City Council and the Friends of Moonee Ponds Creek.
A week after the event, this project and milestone was raised in the Legislative Assembly, where two contributions were made from Kathleen Matthews MP and Anthony Cianflone MP. It’s a great example of how much this project means to our local MPs and their communities.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue our journey to reimagine the Creek. We have some exciting plans in the works, including the development of new paths, ponds, stepping stones and a bridge!
Rachel Lopes, Lead for Chain of Ponds Collaboration
