City of Darebin Heritage Study Volume 1 Draft Thematic

VOLUME 2: THEMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORYSociety, formed in 1970, mostly active in the City of Banyule, but has been active in the LaTrobe University area.More recently still, some parks have resulted from campaigns to conserve areas of biodiversityat Central Creek Grassland Reserve (Merri Creek Management Committee, Friends of MerriCreek) and Gresswell Forest, Gresswell Hill.Re-creating the natural environmentBy 1960s, creeks were the unpleasant, unsafe and ugly backs to some lesser valued properties,but the potential for their rehabilitation began to be recognised. The Darebin ParklandsAssociation began work in the 1960s on revegetation of cleared areas. Programs to restoreMerri Creek began in the mid 1970s, with the investigations of the Monash University PublicInterest Research Group (PIRG) at the request of the Fitzroy Resident's Association.Community action and interest in linear parklands and habitat creation led to acquisitions ofparkland through purchase, negotiation and campaigning. Creeks became popular destinationsfor less formal recreation, particularly walking and cycling.The Merri Creek Coordination Committee was formed in 1976 as a forum for agencies andthe community to work together towards preserving the natural assets of the Merri and EdgarsCreeks. It set up the Merri Creek Management Committee in 1989 to employ specialist staff toprotect and restore the Merri Creek. The Darebin Creek Co-ordinating Committee wasformed in 1984, and in 2001 was amalgamated with the Darebin Parklands Committee ofManagement to create the Darebin Creek Management Committee. These groups haveaccelerated the pace of natural environmental restoration along the Creeks, and have acted asmodels for similar groups, such as the Moonee Ponds Creek Co-ordination Committee and theWerribee River Association.Figure 88Revegetation programs along the MerriCreek by Friends of Merri Creek,(image date unknown)[Merri Creek conservation worksimages on Google search enginehttp://images.google.com.au/imgres?i]Studying the natural environmentLa Trobe University has long had Departments of Botany and Zoology, actively involved instudying, and teaching the study of the natural environment. The Melbourne Wildlife Reserve(originally the La Trobe University Wildlife Reserve) was set up in 1967 as a project inrestoration and management of indigenous flora and fauna (www.latrobe.edu.au/wildlife). Itnow is the caretaker of four areas: The Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary at La Trobe University;the Gresswell Forest Nature Conservation Reserve; the Gresswell Habitat Link; and GresswellHill. The Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary provides an indigenous natural environment forconservation, education and research activities that support the learning and teaching objectivesof La Trobe University (www.latrobe.edu.au/wildlife/vision).Bundoora Park runs environmental educational programs for schools etc at their wildlifereserve, farm dam and the nearby Darebin Creek. School groups are often taken on excursions127