Exploring the barriers to successful urban biodiversity projects

GET YOUR TICKET

Acknowledging the Bunurong people the traditional owners and custodians of the land we will walk on during this excursion.

We can restore biodiversity far more successfully than we currently do by focussing more on target species, main limiting factors for biodiversity and on restoring ecological processes in our design and management.

The walk and talk will explore the interpretation of ecosystems, goal-setting, decision-making and holistic methods in restoration within the context of transforming the former golf course into an environmentally focused nature reserve through the implementation of a Master Plan. We will examine where restoration and conservation in urban contexts tends to fail and how this can be solved.

• What are the major limiting factors for biodiversity in our context and how can they be specifically targeted through design/management to get the most out of our efforts?
• What target species might we want to foster through our work and how might this approach improve change decisions and improve outcomes?

Superb Fairy-wrens, Noisy Miners, Growling Grass Frogs, Mistletoes, various delicate and ‘difficult’ forbes, food webs and patterns of vegetation structure will feature in the discussions.

More information about the Yalukit William Nature Reserve project

HOST

Gio Fitzpatrick is an award-winning naturalist and ecological consultant with a passion for ecological restoration in multi-use spaces. He believes that degraded landscapes and small, urban spaces can easily be made hospitable to a great range of native wildlife with a little care and understanding. His main project currently, is the development of the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve on the former Elsternwick Golf Course.

MEETING POINT

Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve Shed (next to the Elwood bowls club)

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Train to Elsternwick station on the Sandringham line. And walk to site from there. (Use the location link to see roads and where you are heading)

PARKING

Lots of parking available along New St side of the reserve (you have to enter New St from Rusden St as it is one-way on the highway end)

TERRAIN

The walk is for 3 hours between 2 sites Yalukit William Nature Reserve (managed by Bayside City Council) and Ripponlea (managed by the National Trust)

WHAT TO BRING

Clothes suitable for weather ie raincoat, sun hat, food, Water and any other medications or foods you may need during the day.

TICKETS – 50 people

Funds raised go towards the Walks, Talks & Gawks program

• Student – free
• AABR Members $5
• Non-AABR members $10