Celebrating 15 years of local land care in Ashburton
Friends of Ashburton Forest’s (FoAF) group leader, Rita says:
Our community volunteer group started in June, 2011. We grew out of the City of Boroondara’s Backyard Biodiversity Project. The aim of this project was to give residents the skills, knowledge and opportunity to contribute to the biodiversity corridors in their area by planting indigenous (locally native) plants in their own gardens.
We began activities at a reserve at 88 Ashburn Grove, Ashburton. The area was overgrown with weeds, particularly deadly nightshade/belladonna (Atropa bella-donna)! We wrote to the Council asking: if we weeded the area whether they would take the weeds away and help us to revegetate the area. From this initial activity, FoAF was formed! Then, in July 2011, we planted indigenous plants, grasses and under storey shrubs along the edge of the bank.
Here’s the team getting going in 2011:
The photos below show the same site in 2016 and today:
The reserve is between the Outer Circle Anniversary Trail and the Gardiners Creek pedestrian/bicycle path. The area was once part of the Wurundjeri clan’s hunting grounds and historically known as Ashburton Forest. This was an open grassy woodland area which had many River Red Gums and native grasses. The River Red Gums on site are remnants of the Forest.
In 2014, FoAF expanded to a second site in Clifford Close, Ashburton (which abuts Gardiners Creek) and in 2021, started on a third site with some infill planting along the Creek. All three areas are growing well today!
Our main activities have been planting, mulching and weeding. We work closely with the Council who provides the plants and mulch for us and we provide the volunteer person power. We have a core group of about ten Friends who participate at our working bees plus a few others who come when they can. They are all local residents.
On the morning of Saturday 16 May, 2026 eight Friends and James, an employee from the Council’s Environment team planted around 450 more plants in Ashburn Grove! The following day, a special morning tea was organised to celebrate the milestone.
One Friend made and decorated cupcakes and hosted the function at their home. Another volunteer gave a speech thanking Rita for her leadership of the group and another provided native flowers as a gift. Boroondara Councillor, John Friend-Pereira attended and congratulated the twelve volunteers present on the fifteen years of important revegetation work in Ashburton.
Rita again:
On one Sunday morning each month we spend a couple of hours working, chatting and having morning tea in a relaxed atmosphere. Our working bees are about creating community involvement, caring for the environment and creating opportunities to meet people in a socially friendly atmosphere.
We hope our work expands the potential of the site to attract more birds and other fauna to the area, as well contributing to the wildlife corridors along Gardiners Creek and the Anniversary Trail. As housing density increases in urban areas, these areas of biodiversity are becoming increasingly vital for our health and the protection and survival of native flora and fauna.
If only there were more Ritas in the world!