In the July holidays members of the Junior Landcare group had fun learning about frogs and visiting a fantastic frog site just out of Edenhope.
The junior landcare group members and their parents had a fun afternoon learning about interesting frogs around the world in a slideshow presentation at Edenhope College. The children then learnt about our local frogs and had fun trying to identify their calls from a range of other interesting sounds. It wasn't as easy as they thought!
They also got to try some 'frog egg' recipes for afternoon tea (otherwise known as tapioca).

The session finished with a rather muddy visit to Yiddinga Swamp, an area protected under the Wimmera Catchment Management Authorities habitat tender program. The group listened for the frogs calls and were lucky enough to discover a population of toadlets. Toadlets are actually small frogs that lay their eggs on the ground, in nests, a few weeks prior to flooding. When the eggs hatch the tadpoles swim away. Toadlets are threatened by the destruction of their habitats through processes such as drainage, urbanization and grazing. It was fantastic to find a thriving population in this protected wetland area.

National Reconciliation Week offers us all a chance, look at all these amazing Indigenous people, initiatives, and cultures that are available for the whole country to enjoy and engage with. The planting of a bush tucker garden has seen the St Malachy’s school students engage in a very positive way with the knowledge of our aboriginal communities.
On the 30th of May the students took part in a landcare activity to visit Reedy Creek Nursery. At the nursery students learnt about the propagation and cultivation of bush tucker plants and were then able to taste a variety of jams and relishes, fresh and frozen fruits, sauces, herbs and spices direct from the kitchen. These delicious treats were made at the nursery. Students returned to school with a bus full of bush tucker plants to plant in their own bush tucker garden on the north end of the school.

Reconciliation is about recognising what Indigenous people have been through, the struggle that they’re still facing but also how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians can work together, come together and make this a really unique country that works in harmony and shares knowledge and cultures. Reedy Creek nursery is an amazing example of a positive partnerships being formed with indigenous communities.

The Outback Pride Project was created by Mike and Gayle Quarmby. It was born from a need to take a positive journey following the tragic loss of a 20 year old son. They wanted to make a difference in the lives of other young people, and felt that the most at need were the indigenous youth on remote communities. The nursery uses a mixture of indigenous knowledge and their own knowledge of plant propagation to grow bush tucker seedlings. These are then returned to remote aboriginal communities where they are planted and grown. The plants harvested and return to the nursery where they are turned into products ready for sale to the public and restaurants.

The bush tucker garden and the excursion to Reedy Creek Nursery have been funded by the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority and Reconciliation Victoria.

Every year landcare celebrates Mothers with 'Trees for Mums' planting events on Mother's Day. This year St Malachy's School celebrated their mothers by planting part of their 'bush tucker garden' with their mothers on the Thursday before Mother's Day. The event was well attended with the children baking an amazing afternoon tea for their mothers after the planting.

The Junior Landcare group participated in this years 2012 South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Annual Count. Although we didn't find any cockatoos on the day the children had great fun driving through Mereek Forest and listening out for the birds.

The Junior Landcare Group in Edenhope was launched with afternoon tea in the Lion's Club Park. The launch was well attended with the children enjoying a landcare quiz and some fun, educational environmental giveaways. The landcare group will enjoy environmentally based activities throughout the year including holiday adventure fun.

Landcare has been busy spreading it's message to the school children of Edenhope. Through working with the local schools the Kowree Farm Tree Group helped the children to create sculptures of our endangered native animals. The students at Edenhope College created amazing life-like sculptures of the Bush Stone Curlews and a life sized sculpture of the rumoured 'Ozenkadnook Tiger' with teachers Gloria Freeman and Adele Booth. The students at St Malachy's School created native animal sculptures using recycled materials.