Moorabool River Reserve
Blog
Rakes, Ropes and Underwater Hockey: Fighting Azolla on the Moorabool
Azolla removal beginning on the Moorabool River with rakes
PALM (People for a Living Moorabool) recently circulated a post about the Azolla outbreak on the Moorabool River at Batesford that had persisted through the winter at a major refuge pool.
Frogs
Our love-hate relationship with creatures vital to our ecosystem
Spotted Grass Frog aka Spotted Marsh Frog (John Eichler)
Some people love frogs and toads; others are yet to be seduced. It is spring and, after good rain, our dam is alive each day with a chorus of croaks and bonks, trills and rattles.
Covenant College at
genU Community Nursery
Covenant College students at genU Community Nursery
Each term our schools group visit genU Community Nursery to learn how to turn native plant cuttings into seedlings.
Nest Box Workshop 2025
Nest Box Workshop in the Batesford Hall
The 2025 Nest Box Workshop was a great success as usual.
This was a combined event between BFS Landcare and the Geelong Landcare Network.
Covenant College Citizen Science
Water Watch
Collecting water samples from the Moorabool River at Batesford
Covenant College Citizen Science Water Watch on the Moorabool River at Batesford is conducted throughout the year with BFS volunteers and the team at Corangamite Catchment Management Authority.
National Tree Day for Schools 2025
Students from Covenant College
Our BFS volunteers had a successful morning with Covenant College year nines planting 700+ grasses, shrubs and trees in the Moorabool River Reserve.
National Tree Day 2025
Moorabool River Reserve – National Tree Day Plantings
A huge thank you to all of you who made National Tree Day 2025 beside the Moorabool River at Batesford such a successful day.
Fungi, Flora and Fauna
Bioluminescent fungus
Highlights from a great start to 2025
- Fungi: Poster organisms of the natural world
- Landcare Victoria event at Queen’s Hall, Parliament House
- Volunteers are priceless
- Thursday mornings with Covenant College
- eBird Australia Checklist
- Threats to our native flora and fauna
- Nest Box Workshop 2025
What does Biodiversity mean and why we should care about it?
The Earth seen from Apollo 17 (7 December 1972)
The term ‘biodiversity’ is shortened from ‘biological diversity’. It describes the great variety of all life forms on Earth, from the tiniest bugs living in the soil, to the butterflies in your garden, the plants they feed from, and the biggest whales in the sea. The healthier and greater the biodiversity the healthier we are.
According to the visionary scientist James Lovelock who proposed the ‘Gaia Hypothesis’, named after the ancient Greek goddess of Earth, the Earth System behaves as a single, self-regulating system with physical, chemical, biological, and human components which maintain the climate and biochemical conditions which make life on Earth possible. In other words everything is connected!
Nest Box Workshop 2024
Nest Box Workshop in the Batesford Hall
With the assistance of the Geelong Landcare Network, BFS Landcare ran a repeat of last year’s very successful nest box building workshop.
It’s becoming a popular community/family event and also a good awareness raising exercise about the increasing habitat loss for native animals. There were 28 attendees.
National Tree Day 2024
National Tree Day volunteers
A huge thank you to all of you who made National Tree Day 2024 beside the Moorabool River at Batesford such a successful day.
National Tree Day for Schools 2024
Students from Covenant College
Kate Constance and her team from the City of Greater Geelong did a great job preparing the site and overseeing the planting along the Moorabool River Reserve at Batesford for National Tree Day for Schools with Covenant College.
Cats in Australia
Feral cats threaten the survival of over 100 native species in Australia
BFS Landcare supports the Invasive Species Council in its work for better laws and protections for our native plants and animals from weeds, pests and feral invaders.
Cats have caused more environmental damage in Australia than any other continent in the world.
Nest Box Workshop
Nest Box Workshop in the Batesford Hall
This workshop highlighted the importance of supporting local wildlife habitats threatened by invasive species and habitat destruction.
Extending the Moorabool River Reserve 2023
Readying the site for planting after weed eradication — Covenant College students (May 2023)
A Project Supported by the City of Greater Geelong
BFS Landcare volunteers and Year Nine students from Covenant College teamed up to prepare for a mid-May planting at the Moorabool River Reserve in Batesford.
National Tree Day 2022
Grandfathers and grandchildren planting together
On 31 July 2022 BFS Landcare and the Natural Resources team from Golden Plains Shire planted 500 grasses, shrubs and trees in the western section of Red Gum Reserve on Blackall Road. This reserve contains some ancient and very beautiful River Red Gums that nurture all kinds of life.
National Tree Day for Schools 2022
Year 9 students planting grasses and trees near the river
On Friday 29 July Covenant College year 9 students joined members of the City of Greater Geelong environment conservation team and BFS Landcare volunteers to plant several hundred native grasses and shrubs along the river in the Moorabool River Reserve.
‘River Detectives’ – 2022 Schools Program
River Detectives
As part of the ‘River Detectives’ program students are measuring water quality and also conducting a water bug search of the Moorabool River. These are two ways of determining the health of the river.
BFS Landcare Awarded Environment and Sustainability Grant (2022)
Geelong councillors Jim Mason (left) and Anthony Aiken (right) work with Batesford, Stonehaven, Fyansford Landcare Group members Felicity and Peter Spear and Helen Percy
BFS Landcare has been awarded an $8,580 Environmental and Sustainability Grant by the City of Greater Geelong.
Cool Burning in Red Gum Reserve
Cool burning in Red Gum Reserve
As part of the Assist @ Prescribed Burn course in late May 2022, Dale Smithyman (Natural Resource manager at Golden Plains Shire) and his team completed burning of Blocks 3 and 5 in Red Gum Reserve, Batesford.
Latest News About the Moorabool River
The River Moorabool
A film made by People for A Living Moorabool (PALM) and Sheoaks Films
This film explains why this unique river, travelling from the Wombat Forests near Ballarat to the Barwon River at Geelong, is in trouble.
Honey Woodland Biodiversity-link Completed
Honey Woodland Biodiversity-link final planting
BFS Landcare members completed the Honey Woodland Bio-link in September 2021. We hope this bio-link will extend the habitat of indigenous flora and fauna, and enable them to travel south cross-country to grassy woodlands near the Barwon River. This extension of their habitat and food supply should help ensure their survival.
National Tree Day 2021
National Tree Day at Dog Rocks Flora and Fauna Sanctuary
After heavy overnight rain we awoke to a beautiful sunny morning for National Tree Day in the Dog Rocks Flora and Fauna Sanctuary.
We planted several hundred trees and grasses to enhance habitat for native fauna and nurture healthy biodiversity in the area.
Red Gum Reserve 2021 – The Work Continues
Red Gum Reserve near bridge before removal of exotics
The eastern end of Red Gum Reserve, where Primrose Creek meets the bluestone bridge, is the remaining section to be revegetated and was ripe for restoration.
The creek bed and banks were littered and clogged with exotics, olive trees, cork elm trees and phalaris.
Schools Program 2021
Planting at Bruce's Creek Bannockburn
Our schools program continues in 2021 with Thursday morning walks, talks and work with Covenant College secondary students.
Boneseed Removal
Boneseed pulling working bee at Dog Rocks Flora and Fauna Sanctuary
South African Boneseed is an ongoing problem for the Australian bushland.
Due to its invasiveness, potential for spread and environmental and economic impacts, Boneseed is considered one of the 20 most significant weeds in Australia.
Woodland Bird Surveys
Laughing Kookaburra
23 February 2021
As part of our Lower Moorabool Bio-link Project Biodiversity Grant, expert bird observers and volunteers have been performing regular bird surveys in the Dog Rocks Flora and Fauna Sanctuary and the Honey Woodland.
The aim is to collect data to monitor the responses of woodland birds to the establishment of the bio-link and its interaction with remnant bush.
Tawny Frogmouths nesting in Batesford’s habitat
Tawny Frogmouth with chicks
18 September 2020
We are very pleased to see a pair of Tawny Frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) returning to nest in our Ironbark Eucalyptus and finding a welcoming habitat there.
Tawny Frogmouths have been sighted in the nearby Red Gum Reserve as the revegetation there matures. These unique nocturnal birds can be found across almost the entire Australian continent.
Rabbit control in urban and peri-urban areas
Rabbits are very cute, but very deadly.
Things you should know about rabbits, their habits and environmental impact.