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Moolapio
The ‘Moolapio’ project is a partnership initiative between Greening Australia and Alcoa of Australia, and is initially focused on five hundred hectares of Alcoa’s land at Point Henry, Geelong. The site is an exciting and diverse range of landforms, including rare foreshore habitats to expansive saline and freshwater wetlands to agricultural land.
What's Happening at Moolapio?
The Moolapio Seed Production Area Update
The Moolapio Seed Production Area (SPA) has been undergoing a major revamp, with at least 350 boxes being planted out into the grassland. This work has been undertaken with the assistance of our National Green Jobs Corps (see below).
New seedlings have been brought up from Burnley to replace the existing stock and make ready for a great seed collection season. Very soon the Moolapio and Burnley SPA’s will be at full capacity housing 1000 boxes, 200 more than we have ever managed before!
The National Green Jobs Corps
CVGT employment agency and the Moolapio project have partnered together for a six month project to engage a team of up to ten young people from National Green Jobs Corps to be involved in a wide variety of land management skills and community engagement activities.
Three days of each fortnight have so far been spent focusing upon familiarizing the team with the project, Point Henry’s coastal saltmarsh, wetlands and the grassland, OH&S processes and procedures, developing their plant and weed identification skills and propagation techniques as well as planting out the retired boxes of plants from the SPA.
A BBQ lunch was held to welcome the team!
World Environment Day at Moolapio
Last week the Moolapio project conducted a session to celebrate World Environment Day that focused upon how to create a habitat garden at home. Pretending they were at the Chelsea Flower Show, Candice and four volunteers set up three separate large garden beds, each with a focus on attracting different wildlife to the garden, in particular birds, frogs and butterflies.
Over 30 members of the community attended with close to 20 Alcoa staff attending throughout the day. A talk and tour was held at each garden highlighting the specific features of each bed ie. what to plant and how to attract the wildlife you want. Plenty of reference materials and website information was provided to all who attended.
As the Moolapio project conducts more events, we are getting to know many of our keen community members who are serial attendees.
The day was thoroughly enjoyable and very social!
Hands-on learning from the ground up
Alcoa Point Henry and Greening Australia’s award winning Moolapio project presents a range of exciting opportunities for the education sector and wider community to play an active role in the management of Point Henry land through engaging schools, tertiary institutions and community groups in on-ground management, knowledge sharing and scientific research.
With critical funding from the Federal Government’s Caring for our Country fund, part of Moolapio’s goal of community engagement and education continues.
Conservation and Land Management students from the Wathaurong community, Saint Joseph’s College and The Gordon Institute of TAFE gathered together to guard up to 4000 plants on Windmill Road.
Furthering the knowledge and skills of the Wathaurong community
Three members of the local Wathaurong community in Geelong have recently started a Certificate 1 in Conservation and Land Management (CALM) at Point Henry under the guidance of Candice Parker, Moolapio Project Officer.
This is the second year the Moolapio project has offered this opportunity, with four participants also gaining the Certificate in 2010. The two -month course will ensure the three mature-age students receive a recognised and accredited certificate that provides them with real and transferable skills, preparing them for the workforce.
Almost all of the learning is based outdoors. Students will attend the Moolapio site on a weekly basis and learn new or build upon existing skills including plant and weed identification, using brush cutters, applying chemicals, OH&S, understanding the principles and concepts behind conservation and land management, communication, natural resource areas, planting, propagation skills, laying jute mat, and finally assisting Greening Australia staff to install bollards around the car park in the grassland.
From left: Local Wathaurong community members Colin, David and Jason will further their strong knowledge of the land and local coast plants and weeds during the Land Management course at Moolapio.
Genuine learning experience
Lyn and the Moolapio team have also welcomed ten Year 10 students from St Joseph’s College in Geelong who will complete their Certificate 2 in Conservation and Land Management over the course over two years.
Under the supervision of their teacher Adam Morrissey, the students will dedicate four hours of their school time each week to meaningful and practical-based conservation work and natural resource management. Their time will be divided between the school and the Moolapio project site at Point Henry.
Lyn will involve the students in a range of propagation activities and help them develop skills in backpack spraying, hand weeding, planting, as well as plant identification and nursery maintenance.
Saint Joseph’s students spend time in the Moolapio Seed Production Area assisting Greening Australia staff on any number of varied tasks. Many hands made light work in shifting our new raised plant boxes.
A true partnership
The Moolapio project has also recently joined forces with Grade 3 and 4 students from Moolap Primary School to propagate plants for their new garden bed to be installed later this year.
Bellarine Secondary College Landscape Gardening VCAL students have designed the garden, based upon local and indigenous plant species.
The Moolapio project staff have collected and grown several trays of seedlings that the 50 children potted up on two consecutive Tuesdays in May. These 500 or so plants will be cared for on site until the new garden bed at the school is ready to be planted.
“The most exciting part of being involved in community engagement is providing opportunities for people to come together to work upon a common goal” said Lyn Willcock, Moolapio Project Coordinator.
“The environment is a wonderful conduit to connect diverse groups of people to share and learn and creates a lovely social atmosphere. I always love seeing people chatting and enjoying meeting each other as they work side by side.”
Students from Moolap Primary School came to Point Henry in May to help propagate plants for their new garden bed.
Bupa Propagation Group
Candice Parker and Lyn Willcock showed the Bupa Propagation Group the Moolapio Seed Production Facility
They also took a tour out to the Grasslands. Members of the group were shown the many grasses and wildflowers from the grassland. Candice discussed the grassland re-establishment project and how the group’s activities contribute in a meaningful way to the project.
The AWA (Alcoa’s Credit Union) donated $500 to the Moolapio project’s ‘Bupa Propagation Group’ for their travel out to Point Henry each month to work diligently upon propagating plants for use on the project site. The donation was met with shouts of joy, laughter and lots of happy participants who were genuinely thrilled to receive such a significant donation.
Successful Year 10 students
Hands up if you would have liked to do Certificate 1 in Conservation & Land Management when you were in Year 10?
Well, six year 10 students from Saint Joseph’s College have recently done that and completed their Certificate 1 in Conservation and Land Management.
The students have worked closely with Lyn each week for the duration of the school year – spending a great deal of time on successful projects on their school grounds and at the Moolapio project site.
Moolapio Field day
Greening Australia, with support from Alcoa of Australia and Caring For Our Country, presented the Moolapio Coastal Field Day on September 16. The presenters were Trevor Pescott, a locally renowned ecologist and expert on the many coastal bird species found in the area, and Sue Longmore the Coastal Coordinator for the Bellarine Catchment Network and co-author of the popular ‘Coastal and Inland Flora of the Bellarine’ booklets. Participants were also taken on a guided walk which allowed them to explore and discover the uniqueness of our valuable coastal saltmarsh flora and fauna.
Moolapio Award Win
The Moolapio project won the 11th Victorian Coastal Award for Excellence, 2010 for Coastal Planning and Management presented by the Honourable Gavin Jennings, Minister for Environment and Climate Change. The award recognised excellence in developing and implementing a sustainable land management plan. The Moolapio project encompasses land management, revegetation, seed production and community education and awareness on the Alcoa site at Point Henry, Geelong, Victoria.
Alcoa’s Point Henry Operations Manager Stewart Esdale said the award was recognition for a partnership that is producing real results for the environment and community.
“Protecting and preserving the environment is a core element of Alcoa’s sustainability commitment and the Moolapio project is a fantastic example of Alcoa working with Greening Australia to engage the local community and improve the environmental landscape surrounding the smelter."
Awards
2011 Alcoa’s Global Impact Awards
Moolapio is a Finalist in Alcoa’s Global Impact Awards in the Community category
2010 Victorian Coastal Awards
for Coastal Planning and Management
2008 United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Award
Business Sustainability - Best Specific Environmental Initiative category
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