Volunteering with the Yalukit Willam Nature Association
There are so many ways to get involved with this exciting and innovative project.
Volunteering is a great way to meaningfully contribute to the Reserve, while building local community and having fun.
The details on our different volunteer activities and how to join are outlined below. Many of our volunteering activities require sign up through epa membership.The minimal fees help us to run our varied activities.
Working Bees are a great way to come along and get involved in the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve, learn about our activities and people without having to be a YWNA member.
Here is a helpful link to give insight into community organisations and Covid 19. We follow all the public health guidelines for limiting the spread of Covid 19. These include social distancing, encouraging full vaccination and masking if necessary.
Working Bees
Are you curious about what’s happening in the reserve? Do you want to get your hands dirty and help create new habitats for wildlife? Come and join us in the Nature Reserve for a range of activities. The working bees are a fantastic way to be introduced to the roles you can play to help the reserve and get to know your local community. These are generally held on the last Saturday of the month from 2-5pm. Sometimes we have opportunities that occur outside of this schedule.
Keep your eye on our events page, and the Yalukit Willam Nature Association Facebook for upcoming dates. For the health of our community and as per government regulations, we are required to see an up to date Covid vaccination certificate or a valid exemption.
We just require a simple sign in and it can help with numbers to check in on Facebook events, if you have it. The most important thing is to just turn up!
Adam Hosken- Working Bee Coordinator
Litter Clean-Up
Join our monthly litter clean-up! Litter collection is an important part of keeping our neighbourhood clean and local environment healthy. Epa is partnered with Love Our Street to deliver this volunteering opportunity. Litter clean-ups are held on the first Sunday of every month at 10:30am, meet at the epa shed, which is situated off Glenhuntly Rd, opposite the Chain of Ponds.
Bring sturdy shoes, gardening gloves and reusable bags for litter.
No registration required beforehand, just turn up!
Plant Lab
The Plant Lab is the epa’s very own propagation centre. The Plant Lab has regular volunteer sessions, which include activities such as plant collection, plant and seed propagation, weeding and planting. Volunteering with the Plant Lab is a great way to learn about local indigenous plants, and plant propagation more generally.
Plant Lab volunteering requires you to be a member of the epa. If you are interested in joining the Plant Lab crew: please email the Plant Lab co-ordinator – Claire Hudson
epaplantlabcoordinator@gmail.com
Bird Surveys
Come along to our monthly bird surveys to learn about local bird life and help collect useful data. Generally these are held on the second Saturdays, after sunrise 7.30 am, though this changes in the Winter months.
Wear sturdy shoes and bring binoculars/cameras if you have them.
Keep an eye on our events page on this website and the Yalukit Willam Nature Association Facebook group for upcoming dates.
Coordinator – Bob Tammick
Night Fauna Surveys
Join us for a fascinating walk through the Reserve, and see how it changes at night. Nocturnal animals like Boobook owls (pictured above), Rakali and Possums are often spotted.
Bring torches (red light preferred), cameras and sturdy shoes.
Keep an eye on our events page and the Yalukit Willam Nature Association’s Facebook group for upcoming dates.
Fly By Night Surveys
Bring torches (red light preferred), cameras and sturdy shoes.
Keep an eye on our events page and the Yalukit Willam Nature Association Facebook group for upcoming dates.
Lead co-ordinators – Pascale Jacq and Dassi Herszberg.
Weed Management
Weed management is one of the most important tasks our volunteers contribute to the reserve. We are starting a weed management trial which aims to compare our weeding techniques to the use of glyphosate, in hopes to minimise glyphosate use in the Reserve.
To get involved in weed management sign up as an epa volunteer through the Plant Lab details.
epa Waterwatch
Waterwatch for Elster Creek is now being coordinated through the epa. We run a monthly event on the last Sunday of each month. One of the aims of the reserve is to help improve water quality flowing into Port Phillip Bay (Nairm). The only way to understand what is happening in our local waterway is to collect water quality and macro invertebrate data. We are one of the first groups to add sound files to the data we collect. You can come along by joining the epa and turning up to get signed in and inducted during one of our events.
Co-ordinator- Natalie Davey