The Steels Creek Landcare Group strives to achieve sustainable agriculture and land management practices for both economic benefit, and the long-term protection and enhancement of biodiversity and natural ecosystems. The group currently has 79 members.
In the Steels Creek Landcare area, the mission is to promote awareness of relevant issues, and take action consistent with achieving the vision. The Steels Creek Landcare group has already organised a number of projects and information sessions – including Chemical Users course, Indian Myna workshops, plantings on local properties, blackberry management – and will continue to do so for the benefit of our community. View the sidebar, visit the Landcare website and stay tuned to the Grapevine for upcoming events and further information.
> Find out more about Steels Creek Landcare Group.
Contact
via email or the website
End-of-year lunch – Sunday 29 November
All current, past and any possible future members are invited to our last event for 2015 – a lunch to celebrate the end of the year.
The event will be at Angie and Graham Lloyd’s home, 491 Steels Creek Rd and you will have an opportunity to have a look at the equipment available for members as well as inspecting the many projects completed after Landcare information events (worm farming, natural bee keeping, etc).
We ask that you BYO drinks and a plate of something to share (cake, cheese or salad). A bbq and some pizzas will be provided. RSVP via email.
Volunteers needed 12 December
We have been lucky enough to get a booking to run a Bunnings sausage sizzle on 12 December. If you could spare us a couple of hours of your time it would help enormously. Contact Angie on 0412 343 242 or email.
European Wasp control
The Friends of Burnley Gardens have provided this information to enable us to rid ourselves of the dreadful European Wasp problem each summer. This trap costs only a few cents to make and, if we all do it, it should make a big difference to the wasp population in the coming months.
Spring is the time to catch the QUEEN wasp before she makes a nest using a simple, environmentally friendly method. Commence in October as this is the optimum time for success.
Method:
• Use a 1.25 litre soft drink bottle with 3 holes approximately 10mm in diameter and about 100 – 150mm from the bottom of the bottle.
• Use a bait made from honey, water and a little pure vanilla essence (which has alcohol in it); this ferments in the sun.
• Make up a solution of 4–5 tablespoons of honey in hot water with a little pure vanilla essence. This will do 4–5 traps.
• The bait will take a couple of days to activate.
• Divide the bait between traps, top up with water to just below holes, replace cap and hang in a sunny spot in the garden – fruit trees with curly leaf are a good place.
• Shake every few days to let bait dribble out.
• Keep in place until January.
• Strain out when full, reuse and top up bait with water.
• The traps need a little tending until January; meaning, once full, you need to remove the catch (wasps), reusing and topping up the bait, then replace the cap.
