The Sunrise morning show on Channel 7 tomorrow fron 6.00am to 9.00am will be doing live crosses to Flowerdale during the morning Thursday 21st January, 2010.
After that there will be a kid's cricket clinic with some well known Australian cricketer's from 11.00am complete with a sausage sizzle for lunch. If you can make it it would be well worth the effort.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Flowerdale T - Shirts on Sale at the store
You may recall some time ago that we ran a logo design for Flowerdale and we selected the design below from the submitted entries.
The design was used for the embroidered badge at the Community Commeroration day and to date 55 people have had the image tattooed on various parts of their anatomy.
We now have printed TShirts with the design and sold about 50 at Carols by Candlelight and we have them available at the general store for $20 each. The only colour we have at this stage is black. Proceeds will go to the Flowerdale Relief Fund.
Local bush poet, CFA volunteer and TShirt model Peter Auty with his Flowerdale TShirt
if you are not in town but would like a TShirt please email me petfwill@gmail.com and we will arrange to send one to you.
The design was used for the embroidered badge at the Community Commeroration day and to date 55 people have had the image tattooed on various parts of their anatomy.
We now have printed TShirts with the design and sold about 50 at Carols by Candlelight and we have them available at the general store for $20 each. The only colour we have at this stage is black. Proceeds will go to the Flowerdale Relief Fund.
Local bush poet, CFA volunteer and TShirt model Peter Auty with his Flowerdale TShirt
if you are not in town but would like a TShirt please email me petfwill@gmail.com and we will arrange to send one to you.
How the bush recovers - the Grampians four years on
Over the Christmas break I spent some time in the Grampians which had a major bushfire in 2006. The interesting thing is that most of the tourists there didn't seem to notice that the bush was still in recovery mode. It was obvious if you looked that there had been a major bushfire in the past but overall it looked like it had largely recovered and was "normal".
The bush around Flowerdale is nearly one year into recovery and the "epicormic" growth, that is the buds and leaves that are growing up the whole tree, is in full swing.
According to Wikipedia "Epicormic buds lie dormant beneath the bark, their growth suppressed by hormones from active shoots higher up the plant." I also borrowed the following explanation from Cain Doherty's blog "If a fire is intense enough to remove all the leaves, the hormonal influence disappears triggering the epicormic buds to sprout thereby covering the entire tree in a new gown of leaves and branches. In a severe fire, the crown may be detroyed and even the epicormic buds on the smaller branches may be killed so the plant can only recover from the epicormic buds present on the main trunk."
It is interesting to compare the shots above with the ones below that I took in the Grampians to get a feel for how things will look in a few years.
As you can see there is still a lot of growth on the lower parts of the trees but as they recover at the top of the tree the epicormic growth begins to subside and the bush gets back to normal.
The bush around Flowerdale is nearly one year into recovery and the "epicormic" growth, that is the buds and leaves that are growing up the whole tree, is in full swing.
According to Wikipedia "Epicormic buds lie dormant beneath the bark, their growth suppressed by hormones from active shoots higher up the plant." I also borrowed the following explanation from Cain Doherty's blog "If a fire is intense enough to remove all the leaves, the hormonal influence disappears triggering the epicormic buds to sprout thereby covering the entire tree in a new gown of leaves and branches. In a severe fire, the crown may be detroyed and even the epicormic buds on the smaller branches may be killed so the plant can only recover from the epicormic buds present on the main trunk."
It is interesting to compare the shots above with the ones below that I took in the Grampians to get a feel for how things will look in a few years.
As you can see there is still a lot of growth on the lower parts of the trees but as they recover at the top of the tree the epicormic growth begins to subside and the bush gets back to normal.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Flowerdale gets new Ultralight Tanker for CFA
Flowerdale CFA are now the very happy owners of a new Ultralight tanker. The tanker will provide additional firefighting capability for Flowerdale and help make Flowerdale safer. Following Black Saturday safety is a major priority of the overall recovery process.
CFA members commenced training today on the use of the tanker and will receive formal accreditiation from the CFA.
The funding for the tanker was generously provided by Darley and the Paul Newman Foundation who both provided $60,000. On behalf of the community we extend our thanks to both organisations.
The tanker will be on show at the Australia Day Celebrations that will take place on 26th January at the Recreation Reserve.
CFA members commenced training today on the use of the tanker and will receive formal accreditiation from the CFA.
The funding for the tanker was generously provided by Darley and the Paul Newman Foundation who both provided $60,000. On behalf of the community we extend our thanks to both organisations.
The tanker will be on show at the Australia Day Celebrations that will take place on 26th January at the Recreation Reserve.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Murrindindi Shire approves use of Jarara for the new Community House
Some more good news to kick off the year is that the Murrindindi Shire Council has approved the use of the land at Jarara as the location for the new community house. For non locals Jarara was the former location of the Community Centre and Kindergarten that burnt to the ground on Black Saturday.
The Community House Committee in conjunction with the Flowerdale Recovery Committee submitted a grant application to the Federal Government Jobs Fund in May 2009 and in October, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations approved a grant of $1.67m to build a new Community facility.
With the Kindergarten and Early Child Services facilities now being amalgamated with the School the Jarara land was available and after a number of Council meetings the land was made available.
The important thing is that given that Flowerdale is a very long town, about 11kms between the two "Welcome to Flowerdale" signs, there was effectively no community facilities at the Southern end of the town where most of the community lives. (By the way it is my personal mission to put up a new "Welcome to Flowerdale" sign at the southern end of the town in the near future, the old one which was badly damaged on Black Saturday still hasn't been replaced.)
This multi-purpose facility will provide the opportunity for a wide range of activities and services to be provided to the community. The confirmation of the land being available also means we can get the project moving.
Thanks to all involved to date.
The Community House Committee in conjunction with the Flowerdale Recovery Committee submitted a grant application to the Federal Government Jobs Fund in May 2009 and in October, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations approved a grant of $1.67m to build a new Community facility.
With the Kindergarten and Early Child Services facilities now being amalgamated with the School the Jarara land was available and after a number of Council meetings the land was made available.
The important thing is that given that Flowerdale is a very long town, about 11kms between the two "Welcome to Flowerdale" signs, there was effectively no community facilities at the Southern end of the town where most of the community lives. (By the way it is my personal mission to put up a new "Welcome to Flowerdale" sign at the southern end of the town in the near future, the old one which was badly damaged on Black Saturday still hasn't been replaced.)
This multi-purpose facility will provide the opportunity for a wide range of activities and services to be provided to the community. The confirmation of the land being available also means we can get the project moving.
Thanks to all involved to date.
Monday, January 11, 2010
VBAF confirms funding for Flowerdale projects
We have received written confirmation from VBAF (Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund) for a range of projects and events in the first round of of funding released to Communities.
The funding is as follows:
Community Hall upgrade $118,000
Community Garden/ Arts Precinct $20,000
Community Events $39,500
Summer Events $12,500
Memorial Events $25,000
The funding will be administered by Regional Development Victoria and we will provide more details as they come to hand. It will be good to see some new projects get moving.
The funding is as follows:
Community Hall upgrade $118,000
Community Garden/ Arts Precinct $20,000
Community Events $39,500
Summer Events $12,500
Memorial Events $25,000
The funding will be administered by Regional Development Victoria and we will provide more details as they come to hand. It will be good to see some new projects get moving.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Toodyay, WA recovery Flowerdale locals go to help
Saturday Breakfast is live from Toodyay, where the community is rallying to recover from the bushfires on December 29.
Almost 40 homes were lost in the fire, and many more gardens were destroyed or damaged, Sabrina Hahn was on hand to help locals get their gardens back on track.
Also offering a helping hand was Flowerdale resident Trudi Goudge, she was so touched by the support from Toodyay and WA when the Victorian Bushfires swept through her home town, that she has made the trip to Toodyay.
See link to website to listen to audio file with Trudi talking to Radio Host.
http://blogs.abc.net.au/wa/2010/01/toodyay-recovery.html
Almost 40 homes were lost in the fire, and many more gardens were destroyed or damaged, Sabrina Hahn was on hand to help locals get their gardens back on track.
Also offering a helping hand was Flowerdale resident Trudi Goudge, she was so touched by the support from Toodyay and WA when the Victorian Bushfires swept through her home town, that she has made the trip to Toodyay.
See link to website to listen to audio file with Trudi talking to Radio Host.
http://blogs.abc.net.au/wa/2010/01/toodyay-recovery.html
Monday, December 21, 2009
Results from Blackberry Bash
On Sunday 6th Dec, Flowerdale held its inaugural Blackberry Bash. Many community members had expressed interest in taking advantage of the weed suppression effects of the February fires, and felt that they would like to stay on top of a problem that had been enormous and was now manageable.
The community funded chemical, wetting agent and dye for the operation, as well as food and drinks for the celebration afterwards(this is Flowerdale). Teams were built up in Old Spring Valley Rd, Spring Valley Rd, Moores Rd, Collins Rd, Broome Rd and Creekside Drive. The Spring Valley Rd team worked on Saturday the 5th, as they had family gatherings on Sunday, but all the other teams worked on Sunday.
Over 40 people appear in the photo taken in the Moore's Rd Reserve after the Bash, but Saturday's crew and the two blokes who came all the way from Research to help were not there to be recorded for the Blog. In all, over 50 people were associated with this successful operation. Some 3500 litres of chemical were made up and sprayed on the day, and another 1000 litres worth of chemical were distributed for follow-up works. This is a phenomenal result.
There is a strong interest in making the Bash an annual event, including more members of the community and expanding the range of works. We can look forward to getting over 100 people to the second Bash, in 2010.
An important element in the weed suppression activities for Flowerdale is the connection with Strath Creek Landcare, DPI and CMA; all are keen to work with the Flowerdale community to achieve the best possible results.
The community funded chemical, wetting agent and dye for the operation, as well as food and drinks for the celebration afterwards(this is Flowerdale). Teams were built up in Old Spring Valley Rd, Spring Valley Rd, Moores Rd, Collins Rd, Broome Rd and Creekside Drive. The Spring Valley Rd team worked on Saturday the 5th, as they had family gatherings on Sunday, but all the other teams worked on Sunday.
Over 40 people appear in the photo taken in the Moore's Rd Reserve after the Bash, but Saturday's crew and the two blokes who came all the way from Research to help were not there to be recorded for the Blog. In all, over 50 people were associated with this successful operation. Some 3500 litres of chemical were made up and sprayed on the day, and another 1000 litres worth of chemical were distributed for follow-up works. This is a phenomenal result.
There is a strong interest in making the Bash an annual event, including more members of the community and expanding the range of works. We can look forward to getting over 100 people to the second Bash, in 2010.
An important element in the weed suppression activities for Flowerdale is the connection with Strath Creek Landcare, DPI and CMA; all are keen to work with the Flowerdale community to achieve the best possible results.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The Blackberry Bash - Turning a crisis into opportunity
The fires on Black Saturday caused massive destruction in the Flowerdale community but it also burned out most of the weeds and blackberry bushes that had created problems in the natural waterways and natural environment for many years. The photo of the king Parrot Creek above couldn't have been taken before Black Saturday and we are determined to ensure the creek is accessible and healthy.
Peter Auty got the community together and they decided to have the first blackberry Bash. Effectively the fires have created an opportunity to fully eradicate the noxious weeds with a concerted effort. The blackberry bash is being held today on the 6th December with many community members coming together working with sprayers and tools to get on top of the problem.
The Blackbery Bash held today is the start of a three year program to get things under control. It is great to see people across the community working together and it continues the spirit of collaboration, togetherness and tackling problems off our own bat that has emerged and continued to get stronger since the fires.
It also reinforces the importance of the natural environment to the community which is a key part of the overall recovery of Flowerdale.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
The Bush is coming back
Many people outside the bushfire affected regions are asking about how things are looking and how the natural environment is recovering. The heatwave in November quickly browned off the green grass. Thankfully recent rain has got the creek flowing again and the trees are recovering.
The trees have leaves gowing up the trunks, which is technically called 'epicormic" growth, which is how trees recover. It is not the same as it was but things are coming back and will recover. The process ill take time but it does have its own beauty.
The trees have leaves gowing up the trunks, which is technically called 'epicormic" growth, which is how trees recover. It is not the same as it was but things are coming back and will recover. The process ill take time but it does have its own beauty.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
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