French Island Landcare Group promotes landholders working together to tackle local land protection problems, by encouraging sustainable land management thereby contributing to the social and economic well being of their Island community. We also encourage an understanding and appreciation of French Island’s natural history.

priorities of the group

The issues identified by the group are listed here in priority with some practical ways suggested as to how to tackle them. Many issues are interrelated and cannot be tackled on their own, for example: revegetation works can improve water quality and reduce erosion, and fencing remnants can protect biodiversity and improve farm productivity.
1. Remnant Vegetation Protection and halting dieback
  1. Propogated seedlings in the nusery fencing what is left to exclude stock
  2. Linking remnants by creating Wildlife Corridors and larger biolinks along creeks, roadsides and across property boundaries
  3. Control weeds to improve health and protect biodiversity of remnant bush
2. Seed Collection
  1. Develop a seed bank after visiting other seed banks
  2. Collect seed and propagate plants from the understorey or unusual species
  3. Members cleaning seed create a timetable of regular walks to collect seed
  4. Conduct field days for training and identification purpose
3. Roadside Management
  1. Protect sites of significance
  2. Create management prescriptions for contractors
  3. Control weeds
4. Koalas
  1. Black swans along the foreshoreReduce Koala numbers across the Island
  2. Work with Parks Victoria to gain greater resources to address this issue
  3. Lobby the Minister for Sustainability and Environment asking for increased allocation of funding to adequately deal with the seriousness of the Koala issue.
5. Using revegetation techniques to increase native vegetation cover
  1. Establish plants from tubestock or direct seeding to reduce erosion, salinity, wind, nutrient losses and dieback
  2. Improve farm productivity, soil and water quality and protect biodiversity by re-establishing native vegetation
6. Pest Plant and Animal Control
  1. Members finishing up at a coastal plantingEncourage strategic weed control on roadsides, farms and reserves.
  2. Target significant weeds such as Cape Tulip and Bridal Creeper
  3. Secure more resources such as funding and other assistance to control the usual suspects, such as blackberry, thistles, Spanish heath, boxthorn, red grass, capeweed.
  4. Pest animals that currently require control include rabbits, cats, feral pigs, goats, peacocks and geese. Constant monitoring for fox invasion is required.
7. Pasture management
  1. Encourage farmers to use more sustainable pasture management practices, including soil aeration and organic fertilisers.
  2. Promote cell grazing to reduce soil compaction
  3. Promote minimum tillage and pasture renovation using species with improved palatability and digestibility
8. Co-ordination
  1. Stipa grass on the island’s west coastMake use of South Gippsland Landcare Network Co-ordinators and Facilitators team
  2. Secure resources for some local group co-ordination, especially of local projects.
9. Improving Water Quality
  1. Protect endangered wetland species such as the Growling Grass Frog
  2. Encourage and support appropriate wetland creation on private land
  3. Prevent erosion around water ways by excluding stock and revegetating with native plants
10. Education
  1. Set up an Arboretum to demonstrate the diversity of French Island flora
  2. Conduct regular plant identification sessions
  3. Include items in the quarterly newsletter, the Pinnacle, about the local flora
  4. Create signs and other promotional material for use at markets and other stalls
11. Social events
  1. Incorporate social events into the annual Landcare calendar of events to encourage landholders to get to know each other in a relaxed fashion rather than always at working bees or training days
  2. Conduct slide nights
12. Salinity
  1. Map salt affected areas regularly to detect changes and rate of spread
  2. Contribute information to the bore monitoring program through the Dept. of Sustainability and Environment at Leongatha
  3. Reduce the spread of salinity by
    • Planting natives along changes in slope
    • Establishing perennial pastures
    • Use water where it lands or otherwise improve drainage
  4. trategically position dams and water bodies or use reticulated watering systems to prevent salt creep upslope.
  5. Collect information on best practice approach and promote to other landholders