BASS COAST LANDCARE NETWORK

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Network
    • Our Team
    • Our Board
    • Our Public Fund
  • Our Groups
    • Group Map
    • Phillip Island
    • French Island
    • Bass Valley
    • Three Creeks
    • Kongwak Hills >
      • Kongwak Hills News and Events
    • Powlett Project
    • Korumburra
    • Anderson Inlet
    • Wonthaggi Urban
    • Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group
  • Our Programs
    • Sustainable Living >
      • 2023 Sustainability Festival >
        • Festival Stall Application
      • Future Homes and Farms for 2040
      • Sustainable Living Kit
      • Available Anytime - Sustainability Resources
    • Education
    • Training
    • Natural Resource Management >
      • Past Projects >
        • Ramsar Protection in Western Port
    • Sustainable Agriculture >
      • Growing Southern Gippsland Videos
      • Regenerative Agriculture Videos
      • Rapid Soil Assessment Videos
      • Soils of Southern Gippsland Videos
      • Landscape Restoration
      • Natural Capital Accounting Videos
      • Becoming Firewise in Bass Coast
      • Giant Gippsland Earthworm >
        • Enhanced Knowledge and Protection of the Giant Gippsland Earthworm Project
    • Works Crew
    • Controlling Weeds
    • Controlling Pest Animals >
      • Controlling Rabbits >
        • Teaming Up to Tackle Rabbits
      • Controlling Foxes
      • Controlling Cats
      • Controlling Deer
      • Controlling Pigs
    • Nursery Group
    • River Garden
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Become A Member
    • Arborists For Forests Initiative
    • Undertake Your Own Project
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Employment
    • Make A Donation
    • Capturing Carbon
    • Women on Farms
  • News & Events
  • Resources
    • Case Studies
    • Fact Sheets
    • Network Documents
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Indigenous Plants
  • Contact
  • Donate
    • Public Fund
    • Regular Giving
    • Leave a Legacy
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Network
    • Our Team
    • Our Board
    • Our Public Fund
  • Our Groups
    • Group Map
    • Phillip Island
    • French Island
    • Bass Valley
    • Three Creeks
    • Kongwak Hills >
      • Kongwak Hills News and Events
    • Powlett Project
    • Korumburra
    • Anderson Inlet
    • Wonthaggi Urban
    • Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group
  • Our Programs
    • Sustainable Living >
      • 2023 Sustainability Festival >
        • Festival Stall Application
      • Future Homes and Farms for 2040
      • Sustainable Living Kit
      • Available Anytime - Sustainability Resources
    • Education
    • Training
    • Natural Resource Management >
      • Past Projects >
        • Ramsar Protection in Western Port
    • Sustainable Agriculture >
      • Growing Southern Gippsland Videos
      • Regenerative Agriculture Videos
      • Rapid Soil Assessment Videos
      • Soils of Southern Gippsland Videos
      • Landscape Restoration
      • Natural Capital Accounting Videos
      • Becoming Firewise in Bass Coast
      • Giant Gippsland Earthworm >
        • Enhanced Knowledge and Protection of the Giant Gippsland Earthworm Project
    • Works Crew
    • Controlling Weeds
    • Controlling Pest Animals >
      • Controlling Rabbits >
        • Teaming Up to Tackle Rabbits
      • Controlling Foxes
      • Controlling Cats
      • Controlling Deer
      • Controlling Pigs
    • Nursery Group
    • River Garden
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Become A Member
    • Arborists For Forests Initiative
    • Undertake Your Own Project
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Employment
    • Make A Donation
    • Capturing Carbon
    • Women on Farms
  • News & Events
  • Resources
    • Case Studies
    • Fact Sheets
    • Network Documents
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Indigenous Plants
  • Contact
  • Donate
    • Public Fund
    • Regular Giving
    • Leave a Legacy

The River Garden

You may have noticed the BCLN River Garden taking shape next to the Bass River bridge as you drive down the Bass highway, just in the paddock below the Landcare office.
​
The 1ha River Garden community site is a space for our community to gather, learn and grow healthy food using regenerative growing techniques. We demonstrate these by establishing growing spaces using various horticultural innovations, and anyone can participate in our educational activities for all ages to learn more.  This space has been conceived as a co-creation with the local community and we  invite you to participate!

To date we have planted a ‘water-wise’ orchard, a series of swale beds on our slope, including a kitchen garden demonstration and espaliered heritage fruit trees, a nuttery, and a berry trellis. A range of different raised garden beds and wicking beds for annual vegetables have been installed, with a variety of perennial herbs, companion plants and annual vegetables also growing in the swale beds.
​In 2024 we planted a Conservation Zone and Seed orchard, comprised of a border of indigenous plants with over 60 different species. This acts as an attractor of pollinators, wind protection, a place to grow hard plants with harder to collect seed, with signage soon to be installed. A bushfood garden and wetlands area help to filter any water running off the site into the adjoining Bass River. We area also creating an eco-trail incorporating all of the above into an educational resource for passive recreation and walks for our community to enjoy. 
​
There is space and the opportunity at the River Garden for much, much more.... Future plans include establishing educational activity spaces for school groups, including a Training Nursery and an all-weather education shelter to be used in our various activities and workshops.
Picture
Picture
We can't wait to involve you in a range of Volunteer Blitz sessions and Master Classes with guest horticulture and permaculture trainers, as well as our knowledgeable Landcare staff who are always on hand to welcome new volunteers and participants.
​We also have local groups participate in organised activities. If you, your group or organisation is interested in getting involved at the River Garden, please let us know by filling out the contact form below. ​
Picture
Picture

River Garden Blitz sessions are back for 2025!!  

Thanks to funding from our BCLN Public fund, with proceeds from our 2024 Landcare art show, as well as funding from the Andrews Foundation, we are hosting River Garden Blitz sessions again, beginning on Saturday 10th of May 2025. These will run on the second Saturday of the month, with guest speakers including Rick Coleman from Southern Cross Permaculture sharing his wealth of practical permaculture knowledge, our own Lisa Wangman, Education, Training and Communications Manager who oversees the River Garden management, and Jess from Backyard Botany, sharing her extensive plant knowledge. 
Two of our sessions will also be a part of the Living Lightly program, generously sponsored by the Bass Coast Shire Council in partnership with Bass Coast Adult Learning Centre trainers. Please keep checking our calendar below for updates and openings for bookings for the sessions. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Hands on Fruit tree pruning - Saturday 14th of June 930-1230 ​click here to book your place!

Picture
Click here to download the latest version of our
​River Garden Community Plan and Map

River Garden Guiding Principles

  • Biologically centred, minimal chemical approach
  • Minimum waste
  • Sharing of knowledge, ideas and resources
  • Maximising energy flows and nutrient cycling on site
  • Growing for nutrient density and long term fertility
  • Increasing soil volume over time
  • Maximising production for available space, multiple use
  • Use of local resources

Community Projects

  • Collaborative and communal
  • Respectful and friendly
  • Tolerant, inclusive and embracing of differences
  • Self directed
  • Sourcing and sharing of skills and knowledge from cultural traditions in our wider community
  • Working with multiple partners                                       
Picture
Picture

Current Projects

  • Swale beds for retaining water on slopes
  • Community garden
  • Nuttery, Heritage espalier trees and berry trellis
  • Water filtering, biodiverse wetlands area​
  • Conservation zone on river and roadside boundaries, including Seed orchard for indigenous plants

upcoming projects

  • Education shelter and  under cover gathering  space
  • Community Training Nursery
  • Self guided eco-walk with interpretive signage
Picture

    Expressions of Interest in Volunteer program

Submit

    GET THE LATEST Bass Coast LANDCARE Network NEWS

    WE RESPECT YOUR PRIVACY & WILL NOT SHARE YOUR EMAIL
Subscribe
BASS COAST LANDCARE NETWORK
2-4 BASS SCHOOL ROAD,
BASS VIC 3991
T: (03) 5678 2335 
​E: [email protected]
Picture
Picture

Contribute to your landscape
​MAKE A DONATION


HOME | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS & CONDITIONS| DISCLAIMER

The Bass Coast Landcare Network would like to acknowledge and pay our respects to the Traditional Land Owners within the Network area, The Bunurong and Boon Wurrung people. We also recognise the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations in Land and Natural Resource Management.