Project Reports

Special Projects in the Park, Report of meeting held on 28 May 2022 [PDF]

Direct Seeding Project, Gatehouse Street Woody Meadow [PDF]

Working Bees – 2nd Wednesday of month plus 4th Thursday of month, if not public holidays and subject to weather.

February

Sunday Feb 24 – Late Summer Bird Survey, 9 – 11 am. Meet at 8.45 am in the Trin Warren Tam-boore Wetlands car park, Oak St, Parkville West. Binoculars and field guides provided. All welcome.

December

Tuesday Dec 4 – General Meeting, 7:30 pm, Walmsley House, 161 Gatehouse St, Parkville. All welcome.

Wednesday Dec 12 – Informal afternoon tea, 3 pm. To celebrate the re-opening of the Billabong (Flemington Rd/adjacent to North Park Tennis Courts). Join Friends, RPPG, Council officers from Urban Sustainability, Councillors, Serco Royal Park team – All welcome.

November

Wednesday Nov 21 – Working Bee, 10am-12noon. Meet at the Walmsley House at 10am. We will be removing Chilean Needle Grass from the Circle. Please wear long pants, shoes with closed toe, bring gardening gloves and sun protection.

Wild Pollinator Count. The Wild Pollinator Count runs from 11-18 November and is a great opportunity to contribute to insect conservation in Australia and help build a database on wild pollinator activity. Now it’s time to meet your local insects! For information and to get involved, go to: https://wildpollinatorcount.com

Sunday Nov 11 – Early Summer Bird Survey, 9 – 11 am. Meet at 8.45 am in the Trin Warren Tam-boore Wetlands car park, Oak St, Parkville West. Binoculars and field guides provided. All welcome.

October

Tuesday Oct 16 – Annual General Meeting, at 7.30 PM, Walmsley House, 161 Gatehouse St Parkville. Guest Speaker: Ralf Pfleiderer, Water Sensitive Urban Design Co-ordinator City of Melbourne, and the title of his talk is “Water and Other Initiatives in Royal Park”. All Welcome.

Wednesday Oct 17, Working Bee 1:30-3:30pm [note changed time] Walmsley House depot, 161 Gatehouse St, Parkville. We will be pricking out Vittadinia seedings into tubes. Afternoon tea provided. All Welcome.

Saturday Oct 20, Waterbug Bioblitz 10am-11:30am, Australian Native Garden, Royal Park, 161 Gatehouse St, Parkville. This is an additional and separate activity to the main event at Trin-Warren Tam-boore Wetlands (booked out) and which will be hosted by the FoRP/RPPG/Serco. Wear suitable clothing for possibly getting wet and dirty. Equipment will be provided.

Assays of all waterbug collections from the morning sessions will be undertaken as part of the Dragonfly Festival, 12:30pm-4pm, State Netball & Hockey Centre, Brens Drive, Royal Park. For more information, go to https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/melbourne-waterbug-blitz-dragonfly-festival-tickets-50344838768.

September

Saturday Sep 1 – Trinity College Planting – 10:30 am. Meet behind Urban Camp. All welcome to help out on the day.

Friday Sep 7 – Landcare Project Planting – 10am. Meet at Walmsley House, planting in Royal Park South followed by Walk’nTalk & Hollow Hunt.

Sunday Sep 16 – Spring Bird Survey, 9 – 11am. Meet at 8.45am in the Trin Warren Tam-boore Wetlands car park, Oak St, Parkville West. Leader: Chris Nicholson. Binoculars and field guides provided. All welcome.

Wednesday Sep 19 – Working Bee, 10am – 12 noon. At the Walmsley House, 161 Gatehouse St, Parkville. We’ll be propagating more grasses for planting back into the Park. All Welcome. Gloves provided.

August

Tuesday Aug 7 at 7.30pm – General Meeting, Walmsley House, ANG, Royal Park, 161 Gatehouse St, Parkville. All welcome.

Wednesday Aug 15, 10am-12noon – Working Bee – Remnant Native Vegetation Site, Royal Park West, meet at southern entrance.

Wednesday Aug 29 – Ievers Reserve Landscape Concept Plan. 6 – 7.30pm. Meeting in the Heritage Room, University College, 40 College Crescent, Parkville (just east of Royal Pde) to dscuss the flood mitigation proposals.

July

Wednesday July 18, 10am-12noon – Working Bee – Meeting Place notified on Facebook a few days prior.2018 04 Autumn Bird Survey

Sunday July 22, Late Winter Bird Survey, 9 – 11am. Meet at the Trin Warren Tam-boore Wetlands car park, Oak St, Parkville West. Binoculars and field guides provided. All welcome.

Feedback is being called for on several current plans relating to Royal Park:

• Melbourne Water’s draft Healthy Waterways Strategy, which has relevance to Royal Park’s Trin Warren Tam-boore wetlands and the adjacent Moonee Ponds Creek. See: https://yoursay.melbournewater.com.au/healthy-waterways/document-library. Closing date July 22.
• The City of Melbourne’s Transportation Study in Royal Park. The Council is asking for feedback on the Transportation Study they are currently undertaking for Royal Park which will inform the future review of the Royal Park Master Plan. Issues being canvassed include transport links, access/entry and exit points, car parking, pedestrian and cycle and public transport connections. All park users are being asked for feedback; deadline is July 9. Go to: https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/royalpark
• The State Netball & Hockey Centre is to undergo a significant redevelopment, upgrading the facilities in particular for elite netball. For information go to: development.vic.gov.au. Feedback can be provided online or email: SNHC-project@development.vic.gov.au

June

Tuesday June 5 at 7:30pm, General Meeting, Walmsley House, ANG, Royal Park, 161 Gatehouse St, Parkville. RPPG will join FoRP for a presentation and discussion on Understorey and Ground Cover Planting Opportunities in Royal Park – by Dr. Nick Williams, University of Melbourne, Burnley and Lee Harrison, Urban Forest & Ecology Team, City of Melbourne. All welcome.

Wednesday June 20, 10am-12noon – Working Bee – plant propagation. Meet at Walmsley House, Australian Native Garden, Royal Park, 161 Gatehouse St, Parkville. All welcome. If you require reading glasses, bring them, as you will need to be able to see fine details.

May

Wednesday May 16, 10am-12noon, Working Bee, Brens Drive Remnant Vegetation Site. Meet at Urban Camp, Brens Drive; parking in SNHC car park or in Manningham St/Southgate St end. BYO garden gloves. Morning tea provided.
Sunday May 27 – Early Winter Bird Survey, 9am -11am. Meet in the Trin Warren Tam-boore wetlands car park. Leader Chris Nicholson. Binoculars and guides provided. Important note: Access for vehicles will only be from Oak St (via Poplar Rd or Park St) as Manningham St will be blocked for asphalting works. Cycling or walking unaffected – use usual routes through Royal Park.

April

Sunday 8 April, Autumn Bird Survey, 9 – 11am. Meet at the Trin Warren Tam-boore Wetlands car park, Oak St, Parkville West. Binoculars and field guides provided. All welcome.
Tuesday 10 April, Friends of Royal Park Meeting, 7.30pm. At Walmsley House, Australian Native Garden, Royal Park, 161 Gatehouse St, Parkville. All welcome.
Wednesday 18 April, Working Bee, 10am – 12noon. Continuing our work in the southern end of the Remnant Native Vegetation site. Meet at the end of the driveway off Manningham St (at children’s playground). Follow signs.

March

Tuesday 20 Mar, 10am – 12 noon Working Bee. Meet at the Ross Straw Pavilion, access off Manningham St, Parkville West. We will be working in the Remnant Native Vegetation Site. BYO gardening gloves.

Thursday 22 Mar, 7pm at the Walmsley House. Native Bees will be the subject of a talk by Roch Desmier de Chenon, hosted by the Royal Park Protection Group. All welcome.

Friday 23 Mar, 2 – 4pm Mapping Habitat Trees in Royal Park. The City of Melbourne will be continuing its citizen science mapping of habitat tree hollows in Royal Park. Meet at the public toilet block in Royal Park, across from the Flemington Rd/Melrose St tram stop https://goo.gl/maps/Uc59SEvcmnK2. To register, go to: https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/citizenforester

February

Sunday 4 Feb -Late Summer Bird Survey, 9am-11am. Meet at Trin Warren Tam-boore Wetlands car park, ten minutes prior to start. Binoculars and guidebooks supplied.

Wednesday 21 Feb, 10am-12noon – Mini Working Bee for seed collecting. Meet Walmsley House, Australian Native Garden, Royal Park, 161 Gatehouse St, Parkville. Tim Tams for morning tea afterward. All welcome. Invite your friends, family, neighbours to participate in an environmentally friendly social activity.

December

Sunday 3 December FoRP Early Summer Bird Survey, 9am-11am. Meet at Trin Warren Tam-boore Wetlands car park, ten minutes prior to start. Binoculars and guidebooks supplied.

November

Fri 3 November Third Royal Park ‘Hollowblitz’, 5:30-7:30pm. For details see Sun 15 October notice.

Sat 4 November Fourth and final Royal Park ‘Hollowblitz’, 5:30-7:30pm. For details see Sun 15 October notice.

Sat 25 November – Royal Park Insect Survey 10:00 am-12 noon. Leader Roch Desmier de Chenon, FoRP member and former Professor of Entomology. Meet at the Walmsley House, Australian Native Garden, Royal Park (161 Gatehouse St, Parkville). Royal Park has a thousand insect species, including many native bees. So, come join in learning about our native bees and the plants they visit. All welcome. Contact for further information: Chris, Royal Park Officer mob 0437 925 553

October

Tues 3 October FoRP AGM 7:30 pm, Walmsley House, 161 Gatehouse St, Parkville. Guest speaker: Farley Connelly “Magpies” All welcome.

Sun 8 October 10am-1pm Waterwatch Waterbug Census on the Merri Creek; a second census will be held on Sun 29 October. It is essential to register as some pre-requisite training may be necessary. Contact JuliaCirillo@mcmc.org.au or tel 9380 8199.

Sat 14 October ‘Grasses of Royal Park’ Walk Talk Gawk, leader Chris Nicholson, Royal Park Officer. Meet 10am, Walmsley House, ANG Royal Park (161 Gatehouse St, Parkville.

Sun 15 October FoRP Spring Bird Survey, 9am-11am. Meet at Trin Warren Tam-boore Wetlands car park, ten minutes prior to start. Binoculars and guidebooks supplied.

Sun 15 October First Royal Park ‘Hollowblitz’, 5:30-7:30pm. Meeting place will be advised on registration, go to https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/community/greening-the-city/urban-nature/pages/biodiversity-research-monitoring.aspx
‘Hollowblitz’ is a citizen science program being set up by the Melbourne City Council in conjunction with Birdlife Australia and supported by Friends of Royal Park. Its aims are to locate and document nesting birds in hollows in Royal Park as well as in four other city parks. Four visits to a specific habitat area in the same park will be undertaken on Oct 15, Oct 16, Nov 3 and Nov 4. The survey time has been chosen to coincide with when birds would be returning to their nests. In addition, a special seminar will be held on Oct 18. All interested members of the public are invited to participate.

Mon 16 October Second Royal Park Hollowblitz, 5:30-7:30pm. For details see Sun 15 October notice above.

Wed 18 October ‘Hollowblitz’ Seminar, 6-8pm, Swanston Room, Melbourne Town Hall. Participants from CoM, Birdlife Australia, University of Melbourne, Arthur Rylah Institute, plus others. All welcome.

Sat 28 October FoRP/RPPG Planting in Australian Native Garden. Meet 10am, Walmsley House. BYO gardening gloves.