You may remember that we have had a happy association with Emma Cutting and the Hart Gardening Program. We were heavily involved in the Towers pollinator corridor extension, creating a beautiful floral garden at Bank Street Towers and along the nature strip. ESRAG (Environmental and Sustainable Rotary Action Group) became involved with the Heart Gardening Program, in particular the Pollinators Corridor from Port Melbourne to Southbank. Emma Hart has rebranded to hearts to Heartscapes. Here are some excerpts from her latest newsletter.
The year might be cranking again for us humans but it didn’t stop for the critters like our native bees and butterflies! They have been super busy through summer, foraging, setting up the next generation and, of course, pollinating!
After our fantastic end to the year with blue banded bees sighted at six Melbourne Pollinator Corridor (MPC) sites, and our successful fundraiser (thank you again to everyone who supported us!), we have been pumping too.
Throughout summer, we have been managing the gardens of the MPC, writing grants, organising events, and working out how we can work smarter (though of course that never stops!).
Here are just some of the things that are happening…
Above: Looking through to Melbourne city from The BEE Gardens with a splendid ochre butterfly (Trapezites symmomus) on the pink valerian. This was about 9 AM in the morning in the middle of the three days heatwave - this butterfly certainly took its time on these flowers!
Melbourne Pollinator Corridor (MPC) - Update
This summer saw us take a huge step forward with how we manage the sites. With more depth of experience in our volunteers, we have been able to further fine-tune our summer regen rhythm, and trial different ways of working together. We are more on top of the gardens than ever before and the sites are not only looking great but also pumping full of critters…exactly how we love it!
Port Melbourne Primary School MPC site
The new planting is settling in well (see images below), and our watering systems are getting honed. Over the past few months, the watering set up and pack down has gone from 1.5 hours to 20 minutes!
St Martins Youth Arts Centre MPC site
In addition to loads of insects (we have spotted up to five blue banded bees at a time), it also has all sorts of other critters moving in, including gorgeous southern marbled geckos who have been spotted hanging out in the insect hotel! One of our aims with this site is to encourage the small birds in the area to feel more comfortable coming down out of the canopy, and we are starting to see this with eastern spinebills coming down to eye-height to catch insects to supplement their nectar-feeding.
Above: Left - Port Melbourne Primary School MPC site early November. Right - Port Melbourne Primary School MPC site in mid January.