Gourmet food, a guided forest walk, child care and nest-box building will all be part of the fun at the free family-friendly Marsupial Mansion Field Day to be held at the Heathcote Community House on Sunday, May 5.
Gourmet food, a guided forest walk, child care and nest-box building will all be part of the fun at the free family-friendly Marsupial Mansion Field Day to be held at the Heathcote Community House on Sunday, May 5.
The event, organised by the Department of Environment and Primary Industries and the Whroo Goldfields Conservation Management Network (CMN ), one of five Conservation Management Networks in the Goulburn Broken Catchment, will provide the community with an opportunity to learn about the life and ecology of marsupials and birds in the region, and the importance of providing artificial tree hollows.
"We know people really respond well to these hands-on events and invite everyone who is keen to find out more about the unique wildlife in the area to come along for what will be a great day out for all the family," Whroo Goldfields CMN co-ordinator Janice Mentiplay-Smith said.
The day will kick off at 9.30am at the Community House, Hospital Street, Heathcote, with guest speaker Chris Tzaros from BirdLife Australia giving a talk on the birds and animals of the box ironbark forests, in particular brush-tailed phascogales and gliders.
"Chris has presented at a number of our events in the past and is always a popular speaker," Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.
"We will car pool to a nest box site in the Dargyle State Forest (about 7.5km from Heathcote) and spend some time in the field, where we will hear more from Chris. During the forest visit, an accredited child carer will run activities for children, providing parents with peace of mind and time to fully enjoy the experience.
"We will then return to the Community House, where we will enjoy a gourmet catered lunch provided by the Heathcote Farmers Market Committee, showcasing the wonderful local produce."
After lunch participants will be able to build nest boxes, using pre-fabricated materials, which they can then take home.
For catering purposes, including dietary requirements, please RSVP by May 2 to Janice Mentiplay-Smith on 5761 1644 or email janicem@gbcma.vic.gov.au