DIRECTOR: Ian Dempsey
During 2020, Rotary Foundation’s Trustees and the Rotary International Board unanimously approved adding a new area of focus: protecting the environment.
Our current environment projects include:
Rotarians For Bees
Localised Tree Planting
Kilmore East Station Beautification
Beuhne Monument Enhancement
Platypus and Rakali Awareness
ENVIRONMENT INTRODUCTION
Climate change is the most serious environmental challenge that human beings have faced. It is the defining issue of our time.
Globally, the largest contributor to climate change is the burning of fossil fuels for energy. Burning these fuels releases emissions that create a greenhouse effect in the atmosphere. This traps increasing levels of solar heat and causes warming. An energy transition to renewable energy is already well underway. To avert the worst consequences of climate change, we need to accelerate this transition.
That’s why we're pursuing ambitious but achievable goals of our own as part of our climate emergency response. Our vision is for a resilient, sustainable World.
Whether you believe in Climate Change or not – lets leave this world in a better condition for future generations.
GET INVOLVED!
Whether you’re a business owner, worker or student, or a resident, there are things you can do to fight climate change and help take care of our world and it’s easy to get started.
1. Have salad for lunch today and most days – cut back on red meat
2. Use separate bins to sort your recycling
3. Only drive when necessary & try to share transport journeys with others
4. Volunteer to reduce food waste
5. Get a home energy audit and act on It
6. Recycle unused metal
7. Volunteer to help local schools recycle
8. Ban unnecessary plastics from home
9. Adopt LED lighting
10. Install solar panels
LANDCARE & ROTARY TREE PLANTING DAY
Sunday 18 June 2023
3500 trees planted. Over 100 volunteers fed and watered. What an awesome day. And the weather god was very kind to us. Rotary Club Southern Mitchell, a huge pat on the back.
LANDCARE & ROTARY TREE PLANTING PROJECT
2022
105 Whitegate Road High Camp Vic 3764
Those involved - Glenaroua Landcare, The Rotary Club Southern Mitchell, The Rotary Club of Manningham, Mitchell Shire Council
Landowners – Mark and Amanda Brown
We chose to work in the Sugarloaf Catchment, a large area feeding the creeks that flow into the Goulburn River and eventually into the mighty Murray River. In normal conditions thirty {30} tonnes of salt per square kilometre leaves this area annually. Since the inception of the joint project over 20 years ago over 120,000 native trees have been planted on bare hilltops and other areas within the district.
Native trees and shrubs are propagated from locally collected seeds in the Glenaroua and Mitchell Shire district. Glenaroua Landcare, Rotary, Mitchell Shire Council and other environmentally interested community groups plant these trees and shrubs in areas which will best reduce salt flows into the water catchment system.
We plan our tree planting project activities around teams of 3 to 4 people, each team being responsible for: -
Planting the tree and scrubs into prepared ground (no digging required}
Placing. sinking and securing tree guards to protect them from the elements until they are established
Rotary and Landcare will provide the specialised equipment to assist with the planting, but you will need to ensure you have drinking water, strong footwear, gardening gloves, weather appropriate clothing (warm) and wet weather gear in case of inclement weather.
The day generally commences at 09.00 am on site (refer to the map) where Rotary members will give further directions. Morning tea will be provided and planting activities generally finish at approximately 12.30 pm with a BBQ lunch on site around 1.30 pm.
2,700 trees and scrubs planted – the other 300 to be plant at a later date
98 Volunteers plus 2 landowners present over the 2 days
Tips: -
Partner up – Landcare, Local Government, Community groups
Conduct a pre-planting site tour for those to be involved
Rotary are fantastic refreshment providers
Have a central “go too” person for the whole project
Strong, clear and regular communication between all parties
For more information, please contact: Rotarian Ian Dempsey - 0419 890 015 - dempsey@bigpond.com
This memorial near the roundabout on the Northern Highway just north of Kilmore remembers the work of Fredrick Beuhne, a trail blazer in the field of bee keeping.
This project will see us planting a broad range of bee loving trees and shrubs to ensure our pollinators are provided with a wide range of choices to ensure their survival.
This project is to beautify the Kilmore East Rail Station. The Club will be planting a broad range of bee loving trees, flowers and shrubs to ensure our pollinators are provided with a wide range of choices to ensure their survival.
Furthermore the result will be pleasing to travellers using this facility.
