Umbagong Landcare Group
Geographic focus: Ginninderra Creek Corridor from Ginninderra Drive to Florey Drive, focused on the Umbagong District Park.Meetings: We have regular meetings with various guest speakers, about every 2 months at the Latham Primary School. Please contact us for the details of upcoming meetings.
Regular Activities and Working Bees: Our activities range from weed management, planting native vegetation, erosion control and community awareness-raising and education. Please contact us if you would like to come along to one of our upcoming activities.
Contact: Convenor, Caroline Wenger. Contact via the Ginninderra Catchment Group, 6278 3309, landcare (at) ginninderralandcare.org.au
About Us:
Previously known as the Friends of Latham District Park, the Umbagong Landcare Group was established in 1990, and covers the area known as Umbagong District Park. The Group was instrumental in changing the name of the park to Umbagong, meaning ‘axe’ in Ngunawal language; a significant axe-grinding groove site is found in the park. Umbagong Park straddles the Ginninderra Creek corridor, as it runs through the suburb of Latham, from Ginninderra Drive to Florey Drive, from which a handsome stone name-plate has been erected at the entrance of a parking area.
Primary areas of concern for the Group include soil health and erosion prevention, the removal of woody and other weeds, and the protection and enhancement of native grasslands and native vegetation. Regular working bees are held, mainly engaging members in weed removal, planting and maintenance of existing plantings. In addition, a large amount of this work is achieved by regular activity contributed by particularly keen individual members. The Group also regularly invites guest speakers to their quarterly meetings.
The Group undertook an extensive Flora and Fauna Survey of Umbagong District Park in 1992, and was instrumental in securing protection of a part of the Park near Florey Drive that was threatened by residential development, and for the heritage listing of Aboriginal axe grinding grooves in the Park.
In partnership with Urban Services the Group conducted weeding, preparation and maintenance work for the construction of a series of gabion weirs to control sediment movement along the Herron Creek drainage line, in 1994. In addition, Gross Pollutant Traps were constructed at each end of the park by the Department of Urban Services. Willows were removed from this part of Ginninderra Creek in 1999. Native rushes and other aquatic biota are beginning to flourish.