Some of the 72 members of the A Van Club who took part in the Friends Of Yarraman Creek’s recent Open Day packed onto the bridge over Yarraman Creek to give the club’s sign (Photo: FOYC)

November 28, 2016

Yarraman enjoyed a pre-Christmas economic boost last week when 100 members of the A Van Club booked into the Yarraman Caravan Park so members could spend a few days – and some, an entire week – exploring the delights of the Timbertowns district.

As it happened, the Friends Of Yarraman Creek were holding one of their regular Open Days on Saturday, and 72 of the club’s members took the opportunity of a free guided tour along the creek to look over this award-winning waterway restoration project.

Van club members began the morning by inspecting Scott and Susan Reilly’s “Lomandra” garden next to the creek, with a focus on the butterfly host plants the couple grow.

After this, the visitors took a walk along the creek’s banks upstream of Emmert Street, learning how this formerly polluted and rubbish-strewn waterway had been gradually restored to its natural state over a period of several years.

It turned out there were several expert bird observers in the Open Day crowd, and a highlight for them was discovering a breeding pair of striped honeyeaters on the walk.

Since the restoration, many native fauna have returned to the area, including platypus and birdlife.

Afterwards, guests and locals mingled over morning tea at Errol Munt Park.

“Our Open Days are always wonderful events that offer rich exchanges of knowledge and experiences,” Susan Reilly said.

“We feel very fortunate we can share this beautiful Australian riverine corridor with visitors.”

The Open Day was the Friends Of Yarraman Creek’s last formal event for 2016.

The next Open Day will be held in the first quarter of 2017 at a date yet to be announced.

Related articles:

A striped honeyeater tends its nest … many native species have returned to Yarraman Creek since it was rehabilitated (Photo: FOYC)
Visiting caravanners aren’t the only people who come to see the creek – a few days earlier, children from the Yarraman Kindy came for a supervised walk along the banks too (Photo: FOYC)

 

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