Ecosystem Regeneration Team
Developing a whole of site plan to work with nature.
Welcome to our team
Our team of volunteers is working on projects with our ecosystem to improve outcomes in various areas. You are very welcome to join us.
Some team members also work in the gardens, and you can initially meet them by coming to a weekly Gardening Bee, or to an Eco Regen team meeting - see the Whats On page for dates.
We created our Weed Management Plan in 2020-2021 and applied it, using non-chemical methods to remove the invasive species in all DECP zones 4,5,6 - see Site Map below. This was funded by a Federal grant. Learn more about the teams' journey and results here Communities Environment Progam (CEP).
While working only within the DECP licensed area, zones 4-6 in the map below, DECP at all times places the wellbeing of the ecology of the total surrounding area at the forefront of all decisions, including the licensed area, conservation zones and wetlands.
Creation of Whole of Site Plan
This will be a regenerative, functional, attractive and innovative plan which over time will be able to demonstrate a thriving ecology on the site, and can be managed cooperatively with Council with natural methods.
It will be a carefully considered buffer to the wider site, considering the adjacent Ramsar listed Seaford Wetlands..
It will positively contribute to place making, environmental protection and habitat creation.
The development of a working group to advise on the plan will include:
-
DECP members
-
Gardens for Wildlife
-
Melbourne Water (incorporating Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority PPWCMA)
-
Frankston City Council Officers
-
FESWI - Friends of Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands
-
WPB – Westernport Biosphere
-
any other appropriate bodies
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
Ecosystem Protection and Climate Change
Since European settlement, 90% of Frankston’s natural vegetation has been lost to land clearing and development. This has put the 534 Indigenous plant species present in Frankston City at immense risk, with 40 species of flora and fauna now listed as threatened.
Tree canopy cover in Frankston City has dropped to 17% since European settlement, increasing ground temperatures, accelerating soil erosion and salination, reducing native species habitat, and contributing to climate change by reducing tree carbon capture.
Left unchecked, climate change in this century will also result in sea levels rising, further affecting the local community due to its position on the coast. In addition, climate change brings increased frequency of natural disasters, extreme weather events, and the spread and evolution of diseases - all impacting wellbeing and food security.
Aside from environmental issues, climate change impacts community wellbeing by negatively affecting the use of outdoor areas for connection, enjoyment, physical health, and food production.
Environmental benefits of preventive action:
• Enhanced biodiversity and ecosystem.
• Increased skills in caring for and protecting the natural environment
Aerial View of Site
Aerial photo of the whole DECP site from north to south, between the pathway in the west and Wells Rd in the east
Future Steps from our Business Plan 2020
“Surely it is our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on Earth.”
- David Attenborough