Conservation Overview

Interests and Affiliations

Many club members have an active interest in their bushland surroundings. Bird-watching, tree, shrub and flower identification, geology and natural history are all very much encouraged. Protecting our bushland for future bushwalkers is also very important to us.

The Melbourne Bushwalkers Inc as a Club, and indeed many of our members in their own right, supports to the following conservation agencies:

Current editions of their magazines, Habitat, Park Watch and Wilderness, are on display on the Club noticeboard for easy access by members.

Melbourne Bushwalkers delegates attend Bushwalking Victoria's 'Bushwalking Environment Committee'. This Committee is very pro-active on tracks, huts, park management plans and current conservation campaigns. Updates on issues, campaigns and events are supplied via our monthly Newsletter and clubroom noticeboard.

Conservation Activities

Melbourne Bushwalkers supports the conservation projects of Bushwalking Victoria

Track maintenance is important to us. We schedule these fun and friendly activities on a regular basis and assist park rangers at the Alpine National Park, Grampians National Park and Mt Buffalo National Park.  We also support track maintenance activities organised by Bushwalking Victoria.

We support the Regent Honeyeater Project in the Lurg Hills near Glenrowan.

Conservation Issues

Bushwalkers are encouraged to help end the Alpine National Park Cattle Grazing trial

Bushwalkers are encouraged to write a letter to their local State M.P., to sign the e-petition and to help end the so called 'scientific trial of cattle grazing' in the Alpine National Park.

For more information go to the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) take action pages.

For more background information on the issues around Alpine National Park cattle grazing see the ABC report and the article in The Age.

Guidance for Bushwalkers - Minimum Impact

Melbourne Bushwalkers members practice minimum impact bushwalking in all their activities and encourage all walkers and visitors to follow these important guidelines.

The Minimum Impact Bushwalking motto states:

"Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints."

This means all walkers must:

• carry out all litter including vegetable peels and cores,
• bury human waste at least 150mm deep and 100 metres from a water source,
• use unbleached toilet paper,
• tampons, sanitary pads and nappies to be carried out in plastic bags,
• do not use soap or detergent near water,
• minimise trampling of vegetation,
• use a fuel stove wherever possible, and
• leave your campsites in better condition than you found them.

Particular attention should be given to the minimisation of the spread of phytophthora fungus.

For further information and guidance walkers should also refer to Bushwalking Victoria's Conservation Policy and their "Tread Softly" leaflet.

Guidance for Bushwalkers - Camp Fire Policy

Melbourne Bushwalkers recognises that campfires are part of the outdoor experience. Used responsibly they can be useful for cooking, for keeping warm and for socialising. However the need to minimise the impact of bushwalking activities, particularly in sensitive or heavily used areas, means that campfires must be treated as a privilege rather than as a right. The purpose of this policy is to enable all of us to enjoy a campfire, where it is appropriate, while maintaining respect for the bush.

Our Policy is:

• Walkers must be aware of regulations in force, particularly total fire bans. To assist this the Club endeavours to have up to date copies of regulations available in the clubrooms.
• The Club follows the guidelines set out in the Minimal Impact Bushwalking Code.
• Fuel stoves are encouraged.
• Any fires to be kept to a minimum size.
• No rubbish to be burnt on fires.
• Fires to be completely extinguished before retiring or leaving camp.

'Fuel stove only' walking areas have been designated to minimise the potential impact of fire and these include:- Mt Bogong, Mt Feathertop, the Baw Baw plateau, within one kilometre of Lake Tali Karng, Wilsons Promontory National Park and above 1700 metres in the Kosciuszko National Park (NSW).

March, 2011