AusNet staff are working with the Mount Evelyn Environmental Protection & Progress Association (MEEPPA) to plant 1,500 trees and shrubs to help support the population of Powerful Owls in the area, as well as support other threatened and endangered species in the Mount Evelyn Recreation Reserve. The trees have been sourced from Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater, a not-for-profit nursery in Healesville.
On 27 October 2022, approximately 30 people from AusNet will be heading out to plant the trees and shrubs which will help add to the diverse native vegetation that is in the local area, and help to provide critical habitats into the future.
AusNet will also donate two cameras to MEEPPA, that will be placed in treetops to assist MEEPPA with their wildlife population studies, specifically of the Powerful Owl.
Nesting hollows and boxes will also be placed in existing treetops. AusNet Vegetation Manager, David Crook, said: “These hollows will provide a safe nesting space for a number of different animals and birds that reside in the area, including the threatened Yellow-bellied Gilders”.
The program of activity was offered by AusNet after performing annual powerline clearance activities, which resulted in a eucalypt tree being trimmed further than intended in the Recreation Reserve earlier this year.
“We care about the environment and our native vegetation, so we are very pleased to be working with the local community on how we can lend our expertise and resources to help care for it,” Mr Crook said.
AusNet is committed to continuing to work closely with the local community and council to ensure we maintain the trees around the network in a way that protects local wildlife, while maintaining a safe and reliable power supply.