Habitat Conservation & Management Course 2025
Event description
For over 40 years, the Habitat Conservation and Management Course (HCMC) has been informing, inspiring and connecting Melbourne’s conservation and land management community. HCMC is for everyone, from new conservation volunteers, to experienced land management practitioners looking to refresh and extend their knowledge and networks.
Participants will learn in-person about key ecosystem features including plants, soil, fungi and fire then explore techniques for habitat improvement. 16 Wednesday evening classes from August 6 to November 19 and 9 Saturday field trips with some of Melbourne’s leading ecologists and land managers including Randall Robinson, Gidja Walker, Uncle Dave Wandin and George Paras.
A number of councils have grant opportunities to support volunteer participation in the course including Banyule City Councils Green Training Fund. If you are a conservation volunteer, you may like to check what opportunities there are with your local council.
| Unit Number | Topic | Lecturer/s | Location | Date |
| Unit 1 | Unit Number1 Introduction | |||
| Classroom | Introduction to Habitat Conservation and Management | Randall Robinson / Danny Reddan | Gleeson Centre, Darebin Parklands | Wednesday 6 August |
| Field Trip 1 | Melbourne Bushlands | Robert Pergl | Dandenongs | Saturday 9 August |
| Unit 2 | Bushland – The Ideal | |||
| Classroom | Soils and Climate |
Jason Horlock | Gleeson Centre, Darebin Parklands |
Wednesday 13 August |
| Classroom | Growing Wildlife Habitat | George Paras | Gleeson Centre, Darebin Parklands | Wednesday 20 August |
| Classroom | Invertebrates | James Buxton | Gleeson Centre, Darebin Parklands | Saturday 27 August |
| Field Trip 2 | Coastal Woodlands | Gidja Walker | Cape Schanck | Saturday 30 August |
| Classroom | Plant Identification I – Grasses and Forbs | Michael Cincotta | Gleeson Centre, Darebin Parklands | Wednesday 3 September |
| Classroom | Plant Identification II - Trees and Shrubs | Michael Cincotta | Gleeson Centre, Darebin Parklands | Wednesday 10 September |
| Field Trip 3 | Nocturnal Wildlife | TBC | Mount Rothwell | Saturday 13 September |
| Classroom | Fungi | Ema Corro | Gleeson Centre, Darebin Parklands | Wednesday, 17 September |
| Field Trip 4 | Caring for Country | Uncle Dave Wandin/Gidja Walker | Coranderrk | Saturday 20 September |
| video conference | Fire and Culture | Darren Wandin/Gidja Walker | Home | Wednesday 24 September |
| Unit 3 | Impacts on Bushland | |||
| Classroom | Bush Ecology 1 | Randall Robinson | Gleeson Centre, Darebin Parklands | Wednesday 1 October |
| Field Trip 5 | Lerderderg Gorge/Longforest | Randall Robinson | Lerderderg Gorge/Longforest | Saturday 4 October |
| Classroom | Bush Ecology 2 | Randall Robinson | Gleeson Centre, Darebin Parklands | Wednesday 8 October |
| Unit 4 | Techniques for Managing Bushland | |||
| Classroom | Introduction | Randall Robinson | NT Wildlife Sanctuary | Wednesday 15 October |
| Field Trip 6 | Plant Identification | Michael Cincotta | NT Wildlife Sanctuary | Saturday 18 October |
| Video conference | Site Assessment & Planning | Gidja Walker | Home | Wednesday 22 October |
| Field Trip 7 | Restoring degraded riparian zones | George Paras/Danny Reddan | Darebin Creek Bundoora | Saturday 25 October |
| Classroom | Techniques for Planned Intervention | Robert Pergl | Gleeson Centre, Darebin Parklands | Wednesday 29 October |
| Field Trip 8 | Grasslands | Uncle Dave Wandin / Rob Pergl | Western plains | Saturday 1 November |
| Classroom | Modelling and monitoring Change | Sacha Jellinek | NT Wildlife Sanctuary | Wednesday 5 November |
| Classroom | Regeneration and Weed (Strategies & Options) | Graham Peterson | NT Wildlife Sanctuary | Wednesday 12 November |
| Field Trip 9 | Coastal and marine | Gidja Walker | Seaford Foreshore | Saturday 15 November |
| Classroom | Summing Up | Randall / Gidja Walker | NT Wildlife Sanctuary | Wednesday 19 November |
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