The Banyule Mistletoe Project

The Banyule Mistletoe Project - Discover Mistletoe with Vicky Shukuroglou

Join Warringal Conservation Society and Banyule Gardens for Wildlife for an engaging morning exploring the vital role mistletoe plays in supporting local biodiversity.

Hear from Vicky Shukuroglou about the ecological importance of mistletoe, the wildlife it supports and why these fascinating native plants are so important to healthy ecosystems. You’ll also learn about the new Banyule Mistletoe Project and how you can help map naturally occurring mistletoe across Banyule.

Jess Kelley will introduce you to iNaturalist, a citizen science app that makes it easy to record and share observations of local plants and wildlife. Your contributions will help build our understanding of Banyule’s biodiversity and inform future plans to collect mistletoe seed and establish new plants on suitable trees in residential gardens (including yours!).

Following the presentations, we’ll head out for a short, guided walk to visit mistletoe specimens in the local area, giving you the opportunity to put your iNaturalist skills into practice.

Enjoy a cuppa and morning tea while connecting with fellow residents who are passionate about protecting and enhancing our local environment.

About the Facilitators

Vicky Shukuroglou is a Melbourne-based artist, photographer, writer, and ecologist. She recently co-authored and photographed the ACE Guide to Eucalypts Melbourne - a compact and visually distinctive field guide for curious walkers, naturalists, botanists, and anyone drawn to the qualities of the Australian landscape. Vicky also co-authored Loving Country: A Guide to Sacred Australia (2020) - shortlisted for the 2021 ABIA awards and voted one of Booktopia's Best Beautiful Books of 2020. As convenor of Friends of Biodiversity Hohnes Hill, Vicky leads ongoing care of a special reserve with complex management requirements. She founded and runs Nillumbio - a biodiversity-focused community learning and action organisation.

Jess Kelley is the Biodiversity Officer at Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary, located at La Trobe University. She is a strong advocate of citizen science and an ambassador of iNaturalist. She supports biodiversity outcomes across campus land, with a strong focus on the Nangak Tamboree Eco-Corridor and Wildlife Sanctuary. Her work involves habitat restoration works that facilitate the persistence and behaviour of native flora and fauna, biodiversity monitoring programs, collaboration with academics for research outcomes, and community engagement activities across all ages.

Event details

• Date: Saturday 7 November

• Time: 10am - 12pm

• Location: Old Shire Offices, 60 Beverley Road, Heidelberg VIC 3084

Come along, learn something new and discover how you can help mistletoe thrive across Banyule and within your own garden!

What to bring

• A smartphone or camera, if possible, and have the iNaturalist app installed and ready - see instructions here

• Wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes and dress for the weather

• Sunscreen/hat

• A reusable water bottle

• A reusable coffee cup (optional)

Important information

• The guided walk afterwards is optional and will take approximately 30 minutes

• Children are welcome but need to be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times

• Bookings are essential

Accessibility

This event includes a guided walk of approximately 30 mins over natural bush tracks. Some paths may be uneven. Please consider whether this level of walking is suitable for you. If you have any accessibility questions or requirements, please contact angela.nation@banyule.vic.gov.au prior to the event.

This workshop is a capacity-building event for environmental volunteers and nature lovers, designed to strengthen skills while creating opportunities to network, and contribute to increasing Banyule's biodiversity.

Banyule City Council is proud to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people as traditional custodians of the land and we pay respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, past, present and emerging, who have resided in the area and have been an integral part of the region's history.

Our community is made up of diverse cultures, beliefs, abilities, bodies, sexualities, ages and genders. We are committed to access, equity, participation and rights for everyone: principles which empower, foster harmony and increase the wellbeing of an inclusive community.