Secretary’s Notes

Happy New Year

I will start with Happy New Year. But sadly it hasn’t been a great start for some people and our wildlife with heat waves, fires and floods!! What is Mother Nature up to?

Jenny Somerville has resigned as our Vice President and Carol Byford and Helen Franklin resigned as phone operators at the end of last year. Thank you to all three for your time and effort in your positions. We are in need of more phone operators, so if you know of anyone interested please get them to contact me. Phone operators are supplied with an information manual and training.

Please note that the next General Meeting on 7^th February will start at 12pm as we will have visitors from Mount Macedon Wildlife Shelter attending to discuss how we can work together in the future on projects etc.

General Meeting/Committee Meeting

No General Meeting was held due to indulging in Christmas lunch instead. Some notes from the Committee Meeting.

• We received 9 new & 3 renewal memberships.
• WRIN Standard Operating Procedure. Euthanasia of animals with a firearm written up and put to the committee. Committee happy to have it distributed to all members on our rescuers list that euthanise.
• Payments made for:
  2 x Telstra bills $82.50 & $82.90
  10 Reimbursement payments.
  Snake Handling course part payment
  2 x Maldon market stall fees $15 each.
  15 Animal repellers.
  Insurance $2,255.28 for Public & Product Liability, Personal Accident & Association Liability

Jo reported updates on events for next year with the COGB.

Wildlife Awareness Month to be in October to work with the Macedon Ranges and World Kangaroo Day.

Promoting WRIN events, courses, seasonal wildlife movements in the COGB e-newsletter.

WRIN presentation to the Council and inviting Councillors to a Nature in the Mall event.

Wildlife corridors. Mark, COGB, to start a Habitat Connectivity Plan to identify opportunities for strengthening linkages around the Greater Bendigo region.

Invite Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network to the February General Meeting to discuss ways of working with each other.

April General Meeting will be on the Easter weekend next year. All agreed to change the meeting date to Saturday 18^th April. Brenda to change hall hire date.

Committee Meeting days discussed and decided to be held on the Monday before General Meetings at 11am at 1 Ruth Street, Golden Square.

Jenny Somerville has resigned as Vice President via text message. Awaiting official resignation letter from Jenny. Jo Fischer put forward her interest in taking over the position.

Carol Byford and Helen Franklin have resigned from phone operating duties. There are now some big gaps to fill on the roster.

Fundraising:

• Castlemaine Emergency Expo $170.50
• Mandurang Festival $106.50
• Maldon Market $106
• Annual donation of a 20kg bag of milk powder has been given to McIntyre Wildlife Shelter.

Central Victorian Bat Alliance (CVBA)

Happy New Year everyone, here’s hoping for peaceful times ahead for us all, and wildlife everywhere. CVBA had a busy time during December and January during pup season. Members conducted bat patrols in Rosalind Park checking the Grey-headed Flying-fox adults and pups particularly during the recent extreme heat stress event. Some pups were rescued for care while sadly some pups and adults succumbed to the severe heat. As in 2024/25 we again connected with DEECA’s outreach heat stress team as officers and vets monitored and supported the colony during days over 40C from 7-9 December.

The team was offered support from vaccinated CVBA members during their 3-day on-site surveillance. Bendigo is well placed to respond to extreme weather risk mitigation including prediction and response; however, heat stress event response training is badly required across our region and will be recommended to DEECA. CVBA continues to work closely with City of Greater Bendigo and DEECA advocating and offering volunteer support when required. During our bat patrols following departure of the heat stress team, DEECA reached out to offer support if required. We look forward to the release of the final Management Plan for Rosalind Park Grey-headed Flying-foxes and Ibis as CVBA continues to support individual bats and habitat for survival of the species. CVBA is excited to release the first edition of their Newsletter in February-if you would like to be included on our newsletter mail list please send details to secretary.cvballiance@gmail.com

Twice a month please tune to 106.7 Phoenix FM for CVBA’s show ‘Bats and Banter’ for Flying-fox news, interviews, batty music (1^st & 2^nd Monday each month) and please call Julie 0400 723 098 if you would like to be interviewed or have a story to share. All interested in bat conservation/advocacy are welcome to attend our next meeting Friday 20 February, Kangaroo Flat Library 12pm-2pm-all welcome.

Wildlife

With the heat wave early January, I received into care 1 brushtail and 5 ringtail possums. Ringtail possums in particular do not handle the heat very well and can become dehydrated and sick. 1 ringtail had severe conjunctivitis and had to be kept by another carer away from the others as it is extremely contagious. Her eyes are better now and she is back in my care. Most of the possums, bar 2, were old enough to return to their homes when the weather conditions cooled down. Please call in any possums you may encounter out during the day, this is not normal and suggests they are sick, injured or suffering from the heat. And as always, on hot days, please leave out water bowls for the wildlife and spray down trees and shrubs. There is another heat wave coming between me writing this and you receiving it, so I’m preparing for another influx of ringtails.

I am looking for foliage for the ones I have in care. If you have grevillea, plumbago, roses or bottlebrush in your front yard that I can take cuttings from please let me know your address.

Brenda Argus

Our major shelters are also getting in kangaroos with burns to their feet and hands from the Harcourt/Ravenswood fires. Two local shelters were directly impacted both in Elphinstone and Faraday but fortunately both are ok.

Rescuers have only just been given permission to access private property within the fire area, with the owner’s permission, to search for fire affected animals. Many more animals will be coming into care stressed and with burns now we have rescuers and land owners searching.

Even in the months to follow as wildlife return to burnt out areas and are faced with a lack of food and resources they will continue to need support and assistance. Below are a list of items that would be greatly appreciated by local carers and shelters:

Jelonet (Burns Bandage)

Softban(Cottonwool wrap)

Vet wrap

Burns gel

Cooling mats (as used for domestic pets)

Soft tissues

Curash Baby Water wipes

Chaff

Kangaroo pellets

Money donations are also needed which shelters can then use to purchase prescription medications and items directly required. For example the Faraday shelter is currently without power so needs to be able to purchase rechargeable items and battery lighting etc.

Fuel vouchers would also be appreciated as our rescuers cover great distances and fuel can be very expensive. Money donations can be made via our website or bank transfer to BSB: 633000, Account No.: 107113573. Cash payments can be organised by calling 0419582102.

WRIN is overwhelmed by the incredible generosity already provided from the Bendigo and surrounding community for the donation of much needed supplies. A huge thank you to Petstock Bendigo for donating pet feeders and to Bunnings Epsom for donating 6 bags of chaff. All of these products have been passed onto our local shelters and wildlife carers.

In the meantime our wildlife still need help, so please support them by leaving out water, providing habitat such as nesting boxes and planting native vegetation so that they have food and safe areas. Thanks so much to our wonderful community for caring about our precious local wildlife.

Michelle Mead & Brenda Argus