By Tim Doutré
CAROLINE Springs resident Giorgio DeNola wants people to know there is more to grass than cutting it on a Sunday morning … and pretty soon he will have the website to prove it.
Mr DeNola is a member of the Keilor Plains Native Plants Group, which is starting a website called Nature Share.
“The website is to help people map their vegetation and nurture their vegetation,” he said.
“It will feature flora and fauna, insects, reptiles and info on birds from all over Victoria, but presently it is focused on the Keilor-Werribee plain.”
Mr DeNola is also the spokesperson for the group CS (Caroline Springs) on Grass, which recently received a $1000 environmental grant from the Melton Shire Council to purchase equipment, including a GPS camera to assist with the maintenance of the Nature Share website.
“(CS on Grass) is a grassland group looking after plants in and around Caroline Springs, we also look at the political side of it and try to protect them,” Mr DeNola said.
“We have got the website and it will be ready in about two months for the general public, but we need to get out and show people how to use it.”
Mr DeNola said the GPS camera would be used to document the eco-system in areas such as the Grasslands located on Holland Way in Caroline Springs, which would then be available on the website for people to view.
Councillor Justin Mammarella, mayor of Melton Shire Council, said the grants (five in total) were given out to celebrate World Environment Day on 5 June.
“These local community groups care for and restore the shire’s environment and the awarding of these grants is a new initiative from council to show our appreciation,” he said.
Mr DeNola said people interested in helping document the flora and fauna in the area can visit www.apskeilorplains.org.au for information, with the Nature Share website still a couple of months away from completion.
