What BERG Mt Martha does
Bushland Regeneration
Using grant money and our own Active Volunteers, we remove invasive weeds, plant a wide variety of plants which are indigenous to the area, mulch new plantings and remove rubbish throughout the Balcombe Estuary Reserves.
Water Monitoring
We monitor the health of the estuary and our section of the Balcombe Creek monthly through the national Waterwatch and Estuary Watch programs. Also our Sedimentation Action Group works with the Mornington Peninsula Shire to stop sediment entering the water from the Mt Martha township.
Community Awareness
Berg Mt Martha aims to make the community more aware of the beauty and unique environmental significance of the Balcombe Estuary Reserves. It also aims to make them aware of many other local environmental issues, such as beach litter, or shore erosion and plastics.
Schools Program
We offer environmental education programs and activities for local schools, to fit in with the school’s environmental aims and to get children actively experiencing and engaging in the natural world.
Flora & Fauna Survey
To measure our progress, we arrange for periodic surveys of birds, animals, fish and frogs to be conducted to monitor the health of the wildlife in the Balcombe Estuary Reserves. We regularly survey outcomes of our bushland regeneration activities to ensure that continual progress is being made.
Major Projects
We work largely on a project basis. All of our on-ground grants represent specific projects. Some of these include burning areas of the reserves, tackling sedimentation in the creek, developing murals with schools and school children, constructing a bird hide, assisting with developing the boardwalk, fencing areas for pest control and organising Family Days for the local community.