General News
10 September, 2025
Propagation skill building opportunity
AN UPCOMING series of free workshops will teach attendees to grow native plants from seeds and cuttings hosted by the Heytesbury District Landcare Network (HDLN).
The two workshops, held on Sunday, September 21 and Sunday, November 9, are designed to be attended together.
From 10am-1pm at The Place of Wonder (2133 Cobden-Port Campbell Rd, Newfield), attendees will learn from expert guest speakers and try their hand at growing their own native seedlings.
HDLN Landcare coordinator Michelle Leech said the program was designed to bring more coastal natives into the area.
“These workshops are in partnership with Port Campbell Progress Group and their Biolinks project,” she said.
“They’ve been planting in the area for a really long time – however, because nurseries are closing down locally, there’s been a challenge in finding the coastal plants they need to do their planting.
“Their goal is to help get a bunch of people locally upskilled.
“Whether they’re growing plants on their own properties or want to be involved in community collective planting opportunities, the goal is to make sure we keep that supply of local native coastal plants coming so that the work doesn’t stop.
“This is meeting a need that commercial nurseries filled in the past which they won’t be doing anymore.”
Mrs Leech said the community collective effort would bring attendees a rewarding experience.
“In terms of community ownership of the natural spaces that we do have, it’s something really nice and wholesome that people can come and do that isn’t strenuous,” she said.
“It's really satisfying to put a seed into the soil and see it grow into something, then be able to see it become a habitat for native wildlife.
“It’s a really nice feeling.”
It is essential people attend both workshops, as the seeds they plant in the first workshop will become the basis of their experience in the second workshop.
The workshops also include a lunch catered by The Place of Wonder made from locally grown ingredients.
“In the first workshop they will be learning how to propagate native plants from seeds” Mrs Leech said.
“We’ll have some really great speakers and a really nice environment to do that in at The Place of Wonder.
“It’s a knowledge-sharing opportunity as well – very informal, with lots of conversation and chances to try things and ask questions.
“Those seed trays that they propagate will be left at The Place of Wonder and then when they come back in November, they will be able to monitor how their seeds are going.”
The second workshop will provide another learning opportunity about coastal native plants in the region.
“That’s when they will think about cuttings and how to propagate with cuttings,” Mrs Leech said.
“Some plants propagate better with seeds and some do better with cuttings, so it’s about rounding out that knowledge base and learning how to do lots of awesome things.
“If they love it, there’s opportunities going forward to meet like-minded people.”
Regardless of anyone’s level of experience, Mrs Leech said these workshops were suitable for all.
“We’ll meet the group wherever they are,” she said.
“If they’re all beginners we’ll stick to the basics, but if people have more complex questions then that’s fine too.”
Interested participants can register for day one at https://events.humanitix.com/grow-coastal-propagation-workshop-series.
Registrations for day two can be found at https://events.humanitix.com/grow-coastal-propagation-workshop-day-2.