Bonbeach Foreshore Coast Care Community

25/08/2026

Some important information from our neighbouring council area to the south. Unfortunately bird flu has been detected in the Frankston area. See post below for further details on how to report sick birds.

⚠️ BIRD FLU DETECTED IN FRANKSTON CITY ⚠️

The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) have confirmed that the first cases of H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) have been detected in Frankston City.

While only a small number of cases have been confirmed, there are likely to be many more within the municipality that are not yet detected.

The risk to human health remains low. There is no evidence that this strain spreads between people and any infections will only occur following close contact with sick birds or mammals.

If you are unwell and have been exposed to H5N1 bird flu:

Seek medical advice and tell your GP about any possible contact with a sick or dead bird in the past 10 days

Wear a face mask and call ahead before attending your appointment so you can be seen separately from other patients if needed.

Remember these three steps if you encounter dead or sick birds or wildlife in Frankston City: Avoid, Record, Report.

⛔ AVOID contact with the birds or wildlife and their environment

📝 RECORD what you see and the bird’s location

🤳 REPORT wildlife sickness or deaths at Report sick or dead wild birds and wildlife or call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888

Early reporting gives DEECA the best chance to reduce the impacts of the disease.

And remember these simple tips to keep our pets and wildlife safe:
Keep your dogs on leads at parks, beaches or public spaces and keep your cats inside where possible.

Dispose of food waste properly and securely and keep rubbish bins closed to avoid attracting birds and other wildlife.

If you own chickens in your backyard, housing them is recommended due to the current risk. A housing requirement is in place for flocks of 50 or more birds in Victorian southern and coastal shires, including Frankston City, until at least 18 September. Protect their food and water supplies and do not expose them to public water sources to limit their exposure to wild birds.

Learn more about the disease and how to protect you and your family at https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity/animal-diseases/poultry-diseases/H5N1-avian-influenza-H5-bird-flu

24/08/2026

Spring is just about here! There are some gorgeous bushland reserves nearby to explore, with lots of beautiful native wildflowers

See the link below for guided wildflower walks coming up in the Bayside Council area.

16/08/2026

Wow, what a working bee! On Saturday morning we had a record number of people to our working bee - over 25 people of all ages! Thanks especially to those who came along for the first time. It was fabulous to have families and kids come along, we hope you had fun!

The group planted some additional plants into our revegetation area, taking advantage of the end of the planting season. Hopefully we'll get some more rain to help water them in.

Then, we tackled the weeds! The group removed piles and piles of Gazania, and also did some detailed hand weeding around existing native plants, allowing them space to grow and expand.

Spring is on its way - come along to our next working bee Saturday September 19th!

11/08/2026

A fantastic effort!

08/08/2026

It's been a cold, wintery week. But there are already plenty of signs of spring!

Many of our native coastal plants are already flowering. Others have started to produce buds. Check out the photos below for some examples.

What have you seen flowering in your area?

26/07/2026

It was a fantastic turnout at the Chelsea foreshore today for National Tree Day!

Over 50 people came along and planted an incredible 2300 plants, grown by City of Kingston.

It was great to see the community come together with people of all ages attending.... and even a few furry four-legged friends came along to help out. It will be very satisfying to watch the site develop in years to come.

If you'd like to get involved in more foreshore conservation, including weeding, planting and learning about the coastal plants and animals, come along to our next working bee, Saturday August 15th, just a few 100 metres further along the beach in Bonbeach.

20/07/2026

July is the best month for planting trees! This Sunday City of Kingston is hosting another coastal planting day in Chelsea - apparently there are 2000 plants ready to be planted!

This is a great opportunity for everyone, whether this is your first time planting or a seasoned volunteer.

Where: Chelsea Longbeach Surf Lifesaving Club, 16 The Strand, Chelsea
When: Sunday, 26 July 2026, 10 am to 12 pm

See link for more info and to register:

Join us on National Tree Day to help restore local habitats, support biodiversity, and make a positive contribution to the environment. Volunteer at one of two Kingston sites: Clayton South or Chelsea.

19/07/2026

Here's some great info about how Australian trees survive in soils with low nutrients, including our favourite trees - Banksias!

Check out the post below 👇🌳

🌿Because Australia is a flat, dry and old continent, many locations have soils that are low in key plant nutrients (especially phosphorous).

🍃 Sclerophylly is an important adaptation to cope with low nutrient soils (and drought). Eucalypts and Hakeas are good examples of sclerophyllous plants. They have tough, waxy, and long-lived leaves to protect and conserve valuable leaf nutrients.

🪴 Many Australian plants form mycorrhizal associations, which are mutually beneficial relationships between fungi and plant roots. The fungi improve nutrient (and water) uptake by the plant, and the plant provides sugars (a food source) for the fungi.

🌱 Banksias have cluster roots (also known as proteoid roots) which enhance the absorption of nutrients like phosphorous.

🌼 Many Acacias (Wattles) have root nodules, which contain bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen into a form that can be used by plants.

Stay tuned for more Amazing Adaptations!