Knee-deep in frogs, lizards and native critters at Neerim South
The Neerim South Wetlands will come alive will all types of native critters next on Sunday to celebrate the Neerim Frog Festival.
The opening of the Neerim South Wetlands in 2015 marked the culmination of almost a decade of effort by former Neerim District Landcare president Mike Haughton, and over the past couple of years the wetlands have flourished.
On Sunday, the Baw Baw community can see first-hand the benefit of the wetlands as an exciting recreational space when it hosts the third Neerim Frog Festival.
The event from 11am to 1.30pm is an opportunity for local families to enjoy up-close encounters with a range of wetland residents including frogs, reptiles, bugs and the bigger creatures that live around our waterways.
Initiated by Neerim District Landcare Group, and funded through grants from Baw Baw Shire Council, VicForests and Landcare, the event focuses on bringing to life the benefits of a healthy waterway environment.
Festival organiser Ebony Loveland from Landcare said the activities that attract most attention were the live native animal shows by Wild Action who is back again with an even bigger collection of snakes, lizards and a diverse assortment of Aussie creatures.
Ebony said there also would be bug adventures, guided tours through the wetlands, and a range of other activities designed to engage and education school age children (and their parents).
Local carver Paul Stafford will be on hand carving a tree trunk into a new wetlands feature.
The local Lions Club will be cooking up sausages on the barbecue, Gippsland Jersey will be supplying fresh milkshakes, and Neerim South CFA members will be on display with one of their firefighting trucks.
Gippsland Primary Health Network is investing more than $1 million for the delivery of psychosocial support services to adults living with mental health conditions across the region.
Gippsland-wide organisation Within Australia has been awarded the contract to deliver the National Psychosocial Support Measure (NPSM) program in Baw Baw, Latrobe, Bass Coast, South Gippsland, Wellington and East Gippsland.
The program also will be delivered to remote areas.
Formerly SNAP Gippsland, the organisation delivers accessible programs and services that help people achieve optimal health and wellbeing by being better able to respond to challenges they face daily.
Gippsland PHN chief executive officer Amanda Proposch said the program targeted adults with a reduced psychosocial functional capacity.
“These adults are experiencing mental health conditions and require short term psychosocial support,” Ms Proposch said.