Group Name
Action Sweetwater Creek Inc
Our Purpose and Mission
Friendly, hard working, environmentally engaged
Action Sweetwater Creek Inc. has a membership of about 250 local residents. Members of the group hold working bees each week. These include propagation of plants indigenous to the reserve, and planting, weeding and light clearing tasks. Volunteer sessions run every Thursday from 9am to 11am and on the first Saturday of the month from 9am to 11am. Tasks include regular walks to review progress and seasonal changes. Action Sweetwater Creek Inc. also conducts sessions with local Frankston schools at the Reserve. Students learn about indigenous plants and animals. They also join us in weeding and planting activities.
The group’s mission is to encourage the community to sustain, develop and enjoy the natural beauty and ecology of Sweetwater Creek Nature Reserve.
We are an incorporated, Friends of Sweetwater Creek, Landcare group working on the land of the Bunurong people.
Primary Contact
Postal Address
Secondary Contact
Activities
Type of Group
Member Benefits
Members of this group share in the collective vision and hard work of a small group of local residents who seek to develop the Sweetwater Creek Nature Reserve. They can also enjoy friendship with their fellow workers as well as the health benefits of working in the fresh air. There are regular morning teas and much to be learned from the nature walks and from the environmental expertise of the group leaders.
Activities and Events
Volunteers in both our working parties focus on clearing and weeding the non indigenous plants that spill over into the reserve from the surrounding properties and regenerating the growth of indigenous plants. In restoring the native habitat they have brought back birds and wild life. The creek has been recognised as a very important wildlife corridor they hope to encourage native bird and animal populations as well as build the diversity and health of the flora in the reserve. Members participate in and support Community days and Seniors walks.
Achievements
Action Sweetwater Creek Inc. works with Melbourne Water to monitor the health of the creek and its inhabitants. The group also works with Frankston Council to achieve its rehabilitation programs for the reserve. Founded in 1974, Action Sweetwater Creek Inc. set out to confront damage to the creek caused by sewerage works.
One of its founding members, Warwick Exton, won a citizen of the year award in 2024 and has published a history of the group’s work to transform what was a neglected bush jungle into the treasured reserve we now enjoy. Exton Walk is named after him.
Formation Reason
The residents group, Action Sweetwater Creek Inc., was formed in 1974 in response to a call to arms to confront the damage caused by intensive sewerage works in the Sweetwater Creek area. Over the years the group has worked with Frankston Council and Melbourne Water to return the reserve to a state of health and to secure a beautiful natural place for the local residents to enjoy.
Unique Features
We work in one of Frankston’s most treasured and beautiful natural places and along the line of Sweetwater Creek starting as it does at the base of Oliver’s Hill. Our leaders are very experienced and knowledgeable about this environment, so those who join can learn more about local indigenous plants and of course, the weeds that can strangle them. We communicate reliably through email to group participants before each work session as well as through quarterly newsletters, facebook and our website. From time to time we have students working with us from different schools both local and metropolitan.
Group/Sites Accessibility
Yes, our sites are accessible for those who are able to participate in walking and weeding. We always start work from one of the entrances to the reserve. We are careful to choose work sites where the slope is minimal, where shade is available on hot days and where access is via paths and established steps.
Our Location
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