Friends of Grasslands is organising a visit to East O'Malley on 19 October at 2pm so that Canberrans can experience for themselves this important Yellow Box Red Gum Grassy Woodland remnant. Visitors will see some impressive trees and woodland habitat, possibly some birds now uncommon around Canberra, and important understorey plants which are fast disappearing in the Southern Tablelands. On hand will be Dr Michael Mulvaney whose articles on the importance of woodlands, and East O'Malley in particular, have been appearing in the Canberra Times; Gill and Dr Richard Langdale-Smith who have been keeping records of the birds found there; and Geoff Robertson, President of Friends of Grasslands, which has been monitoring plant species on site. They will lead walks and answer your questions.
East O'Malley is a high quality Yellow Box Red Gum Grassy Woodland but for some time it has been under threat as successive Governments have considered releasing this land for high quality housing blocks. Many conservation groups and concerned individuals opposed the recent Government decision to auction land at East O'Malley. That decision has now been deferred at the request of the Commissioner for the Environment until the Review of Action Plan 10 had been finalised.
Please come and bring your friends. For anyone who wants to have a closer look at the area the government proposes to auction. The meeting place is at the end of Callemonda Place OMalley, where there is a turn around and grassy area for parking