What is in a name? Everything, it seems. If clarity is what you seek in a name, then Melbourne Bushwalkers will give you that. This is a hiking club that not only gives you fitness, fun, and friendship through exploring the great Australian outdoors, but the club also gives you longevity. Since the 1940s, many young and old wanderers have trod countless bush tracks and enjoyed the camaraderie borne of membership in the Melbourne Bushwalkers.

Visiting out-of-this-world places and experiencing new landscapes is just one part of the inherent benefits of the club, as is drawing strength from the peace, solitude, and beauty of the bush. It does, however, rely a lot on one thing – having bush to walk in. Fortunately, members of the Melbourne Bushwalkers are committed to our native flora.

In September, members of Melbourne Bushwalkers teamed up with Fifteen Trees and Upper Goulburn Landcare (UGLN) to plant out 500 native trees. Why? Because there is no more fitting way to celebrate their 80-year milestone than assure future generations of having bush to walk in. The trees were planted on Sunday September 18th in wet sclerophyll forest (dominated by Mountain Ash, Messmate and Mountain Grey Gum), in the mountainous district of Kinglake. The trees planted were a mixture of Mountain Grey Gum, Messmate, Blackwood, Round-leaf Pomaderris, Silver Wattle, Silky Goodia, Musk Daisy Bush, Hairpin Banksia and Mountain Tea-tree.

The bush is calling you. Melbourne Bushwalkers will help you get out into it.

Writer: Bronwyn Blaiklock.

Bronwyn is a multidisciplinary creative: a poet, a pianist, a reformed perfectionist. She has worked in the creative and education sectors for over 25 years. She also confesses to having an affair with an accordion, but whatever you do, don’t tell the piano. Find Bronwyn here.