Jan Juc Coast Action – Great Ocean Road Coast Committee Blog

Signs set to showcase volunteers’ great work

March 10, 2020March 19, 2020greatoceanroadcoast

Jan Juc Coast Action (JJCA) has completed its latest project after being a recipient of the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee’s (GORCC) Coastal Grants Program.

The group began the project in June 2019, erecting interpretative signage along the Jan Juc clifftops, providing visitors to the Surf Coast Walk with a before and after view of the area.

It’s not hard to see the huge amount of work the volunteer group has put into the Jan Juc clifftops area, but it will be even easier to see now with new signage in place.

The project aims to highlight to visitors the amount of hard work that has gone into making the area what it is today, showcasing the environmental successes the group has delivered.

*Jan Juc Coast Action volunteer Luke Hynes and Great Ocean Road Coast Committee CEO Vanessa Schernickau alongside one of the newly installed signs.*

The signs can be found alongside the Surf Coast Walk near Bird Rock Car Park, Jan Juc Beach Car Park and Steps Lookout in Jan Juc – locations that show the direct impact the volunteer group’s efforts have had on creating substantial positive environmental change on the clifftops.

Dedicated JJCA member Luke Hynes, who has been involved with the volunteer group for more than a decade, was thrilled to see the project completed and said it was a tribute to the many hours and great work the group has put in.

*The transformation at Steps Lookout from 1995 to now.*

Luke also thanked GORCC for their generous assistance, providing a $3,840 grant to get the project off the ground.

“There have been thousands of hours of volunteer work put in to enhance these areas. Hopefully, these pictures tell a bit of a story about how important it is to treat it well,” Luke said.

Not only will these signs provide great insight into the preservation of the Jan Juc clifftops, but they also help educate visitors.

*It’s a new-look car park compared to 1980 at Jan Juc Car Park.*

The signs read: ‘Our community chose to restore this coastal ecosystem. Help us look after and respect our fragile, diverse and unique habitat.’

The message is clear; the choice is ours to help our precious coastal ecosystems thrive.

The signs also provide visitors with information about JJCA and how they can get involved.

The popular walking track sees plenty of people, both local and tourists, enjoy the area and these signs will help to reduce the negative impact of people entering the protected areas on the clifftops as well as encourage environmental protection.

*A perfect track to take a walk on, a far cry from the informal track pictured left 30 years ago.*

The coastal vegetation along the clifftops has been restored over many years after human pressures degraded the landscape. With increased awareness, visitors will hopefully gain a better understanding and greater respect and awareness of the role we can all play in protecting the environment.

Jan Juc Coast Action holds a monthly working bee on the first Sunday of the month. Anyone interested in getting involved with the volunteer group can contact Luke Hynes on 0406 113 438 or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/JanJucCoastAction for details.

Each year, GORCC dedicates funds for community-led projects that enhance the natural values of the 37 kilometres of coastal Crown land under its management between Point Impossible and Cumberland River. The grants aim to encourage proactive environmental and heritage protection along the coast. The next round of Coastal Grants opens mid-March 2020.

Jan Juc Coast Action spreads word on Gazania weed hazard

March 1, 2018April 18, 2018greatoceanroadcoast

Have you seen this weed? That’s what Jan Juc Coast Action volunteers and the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee staff are asking the public as they up the ante to eliminate the highly invasive South African weed Gazania from the Jan Juc cliffs, other public spaces and hopefully people’s gardens. Read more →

Vandals trash Jan Juc woodland

May 17, 2017May 18, 2017greatoceanroadcoast

The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee is calling on the community to help put an end to the damage caused by illegal party sites in threatened Moonah woodlands along the coastal clifftops at Jan Juc.

Illegal access and campfires were again discovered in the sensitive vegetation, causing significant environmental damage in the protected area and placing lives at risk. Read more →

Volunteers transform clifftops

May 10, 2017June 2, 2017greatoceanroadcoast

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is on again and is an annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution more than 6 million Australian volunteers make to communities across the nation.

Jan Juc Coast Action have a long history of restoring and revegetating the clifftop area and have been instrumental in the improved habitat health along the stunning stretch of coastline. Read more →

Great Ocean Road Coast invests in community projects

March 1, 2017May 17, 2017greatoceanroadcoast

Five community and volunteer groups are set to benefit from the annual Great Ocean Road Coast Committee Coastal Grant program with $10,000 going to projects that protect, enhance and increase community connections to the coastal environment.

ANGAIR, Anglesea Motor Yacht Club, Fairhaven Surf Life Saving Club, Jan Juc Coast Action and Torquay Coast Action have all received funding towards their upcoming projects.

MacKillop pays coast a visit

October 27, 2016May 18, 2017greatoceanroadcoast

A group of Year 11 students from MacKillop College, Werribee visited the Surf Coast for their Outdoor and Environmental studies camp last week.

The group spent two days on the coast looking at the variety of uses including recreation, commercial, and conservation activities as part of their VCE studies. Read more →

Invasive orchids get the boot

February 19, 2016May 18, 2017greatoceanroadcoast

Jan Juc Coast Action (JJCA) faced an unusual task during their last working bee for 2015 – finding and removing the tenacious South African orchid Disa bractreata.

The highly invasive orchid species first appeared in Victoria in the mid-1990s after being introduced in Western Australia in 1946. Read more →

Celebration for local volunteers

October 24, 2015October 23, 2015greatoceanroadcoast

Jan Juc Coast Action (JJCA) were announced joint winners of the Victorian Coastal Awards for Excellence Natural Environment category in the annual ceremony held on October 15.

12107015_1063716507002022_5696785757558940974_n — Jan Juc Coast Action were dubbed ‘Coastal Champions’ for their 21 years of continual commitment to the protection and enhancement of the Jan Juc cliffs. Photo: Jan Juc Coast Action

The Awards, held by the Victorian Coastal Council, celebrate the outstanding work of individuals and groups in enhancing and protecting Victoria’s coastal and marine environments.

Eight awards were presented to groups and individuals who have made outstanding environmental contributions to the Victorian Coast.

Award winners in each category were:

Natural Environment (2x): Parks Victoria and Sea Search Program – Ten Years of Corner Inlet Community Seagrass Monitoring & Jan Juc Coast Action Group – 21 Years of Jan Juc Coast Action
Education: BirdLife Australia – Bringing the coast to the classroom
Planning and Management: Environmental Protection Authority – The Victorian Marine Operational Model
Community Engagement: Friends of Beware Reef – Community Engagement & Marine Species Monitoring
Design and Building: Frankston City Council – McCulloch Avenue Boardwalk
Victorian Marine Science Consortium – Postgraduate Award: Marlene Rodriguez-Malagon – Postgraduate marine research
Outstanding Individual Achievement – Bob Semmens

Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water Lisa Neville said this year’s finalists and award winners have been exemplary.

“I’m proud of how we take real responsibility for the welfare of our coast, which not only improves the health of the environment, but also the livability of our communities.

“It is important we understand the threats to our coastal and marine environments, and the ways in which communities can take action to help limit their impacts,” she said.

Over the past 21 years, JJCA has rehabilitated four kilometers of coastal foreshore and continues to improve this area through monthly working bees conducting activities including the removal of pest species, fencing and revegetation.

In recent years, the group’s focus has shifted from revegetation and access control to targeted threatened species and raising environmental awareness through engaging with the community.

10_125 (Custom) — Jan Juc Coast Action Chairman Luke Hynes with members from Jan Juc Coast Action at the October working bee earlier this year. Photo: Ferne Millen

Recently JJCA launched their online searchable plant database the Surf Coast Nature Search, that aims to help support an increase in environmental awareness among locals and holiday makers.

The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC) works closely with environmental volunteer groups that work on the GORCC managed land and was thrilled to see JJCA receive the award.

GORCC Community Liaison Manager Jane Lovejoy said the award was well deserved and a testament to the hard work volunteers donate each year to protect the coast.

“Volunteer groups continue to be the backbone of GORCC’s conservation efforts with 11 groups working directly on our managed land.

“It is fantastic to see local environmental volunteer groups receive recognition for their consistent contributions to enhancing our precious coastal environment,” she said.

Coastal conservation is everyone’s responsibility. How do you help keep our coast beautiful?

New online nature search launched

August 19, 2015August 19, 2015greatoceanroadcoast

The Surf Coast Nature Search (SCNS), an interactive, online search tool for identifying weeds and indigenous plants in our region, has been launched.

Surf Coast Nature Search homepage

The online resource, which has been developed by local volunteer group Jan Juc Coast Action (JJCA), is a detailed database of hundreds of indigenous plants and environmental weeds on the coast between Point Impossible and Bells Beach.

Users are able to search based on a range of criteria including plant type, flower colour, size, leaf shape and more.

JJCA Chairperson Luke Hynes said the website is a great local asset for locals that will help support an increase in environmental awareness.

Jan Juc Coast Action Chairperson Luke Hynes uses the new database to search for the coastal shrub along the Surf Coast Walk.

“The SCNS database has been a dream of the JJCA group for many years,” he said.

To date, JJCA volunteers have added 181 plant species to database, which is expected to grow as species are added and the tool extends to include fauna and cover more areas of the Surf Coast.

“It’s exciting to think that people with a limited understanding of botanical terms will now be able to identify local plants, pinpoint environmental weeds in their backyard and learn more about the environmental impacts and benefits of particular species,” said Mr. Hynes.

JJCA group volunteer Graeme Stockton said one of the aims of the database is to help coastal property owners create environmentally friendly gardens.

JJCA Chairperson Luke Hynes and GORCC Conservation Supervisor Georgie Beale test out the database on their walk.

“The SCNS is a simple tool for identifying environmental weeds in your garden and selecting indigenous alternatives,” he said.

Weeds, which easily escape from local gardens, have been identified as the number one threat to the natural environment on the coast due to their ability to out compete indigenous species.

“Indigenous plants are vital, providing vital habitat for local birds and animals,” said Mr. Stockton.

Mr Hynes said the group had worked hard with locally based web design experts Boojum to ensure the platform was as interactive and easy to navigate as possible.

“Our biggest challenge was trying to incorporate complex plant characteristics in a searchable format that is flexible and user friendly,” he said.

Luke and Georgie using the database to identify the coastal shrub along the Jan Juc cliffs

The database can be accessed at www.scnaturesearch.com.au.

The project was supported by a $5000 State Governments CoastCare Grant, $2500 Great Ocean Road Coast Committee Coastal Grant and $1000 Surf Coast Shire Grant.

Check out the Surf Coast Nature Search today and see how many plants you can identify from your garden! Let us know how many indigenous plants you find in your backyard in the comments below.

Eco burn for Jan Juc cliffs

June 11, 2015October 21, 2015greatoceanroadcoast

Jan Juc Coast Action (JJCA) has partnered with the local CFA to conduct an ecological burn as part of a trial to investigate how important grasslands respond to different treatments.

image012 (1) — Torquay CFA volunteers performing controlled ecological burns at Jan Juc

A five year ecological burn plan has been developed between JJCA group and Torquay CFA in an effort to optimise the flora vegetation at the Jan Juc cliffs.

The conservation plan is designed to increase overall biodiversity in the area by allowing plants time to set seed before the second fire.

Local CFA volunteer monitors the planned burn to ensure the fire remains under control.

Australian flora needs fire for plants to seed and regenerate evolving from thousands of years of controlled burns by Indigenous Australians.

JJCA Chairperson – Luke Hynes is hopeful the ecological burns will improve the coastal vegetation along the cliffs and was grateful for the local CFA support.

“Our main challenge organising the ecological burns was finding a day to complete the burn when the weather is appropriate.

“We rely on fantastic local CFA volunteers to undertake the burns and really appreciate the time they put in,” he said.

Six CFA volunteers helped clear the tussock grasses to create space for other native species.

The fire creates space between native grasses which allows smaller, indigenous herbs and plants room to grow.

Torquay CFA Captain, Phil Campbell was pleased at the outcome of the ecological burn, and said that the day was well organised and uncomplicated.

“We were very lucky with the wind and weather conditions. It was a coincidence that the weather on the day was perfect for burning, which made it a lot easier for us to control,” he said.

Mr Hynes is eager to see the results from the initial burn and hopes more native species will grow in the area.

“The Jan Juc cliffs were revegetated over 10 years ago with positive results, so hopefully we will be able to see a larger variety of herbs and grasses regrow along the cliffs,” he said.

The JJCA group is particularly interested in whether the fire will increase populations of the native rare orchid, Swamp Diuris, in the area.

Funds has been provided by the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne to collect and grow seeds of the rare orchid and the JJCA group hopes the ecological burn will improve the populace.

The JJCA group works to preserve and revegetate the Jan Juc coastline with Indigenous species and the removal of environmental weeds.

Ongoing environmental conservation works are being conducted in the are to help combat erosion, pest invasion and the provision of tracks and lookouts.

Check out the JJCA Facebook page to keep up to date with what’s happening along the cliffs.

Are you fire ready for this summer? Share your tips of how you keep your home safe in the comments below.