Grassland tour – Bon Thomas and Railway Parade Grasslands

We’re off to Railway Parade Grasslands, a small remnant next to the new Deer Park Train Station (good parking!). It’s immediately west of the station on the north side of the tracks.

From there we’ll head west along Railway Parade to the end of the road and Bon Thomas Reserve. Spring flowers are popping so it’ll be interesting to see what’s in action.

Bon Thomas Grassland was only ‘discovered’ in the mid-2010s when mowing stopped for a while and some sharp-eyed people saw native grasses coming up. Now we know it’s remnant grassland and frog-filled grassy wetland! Today, the grassland is a high-quality area with 26 indigenous plants, including Spiny Rice-flower and Kangaroo Grass. It was fenced for protection in 2019, and the fenced areas doubled in size in 2023.

The reserve has had many disturbances over the decades, more recently Regional Rail upgrades, level crossing removals, sporting infrastructure, as well as a shared path currently being finalised.

The new fence line, rock work and gravel path to the north of the grassland are the first stages of a Nature Places project which aims to turn a disturbed slope on the edge of the sporting fields into an escarpment shrubland and grassy wildflower area which can be enjoyed by park users and better protect the grassland. Brimbank City Council aim to plant 20,000 plants there next year!

Remember to wear sensible footwear, bring water and dress for the weather!

Feature photo: an uncommon find, Teucrium racemosum. Pic by allthingsnative CC BY-SA 4.0.

This event is being run by the Grassy Plains Network in conjunction with Brimbank City Council.

Please RSVP below.