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The Friends of Federation Hill are a group of community members interested in working with Wodonga Council to improve the hill's native biodiversity and improve its value to our community.
We are part of the Wodonga Urban Landcare Network.
Come join us
Come join us
We meet for working bees at the dam the first Sunday of every month. 8 am start in Winter and 7 am in Summer. Everyone welcome! Drop by and say hi, or come along to help.
Contact us at fedhill at wodongalandcare.org.au to find out more or join us!
Planting days
Planting days
July 2026
On Wednesday the the 22nd July and Saturday the 25th July we held our annual planting days, as part of Wodonga Urban Landcare's Project Sprout.
We were lucky on Wednesday to have over 15 staff from the local office of Parker Hannifin join in as part of their commitment to support their staff to volunteer in their local community. This crew were seriously hard workers and we put 200 plants in the ground in just a couple of hours. This included rushes and lilies near the dam, grasses and wildflowers along the dam wall and some trees outside the fenced dam area.
On Saturday we had a lot of our own members come along as well as some community members and another 100 plants went in, including trees and shrubs.
Our planting days are always a highlight of the year for our group. Not only do we get to keep transforming Federation Hill with more biodiversity and nicer places to spend time but we get to meet new people with an interest in their local area.
We look forward to seeing all these plants grow over the coming years!
The Wednesday crew - thanks Parker Hannifin!
The Saturday planting gang!
Nest boxes
Nest boxes
June 2026
At our June working bee we were lucky enough to have Greg Sharp come and talk to the group about nest boxes. We discussed the planning that needs to go into setting them up, maintenance required, equiement needed for monitoring, design options and what type of animals use them.
Greg monitors over 300 nest boxes for Landcare groups across Wodonga so has plenty of experience in knowing what does and doesn't work!
Our group are considering whether nest boxes might be a good addition to the work we are doing in improving habitat, as they provide nesting options for species like gliders and birds, when there aren't enough hollows in trees.
If you have any thoughts on whether nestboxes are something we should look at for Federation Hill get in touch!
What is that bird?
What is that bird?
April 2026
One of our talented and enthusiastic members has started conducting monthly bird surveys at the dam. This will be a great way for us to better understand what wildlife is using the dam, and how it might change over time.
The results of the surveys over the last few months have shown a wide variety of species using the dam. See below for the results from the last few months and some of the notable species seen.
JANUARY - 14 species including rainbow bee-eater- in our region these birds are summer migrants that head north for the Winter. Some head as far as New Guinea and Indonesia.
FEBRUARY - 19 species including sacred kingfisher - also a migrant that flies north to escape the cold each winter.
MARCH - 12 species including mistletoebird - often found feeding on the flowers of mistletoe or insects.
APRIL - 12 species including a peregrine falcon, the world's fastest animal and always a beautiful bird to spot.
All photos by Lizette Salmon.
Working bee
Working bee
April 2026
Some snaps from our latest working bee. Perfect weather, great company and a huge sense of achievement! Whipper snipping, weeding, erosion management and a bit of planting.
What a view
What a view
March 2026
The trees planted up the hill to create wildlife connections are doing wonderfully. What a difference from less than 2 years ago - such a change even from 2024.
There's always a plan!
There's always a plan!
February 2026
Walking around the dam and seeing all the plants that have gone in over the years it might not be obvious that there is a detailed plan for what has been planted where and why.
The group has a planting plan for the dam area that outlines zones of different types of habitats. This then informs plant selection for each area.
Considerations for each zone include:
is it an area where people need access? such as near the walking trail and dam wall
does it stay wet, or get wet when it rains or is it mostly dry (like a hillslope)?
is it an area where we want to attract certain types of wildlife, like small birds or waterbirds?
We want a mix of zones around the dam to support the most amount of wildlife possible, but also be a place for people and their dogs to enjoy.
In each zone we then pick plants to match the purpose and environment such as:
dense shrubs in an area near the dam for small birds to hide in when coming in for water
clumps of grasses and wildflowers fringing walking paths
trees and tall shrubs to provide shade
rushes and sedges around the dam for waterbirds
sedges and grasses to slow water coming off the hill and reduce sediment flowing into the dam.
Species we plant are all identified as local to the native area, and would have been part of the vegetation community that was found on the hill prior to development and grazing.
We also review every year what has done well from previous plantings and what didn't cope to either identify better locations for planting or identify where a species is just not suited to this area.
We source all our plants from partners at Our Native Garden Nursery, supported by grants through Wodonga Urban Landcare Network.
See below a map of the dam area with the zones for planting identified.
Another busy working bee
Another busy working bee
December 2025
Lots of members got to work at our December working bee today. We are keeping on top of the mowing, whipper-snippering, pruning and watering. We also put some extra rushes in around the dam that one of our members sourced from Our Native Garden Nursery - our partners who provide all the plants for our revegetation, thanks to Wodonga Urban Landcare Network.
Spring is here
Spring is here
September 2025
In our patch at the moment you can see why 1st September is Wattle Day! There are 4 Acacia species that are putting on an absolute show near the dam right now. Clockwise from bottom left below is the Oven's wattle (Acacia pravissima); Varnish wattle (Acacia verniciflua); Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) and Lightwood (Acacia implexa). We have more wattle species planted but they don't all flower at the same time. Hedge Wattle (Acacia paradoxa) has flowers not yet open. And there are other species on the hill, but these are some of the most common. And theses are also good options for your own garden. Have a chat to the folks at Our Native Garden nursery if you want ideas on wattles for your patch.
And if yellow is not your favourite colour there are plenty of other flowers starting to pop up around the dam. Above you can see the Happy Wanderer (Hardenbergia violacea), Sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata) , Hopbush (Dodonea viscosa) and Woolly Grevillea (Grevillea lanigera) all putting on their own show.
Planting season
Planting season
July 2025
We've had a great season of planting this year. Thanks to all those members and new faces that joined us for our big planting day in late June. We managed to get over 150 plants into the ground, ready to soak up all the rain and get growing.
Since then we've had 2 more planting days putting in more Billabong rushes around the dam edge thanks to some extras from our friends at Our Native Garden Nursery.
We will likely have a few more plants to go in the ground in spring but in the meanwhile our working bees will include checking on our plants, ensuring the guards are still doing their job to keep the kangaroos off and general maintenance.
New members and visitors are always welcome at our working bees, the first Sunday of each month.
Register for our community planting day!
Register for our community planting day!
June 2025
Wodonga Landcare, with the support of BUPA and Landcare Australia, are hosting 10 days of planting days across Wodonga.
As part of this Friends of Federation Hill is hosting a planting day on Sunday the 22nd June.
Come along and get your hands dirty planting grasses, trees, shrubs and wildflowers around the Tussock Track dam.
Register here so we can arrange enough catering and equipment: https://events.humanitix.com/project-sprout-community-planting-days
Starting the next generation
Starting the next generation
May 2025
Although it's been dry and we've had a lot of our plants struggle if you look closely you can still see signs of the flowers, fruit and seeds that will mean the next generation of plants are on their way.
Working bee achievements
Working bee achievements
March 2025
At our March working bee we cleaned up a lot of broken stakes and guards that were past their usefulness. We continued our war on weeds, did some pruning and re-staking and watered some of those plants from last year's planting that are struggling a bit with the warm, dry weather.
Here are some of our members having a rest after all the hard work.
Rushes
Rushes
December 2024
A noticeable difference at the dam over the last couple of months are all the rushes and reeds that have self-seeded at the dam edge. With all the rain and no cattle to trample them the native plants have done what they do and taken off.
If these plants can get established before summer really hits they will make a huge difference to the habitat around the dam for wildlife. They will also help filter the water coming into the dam so it should get less muddy after rain.
We planted a lot of rushes and reeds around the dam ourselves over winter and many of them are doing great too.
Sometimes it's nice to sit back and create the right conditions for nature to just do its thing ...
Our latest working bee
Our latest working bee
November 2024
At our latest monthly working bee on the 3rd November the crew managed to whipper snipper and tidy up a large part of the dam area. Our new whipper snippers from grant funding from AIA came in VERY handy!
Thanks also to our coordinator Simon for his hard work keeping the track around the dam mowed.
A couple of members also did some work pulling out Paterson's curse - a common weed in this area but something we're trying to keep managed in our fenced dam area.
Join us at our next working bee and find out how great it is to get your hands dirty and do something for our local area!
Wodonga Urban Landcare Network
Wodonga Urban Landcare Network
October 2024
Did you know our group is a member group of the Wodonga Urban Landcare Network - also known as WULN?
The network has a new website with lots of great information about all their many member groups across Wodonga as well as programs they run such as Gardens for Wildlife and Healthy Hectares.
Check them out at https://wodongalandcare.org.au/
Wattle wonderland
Wattle wonderland
August 2024
Wattle season has begun! Can you identify how many different wattle species are in flower in our patch?
See below for some photos of some in the patch flowering right now.
Clockwise from top left - Lightwood or Hickory wattle (Acacia implexa); Varnish wattle (Acacia verniciflua); Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon); Red-stemmed wattle (Acacia rubida) and Ovens Wattle (Acacia pravissima).
Lightwood is found all over Federation Hill and is one of the more common wattles on the hill.
Varnish wattle can be identified by its shiny, slightly sticky leaves that look like someone varnished them!
Blackwood has dark bark and becomes a large tree - you will also see that its young leaves look completely different to adult leaves, with a bipinnate structure with lots of little leaflets.
The Red-stemmed wattle does what it says on the tin, with beautiful reddish trunk and stems.
And finally the gorgeous Ovens wattle with distinctive triangular leaves, light, lemon yellow flowers and a big favourite of all our little birds for hiding in.
We also have other species that aren't as obvious to see like Kangaroo thorn or hedge wattle (Acacia paradoxa) which is also a favourite of the birds as it is covered in scary spines.
A lot of these wattles also make great trees for the garden or farm. A walk along the streets near Federation Hill and you'll see some gorgeous examples of lightwood, blackwood and ovens wattle in gardens.
New equipment - thanks to AIA
New equipment - thanks to AIA
August 2024
One of of our fabulous members has been successful in obtaining a grant for our group to purchase some new equipment to help manage our site. Thanks to the grant from the generous people at AIA we now have 2 new shiny electric whipper snippers (and spare batteries) to help us keep the area around the dam tidy for people to enjoy, and keep high grass from swamping our new plants. We will be putting these to good use at our upcoming monthly working bees. Come along and lend a hand if you're free the first Sunday of each month.
More plants in!
More plants in!
July 2024
Another successful round of planting days with our busy volunteers and almost 200 plants have gone in the fenced area around the dam. You'll see guards around aquatic plants down near the water, wildflowers and grasses on the dam wall, and lots of wildflowers and shrubs planted to fill in gaps throughout the site.
Winter sunshine
Winter sunshine
June 2024
The dam level may be low with the limited rain we've had, but it's still a lovely spot for a morning walk to enjoy these sunny winter days.
If you look closely you can see two waterbirds enjoying the dam too - a pied cormorant and a white-faced heron. They obviously don't mind the cold water!
Water levels dropping
Water levels dropping
March 2024
The last couple of months of dry weather has meant water in the dam is dropping! It's the lowest it's been for a couple of years given the wet winters and cooler summers we've had since 2020. We planned our planting so that when water levels dropped those plants around the edge, like the sedges and rushes that would be well out of water, will still survive. Unfortunately some of them have struggled getting established over the summer and it looks like we'll lose a few despite our members keeping busy with watering.
The yellow flowering aquatic plant - Floating primrose (Ludwigia peploides) is putting on a show of flowers at the moment as the water drops. Many Australian aquatic plants are adapted to the dry and wet season changes of our climate and will flower and seed when conditions are wet, and then the seeds will lay dormant during dry times waiting for rains. We know this pattern will happen in our dam and that as long as plants get the chance to flower and seed they'll be ready to thrive when the dam fills again.
The fruits (or flowers) of our labour
The fruits (or flowers) of our labour
December 2023
It's so wonderful to really be starting to see the benefits of all the work we've put in at the dam on Federation Hill. There are 7 wood ducks on the dam very close to getting their flying wings ready to fledge.
And this Bursaria we planted up the hill is in full flower and covered in many species of beetles, wasps and butterflies at the moment. Invertebrates like these are so important to pollinate our plants so they produce seed and reproduce. They also provide food for the insectivorous birds and other animals that are often struggling in our landscapes. Not to mention there's nothing like seeing a tree full of Australian Painted Lady butterflies!
The important role of our sedges
The important role of our sedges
September 2023
The sedge around the dam is flowering beautifully this year. Now they are no longer being trampled by the cattle they are growing really well. The sedges are an important part of our dam project, as they slow and filter the water coming off the hill. This means the water takes longer to end up in the dam, and during rainy weather and downpours it doesn't all pour into the dam and out the overflow. It also stops the sediment washing off the hill going into the dam and continuing to fill it up. Over the years the cattle have made the dam larger, and the sediment is slowly filing the dam up. This means it is shallower and wider, and goes dry quicker in Summer. We want to stop that so we have water for longer, for wildlife and residents to enjoy. Of course the other benefit of slowing the water and sediment is that our trees, shrubs and wildflowers grow better with moist, fertile soil to thrive in.
Wattle Day - September 1st
Wattle Day - September 1st
August 2023
Spring is almost here and that means Wattle Day! Wattle Day is the 1st of September and it's obvious why when you look at the bush around us at the moment. A walk through our dam restoration site shows red-stemmed wattle, ovens wattle, varnish wattle and lightwoods all in flower.
How many different species can you spot at the dam or on your walks along the hill?
On this day in 2019
On this day in 2019
June 2023
Have a look at this photo taken in June 2019 of our patch of Fed Hill. What a difference a few years and thousands of hours of volunteer work makes!
Successful planting days
Successful planting days
June 2023
On 2 weekends in June we have successfully planted over 100 more plants around the dam area and up the hill. Thanks to all those volunteers that showed up and got their hands dirty.
We have planted rushes and flax lilies around the edge of the dam, shrubs to replace those that didn't make it over summer, more grasses on the dam wall, and a few Kurrajong trees around the seat above the dam to provide shade.
Drop by and have a look at our work when you're next near the hill.
Argyle apple
Argyle apple
April 2023
Have you noticed these beautiful grey-green Eucalypts near the dam and fire trail? These beauties are Argyle apple or Eucalyptus cinerea and are not very common across Federation Hill, although they are much more common a little south, particularly around Beechworth. But near the dam they are doing wonderfully, with lots of young ones coming up.
They are also called the silver dollar tree and you'll sometimes see those round silver juvenile leaves in flower arrangements.
The branches of these trees often grow close to the ground, providing lots of cover for reptiles, mammals and birds.
The seats are in!
The seats are in!
March 2023
Wodonga Council has this week installed the two bench seats they have donated to the project. There is a seat on the dam wall - the perfect spot for a stop on your walk, or to sit and fish. And the other above the dam so you can sit and look over the dam and Wodonga, and watch the birds come in to drink. We hope local residents will find these sits a great addition to this area.
Autumn
Autumn
March 2023
Autumn is here and the group have been working hard to keep the dam area nice and tidy, with mown walkways around the whole dam. Now the water levels have dropped a bit there isn't any water running through the overflow so it isn't quite so boggy on the eastern side. So get out there and take a walk around the dam and see enjoy it.
Wodonga Council will be installing the final piece of the puzzle shortly with two bench seats to go in to help you enjoy the dam and surrounds.
Clear water
Clear water
February 2023
Now the water flow into the dam has slowed, and there isn't as much sediment being stirred up, the water has cleared up so much!
Standing around the edges you can see all the little redfin swimming around.
The native aquatic plants are starting to grow like mad, and although you can't see them as easily with all the grass growth all the rushes and reeds we planted around the edge of the dam are growing well.
And there are so many species of dragonflies whirring around now!
Award winners!
Award winners!
December 2022
At the November Wodonga Urban Landcare Network gathering in late November the Friends of Federation Hill were awarded the 'Community Engagement in Wildlife Habitats Excellence Award'.
Our group was recognised for:
Plantings of native grasses, shrubs and trees
Control of weeds
Continued improvements to fencing to ensure stock cannot access the dam and coordinating installation of an alternative water source
Continued work to attract new members
Regular working bees
Success with attracting grants
We are excited and thankful to receive this award in recognition of what we have been trying to achieve for the last 4 years.
Planting done
Planting done
October 2022
The last of the planting has been done for 2022. Over 680 plants went into our dam restoration site and surrounds this year. Thanks to Wodonga Urban Landcare Network, Our Native Garden Nursery, Personnel Group and some of our members for their funding and donation of all the plants.
Planting included:
4 types of wildlflowers
7 species of wattles and other shrubs
2 tree species
4 types of grasses
as well as rushes, vines and aquatic plants.
Our regular members all pitched in to help with planting, and we had lots of new local residents turn up to help and join our group.
Massive thanks to everyone who was part of our program of planting this year. We can't wait to see how the site changes and evolves as all the plants start to take off.
Habitat
Habitat
September 2022
All the work the group has done over the last 4 years is already creating wonderful habitat for wildlife. At the moment there are 3 different species of wattles and 2 species of grevillea flowering, providing food for birds, bugs and gliders.
A big thank you
A big thank you
August 2022
Thanks to all those people that turned up in the sunshine today for our first planting day of the season. We had 17 wonderful volunteers pitch in to plant over 280 plants around our dam area.
This included planting the dam bank edge with Billabong rushes, Spiny-headed mat-rush and Black anther flax-lilies. We also planted bottlebrush, wattles,grevilleas, spiny bursaria and purple coral pea vines. And finally many native Kangaroo grass, Wallaby grass and Common Tussock Grass.
With the wet ground and rain we're having all these plants will get a huge kick-start.
We have two more planting days this month so feel to come and join us on the 14th or 21st August to help out.
It's time to plant
It's time to plant
August 2022
Winter is the best time of year to get plants in the ground so they have a few months of rainy, cool weather to get established before the summer heat.
We are doing three planting days this year as we have over 300 trees, shrubs, rushes, grasses and wildflowers to plant in and around the dam.
Anyone is welcome to join us to help.
Contact our Coordinator, Simon to RSVP on 0438 247 478 or just turn up on the day. You'll get to meet some of your neighbours and do something to help improve your local area.
Wattles in flower
Wattles in flower
August 2022
The first wattles in our fenced area are coming into flower. This one is 'Lightwood' or 'Hickory Wattle' (Acacia implexa) and can be seen scattered over lots of the hill.
It's a lovely time of year to be on Federation Hill when the wattles are in full bloom, and the hill becomes covered in these little balls of yellow.
The fence is up and the trough is in.
The fence is up and the trough is in.
July 2022
The hardworking Landcare team members have installed the remaining parts of the fence so the whole dam area is now protected from the cattle.
Wodonga Council have installed the water trough and piping further up the hill so the cattle that are agisted in the area have a continuous supply of clean, fresh water throughout the year.
Thanks also to Wodonga Council for installing the two pedestrian gates into the fenced area so everyone can still get in to enjoy the dam, let the dogs have a swim, and enjoy the view across Wodonga.
Grant funding success!
Grant funding success!
May 2022
We are so excited that our group has been successful in securing funding for our Dam restoration project!
Thanks to Helen Haines, Federal Member for Indi and the Stronger Communities Programme we have received $11,300 in funding to carry out the works for our dam restoration.
The funding will allow the group to:
fence around the entire dam, including installing two pedestrian access gates
install a trough for the cattle to drink from instead of needing to access the dam
plant over 400 locally native trees, shrubs, grasses and aquatic plants
install 2 bench seats for residents to sit and enjoy the dam and its wildlife
Work is getting underway this month to start the fence and trough planning and purchasing of materials. All works needs to be finished by November this year so expect to see a few changes in the area in the coming months.
If you're interested in getting involved in the group and working on this great project get in touch!
Thank you Personnel Group
Thank you Personnel Group
March 2022
On the 17th of March we were thankful to have volunteers from Personnel Group to help out at our dam project.
About six local Personnel Group staff pitched in and worked on fixing some erosion issues, removing weeds and planting trees, shrubs and grasses. Personnel Group also generously donated all the plants that went in on the day and quite a few more for a future planting day.
Some of the plants that went in included River Bottlebrush (Callistemon sieberi) - local to our area, Austral Indigo (Indigofera australis) a gorgeous shrub with purple flowers, and a range of aquatic plants near the waters edge.
Everyone worked hard and it will be nice to see these trees and plants thrive over the coming months.
What a spot to relax
What a spot to relax
January 2022
The Pobblebonk frogs and friends are loving the rain, the birds are singing, and the dam is starting to look like a wildlife-filled wetland already. What a spot to spend a bit of the afternoon.
Clear water
Clear water
December 2021
It's amazing how clear the water in the dam is at the moment without the cattle wading through it and around the edges. Stand nearby and you can see redfin perch lazily swimming by and tadpoles skittering in the shallows. Many different aquatic plants are also enjoying the sunshine, warmth and clear water with some growing almost before your eyes!
Keeping the grass down
Keeping the grass down
December 2021
As the rain has continued so has the grass growth! This is keeping our members busy with more mowing, brush-cutting and weeding. Recent working bees have also focussed on some of the weeds that have been coming up including St Johns Wort and Pattersons Curse.
Luckily along with the exotic grasses and flowers many of our planted grasses and shrubs are enjuoying the rain. The Kangaroo Grass and Poa are flowering, and some of the Guinea Flower are covered in their happy yellow flowers.
Rainy Days
Rainy Days
November 2021
The rainy days have been wonderful for helping our planted trees, grasses and shrubs to get a great start. Some of the planted wattles already have lots of new growth.
The rain also means the grass is growing well too! Our members work hard in spring to manage the grass around new plants, and have also been regularly mowing paths in the fenced area so that it's still easy to get around and see how everything is growing!
Sleepy Tawny Frogmouth
Sleepy Tawny Frogmouth
October 2021
During a Bird Count up near the dam one of our members spotted this Tawny Frogmouth trying to get in some shut-eye before dusk.
Tawny Frogmouths are nocturnal and hunt at night, but they're not owls like lots of people assume. They are more related to a group called Nightjars and don't have the strong talons for hunting that owls do.
Have you ever heard the call of a Tawny Frogmouth? It's a deep, repeating 'ooom-ooom-ooom'. As frogmouths can be hard to see listening out for them at night is one of the easiest ways to know if they're around. Listen to their call here on Marc Anderson's wonderul Wild Ambience website of wildlife sounds.
For more information on Tawny Frogmouths check out this page.
Aussie Backyard Bird Count
Aussie Backyard Bird Count
October 2021
The annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count, run by Birdlife Australia starts on Monday the 18th of October and runs until Sunday the 24th October.
All you need to do is download the app, sit quietly for 20 minutes and record all the birds you can see.
Don't worry if you don't know a lot about birds - the app can help you identify what's likely to be near you, and no matter what birds you see the information will help Birdlife Australia get a picture of how Australia's birds are doing.
You can do it in your own backyard, or head up to the dam and sit and watch the birds coming into drink or flying through the trees - there are plenty to see and hear at this time of year!
Download this great Birds in Backyard poster - how many have you seen?
Successful planting day
Successful planting day
August 2021
Friends of Fed hill had a great turn out of members for a successful planting day, putting in over 200 trees, shrubs, grasses and sedges.
A large number of rushes and sedges were planted to help slow down water and stop erosion. Trees and shrubs were planted as habitat for birds.
All aboard!
All aboard!
July 2021
During a working bee to install the new fence three echidnas were seen ambling along the hill just up from the fenced area. Breeding season for echidnas is in Winter and Spring and during this time you can be lucky enough to see male echidnas following a female echidna in what is called an echidna train.
These three were spotted walking down the hill and then happily digging amongst the rocks looking for something to eat.
For more info on Echidna Trains check out Australian Geographic's explainer.
Want information on walks at Federation Hill?
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