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CoGG supported activities - 2026

In 2025, Rabbit Sweep applied for some funds to support some special activities on the Bellarine. Rabbit Sweep is a Landcare program to engage land holders with their neighbours and work on controlling the rabbit infestation of the Bellarine. 

For many years, land holders have worked to control rabbits but it is sometimes a thankless and ineffective exercise - often because in isolation a property is subjected to many other people's rabbits!

So Rabbit Sweep is trying to awaken land holders, sometimes again, and to help them link into their neighbourhood and work together. This provides opportunities for sharing expertise and labour and for developing a sense of responsibility all over again.

Similarly, Rabbit Sweep is trying to promote the rabbit control activity in the community. Just saying we need to kill rabbits does not do that very well. Rabbit Sweep is suggesting there are good things that can result from controlling the pests and one is the reintroduction of some of the precious indigenous animals we used to have.

Research work by Rabbit Sweep suggests that, like Rabbit Free Australia, promoting a cute animal can be really effective. Rabbit Free Australia, based in South Australia, promotes the bilbie - Rabbit Sweep has chosen the formerly local eastern brown bandicoot.

Rabbit Sweep applied for funds to hold three apparently simple events:

  • an evening discussion including a presentation about bandicoots,
  • a treasure hunt for families at the Ocean Grove Reaerve, and
  • a subsidised visit to Mt Rothwell to lern about bandicoots as rabbit alternatives.

Funds were offered but we were asked by CoGG to make our events slightly more rabbit-focussed. We worked on the following three events. Two of the events were not held as originally anticipated: the Treasure Hunt grew in interest and had to be moved to a new location and the Mt Rothwell event was not fully subscribed so it was replaced by a face-to-face discussion event.

The first event was as planned and was an evening event hosted by Bellarine Landcare (BLG) at which participants learnt about bandicoots in the context of a rabbit-ridden peninsula. The second was a day in a local reserve - and in the end - in the Pt Richards reserve in Port Arlington (the original venue turned out not able to accommodate the growing number of participants). The third was a visit from the new National Rabbit Action Coordinator, Heidi Kleinert, on August 12. 

The first event attracted, in the group of 25, a significant number of people who did not normally frequent BLG's monthly events. In general, they were hungry for news about dealing with rabbits (hence the follow up third event in August).

The second event was quite significant in terms of developing an activity to address a number of issues, primarily engaging families in awareness of the rabbit problem and motivation for help with rabbit control. The event involved a treasure hunt, a sausage sizzle, and a pageant, all free for participants. More than 50 people participated.

 

An unsolicited response from one participating mother says it all:

Our family had such a wonderful morning at the Bandicoot Treasure Hunt and Pageant. Thank you to everyone involved in creating such a thoughtful and engaging event.

I loved how interactive our learning was, from discovering clues along the trail to chatting with knowledgeable people througout. Rather than simply being told about bandicoots and the threats they face, the children became active explorers. Walking through Pt Richards Nature and Fauna Reserve while searching for clues, digging for worms, spotting well-camouflaged predators and pests, and completing their field books made the experience memorable and meaningful. It encouraged curiosity, observation and discussion in a way that felt like an adventure rather than a lesson.

Both of my children (aged 8 and 10) commented on how much they enjoyed discovering a walking trail they had never explored before, despite living locally. They also loved digging for worms and finding each of the activity stations along the trail. Their favourite part, however, was the pageant. They said it was fun because it gave them the opportunity to do something they would never normally do. Wearing the animal masks and taking part in the shared performance helped bring the story of our local wildlife to life, while reinforcing the importance of protecting native species from invasive pests such as rabbits.

The creative elements, including making a bandicoot diorama, appealed to children with different interests and learning styles, and the free barbecue and picnic created a welcoming community atmosphere where families could stay, connect and chat after the activities.

As a parent, I was impressed by how accessible and engaging the event was. It successfully combined environmental education, creativity, outdoor exploration and community connection in a way that captured children's imaginations. We left with a greater appreciation for our local reserve, a better understanding of the challenges facing native wildlife, and some wonderful family memories.

Thank you again for such a creative and inspiring community event. We hope to see more opportunities like this in the future.

The third event was a very successful discussion and presentation evening with Heidi Kleinert. Hosted by Bellarine Landcare, this event attracted land holders, government, industrial and other participants, many of who do not normally attend Landcare meetings.