The 2023 planting weekend will be held from Friday 7 July to Sunday 9 July, and will be hosted at the Rainbow Recreational Reserve. We will be planting two areas on the Rainbow Rise, a crescent-shaped lunette on the western end of town. The lunette was once covered in native wildlfowers of all the colours of the Rainbow, and said to be the reason the town got its name.
Butterflies, worms and wildlfowers is this year's theme. We will be replanting a suite of wildlfowers which originally grew in the area, including two species known to attract butterflies. In partnership with Zoos Victoria, we are planting habitat for the endangered Golden-Rayed Blue Butterfly, plus bringing back Native Scurf-pea, a threatened species in Victoria which also attracts the migratory Chequered Swallowtail. To help the wildlfowers grow , we are adding worm castings to the soil to help restore soil biology.
Volunteers are needed to help us plant, guard and water the 7,000 trees, shrubs, wildlflowers and grasses across the two sites. All Saturday meals, plus Sunday breakfast are provided.
Accommodation options include the Rainbow Motor Lodge, Rainbow Caravan Park, which adjoins the Rainbow Recreation Reserve, and has cabins, powered and unpowered camping sites available for hire. The King Charles III Hotel will hopefully be open again too.
There is no public transport available to Rainbow. V/Line operates a rail service to Ararat, then a connecting coach to Horsham and Dimboola. For those wishing to catch public transport, HLN could put on a bus from Dimboola. For details, see www.hindmarshlandcare.org.au
Project Hindmarsh is the Hindmarsh Landcare Network's most successful and well known flagship program. Starting in 1998, the Project Hindmarsh planting weekend is the longest running event of its kind in Australia. This year's event is supported by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Landcare Victoria, the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, Zoos Victoria and Ace Radio 3WM.
