NEWS DESK HOW to make a scarecrow? That was one class especially enjoyable for grade 5 pupils at Eastbourne Primary School. Red Hill artist Michael Leeworthy was at the Rosebud West school as part of the Mornington Peninsula Hinterland Scarecrow Festival and Trail. “Scarecrow making takes pupils away from the digital world into craft making and gets them to use their imaginations and work with others,� he said. Leeworthy is visiting eight peninsula schools and kindergartens as part of an artist-in-residence program. Showing the pupils two ways of making a scarecrow he sensibly kept the details simple. In his kit was a scarecrow body template he had sewn up beforehand, and the pupils were shown how to use recyclable materials where possible and give it “personality�. As well as working with traditional scarecrows, the Eastbourne pupils are planning to build a themed Aussie icon “Vegemite on toast� art installation. They have also got their eye on the prize for Best School or Kindergarten Scarecrow and hope to win class entry to the Enchanted Adventure Maze at Arthurs Seat. It’s not just fun for the kids, either: the teacher of the winning entry wins the use of a luxury car for the weekend from BMW Mornington, while the school also wins a car for the weekend which it can auction for fundraising. Eastbourne’s entry will be displayed alongside 40 traditional scarecrows and art installations on properties and at businesses across the peninsula during the September school holidays. All schools and kindergartens
Pupils inspired by scarecrows Finding fungus
across the peninsula are welcome to enter the competition. Organisers say they will match all scarecrow creations with a host in the hinterland region. There is also an Artist Permanent
Class act: Artist Michael Leeworthy treated Eastbourne Primary School pupils to a morning of making scarecrows. Here, Jazmyn and Shaun (rear) and Bruce and Sophie show off their creation. Picture: Gary Sissons
Sculpture competition category and Best Traditional and Best Aussie Icon categories for the community. For details and to register go to scarecrowfestival.org.au Stephen Taylor
THERE may be no need to be alarmed if groups of people are seen bending over or crawling through the undergrowth at Greens Bush or other forested areas of the Mornington Peninsula. Chances are they are searching for the rare tea-tree fingers (Hypocreopsis amplectens), Victoria’s only listed macrofungus. First found in 1992, tea-tree fingers is known only from three sites in Australia and one in New Zealand. However, it has not been seen for a long time, is vulnerable to fire and could be close to extinction. Populations have been found in heathy woodlands on prickly tea-tree, silver banksia and scented paperbark in Greens Bush on the peninsula and Nyora in Gippsland. Greens Bush at Main Ridge is described by Parks Victoria as the largest remnant of bushland on the peninsula. Sapphire McMullan-Fisher, from the Fungimap team, will outline where the fungus lives and how it can be found (or the other brown paint fungus that it lives on) at the 5 September meeting of the Southern Peninsula Indigenous Flora and Fauna Association (SPIFFA). Anyone who would like to be involved in organised searches for tea-tree fingers and would like to attend a training session email margot.e.elmer@gmail.com or renae.haylock@parks.vic.gov.au
Rosebud Country Club
:LQWHU :DUPHUV Offers end 31 August 2016. Valid for Dinner Only.
MONDAY
)LVK DQG &KLS 1LJKW
With a Glass of RCC House Label Wine, Beer or Soft drink
TUESDAY
6KDQN 6KLUD] 1LJKW
Includes a glass of Margaret River Shiraz
WEDNESDAY
0HDW 7DVWLQJ %RDUG IRU With a bottle of RCC House Label Red or White Wine
THURSDAY
'XFN 3LQRW 1LJKW
Half Chinese roasted duck & glass of 148 Browns Road Pinot
FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY
&RPSOLPHQWDU\ *ODVV RI +RXVH :LQH ZLWK HYHU\ PDLQ PHDO SXUFKDVHG
207 Boneo Road, Rosebud 03 5950 0800 www.rosebudcountryclub.com.au
1099 Point Nepean Rd, Rosebud P: 5950 0300 www.rosebudhotel.com.au Southern Peninsula News 9 August 2016
PAGE 5