Vicki Boyle has dedicated 20 years of her life to caring for the Dandenongs environment. 54134
By Casey Neill
“I hope they have to carry me out of the bush. I hope I drop dead weeding – that’d be a nice way to go,” she said.
The dedicated 60-year-old recently received this year’s Individual Caring for Public Land Award in the Port Phillip and Western Port Regional Landcare Awards.
It recognised her work to protect the Monbulk Creek catchment area and encourage others to follow her lead.
“I was really, really surprised because there are so many people doing wonderful things in Landcare, and this region has more volunteers than any other part of Australia,” she said.
“I agreed to be nominated because I thought it would be good for our cause. I never dreamed that I’d win the award.”
Ms Boyle’s passion began in her own backyard – beneath Puffing Billy’s famous trestle bridge.
“I was so disappointed with the degradation here – and this is an iconic spot, people come from all over the world to see Sherbrooke Forest,” she said.
“It was just covered in angled onion and thistles and goodness knows what that I decided I would start to look after it.”
A friends group grew from her enthusiasm eight years ago, and saw Southern Dandenongs Landcare Group emerge five years later.
“There’s an awful lot of public land in the shire and we don’t have a big enough rate base to employ people to look after it,” she said.
“That’s why we have a greater amount of friends groups in this region, because we’ve got so many areas of Crown land.”
Ms Boyle said the Monbulk Creek catchment was metropolitan Melbourne’s last viable platypus habitat.
“Fancy having a gem like this at the end of a metropolitan railway line,” she said.
“We just take it for granted and we shouldn’t. We’ve got to look after it, it’s really under threat.”
She urged people to stop, look and think about what “this beautiful bushland does”.
“The Dandenongs used to be known as the lungs of Melbourne,” she said.
“When I was a child we recognised their value in cleaning air and offering solace from the city life.”
“That seems to have gone by the board now and I think we have to revisit that. It’s still very, very important.”
Lyster Ward councillor Samantha Dunn said Ms Boyle was extremely humble.
“I think that’s made her even more worthy,” she said.
“Any environmental activity in the Southern Dandenongs area, you can back it in that Vicki has had a hand in it.”
Cr Dunn said Ms Boyle had had an enormous impact on the landscape and inspired enthusiasm for the environment in others.
“She’s worked tirelessly with volunteers,” she said.
“I admire her passion and drive.”
Ms Boyle will now represent the region at the 2011 Victorian State Landcare Awards.
