Our Story
We love nature and recognize that successful communities depend on a thriving environment and healthy sustainable land.
Project Platypus is a registered charity organisation that works with 12 Landcare groups, community organisations, government and Catchment Management Authorities to rehabilitate land and create habitat. We have planted over one million trees and created 1,500 hectares of habitat for wildlife, since our journey began in 1995.
We work across the Upper Wimmera Catchment
Our region stretches from the headwaters of Barringgi Gadyin (the Wimmera River) in Mt Cole, to the Mt William Creek/Wimmera River junction at the northern end of Gariwerd (the Grampians Ranges). Traditional owner groups from the region include the Jardwadjali, Djab Warrung, Djadja Wurrung, Wotjobaluk and Wadawurrung People. These groups have had a strong cultural connection to their country for at least 22,000 years. The Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council recognises three Registered Aboriginal Parties, Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, and Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage for areas of the Upper Wimmera Catchment.
We are a not-for-profit organisation that was started by the community, for the community
Project Platypus was established in 1994 to help individual landholders and Landcare groups work together to tackle catchment wide environmental issues, like soil health and water quality degradation. A volunteer board was established to guide the project. Since then, Project Platypus has been acting as an umbrella organisation for the Landcare groups of the Upper Wimmera Catchment to deliver large scale projects, with the help of a small team of staff based in Stawell, Victoria.
What's in a name?
These days, sightings of platypus in our Wimmera river systems are rare. This wasn't always the case. Our members still remember when seeing platypus in Mt Cole creek and the Wimmera River were common. We chose the name "Project Platypus" as an aspiration and dream of returning our landscape to a healthy one where platypus thrive in a healthy catchment. All of our projects support this goal through various initiatives.
