Markham Avenue Reserve includes a section of Gardiners Creek, its riverbank and adjacent Red Gum woodland, plus some revegetation over the last 20 years. Markham Avenue Reserve is located at Melway ref. 60 E12.
The Site Biological Significance Level for Markham Reserve is STATE. The western section of the reserve, adjacent to the proposed housing development, is considered the more significant part of the reserve.
The most significant natural assets include:
• Small patches of two endangered Ecological Vegetation Classes: Plains Grassy Woodland and Riparian Woodland;
• Apparently viable populations of at least twelve plant species that are threatened in Boroondara, some of them
abundant;
• Markham Reserve is part of the Gardiners Creek ecological corridor
The golf course on the opposite side of Gardiners Creek (in the City of Stonnington) has water bodies that attract waterbirds to the area, some of which were seen on Gardiners Creek. Many birds (and no doubt insects) move along the creek corridor daily. The White-faced Heron, Little Pied Cormorant, Spotted Pardalote and several duck species are regularly observed.
Planted Australian native trees in the neighbourhood, particularly around the proposed housing development, attract parrots (particularly Musk Lorikeets) to the area and augment the habitat available in Markham Reserve.
Habitat types include Plains Grassy Woodland (EVC 55, endangered in the Gippsland Plain bioregion) and Riparian Woodland (EVC 641, endangered in the Gippsland Plain bioregion).
In decreasing order of abundance, the dominant canopy eucalypts are Eucalyptus ovata, Eucalyptus
camaldulensis, Eucalyptus melliodora and Eucalyptus viminalis.
More information, including a list of locally endangered species, can be found at the following link:
https://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/media/11671/download?inline= Search for “Site 26. Markham Reserve, Ashburton”.
by Trevor Phillips 27 May, 2021
Friends of Gardiners Creek Valley 