Friends of Lake Modewarre

Members of FOLM meet monthly online or face to face and together are the drivers for development of advocacy and action plans to protect and restore a healthy wetland system at Lake Modewarre.

We work towards promoting, protecting, and regenerating the environment of Lake Modewarre to establish and maintain healthy connected wetlands, and to tell the story of the Lake.

We do this by working with the community and authorities to:

• address the range of challenges to the environmental values and sustainability of Lake Modewarre
• promote the control and management of pest plant and animals in the area
• promote and protect biodiversity
• work to ensure the responsible recreational use of the Lake and surrounding area
• establish a description of the area’s natural assets as a baseline for monitoring the effectiveness of these initiatives
• be a reliable source of information on Lake Modewarre and it’s surrounds
• increase community awareness of the lake’s local environmental issues.

• Worked with council to install  cultural heritage interpretive signage
• New seat installed
• Active advocacy to retain and restore clubrooms
• Successful advocacy for cessation of duck shooting 2024
• Successful grant applications:
• SurfCoast Shire Natural Environment grant for weed management at Lake Modewarre 2025
• SurfCoast Community Grant for weed and native flora identification workshop 2023
• Vic History Grant for cultural heritage report 2022
• Develop advocacy for Ramsar classification for Lake Modewarre

FOLM was initiated after local community members were brought together by concern for the local environment under the threat of a large development project in the region. This raised the awareness that the natural environment in this area and particularly Lake Modewarre was precious and needed to be protected and restored.

We need more members to come and enjoy and protect Lake Modewarre for our children and future generations.

Lake Modewarre is a great environment loved by bird watchers and community for its changeable natural environment. The lake includes  600 hectares of water filled seasonal wetlands with Brolgas, growling grass frogs and more.

Lake Modewarre is a shallow freshwater lake located near the township of Modewarre in south-western Victoria, within the Surf Coast Shire. Part of the Lake Modewarre–Wurdee Boluc wetland system, the lake sits on the Victorian Volcanic Plain and is influenced by the region’s basalt geology and flat, low-lying landscape. Water levels fluctuate seasonally and in response to rainfall, shaping the lake’s ecology and surrounding grasslands.

The area has a long and continuous history of Aboriginal occupation and is part of the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung People. Lake Modewarre and nearby wetlands were significant cultural landscapes, providing reliable sources of food, water, and materials, and forming important places for gathering, ceremony, and connection to Country. Cultural heritage values in the area include artefact scatters and culturally significant landforms associated with the broader volcanic plain.

Following European settlement in the mid-19th century, the surrounding land was largely cleared for agriculture, particularly grazing. These changes altered natural water regimes and vegetation communities but the lake remains an important remnant wetland. Today, Lake Modewarre holds ecological, cultural, and community value, supporting birdlife, native vegetation, and opportunities for conservation, education, and respectful engagement with the area’s deep cultural history.

Lake Modewarre is accessible to the community via public roads and informal access points around the lake. The site is a natural wetland environment and does not have formal accessibility infrastructure such as sealed walking paths, or boardwalks. Despite these limitations, the lake is regularly accessed by local residents, visitors, and volunteers for activities including walking, birdwatching, nature observation, and environmental stewardship.

Friends of Lake Modewarre is a volunteer-led community group that aims to be inclusive to people of varying ages, abilities, and experience levels. Volunteer activities, including weed management, planting, and monitoring, are planned with flexibility in mind. Tasks can be adapted to suit individual capacity, with options for lighter duties, observational roles, or participation in planning and coordination activities for those unable to undertake physical work.

Some areas of the site include uneven ground, muddy surfaces, and seasonal inundation, which may limit access for people with mobility impairments or require additional support. The group recognises these challenges and promotes safe participation through clear communication, supervision during activities, and appropriate risk management. Friends of Lake Modewarre is committed to considering accessibility in future site improvements, where feasible, while maintaining the lake’s natural, cultural, and ecological values.

Being part of FOLM has brought community connection into my life and such an inspiring group of courageous community members committed to protection and restoration of natures gifts.