THE team at the Yea Wetlands Discovery Centre are always delighted to welcome visitors to Murrindindi Shire and are looking forward to a busy summer.

The friendly group of local volunteers are ready to assist with all visitor enquiries, and the gift shop is fully stocked with a great range of local produce, art and giftware.

The indigenous garden Badji Baanang (pronounced ba–dji baa–nang) and meaning 'Waterhole' features plants found across Taungurung Country and overlooks a beautiful lagoon which this summer will offer peaceful reflections of the surrounding bush.

It is an ideal place for a picnic, especially as there are adjacent barbecue facilities, ample on–site parking and a recreational vehicle dump point.

The garden itself has been designed with the access track through the garden to represent the Goulburn River (Waring).

This River is the largest river on Taungurung Country and is a vitally important part of the Taungurung creation story, as the lifeline of Country and as an important cultural resource for Taungurung people.

The garden also incorporates information about indigenous plants and the species that depend on these plants for survival.

Meandering next to the centre is the Yea Fossil Time Path which takes visitors on a journey back through millennia and highlights Yea's own unique fossil – Baragwanathia Longifolia – that grew in the area 420 million years ago.

Examples of this internationally significant fossil can be found in the Education Centre at Yea Wetlands Discovery Centre along with other attractions for both children and adults to enjoy.

The Yea Wetlands Discovery Centre is open 7 days a week, 10am to 4pm (closed Christmas Day).

For more information visit www.yeawetlands.com.au, call (03) 5797 2663 or follow them on Facebook @yeawetlands.