Southern Shepherd's Purse (Ballantinia antipoda) by Norm Stimson (Enviro Images).
On 10 May there will be a presentation by Paul Forman on Southern Shepherd’s Purse Ballantinia antipoda at 7.30 at the ANA Hall in Harcourt. The Harcourt Valley Landcare Group who have organised this event are actively involved in the recovery of this endangered herb. Information on the National Recovery Plan for Ballantinia antipoda can be found here.
For further information, contact Robyn Miller on 0467 670 271.
Denis Saunders
At the Connecting Country evening event on 20th March Dr Denis Saunders gave an interesting and informative talk about biodiversity and why it is important. Dr Saunders is a Research Fellow CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences and member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. For a summary of the talk, click here.
For those who missed the talk or would like to hear it again, click here for a audio version.
Professor Ary Hoffmann - Director of Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research, Department of Genetics and Zoology
The final evening talk in the Connecting Country Education Program for 2012 will be held at Sutton Grange Community Hall on Tuesday 8 May from 6.30pm. In the face of environmental degradation, Professor Ary Hoffman from the University of Melbourne Bio21 Institute, will discuss the concept of building evolutionary resilience in vegetation and how it can be included in conservation and landscape planning strategies.
This event will be useful to the industry practitioner and the active Landcare group member alike, as well as all other community members. It will get you thinking in more depth about aspects of revegetation such as tube stock provenance, parent tree selection, seed collection and species selection. Considerable time will be available for the audience to discuss these concepts with Professor Hoffmann, Connecting Country staff and members of the Sutton Grange Landcare group. Additional information for further reading will also be available on the night to take home.
The free evening event commences at 6.30pm with a pre-talk supper. The event is fully catered by CAKE (Castlemaine Abundance Kitchen Enterprise) with food sourced from locally grown ingredients – the food and drinks are free, but gold coin donations to the Sutton Grange Landcare group are encouraged.
For more information and to RSVP please contact bryan@connectingcountry.org.au or call the Connecting Country office on 5472 1594. RSVPs are not essential but are preferred for catering purposes. Full details of the program and a registration form can be found at the Connecting Country website: www.connectingcountry.org.au/2012-education-program.
Are you interested in getting paid to farm carbon? Considering alternative incomes on your property?
Ben Keogh, Managing Director of Australian Carbon Traders, will discuss the practicalities and realities of carbon farming at a free evening forum in Castlemaine on 3 May. This flyer has more information about the event that is being hosted by the North Central Catchment Management Authority.
The latest issue of the North Central CMA publication Groundcover is now available and can be downloaded here. This issue includes information on North Central CMA licenses for works on waterways, the Blueprint for Australian Agriculture and a May forum in Yandoit on native grases in farming systems. Although not specified in the article, the Yandoit field day is also being co-hosted by Connecting Country – and is the final event in our 2012 education program (click here for details).
Connecting Country currently has two vacant committee positions. Expressions of interest are being sought from members of the community who may wish to join one or both of these committees.
Connecting Country Committee of Management
This committee provides direction and oversight for the organisation as a whole. It meets formally once per month (4th Tuesday from 7pm to 9pm in Castlemaine). Any expressions of interest should be registered by Tuesday 15th May to President, Marie Jones, on 5472 2892 or goldenpoint@aanet.com.au.
Landcare Facilitator Steering Committee
The Landcare Facilitator Steering Committee provides support and direction to the Mount Alexander Region Landcare Facilitator. The committee meets monthly, on a Monday, from 9am to 10:30am in Castlemaine. Any expressions of interest should be registered by Monday 18th May to Assistant Project Coordinator, Krista Patterson-Majoor, on 5472 1594 or krista@connectingcountry.org.au.
The Tarrangower Cactus Control Committee and Parks Victoria will hold their first Community Field Day on Sunday 29 April starting at 10.30 am. Local State MP, Maree Edwards, has agreed to launch our season and get us off to a flying start.
The venue for next Sunday is a property on Watersons Road between Treloars Road and Tarrengower School Road. See the attached notice for a map. As usual the day will finish with a sausage sizzle and a cuppa.
For more details phone Cheryl and Tony Kane on (03) 5475 2073.
BRIT TAFE is offering Farm Chemical and 1080 Pest Control training this month. There may be some positions available and people interested should contact Tony Misson, Coordinator, Primary Industries, Bendigo TAFE, on 03 5434 1759, or email tmisson@bendigotafe.edu.au
Farm Chemical Users Course (23, 24 and 25 April)
Course cost $375.00
Participants will receive training in the basic skills and knowledge to select, purchase, transport, store, record and use agricultural and veterinary chemicals responsibly. Completion of this course is required before participants can be issued with an Agricultural Chemical Users Permit (ACUP) from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI)
1080 Pest Control Course (27 April)
Course cost $200.00
This course aims to provide 1080 pest animal bait users with the knowledge, skills and competency to use 1080 pest animal bait products in a manner which is both safe for themselves and the environment. The course also aims to ensure bait end users understand that the use of 1080 pest animal bait products is only one element of an integrated pest animal management strategy. The course is designed for individuals and for persons operating within an integrated pest management plan eg. landcare groups.
Upon successful completion of this course (and prior completion of the Farm Chemical User Course), you will be eligible to obtain a 1080 endorsement to your ACUP issued under the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use Act) 1992. This will qualify you as an “authorised person” and permit you to purchase and use 1080 pest animal bait products in Victoria from 1 January 2008.
As part of the North Central CMA/Golden Point Landcare Weeds on Private Land Project, project officer Fritz Hammersley will be conducting a community planting day on the Photography Studies College property, Golden Point at 10:30 am on Sunday April the 29th. This property occurs on on the corner of Commissioner’s Gully Rd and Golden Point Rd. All interested members of the public are invited to attend to plant and discuss how the planting and future plantings fit into the weed control strategy for the property. Fritz is very interested in hearing other people’s weed control problems and strategies.
Equipment will be provided save for gloves, so bring a good pair of gardening gloves in your kit. A BBQ lunch will be provided at the log cabin near the site. Parking is available near the site or on Golden Point Road. For catering purposes, please let Fritz (0411566987 fritzham@bigpond.com) or Jennifer (Golden Point Landcare scretary – j.pryce@bigpond.com) know if you are coming.
Participants at recent a planting day.
This Wednesday evening, April 18, Connecting Country will host a Panel discussion on the theme ‘Can I get paid to farm nature?’. Panellists will include Tim Read from Trust for Nature, Peter Johnson from Land for Wildlife, Nick Lewis from ES Link Services, Paul Dettmann from Greenhouse Balanced and Chris Timewell from Connecting Country. Each representative will have 15 minutes to promote their services and to discuss the support mechanisms they have to assist landholders with land management. The panel will then look at a number of farm-based scenarios and suggest ways in which the landholder can manage the land to gain environmentally, economically and socially. The Panel discussion will be held at the Campbells Creek Community Centre (Elizabeth St) and commence at 6:30pm. The event is free for all members of the public and is fully catered. Feel free to turn up on the night, although RSVPS are preferred for catering purposes (contact us on 5472 1594 or bryan@connectingcountry.org.au).
A follow-up excursion will be held on Sunday April 22 to a Sandon farm where we will hear the farmer (Malcolm Fyffe) and the conservationist (Geoff Park) discuss the realities of biodiversity management on economic landscapes. Buses and catering are supplied for this half day event and we will meet at the Ray Bradfield Room in Castlemaine for a 9am departure. This will be an interactive experience for participants and will be a great opportunity to flesh out ideas for personal land management situations. Due to limited bus spaces, RSVPs are preferred (phone 5472 1594 or email bryan@connectingcountry.org.au). There is a charge of $10 per participant for this event, which can be paid on the day.
For more information on these and future events click here. Also, please pass this reminder onto others who might be interested in coming along.
Dainty Swallowtail (Papilio-anactus)
Coprinus atramentarius
Campylopus
Gorse Bitter-pea (Daviesia ulicifolia)
Spider Mites on Gorse
Forest Hedge Grass (Echinopogon ovatus)
Sematophyllum
Peron´s Tree Frog or Maniacal Cackle Frog (Litoria peronii)
Pseudocyphellaria neglecta
Clustered Everlasting (Chrysocephalum semipapposum)
Tortula antarctica
Flying Duck Orchid (Caleana sp)
Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)
Scarlet Robin
Grey Fantail
Quaking-grass (Briza maxima)
Clitocybe semiocculta
Lichen (probably Xanthoria sp) on a Cassinia stem
Wheel Cactus (Opuntia robusta)
Coral lichen with moss (Leptodontium paradoxum)
