Connecting Country Introduces New Work Crew
Posted on 7 May, 2013 by Connecting Country
It is with great pride that Connecting Country introduces its inaugural Work Crew. Over the past few weeks, this team of five willing workers – Alex (crew leader), Daniele, Jack, Jules and Teresa – have set to work fencing, planting, weeding and controlling pest animals across the shire. They will also receive on-the-job training in Natural Resource Management over the next few months. The crew was formally ‘launched’ at a special lunch-time event on Thursday 18 April at their depot in Castlemaine. You can find out more about the crew on the Connecting Country staff page.
Workcrew cutting the ribbon at the launch. From left Alex, Teresa, Juliet (Jules), Jack and Daniele.
Funded by the Federal Government’s Biodiversity Fund, the Works Crew will carry out these works on private property as part of Connecting Country’s ‘Connecting Landscapes Across the Mount Alexander Region’ programme. Programme manager Jarrod Coote said at the launch, ‘Over the next 4 to 5 years, the programme aims to connect large areas of remnant bushland through the establishment of habitat corridors and scattered plantings on private land. These works are vital if our wildlife is to have somewhere to go in a changing climate. If successful, these works will also reverse some of the native fauna population declines that have occurred as a result of historic habitat modification, fragmentation and loss.’
The Works Crew will implement ‘Connecting Landscapes’ projects on private land. Within particular areas throughout the shire, native bushland on private properties will have their pest plants and vermin treated, and in some cases, missing components of the vegetation re-planted. In addition, many hundreds of hectares of new plantings will be established to form new connections between isolated bush blocks on public and private land.
To express an interest in taking part in the programme, contact Jarrod at Connecting Country on 03 5472 1594 or jarrod@connectingcountry.org.au .
Hi Christine,
Thanks for your question.
The majority of our priority areas occur within the Mount Alexander Shire, but there are some that occur within or near the Greater Bendigo Shire. The following weblink provides a map of the priority areas – although it can be a bit hard to tell exactly due to the lack of roads on the map! (http://connectingcountry.org.au/press/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Biodiversity-document-pdf.pdf) If you think you may be within or near a priority area, or if you’re not sure, please feel free to contact Jarrod for more detailed information (jarrod@connectingcountry.org.au or Tues-Fri on phone 5472-1594).
Yours, Chris
I live in the Greater Bendigo shire, do I qualify for help?