Autumn Series Launch – a quiz and some beautiful music for 27 March 2018

Posted on 29 March, 2018 by Tanya Loos

Our Autumn Workshop Series launch was a fun and friendly fun affair. About 40 people enjoyed the mild Autumn weather in the beautiful Hub Plot garden, including landholders, new Connecting Country members, and members of our management committee and staff.

Following our workshop series theme of ‘Monitoring Healthy Habitats’, the evening included a fun and educational nature quiz. The various skulls, scats and other fascinating quiz items were largely from Tanya’s naturalist collection. Some of the items were quite difficult to identify!

After a drink or two and some yummy vegan nibbles, teams formed to tackle the quiz. Saide and Helen were the winning team. They correctly identified an echidna skull, a peregrine falcon’s regurgitated pellet (including racing pigeon ID rings!) and an echidna scat. Well done!

No-one correctly guessed the super-hard question – which was a small collection of stick insect scats! The prize for this question was a copy of Tracks, Scats and Traces, by Barbara Triggs. Margaret guessed caterpillar scats – which was near enough. Well done Margaret!

After the quiz, Nioka treated us to a beautiful series of songs, both covers and originals. Thank you Nioka!

We thank everyone for coming along, and wish all our friends and supporters a very restful and happy Easter long weekend. Special thanks to everyone who helped out and made the launch possible.

The Autumn workshop series is kindly funded by the Wettenhall Environment Trust.

Barkers Creek gets beautiful – Nature News March 2018

Posted on 27 March, 2018 by Tanya Loos

This March’s Nature News was written by Sarah Edwards, who did her internship at Connecting Country. Sarah interviewed Daryl Colless from Barkers Creek Landcare & Wildlife Group. This story featured in the Midland Express on 6 March 2018.

The Barkers Creek Landcare & Wildlife Group is a group of local residents who are passionate about protecting and restoring the natural environment. Getting your hands dirty doing on-ground works is a great way of connecting locals to the creek. The group includes members of all ages, which makes working bees a lot of fun!

Their story starts at the Little Red Apple store where you’ll find delicious fruit and vegetables, and award winning cider. It backs onto a section of Barkers Creek that needed a bit of TLC.

The owners of the Little Red Apple have a vision of creating an outdoor picnic area alongside the creek in the future, and were keen to help Barkers Creek Landcare & Wildlife Group restore this area. After removing plenty of blackberries and willows, they planted native plants alongside the creek. The weed removal was so successful that nearby landowners got involved and did some planting on their own properties.

The team gathers at the Little Red Apple site. Photo by Kirsten Hutchison.

There were challenges along the way. Since this project began, several floods have come through and washed away some of the plants, and damaged the footbridge. However, these setbacks did not dampen the spirits of this group. They rebuilt and replanted after the floods, still working to make this area a beautiful picnic spot and create a healthy environment that will attract native wildlife.

The key to long-term success of the sites worked on by Barkers Creek Landcare & Wildlife Group is the follow up work. Returning to a site yearly for weed removal and more planting is crucial. This Landcare group has worked very hard to achieve some amazing outcomes. Who knows what they will do next!

If you have any questions about this story or Barkers Creek Landcare & Wildlife Group, please see https://www.barkerscreeklandcare.org.au or contact Daryl on 0407 419 606.

Saving the Silver Banksia presentation

Posted on 22 March, 2018 by Tanya Loos

Clearly there is a lot of love for the Silver Banksia in our region! About 60 people gathered in Harcourt on Monday 19 March 2018 to hear geneticist Adam Miller present the latest results from his genetic studies on Silver Banksia (Banksia marginata) populations – hot off the press!

Adam Miller presents to a full house at the ANA Hall.

Dr Adam Miller is a geneticist from Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University. Adam has a wide range of research interests, including ecological genetics and genomics, wildlife conservation and environmental restoration, pest control, environmental stress and adaptation research. For the science buffs among you, Adam’s extensive publication history on Google Scholar can be found  here.

Adam’s talk was titled ‘Planting for the future through smart genetic management: Banksia Marginata as a case study’. The presentation was absolutely fascinating. Any genetics project needs a lot of preparatory explanation. I’d already taken seven pages of notes before we got onto the banksia project proper!

Banksia decline

Silver Banksias were once common all over the Victorian Volcanic Plains and the Mount Alexander area, but now we only have isolated populations of old individuals. The banksias face many threats. Recruitment of new plants is very difficult as young plants are eaten by rabbits or wallabies, and the young plants can’t grow through thick Phalaris grass. Herbicide spray drift from farms is another threat. However, Adam and other conservation geneticists believe that  loss of genetic diversity is a key driver in the extinction of species, and without active management we can’t be confident these species will survive climate change. If we can’t get it right for an iconic species such as Silver Banksia, the future looks grim for other struggling species, such as Drooping Sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata).

Genetic diversity

Genetic diversity underpins the ability of a population to respond to environmental change. High diversity increases the chance there is enough variety for at least some of the population to cope with environmental changes. Low diversity increases the chance of extinction. The Central Victorian Banksia Working Group wanted to find out what is going on with the genetics of the surviving Silver Banksias. Are they genetically isolated? Are they in poor genetic health or in-breeding? Where is the best genetic material? Which plants should we collect seed from for replanting or creating a seed orchard?

After the presentation, people crowded around Adam and the screen to hear more!

Latest results

Analysis results for the Central Victorian banksia population showed:

• All banksia populations in central Victoria are genetically isolated from one another, meaning populations are not cross-pollinating.
• There is no current evidence of inbreeding – the genetic diversity of all the samples is still quite good! However, there is an imminent risk of inbreeding due to genetic isolation.
• Managed intervention will be needed to prevent these populations from disappearing.

Analysis of the Victorian Volcanic Plains banksia population showed similar results.

What to do

Critical recommendations for saving Silver Banksias:

• Manage the isolated remnants by mixing up genetics to reduce the risk of future inbreeding.
• Select seed from multiple locations across the landscape. Selection and blending of seed from across the isolated populations – known as ‘multi-provenancing’ – will help provide the genetic diversity so desperately needed to cope with a changing climate.
• Track plant provenances through time, so we can assess which ones survive better in this climate. This can be done on people’s properties or through establishing seed orchards.
• Improve connectivity across the landscape to facilitate the movement of pollinators. We currently don’t know who the key pollinators are, but the genetic studies reveal there should be a maximum of ten kilometres between populations to allow cross pollination.

Thank you!

Harcourt Valley Landcare Group hosted the event along with the Central Victorian Banksia Working Group. Bonnie Humphreys (President of Harcourt Valley Landcare Group) thanks all involved, including the many volunteers who provided banksia samples and contributed to the project. The Wettenhall Environment Trust provided an amazing supper! The Kara Kara Conservation Network and North Central Catchment Management Authority also provided support and funding for the project. The presentation was made possible through funding from the National Landcare Program.

Many thanks to Adam for his thoughtful presentation, and to Bonnie for organising the event.

Autumn workshop series – launch celebration 27 March 2018

Posted on 19 March, 2018 by Tanya Loos

On Tuesday 27 March we’re launching Connecting Country’s Autumn Workshop Series for 2018. The launch will be an informal gathering at the Hub Plot, Castlemaine, with drinks and nibbles. All of our friends and supporters are most welcome. And bring along your knowledge and competitive spirit for a nature quiz!

The theme for our autumn workshop series is Monitoring Healthy Habitats. We have a diverse series of events to inform and inspire you about habitat protection and local wildlife.

We’re pleased to be presenting these workshops together with our partner organisations:

• Bird monitoring, with BirdLife Australia
• Caring for large old trees, with Mount Alexander Shire Council.
• Nestboxes for wildlife, with Miles Geldard.

An Eastern Spinebill strikes a pose (photo by Geoff Park)

Launch celebration:

Tuesday 27 March from 5.00 – 7.00 pm
At the Hub Plot, behind 233 Barker St, Castlemaine

Please RSVP for catering purposes to tanya@connectingcountry.org.au or call 5472 1594

Click here for the Autumn Workshop Series flier, and stay tuned for more details on each workshop.

These workshops are kindly funded by the Wettenhall Environment Trust. This lauunch event is part of our community engagement program supported by Biodiversity Hubs funding from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change visits landholders in Green Hill

Posted on 14 March, 2018 by Tanya Loos

On Friday 9 March, Lily D’Ambrosio MP visited one of our land restoration sites in Green Hill, south of Metcalfe. The Minister had just opened the La Larr Ba Gauwa Park, and wanted to see the work we’re doing locally to protect threatened woodland birds, with funding from the Victorian Government’s Regional Landscapes & Targeted Action initiative.

Landholders Rayleen Bailey and Huntly Barton hosted the visit to their beautiful 273 hectare property. With representatives from Connecting Country, Trust for Nature, Department of Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), and the Minister’s team, it was quite a crowd on the quiet country lane! Huntly kindly offered to take the Minister to the top of Green Hill, where eagles nest, to view the incredible progress with weed control, fencing and revegetation. We all had a chat while Huntly and the Minister zoomed off into the distance in the all-terrain vehicle!

Kirsten Hutchison from Trust for Nature was happy to be there as the property will be placed under a covenant for long-term protection. Kirsten explains why the property is so significant:

‘This covenant (265 ha) is of high conservation significance as it contains ‘Greenhill’, a Scoria Cone (dormant volcano) of notable geological significance. Greenhill is a prominent landmark in the local landscape. The property contains two threatened ecological vegetation classes that are under-represented in the National Reserve System; Plains Grassy Woodland and Scoria Cone Woodland. Both are endangered in the Goldfields and Central Victorian Uplands Bioregions. The remnant native vegetation on the property also contains numerous very large old hollow eucalyptus trees that provide important habitat for local fauna species. The nationally endangered Matted Flax-lily Dianella amoena has been found on the property.

Previously Connecting Country have funded extensive weed control work and additional re-vegetation on the property through their on-ground works programs. The covenant has been funded through DELWP’s Biodiversity On Ground Action (BOGA) program.’

The property also hosts one of Connecting Country’s long-term bird monitoring sites. It is one of few River Red Gum woodland sites with good understorey vegetation, and significant for its records of Brown Treecreeper, Dusky Woodswallow and Restless Flycatcher. After the Minister departed, Tanya, Kirsten and Frances enjoyed doing a bird survey, recording breeding Dusky Woodswallows and numerous other species.

Many thanks to Jill Fleming from DELWP for the invitation, Minister Lily D’Ambrosio and team for visiting, and most of all Rayleen and Huntly for their warmth and willingness to share their property with us.

Please enjoy this gallery of photos taken by Tanya Loos, Frances Howe and Kirsten Hutchison.

Sharing Landcare Stories – February 2018 Landcare Link-up

Posted on 8 March, 2018 by Asha

For anyone seeking inspiration, there was plenty to be had at the Campbells Creek Community Centre last Monday. We had a great turnout of nearly 40 people representing 14 of our local Landcare and Friends groups, plus representatives from North Central Catchment Management Authority, Mount Alexander Shire Council, Parks Victoria, and Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. The event focused on groups sharing the work they’ve been doing for the last year or so. Based on some great feedback, we may be making this an annual theme!

Talks spanned the huge range of the amazing work local groups do, including weed control, planting, monitoring, promoting sustainable agriculture, advocating for our environment, preserving heritage, holding education events, installing signage and engaging community.

Landcare and Friends groups who presented included: Baringhup Landcare, Castlemaine Landcare, Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare, Golden Point Landcare, Guildford and Upper Loddon Landcare, Friends of Kalimna Park, Maldon Urban Landcare Group, Muckleford Catchment Landcare, North Harcourt-Sedgewick Landcare, Nuggetty Land Protection Group, Post Office Hill Action Group, and Taradale Landare. The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group also celebrated the launch of their new brochure, Weeds and your responsibilities (CLICK HERE for more info), with guest speaker Mayor Bronwen Machin.

Thank you to everyone who came along to our February Landcare Link-up and made it an enjoyable night. An extra special thanks goes to all our presenters, the wonderful volunteers who helped with setting up, packing up and doing dishes, and to Bonnie and Vivien for your photos (scroll the gallery below!).

Camp Out on the Mount 2018

Posted on 8 March, 2018 by Asha

The sun rising on Leanganook on the Sunday morning of the 2017 Camp Out on the Mount

Have you ever camped out on Leanganook (Mount Alexander)? This is your chance to camp out in a fun community setting, learn about nature and cultural heritage in our area, and water some young native plants that need care after a dry summer. We are once again working with several community groups to run the popular Camp Out on the Mount, a weekend event for people of all ages.

Please join us for a morning working bee on the Saturday, followed by an afternoon of activities to learn more about our environment and Aboriginal culture. Share in dinner, chatting and singing around the campfire, a heritage talk from George Milford, and a night walk in the bush with Parks Victoria. On the Sunday morning we will also be treated to a nature walk with Tanya Loos. Together, we will be caring for and learning about Leanganook, and celebrating the work that Landcare and Friends groups do for our environment all year round.

A huge thank you is due to the many community groups who are coming together to make this event so special. These include: the Camp Out Advisory Group, Harcourt Valley Landcare, Little Habitat Heroes, Parks Victoria, Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests, Nalderun Upper Loddon Group, Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, Castlemaine Secondary College students, Harcourt Lions Club, and Connecting Country.

CLICK HERE to visit the booking website

CLICK HERE to download the flier

CLICK HERE to read the blog post about last year’s Camp Out on the Mount

When: Saturday 14th – Sunday 15th April 2018
Where: Leanganook Camping Ground, Joseph Young Drive, Mount Alexander Regional Park, Faraday
What to bring: Camping gear, food (Lions Club BBQ will be available on Sat night for a gold coin donation), weather appropriate clothes, sturdy shoes and sun protection. Please bring a bucket to the working bee if you can, this will help us water as many plants as possible!

Below is a run-down of the 2018 Camp Out weekend. You are more than welcome to attend some or all of the activities. Please let us know through the booking website which activities you plan to attend, as this will help us get an idea of how many people to expect.

If you have any questions, please call Asha on (03) 5472 1594 or email asha@connectingcountry.org.au

This year’s Camp Out on the Mount is supported by funding through the Victorian Landcare Program.

Wonderful WA ecology at Castlemaine Field Nats AGM – 9 March 2018

Posted on 6 March, 2018 by Tanya Loos

The Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club are happy to announce their Annual General Meeting and guest speaker Carol Hall.

Carol’s talk is titled Why is south-west Western Australia’s ecology so special? Carol took a wildflower tour of this part of the country in spring 2016. She says, ‘I have taken as the basis for the talk the huge areas of granite in the south-west, their geomorphology and the resulting number of micro-habitats both in the arid interior and along the wetter south coast’.

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place prior to Carol’s talk.

Date: Friday 9 March at 7.30 pm

Location: The Fellowship Room behind the Uniting Church on Lyttleton St, Castlemaine  

Members and visitors are all welcome, and there is no charge for attendance. Everyone is also welcome to stay for a cup of tea and a chat afterwards.

Silver Banksia of Central Victoria presentation 19 March 2018

Posted on 27 February, 2018 by Tanya Loos

Silver Banksias (Banksia marginata) once occurred in large areas across central Victoria, but are now limited to a few isolated locations. Are we at risk of losing this species from our landscape? Come along and find out.

Presentation by Dr Adam Miller (Senior Lecturer in Aquatic Ecology and Biodiversity at Deakin University).

Monday 19 March at 7.30 pm

ANA Hall, 7 High St, Harcourt

Please RSVP to Bonnie by Thursday 15 of March (email: bonnie@connectingcountry.org.au or phone: 5472 1594)

Click here for the flier, with a map showing the location of ANA Hall. Tea, coffee and a light supper will kindly be provided by the Wettenhall Environment Trust.

This talk has been made possible through funding from the National Landcare Program.

The flower of the Silver banksia – immature, and mature on the right. By JJ Harrison (jjharrison89@facebook.com) – Creative Commons

Connecting Country short film and our fellow Community Conservationists

Posted on 27 February, 2018 by Tanya Loos

Connecting Country stars in the short film ‘Safeguarding woodland birds’, now launched in the big wide world and available to view at the link below. This is one of ten films forming the Community Conservationists series made by the Remember the Wild team, and funded by the Wettenhall Environment Trust.

Marie speaks beautifully about Connecting Country and its purpose. The film is well worth watching, especially if you are new to Connecting Country and wondering what we are all about. Its focus is our work on woodland birds, but could easily have been on many aspects of our work, like our amazing nest box program for brush-tailed phascogale and sugar gliders.

Asha from our office recently attended the gala launch of the series in Melbourne, and made a presentation about Connecting Country. We are delighted to be a part of this series, and feel we’re in very good company with our fellow Community Conservationists.

To see our film and the other Community Conservationists click this link: https://vimeo.com/rememberthewildaus

Below is a series of photos from the filming. To move through the gallery of images hover your mouse over the right. To read more about the project see our blog post here.

Here is a description of the Community Conservationists initiative, from the website Remember the wild.

‘Through our Community Conservationists initiative we aim to raise the profile of the people in our community working hard to conserve our natural world. These everyday heroes are many, yet we seldom hear about them, and we believe it’s time to tell their stories loud and clear.

Community Conservationists is about celebrating the tree-planters, the wildlife carers, the citizen scientists, and anyone else who is putting in the hard yards for the good of us all. By sharing their stories we aim to better connect people with the nature and conservation issues on which they work, as well as help them to attract more support from our community. We promote our Community Conservationists stories far and wide and allow the groups to use them whenever and wherever they want, so they may inspire others.’

Have you got gorse? – Victorian Gorse Taskforce survey 2018

Posted on 22 February, 2018 by Asha

The Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT) has developed a survey to gain an understanding of the types of support that communities need from VGT to manage gorse in their local area. The VGT uses government investment to establish and support community-led projects, which aim to eradicate gorse where possible across Victoria. Gorse is a highly invasive weed.  It can adversely impact on agriculture, waterways, amenity and native vegetation, as well as harbour pests such as, rabbits and foxes. 

In Victoria, gorse is:

• Regionally prohibited in the East Gippsland catchment.
• Regionally restricted in the Mallee catchment.
• Regionally controlled in all other Victorian catchments.

The results from this survey will help the VGT identify opportunities where they can provide better support to you or your networks. If you know or suspect gorse on your property please take five minutes to fill out the survey so the VGT can work to provide the right support.

The survey should not take any more than 5 to 10 minutes to complete, and you can go in the draw to win 1 of 3 $50 Woolworths vouchers.

The survey can be accessed via this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VGTsurvey

The survey closes 5 pm on Tuesday 13 March 2018.

Rabbit Buster Month

Posted on 21 February, 2018 by Asha

February is Rabbit Buster Month. Now is the time to strike!

John ‘Rabbit Buster’ Matthews (Biosecurity Manager, Agriculture Victoria) tells us:

‘The right time, using the right tools, to the correct standards will ensure your investment and effort into rabbit control results in long term control’.

John’s key points include:

• Collect baseline information. You need to know the scale of your problem before you try to manage it.
• Know your goal. Rabbits can seriously impede regeneration of many native species.
• Support and learn from your peers. Local knowledge is powerful. Take some time to learn from your neighbours, landcare group and even local contractors.

Success will come from a committed and coordinated community working simultaneously, using best practice techniques, with high rates of participation at a landscape scale.

CLICK HERE to download the North Central Chat February Newsletter and read a more detailed account of how to ‘Hop On Board’ with rabbit control.

CLICK HERE for more information about rabbit monitoring and control options.

Charismatic rakali (native water rat) talk on 1 March 2018

Posted on 15 February, 2018 by Tanya Loos

Australian water rats are completely aquatic rats that are more like small otters than anything ratty.

They have very little in common with the rats that are found in the chook shed or behind the pantry – in fact, many people prefer to call water rats by the name Rakali.  Rakali are attractive native mammals that are excellent indicators of ecosystem health. They are an apex predator of our waterways, feasting on fish, yabbies and sometimes even ducks!

Rakali have webbed feet and come in many colours, this one in a very fetching apricot and chestnut brown.

Goldfields Library Corporation contacted us at Connecting Country seeking a speaker for their Big Ideas series. As Tanya had recently researched the ecology, evolution and conservation of these lovely animals, she jumped at the chance. Please come along to find out more about Rakali, and how you can help them thrive in the dams and waterways of the Castlemaine region.

When:  Thursday 1 March 2018 at 5:30 – 6:30 pm

Where:  Castlemaine Library (212 Barker St, Castlemaine)

Bookings:  Attendance is free, but please register here

Fun facts about rakali:

• Based on anecdotal reports, rakali will travel several hundred metres across dry land to dine on delicacies, such as pet food left out regularly on a back porch.
• Rakali thrive in both freshwater and seawater environments. They may be observed in environments as varied as beneath a busy pier in Geelong, or in a quiet freshwater stream in the mountains, or even in concrete lined lakes and ponds in public gardens.

Wallabies at the bird bath – Nature News 7 February 2018

Posted on 12 February, 2018 by Tanya Loos

For this month’s Nature News, local landholder Jane Rusden talks about the many animals, both feathered and furred, that use the bird baths at her bush block in Campbells Creek. This article was featured in the Midland Express on 7 February 2018.

Birdbaths are very popular right now.

Birdbaths are a win-win for both the native animals enjoying the water, which is so important in this blistering hot weather, and the humans that get to watch them. I have several sizes of bird baths in different locations on my bush block, suiting different species of birds and other animals.

The pedestal bird bath with gently sloping edges is very popular with the small to medium sized bush birds. It’s so attractive because there are shrubs nearby that the birds can dart into if feeling threatened or unsure. Everything enjoys a drink as well as a good wash and swim:  from all twelve White-winged Choughs in a family group trying to cram in at once, to tiny Striated Thornbills. Surprisingly, the Yellow-footed Antechinus also favours this bath, with the vertical pedestal and the underside of the concrete bowl no obstacle to their agility.

On the ground there is a ceramic birdbath, with gently sloping sides to provide a gradient of water depth, and a small shrub or two nearby. It is preferred by the ground foraging Common Bronzewing, but Crimson Rosellas, Brown-headed and Yellow-faced Honeyeaters use it for drinking and swimming as well.

All the waterweed in the trough has been eaten by the hungry wallabies!     Photo by Jane Rusden.

The deeper cattle trough in the shady courtyard is frequently visited by the echidna, who enjoys a long drink by sticking its nose in up to its eyes and blowing bubbles. In this extremely hot weather, Magpies and Fuscous Honeyeaters will stop by for a drink and a rest in the cool, while the wallabies have taken to jumping right in and sitting there while they cool down and drink at the same time.

We don’t have a TV, but don’t wish for one, as we can spend hours watching the local wildlife use the different birdbaths in their own unique way.

For more on birds and bird baths, see our recent blog post bird-baths-tips-for-keeping-birds-cool-and-safe

Turn your property into habitat for woodland birds

Posted on 8 February, 2018 by Frances

Would you like your property to provide a home for threatened birds and marsupials? We’re looking for keen local landholders with at least three hectares of remnant vegetation to set aside for our local wildlife.

Only one week left to get involved in our Prickly Plants for Wildlife project!

Trees are great, but small native animals need shrubby habitat to find food, build nests and shelter from predators. Due to a long history of gold mining, timber cutting, grazing, and introduction of rabbits and weeds, many of our woodlands are missing these important prickly shrubs. We’ll work with you to develop a plan specific for your property and needs. As well as planting key understorey species to enhance existing native vegetation, actions can include watering, weed control, rabbit control and ongoing maintenance. We’ll also provide financial support and advice to implement the plan.

Requirements for eligibility:

• Local property: Your property must be located within the Shire of Mount Alexander, Victoria.
• An area of at least 3 ha of native vegetation: We need a project area of a minimum of three hectares containing some remnant vegetation, such as scattered eucalypt trees, or land that is in transition to native species after the removal of grazing. This project is not suited to revegetation of cleared paddocks.
• Commitment to project management: Eligible landholders will receive a site visit, management advice and a property habitat management plan. We’ll also provide some financial support for on-ground actions such as planting, watering, pest control and maintenance. On-ground work will be overseen by the landholder, with the help of local contractors. You will manage any contractors on your property. However, we’ll be available to offer advice and help with any questions.

How to apply:

Please fill in the expression of interest form (link below) and email it to bonnie@connectingcountry.org.au by Monday 19 February 2018. If you have any questions or would like to discuss, please call Bonnie at Connecting Country on 5472 1594.

Expression-Of-Interest-Form-Prickly-Plants

Bushy Needlewood – Hakea decurrens

A female eastern Spinebill, by Geoff Park

Spreading Wattle – Acacia genistifolia

Ecology artworks at Falkner Gallery until 25 March 2018

Posted on 5 February, 2018 by Tanya Loos

Two beautiful exhibitions by talented local artists are on now at the Falkner Gallery in Castlemaine: Margaret Cromb showing ‘Bushland’ and Greg Somerville showing ‘…stitched to everything…- musings of an errant ecologist.’

Margaret is one of Connecting Country’s most avid bird survey volunteers and we are really delighted that Margaret is generously donating 50% of the net proceeds of her exhibition sales to Connecting Country! Thanks Margaret – you are already so generous with your time!

Margaret’s ‘Bushland’ exhbition is a series of  watercolours and woodcuts that describe the natural environment of Central Victoria. Margaret writes: ‘I consider myself to be especially blessed to live in an area surrounded by extensive forests and I continue to enjoy exploring them and becoming more familiar with the birds and animals which inhabit them. I have been involved over many years with Landcare especially in the Casey/ Cardinia area where I came from. More recently I have become involved with Connecting Country and its bird-monitoring program. Spending time in the bush looking for birds and being immersed in the environment is a great joy to me. I am impressed with Connecting Country and its focus on restoring natural habitat by educating and supporting landowners. So it is a pleasure to be able to donate to its activities through this exhibition.’

The works depict bushland scenes, individual trees and wildflowers, often including local birds. Margaret’s characteristic layering of colour washes can be seen in her representational portrayals of the local environment, about which she is so passionate.

Upstairs, Greg Somerville captures the local environment with different media – textiles and photography – but with similarly powerful effects. His training and early work as a biologist has led him to use the insights of science, especially ecology and Chaos Theory, in his artistic output. Greg writes:‘The imagery I utilise is grounded in the patterns, textures and minutiae of the bioregion in which I live. They are also informed by my knowledge of biological structures, the energies and relationships found in ecosystems, within the micro and macroscopic….The patterns of water drops on leaves, the way lichen spreads on sandstone or the manner in which trees co-inhabit the landscape is every bit as revelatory as the great texts, painting or musical composition.’

His abstracted quilted works and his photographs use detailed patterns, textures and layers to suggest the complexities and subtleties of nature.

Both exhibitions are on now and continue until 25 March 2018, with 50% of the net proceeds from Margaret’s work being donated to support Connecting Country.

Please note Falkner Gallery’s revised hours for 2018: Wed 1-5, Thurs–Sat 11-5 and Sunday by appointment. The gallery is at 35 Templeton St, Castlemaine.

Do you know a keen young jobseeker?

Posted on 30 January, 2018 by Asha

This year, Connecting Country is working with the North Central CMA and five Landcare groups around Maldon to coordinate a special Green Army team with a focus on treating Wheel Cactus (Opuntia robusta). The team will work with the Tarrangower Cactus Control Group, Maldon Urban Landcare Group, Nuggetty Land Protection Group, Baringhup Landcare, and Sandy Creek Catchment Landcare to do weed control, weed mapping, revegetation, erosion control, and other activities over the next six months.

The team is currently looking for young people aged 17 – 24 years who are interested in protecting their local environment. The job description reads: ‘By participating in the programme you will gain skills, training and experience that will improve your employment prospects while you work on projects that generate real and lasting benefits for the environment. We are looking for individuals who have a strong community sense, are looking to work in a hands on environment where the focus will be on training, developing skills and giving you experience that will assist you in future opportunities. You will need to have a positive and resilient nature, be safety conscious and the drive to be a valued team member.’

If you know anyone eligible to join the team, please encourage them to apply using the contact details below. It would be great to have a full team of enthusiastic people to help with this worthwhile project and make it as successful as possible. Previous Green Army teams we’ve worked with have also expressed what a great chance it is to learn from experienced Landcarers about our local environment and gain practical skills in natural resource management.

CLICK HERE to read the full job description, or contact Mark Green (Regional Operations Coordinator) with any questions or to express interest in joining the team – phone: 0406 321 274, email: mark.green@au.manpowergroup.com

One of the Green Army teams that worked with Connecting Country and ten local Landcare groups in 2016

Working with weeds

Posted on 25 January, 2018 by Asha

Our local Landcare and Friends groups play a huge role in managing weeds to allow native habitat to survive and thrive in our landscape. There are many weed control methods (e.g., herbicide application, biological control, manual removal), but a combined approach is usually best. Our local groups need specialised skills to successfully control weeds and restore our landscapes.

Paterson’s Curse (Echium plantagineum) in Campaspe Valley

To support our local groups, Connecting Country recently ran ‘ACUP Training for Landcare’, a project funded through the Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Community Grants Program. The project helped members from six Landcare and Friends groups complete a Farm Chemical Users Course with GOTAFE and then apply for their Agricultural Chemical Users Permit (ACUP). This qualification has given them the skills and confidence to safely and effectively use a range of herbicides, including some targeted herbicides for controlling specific weeds.

This project is now complete, but if any members of Landcare or Friends groups are interested in future training opportunities, please email Asha via asha@connectingcountry.org.au 

If you are after more information about how to best manage weeds on your property or with your Landcare group, you can refer to our Weed Control web page (CLICK HERE), which has information on principals of weed control, specific weed information, and links to useful weed resources. We also have a range of brochures and other resources available at our office, so feel free to drop in or give us a call on (03) 5472 1594 if you would like copies.

A prickly new project: get involved with Prickly Plants for Wildlife

Posted on 25 January, 2018 by Tanya Loos

Trees are great, but small birds and marsupials need shrubby habitat to find food, build nests and shelter from predators. We’re very happy to announce that Connecting Country has obtained funding for a new project called Prickly Plants for Wildlife.

This project will supply eligible landholders with valuable understorey plants that will enhance existing native vegetation, and provide habitat for many small birds such as Diamond Firetails, Superb Fairy-wrens, Scarlet Robins and Brown Thornbills.

This charming nest was built by a pair of Mistletoebirds at Bonnie’s property, in a hedge wattle. The white fluff is from an old couch!

Prickly plant species include Bushy Needlewood (Hakea decurrens), Tree Violet (Melicytus dentatus), Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria spinosa), and acacias such as Hedge Wattle (Acacia paradoxa) and Spreading Wattle (Acacia genistifolia).  These plants are depleted or missing from our local area, and we would like to lend a helping hand to see these plants back in the landscape and on local properties.

Requirements for eligibility

• Property with at least 3 ha of native vegetation: We need a project area of a minimum of three hectares containing some remnant vegetation, such as scattered eucalypt trees, or land that is in transition to native species after the removal of grazing. This project is not suited to revegetation of cleared paddocks.
• Commitment to project management: Eligible landholders will receive a site visit, management advice and a property habitat management plan. We will also supply some financial support, and then it is over to you!  Planting, watering, pest control and maintenance will be carried out by the landholder, with the help of local contractors. You will be in charge of managing contractors on your property. Of course we will be on deck for any information or questions as needed.

How to apply

All interested landholders are encouraged to fill in the expression of interest form (link below) and email it to bonnie@connectingcountry.org.au. Or to find out more about your eligibility, call Bonnie at Connecting Country on 5472 1594. If your proposed project does not fit with the requirements for Prickly Plants for Wildlife project, we will keep you on file for future opportunities.

Expression-Of-Interest-Form-Prickly-Plants

A Brown Thornbill in the safety of a prickly Hedge Wattle. Photo by Geoff Park

Expressions of interest close Monday 19 February 2018.

Weed guides published thanks to the cactus warriors

Posted on 16 January, 2018 by Tanya Loos

Many congratulations to the The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group (TCCG) for the creation of an innovative series of weed brochures that are are specific to the five wards in Mount Alexander Shire. The brochures are available for download on the links below, and also as hard copies at the Mount Alexander Shire offices.

TCCG President Lee Mead writes about the project for our blog:

The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group (TCCG) recently completed a project producing some new brochures about weed control. This project was funded and supported by the Mt. Alexander Shire Council. Five brochures were created, one specific for each of the five wards within our Shire. The brochures highlight the most problematic weeds in each ward and encourage landowners to manage their weeds by providing essential information.

A field of Wheel Cactus

The idea for these brochures was inspired by the need to reach the landowners who are not controlling Wheel Cactus on their properties. Most landowners that don’t control Wheel Cactus infestations are absentee owners or new owners who are unaware of their weed responsibilities.

These problems are not exclusive to Wheel Cactus, so to help overcome the lack of control with many different weeds, TCCG created the new brochures and have asked the Shire to include them in the ‘Welcome Kits’ sent out to all new ratepayers. This will hopefully educate new landowners as soon as they purchase a property and reach the ones that don’t live here.

The brochures provide information about the responsibilities of landowners to manage weeds, the best control methods to use and where to find more detailed information. They also stress that not only rural properties are involved in weed control, but urban properties also have the same legal responsibilities, pointing out that most noxious weeds are escapees from private gardens.

TCCG thanks the many local Landcare groups who collaborated on this project by contributing their votes on problematic weeds and photos of some of their local weed infestations. The brochures include the contact details for these groups and will hopefully lead to future new enquiries and members.

We hope there’ll be an official and fun launch in the near future, but please contact the TCCG via their website at www.cactuswarriors.org if you have any queries.  Click on the links below to download the brochure specific to your ward. And if you are unsure of your ward here is a map to check.

🙂  Ward Map

CALDER-Weed-Brochure-2018

CASTLEMAINE-Weed-Brochure-2018

COLIBAN-Weed-Brochure-2018

LODDON-Weed-Brochure-2018

TARRANGOWER-Weed-Brochure-2018