Restoring landscapes across the Mount Alexander Region

29 August 2017 – Fire Management Consultations

Posted on 22 August, 2017 by Connecting Country

Staff from Forest Fire Management Victoria are holding ‘open house’ sessions in our region over the coming days. Details about the purpose of the sessions are provided in the flyer below.

The session closest to our region is in Castlemaine, as follows:

  • Castlemaine Tuesday 29 August 4pm to 7pm, Ray Bradfield Room,
    Forest St, Castlemaine 3450 (located between the IGA car-park and Victory Park in the centre of town)

 

Connecting Country’s “gonna be in a movie”!

Posted on 21 August, 2017 by Tanya Loos

On Monday, 14 August 2017, we were thrilled to spend a day with Chris and Michael, two members of the Wild Melbourne team, as they shot footage for a video about Connecting Country. Just five organisations from around Victoria were selected to be featured in their “Community Conservationists” series. As Wild Melbourne says:

“We’ll be telling the stories of five different community groups that are working hard to contribute to the conservation of Victoria’s plants, animals and ecosystems. We’ll film a short video that tells your story authentically, and highlights and celebrates what you have achieved for conservation in your area”

The Wild Melbourne team were particularly interested in the story of woodland bird conservation – both from the perspective of Connecting Country, and participating landholders. Their questions were thoughtful and considered, and obviously aimed at attracting a broad audience to the benefits and advantages of biodiversity conservation.

Chris from Wild Melbourne films Bonnie undertaking direct seeding.

Our first stop was in Campbells Creek, at the amazing bushland property of landholders Jane Rusden and Martin Tatton. The Golden Wattles were in full flower and birdsong filled the bushland around us.

Our next stop was to visit and interview Marie Jones, our much loved founder and committee member of Connecting Country. Asha and I were then interviewed next to the stunning Forest Creek which has been revegetated and weeded by Golden Point Landcare.

After the time spent in Chewton, Tanya and the crew went to the property of landholder Cullen Gunn, whose property has been direct seeded by Connecting Country a number of times over the past years.

The team have already filmed Jarrod and Bonnie undertaking direct seeding work, and at the National Tree Day planting with the Friends of Campbells Creek. So we would like to say a huge thanks for everyone for being involved.

Chris and Michael were patient and enjoyable to work with (as we were quite nervous!) and  we are really looking forward to seeing the finished film! We hope to have the Connecting Country movie ready for our Annual General meeting in October.

The Community Conservationists filming project has been made possible due to a grant from The Wettenhall Environment Trust.

Cullen is interviewed in front of a row of wattles and other understorey species that are flourishing as a result of a Connecting Country project three years ago.

 

 

Arrival of Spring Migrants – Nature News, 1 August, 2017

Posted on 16 August, 2017 by Tanya Loos

For this month’s Nature News, Newstead naturalist and photographer Geoff Park writes about the feathered migrants that are arriving in our region at the moment, and in the coming months. This article was featured in the Midland E xpress on August 1, 2017.

At this time of year the pulse quickens a little in anticipation of the arrival of the first spring migrants.

Over the coming months, an assortment of wonderfully different birds will appear in the box-ironbark country to spend the spring and summer breeding and entertaining us with their musical calls.

Most of these birds will have come from northern Australia, or even further afield, where they have spent the winter – a bit like the ‘grey nomads’ that enjoy warmer climes as they wend their caravans north in increasing numbers each year. Our avian visitors are referred to as spring migrants but in fact many arrive in the dying days of winter.

A Fan-tailed Cuckoo sings his descending trill call. By Geoff Park

The first of the spring migrants are usually the cuckoos, with five species arriving to breed in our district. Most years Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo turns up in early August along with Fan-tailed Cuckoo, followed soon after by Shining Bronze-cuckoos and the largest of all, the Pallid Cuckoo. These four are common and easily distinguished by their calls which are often uttered from a prominent vantage point. Black-eared Cuckoos are generally last to appear at the end of the month, in much smaller numbers.

All of these cuckoos are brood parasites, that is, they lay their eggs in the nests of unwitting hosts, such as thornbills, wrens and honeyeaters, which then raise the young cuckoos as their own. While the host species ‘fall into the trap’ year after year, they are suspicious and intolerant of adult cuckoos, often mobbing them relentlessly when they appear.

The cuckoos will soon be joined by other northern visitors, such as Sacred Kingfishers, and my absolute favourite the Rainbow Bee-eater – which will feature in my next Nature News article, in November.

I’m often asked about the effects of climate change on birds. There is no doubt that some species are arriving earlier each year in many places in southern Australia, with numerous studies now providing decades of evidence of this phenomenon. Each year I try to record the first sightings of spring migrants and I’d be delighted to hear of local observations for any of the birds mentioned in this article … and for the others that have been overlooked!

For more information contact Geoff Park at Natural Newstead www.geoffpark.wordpress.com

 

Flora of Castlemaine and surrounds – the online guide is launched!

Posted on 9 August, 2017 by Connecting Country

On 1st August 2017, the online edition of the Wild Plants of the Castlemaine District was formally launched.  This comprehensive guide contains details on the identification, locations, preferred habitats and history of hundreds of native and introduced plant species found in Castlemaine and surrounding areas.  It can be viewed at the following stand-alone website location – https://www.castlemaineflora.org.au.

In November 2016, local natural historian – Ern Perkins – sadly passed away.  Ern’s passion for the understanding the intricacies of natural environment was matched by his passion for sharing his knowledge with others.  A few months before his passing, he first launched this compendium of local plant species as a freely available resource via USB memory sticks.  Ern had developed this guide based on information that he and others had collected and compiled over more than 40 years.  With the support of Ern’s family since his passing, the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club has worked with a local IT graphics firm to make this guide available as an online resource, allowing it to reach a much wider audience.  Financial contributions and other support towards this important project has also been provided by the Friends of the Box Ironbark Forests (FOBIF) and Connecting Country.  Each of these organisations will have a link to this flora guide from their websites.  A permanent link to it has been established from the Connecting Country website here.

It is intended to be a dynamic website, with updates made over time in response to taxonomic changes, new photographs and new findings.  Landholders, Landcarers, students and many other people from the Mount Alexander Shire and beyond will appreciate this valuable and easy-to-use resource.

 

Saturday 12 August 2017: Sharing Stories around the Fire and The Other Renewables Forum

Posted on 9 August, 2017 by Tanya Loos

This Saturday the 12th August 2017 is a busy day culturally and environmentally for our community! We have the Parkrun cultural morning at the Castlemaine Botanic Gardens previously posted here and we would like to promote two more events.

Sharing Stories around the Fire: a Words in Winter event

Join the Talking Fire group this Saturday 12 August 2017 in Newstead from 4.30-8.30pm to explore stories of fire in our landscape. We’ll visit a spot in the nearby forest, for readings and to listen to the language of the forest. Back at the Arts Hub, with hearty soup in hand, we’ll share our own stories and create some new stories too. Please RSVP so we have enough soup for all! Book via Eventbrite or through Chris on 5476 2457.

This journey through place, story, memory, myth and experience is a special event offered by the Talking Fire group as part of Newstead’s Words in Winter. Bring a story to share.

For more info: CLICK HERE.

The Mount Alexander Sustainability Group (MASG) presents: The Other Renewables Forum

On Saturday the 12th August 2017, 1.30pm – 5.30pm, the Mount Alexander Sustainability Group (MASG) will be presenting ‘The Other Renewables Forum’ at the Castlemaine Town Hall, with a line-up of recognised guests working in both a local and national context in the fields of bioenergy, geothermal, mini-hydro, pumped hydro, thermal solar and soil carbon sequestration.

Speakers:
MC: Mary Blain, MASG
Presenters: Andrew Lang, Alan Pears, David Taylor, Professor Lu Aye, Dr Guillermo Narsilio, David Carre, David Stratton, Deane Belfield, Chris Corr.

Cost: $20 General | $5 Members | Students Free
Bookings: https://otherrenewablesforum.eventbrite.com.au/

For more information:
Email: info@masg.org.au
Ph: 03 5470 6978
Web: http://masg.org.au/events/other-renewables-forum/

 

12 Aug 2017 – Cultural morning at Castlemaine parkrun

Posted on 8 August, 2017 by Connecting Country

Connecting Country’s blogs have rarely – if ever – addressed sports-related events.  However, this weekend’s Castlemaine Parkrun is an exception, as they are holding a special cultural-awareness event, and they are inviting everyone from the local community and beyond to join in.

Parkrun is an not-for-profit organisation that supports volunteers to host free timed 5km events each week at locations throughout the world, to be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities – from walkers to experienced runners, children to retirees, and everyone in between.   It is not a race, but a chance for people to improve their health in a local parkland setting with a friendly supportive atmosphere.

There has been a weekly parkrun held in Castlemaine for more than 2 years, early every Saturday morning at the botanic gardens.  It starts and finishes just near the BBQ and playground area.  Connecting Country’s Co-Director, Chris, is a regular attendee.

As described on their Facebook page, this special parkrun event at Castlemaine will commence on Saturday 12 August at 7:45am and will include both a welcome and a smoking ceremony by representatives from the local aboriginal community.  At 8am, the standard 5km event will occur – 3 laps of the botanic gardens at your own pace. (If on leads, dogs are also always allowed on the walk).  There will then be cultural activities after the run at 9am, as well as food and drink from the Myrnong Mammas.  Attendees are encouraged to get in the spirit of the day by wearing Red/Yellow/Black.

All community members (runners, walkers, onlookers) are invited to what should be a great morning.

As noted above, parkrun is a free event.  First time participants are encouraged to register beforehand, but it is not compulsory to do so (more details on the Castlemaine parkrun homepage – click here).

 

Pint-sized carnivore devours a Grey Fantail

Posted on 7 August, 2017 by Tanya Loos

We love it when Connecting Country landholders send in photographs of interesting flora and fauna observations. In April 2017, Tamsin Byrne sent us an astonishing series of photos of a Yellow-footed Antechinus hunting and eating a Grey Fantail at their bird bath. Tamsin and her family live on a beautiful Trust for Nature property in Sedgwick.

For those new to the Antechinus – they are small carnivorous marsupials related to Brush-tailed Phascogales or Tuan, Eastern Quolls, Tasmanian Devils – comprising a group know as the Dasyurids. Most are nocturnal, but the Yellow-footed Antechinus is actually diurnal, and so observed by landholders and birdwatchers during the day. Geoff Park has taken some wonderful portraits of these endearing mammals on his blog Natural Newstead; CLICK HERE. With their golden colour, round ears, sweet little paws, and confiding nature, the antechinus are very sweet and well-liked by all.

However! Appearances can be deceptive, and they are actually a top level predator! Large arthropods such as centipedes, insects, eggs and nestlings are commonly listed as prey items – but now we must also add adult birds to that list. Tamsin added some great captions to the photographs – please click on each photo with your mouse to go through each photo in the set. Many thanks to Tamsin for this exciting series of photos of nature “red in tooth in claw”!

 

 

 

North Central Chat – August edition

Posted on 7 August, 2017 by Tanya Loos

The North Central Chat August edition is here! Asha’s Landcare event “Meet your Land Manager” features in this month’s edition – and the results of the Landcare Group Health Survey. The August edition is available to download here.

Another  highlight in this edition is the 2017 Chicks in the Sticks event, to be held on Walkers Lake in the Avon Plains on Sunday 10 September.

“Are you inspired by opportunity and the stories of others? Keen to meet like-minded women who share a connection to agriculture and the environment? Pull on your gumboots, don your favourite frock and add your own native flora accessory…it’s time for the fifth Chicks in the Sticks event, hosted by North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) in partnership with Project Platypus.”

All the details are in the Chat and here is your link to register: https://2017chicksinthesticks.eventbrite.com.au

 

 

11 August 2017 – Talk on central Victorian orchids

Posted on 6 August, 2017 by Connecting Country

The guest speaker at the August meeting of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club is Emily Noble, a selfconfessed ‘orchid nut’  Her presentation, titled ‘Orchids in the Bush’ will be about some of central Victoria’s terrestrial orchids, and will be accompanied by her beautiful photographs of them.

Emily is a professional horticulturalist, the business manager of the Ballarat Environment Network, and secretary of the Ballarat Field Naturalists Club. She and her husband are building a stone home for themselves on a 16 hectare bush block south west of Ballarat. She described the process of caring for the orchids there in her firstprize winning essay: Orchid Conservation at Home. This won the inaugural essay competition of the Australian Orchid Foundation in 2012. She has now, by 2017, identified fortynine different species of terrestrial orchid on their block.  The essay can be perused on the Australian Orchid Foundation website, under Essay Prize or go directly to the following link (CLICK HERE).

The evening commences at 7.30pm on Friday 11 August 2017 in the Fellowship Room, which located behind the Uniting Church on Lyttleton St in Castlemaine (next door to Castlemaine Art Gallery building).   Members and visitors of all ages are welcome.  There is no entry fee.

For those inspired by Emily’s talk, there will be an excursion the next day led by club members Richard Piesse and George Broadway into the local forests and woodlands.  The excursion departs on the Saturday from the Octopus building car-park at 1.30pm sharp (opposite the Castle Motel).  BYO afternoon tea.  Car-pooling available.

 

Connecting Country Reconnects

Posted on 4 August, 2017 by Connecting Country

Many people in the local community have seen that Connecting Country are currently advertising for a new Director, and have wondered what is happening.  There have been some significant changes in the various environmental restoration projects that we are undertaking.  While this includes some new projects that will take the organisation into the future, there needs to be some staff changes to reflect their differing scope and size.

Current co-directors, Chris Timewell and Krista Patterson-Majoor, have been working with Connecting Country’s Committee of Management to develop a new structure over the past twelve months.  This has resulted in a newly defined director’s role which is currently being advertised (CLICK HERE).  Other staff roles will continue to support local Landcare groups, coordinate education and engagement activities, monitor biodiversity and provide assistance to landholders to implement habitat restoration and environmental enhancement on their properties.  As part of this, we will be working on some exciting new projects which are already underway including collaborations with organisations and agencies such as the North Central CMA, Parks Victoria, the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, Coliban Water, the Wettenhall Environment Trust, Victorian National Parks Association, Trust for Nature and our local Landcare groups. These will keep our staff and volunteers busy for the next two years at least!

Chris says, ‘Connecting Country is in a healthy and stable position – a great launching pad for its next phase.  With all of the wonderful support of the staff, committee, members and other supporters, its future remains very bright’.

Krista adds, ‘It’s been an incredible opportunity working here over the past eight years and we are very proud of what Connecting Country has achieved, but we feel the time is right for someone new to take the reins.  No doubt we will both stay involved with the organisation to some extent into the future’.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank long-term staff member Naomi, who is taking a break to concentrate on her health and family. Naomi starting volunteering with Connecting Country in 2010 and joined the staff team in 2012. Most recently, Naomi has been coordinating our education program, publicity, and assisting with Connecting Country’s strategic development and future funding proposals. She has been an enthusiastic and committed member of the team and we want to wish her all the best.

Applications are being received for the new director role until the close of business (5pm) on 7 August 2017. CLICK HERE to view details about the role.

 

Remnant rescue for woodland birds – looking for eligible landholders

Posted on 3 August, 2017 by Tanya Loos

Connecting Country is currently seeking expressions of interest for on ground works on private land. In particular, we are looking for  landholders with remnant vegetation on their properties who are interested in undertaking actions that improve woodland bird habitat.

Thanks to our recently announced ‘Woodland bird community habitat protection and enhancement’ project, we have a small amount of funding available for the protection and enhancement of 60 ha of remnant vegetation. Building connections between bushland areas through direct seeding  and revegetation with tubestock is very important, but at the same time we need to care for our remnants; the core habitat.  This project will fund actions that protect bird habitat from threats such as stock grazing and weeds.

This male Scarlet Robin needs extensive areas of good quality habitat to thrive. Photo by Geoff Park

Eligible landholders will receive a site visit, and a subsequent plant list and property habitat management plan.  Activities funded will mainly focus on fencing for stock exclusion and weed control within these remnants.

Eligibility for funding from this project will be determined according to the following factors:

  • Size of your remnant vegetation patch
  • Property location
  • Presence of threatened woodland birds

Deadline for EOIs: 24th September, 2017.

All interested landholders in Mount Alexander Shire are welcome to fill an EOI form on our onground works page. If your proposed project does not fit with the requirements of our current projects, we will keep you on file for future opportunities.

This project was funded with the support of the Victorian Government’s Regional Biodiversity On-Ground Action Initiative.

Our resident plant enthusiast Bonnie Humphreys in a beautiful remnant patch in Yapeen

 

We All Need A Home – Video by Chewton Primary School

Posted on 31 July, 2017 by Asha

“We All Need A Home” is a short video created by Chewton Primary School students late last year. It explains the importance of caring for our local wildlife by cleaning up rubbish and creating habitat through a very engaging story. It also includes tiles from Chewton Primary School’s reptile and frog monitoring site which students helped Connecting Country set up and monitor.

CLICK HERE or on the picture below to view the full video. There is a link to another interesting video made by students on the same page, plus a copy of the presentation that the “Coastal Ambassadors” gave on local reptile and frog conservation.

 

New Reptile and Frog Brochure Available

Posted on 28 July, 2017 by Asha

Connecting Country’s newest brochure, Reptiles and Frogs of the Mount Alexander Region, is now out in the world! CLICK HERE or on the picture to download a pdf copy. You can grab a hard copy of this brochure by dropping by our offices, or by contacting asha@connectingcountry.org.au. Our local Landcare groups will also soon have copies available to share. 

The brochure includes beautiful photos of 8 frogs and 30 reptile species found in the Mount Alexander Region, plus tips for landholders on how you can help our local reptiles and frogs. Some of these tips include creating and improving habitat on your property and on public land by:

  • Creating ground-level shelter and food sources by ensuring there are plenty of logs, sticks, rocks, and leaf litter around
  • Helping degraded land regenerate by planting indigenous species, excluding grazing, and controlling noxious weeds
  • Protecting intact native woodlands and grasslands
  • Keeping predators such as foxes, cats, and dogs under control
  • Joining your local Landcare or Friends group
  • Creating a ‘frog bog’ or retrofitting a dam to provide frog habitat
  • Refraining from using herbicides and pesticides when rainfall is predicted, and minimising or avoiding their use near wetlands and waterways

Connecting Country’s Reptile and Frog Monitoring Program is being undertaken with the support of the Ian Potter Foundation.

 

Birds thriving in Campbells Creek

Posted on 27 July, 2017 by Tanya Loos

Connecting Country has been carrying out bird monitoring at a site in Campbells Creek since 2010, and so it was with great pleasure that Tanya had an opportunity to lead a walk there on Sunday 22 July 2017, with some of the members of Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare that had a hand in the restoration of  this part of the creek and surrounding land.

Over twenty people attended the Feathered Friends of Campbells Creek event, which was part of Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Sustainable Living workshop series. The workshop started with a bird walk at Campbells Creek, near Honeycomb Rd. We walked down to the Connecting Connecting bird survey site to carry out a twenty minute two hectare survey – the standard bird monitoring method. I was impressed to see nearly everyone had their own binoculars.

We all had great views of New Holland Honeyeaters, and at one point a Wedge-tailed Eagle soared majestically overhead. An abundance of thornbills darted about through the wattles, along with pardalotes, a Grey Fantail, superb fairy-wrens  and a small flock of Red-browed Finches. Towards the end of the walk, we caught a glimpse of a female Scarlet Robin, and this was only the third sighting of this species in 28 surveys! For a copy of the Bird Monitoring results for the Campbells Creek site click here.

It was seven degrees, a bit glary and a bit breezy – not the best conditions for seeing small birds. However it was clear that the wattles, hakeas, native grasses, hop bush and cassinia were providing excellent cover and hiding places for the small birds of the area!

“Hmmm – are they Yellow Thornbills calling and bustling about up there? “

After the bird survey, David King from the Friends gave us an overview of the work of the group over the past thirty years, in particular Ian Higgins. David told us that before the group started their revegetation work, Ian had counted a mere five individual wattles between Castlemaine and this section at which we stood! An incredible transformation. We then walked back up the path to the sign, which had a whole range of information and QR codes so that you could use your smart phone to find out more about the flora and fauna the Friends are such fine custodians of.

David King talked about the sign. Moments later we saw a Swamp Wallaby!! Photo by Jay Smith.

After our walk we returned to the Campbells Creek Community Centre for a short presentation on birds and habitat, where I had the opportunity to emphasise how the restoration work has made the site so perfect for small bush birds such as thornbills, fairy-wrens and pardalotes. The Scarlet Robin is an excellent candidate for a focal or flagship species for the area – and I predict that sightings of the Scarlet Robin may become more frequent in the coming years – thanks to the work of this fantastic group!

Many thanks to David King, and to Jay Smith from Mount Alexander Shire Council for hosting the walk.

As previously posted, the Friends are participating in National Tree day this Sunday:

Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare will be planting in the Honeycomb Bushland Reserve in Campbells Creek. It’s a 10 minute walk from car parking to the site, along an bush trail used by recreational walkers, with interesting features along the way. The planting will be followed by a free BBQ lunch for all, catering for a range of dietary needs.
When: 10am – 1pm, Sunday 30th July 2017 
Where: 
Meet at the Honeycomb Bushland Reserve, Campbells Creek, where Honeycomb Road meets the gravel trail (CLICK HERE for map).
More information: follow them on Facebook (CLICK HERE), go to their website (CLICK HERE) or contact Shona on 0408 724 699

 

 

Get your hands dirty on National Tree Planting Day – Sunday 30th July 2017

Posted on 24 July, 2017 by Asha

This happy tree was planted by Baringhup Landcare in 2016

If there’s one day a year to go out and plant some trees, this is it! Two of our local Landcare groups are running National Tree Planting Day working bees this year: Castlemaine Landcare Group and Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare. The events are free and everyone is welcome. Make sure you bring sturdy shoes, warm clothes, water, and some work gloves if you have them.

Castlemaine Landcare has prepared a site at Happy Valley to plant 750 seedlings, followed by a free BBQ lunch and hot soup. You can plant your special tree and come back to visit it over time to watch it grow.
When: 10am, Sunday 30th July 2017
Where: Happy Valley Road at Moonlight Crossing (CLICK HERE for map).
More information: follow them on Facebook (CLICK HERE), or contact Christine on 0418 325 350 or Sally on 5470 6340.

Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare will be planting in the Honeycomb Bushland Reserve in Campbells Creek. It’s a 10 minute walk from car parking to the site, along an bush trail used by recreational walkers, with interesting features along the way. The planting will be followed by a free BBQ lunch for all, catering for a range of dietary needs.
When: 10am – 1pm, Sunday 30th July 2017 
Where: 
Meet at the Honeycomb Bushland Reserve, Campbells Creek, where Honeycomb Road meets the gravel trail (CLICK HERE for map).
More information: follow them on Facebook (CLICK HERE), go to their website (CLICK HERE) or contact Shona on 0408 724 699

Happy planting!

 

 

Wombat numbers on the rise

Posted on 21 July, 2017 by Tanya Loos

Wombats thrive in Western Victoria: Staff member Tanya Loos, who lives 7km north of Daylesford,  shares a story about our burgeoning wombat population.

Coming home from work a week or two ago, I was just a couple of kilometres from my house. The car in front of me slowed to a stop. A medium sized mammal with a distinctly square bum ambled in front of their car and disappeared into the dark forest.
A wombat! A Common Wombat – also known as the Bare-nosed Wombat – in Porcupine Ridge! There are plenty of Wombats around Trentham, Glenlyon, and throughout the Wombat Forest, but in 15 years of living in Porcupine Ridge I had accepted the fact that while we have koalas, the wombats didn’t occur this far north. However, it seems the fortunes of wombats in western Victoria are changing!
In early 2016, a wombat caused quite a stir as it was photographed in the Gunbower forest, literally hundreds of kilometres from the nearest population. Peter Menkhorst, from the Arthur Rylah Institute was contacted to comment and he stated “The most westerly population of wombats on the Great Dividing Range is around Trentham and Daylesford, where the Campaspe begins”. He believed the wombat may have been an orphan pouch young that was released far from where it was rescued. Read the article in the Bendigo Advertiser here.

A healthy wombat, photographed by Connecting Country’s wildlife cameras at his or her burrow in Sutton Grange.  (Ignore the date on the photos – it was taken in 2014)

After seeing my Porky Ridge wombat, I searched online and found a fantastic website called WomSAT. This website is an initiative of the University of Western Sydney, and encourages people Australia-wide to record their wombat sightings. The map is really is easy to use, and enables you to note down whether the wombat was dead or alive, and if it suffered from mange. You can also record burrows. The WomSAT website can be accessed here.

On this map, there were at least eight sightings of living wombats between Bendigo and Daylesford from 2015- 2016, in Harcourt, south of Bendigo in Sedgwick and a big concentration in the Baynton area to the east.

I had a chat with my Connecting Country work colleagues Bonnie and Jarrod who have been documenting an increase in wombat sightings all through the Harcourt and especially Sutton Grange area – one property had a network of burrows with 50-60 entrances!

The same wombat having a little scratch

So what is going on?! My Mammals of Victoria book, also by Peter Menkhorst, states that wombat distribution on a local level is ‘probably most dependent on the availability of suitable burrow sites in association with food supply’.  The wombats do not like very dense forest, but any open habitat seems to do – with habitats ranging from alpine heathland, to wet forests, dry forests and coastal scrub and tea tree heath. Most of the burrows noted by Bonnie and Jarrod have been on creeklines which are tributaries of the Coliban River, and surrounded by open forest or woodland.

Wombats were declared vermin in 1906, and there was a bounty on them from 1925 – 1966. This put the already diminishing western Victorian populations on an even deeper downward spiral and they disappeared from the volcanic plains and indeed, anywhere north of the Great Dividing Range.

Anecdotally, the recent increase in wombat numbers has been noticed after the Redesdale fires in early 2009, part of the devastating Black Saturday fires. The fires may have caused a dispersal of the wombats into previously unoccupied territory.

So if you are in open forest along a creekline north of Daylesford and south of Bendigo, keep an eye out, a wombat family could be your new neighbours!

If you are logging sightings on WomSAT or sending us in a sighting on our Special-Species-Sightings-Sheet-2017, make a note whether the Wombat is healthy or not. Sarcoptic mange is a hideous parasite that Wombats catch from foxes. The mites cause the most severe mange affected skin and swelling around the eyes – and the wombat gets very sick indeed, and eventually dies. More information on wombat mange can be found here. Happily,  wombat lovers and advocates have discovered that they can add a pesticide ointment to a flap on an affected wombat’s burrow and this treatment saves the wombat without it having to be captured and taken to a shelter.

 

 

Position Vacant at CC – Director

Posted on 19 July, 2017 by Connecting Country

We’ve just announced an exciting new leadership role at Connecting Country.   While we have had joint directors for a while, changes to our funding and future plans have created the need for some changes to our staff team, and we’re now seeking applications for a new Director.

This part-time role is an exciting opportunity for a person with experience in Natural Resource Management to work in our established and successful community run organisation.  This Director position is a leadership and management role responsible for all aspects of the Connecting Country’s day-to-day operations.

Further details about the role, including a position description and key selection criteria, are available at the following link (CLICK HERE).  Applications close at 5pm on Monday 7 August 2017.

(And yes, sadly, this means that both Chris and Krista will be finishing up with Connecting Country soon.  They will both be around for a bit longer, guiding the organisation to this new phase and handing over to the new Director once appointed.  We’ll have more to say later, but the Committee is very appreciative of the amazing contribution Chris and Krista have made to Connecting Country over many years).

 

Dams to Wetlands Workshop – Muckleford Catchment Landcare

Posted on 17 July, 2017 by Asha

Workshop attendees will visit dams like this one in Muckleford (photo by Beth Mellick).

Join Muckleford Landcare to visit two dams and discuss ways in which to improve their function for biodiversity. Everyone is welcome to come along and learn how to turn your dam into a thriving wetland.

The workshop is on this Sunday 23rd July, from 9.30am to 12 noon. Meet at the end of Lyndham Road (off Golf Links Road).  For any questions, contact Beth on 0431 219 980 or bethmellick@gmail.com.

 

What We Found – Results of Reptile and Frog Monitoring

Posted on 14 July, 2017 by Asha

The Plains Froglet (Crinia parinsignifera) or Common Froglet (Crinia signifera) was one of the species found under the tiles (photo by Sylvia Reeves).

Connecting Country’s Reptile and Frog Monitoring results are in! Thanks to the participation of over 40 landholders who have hosted the terracotta tiles, we now have a snapshot of some of the species lurking in our paddocks, revegetation and bushland.

A total of four reptile and one frog species were recorded in the 2016-17 monitoring period. The reptile species included Garden Skink (Lampropholis guichenoti), Bougainville’s Skink (Lerista bougainvillii), Large Striped Skink (Ctenotus robustus), and Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis). The frog species was identified as either Plains Froglet (Crinia parinsignifera) or Common Froglet (Crinia signifera) – further identification was not possible in this case without a permit to handle the animals.

For each of the different habitat types (intact woodland, revegetated woodland, and paddocks), the number of individuals and the number of species was measured. Both the number of individuals recorded and species diversity were highest at paddock sites. There were less individual frogs and reptiles in revegetated woodland than in intact woodland habitats, while the number of species found in these two habitats was the same. We also looked at the differences in how many sites had frogs and reptiles present between the different habitat types. In this case, intact woodland came out the highest and revegetated woodland the lowest. The tiles also proved to be popular homes for many invertebrates, which will hopefully be good tucker for any reptiles and frogs that decide to move in later.

The relatively low number of reptiles and frogs found overall during this monitoring period was not unexpected. The method of using roof tiles to monitor often has a low recovery rate, and these tiles had only been out on the ground for a relatively short amount of time. Connecting Country hopes to continue to work with landholders and Landcare groups to monitor the tiles through citizen science – with the number of species detected likely top increase over time.

The Large Striped Skink (Ctenotus robustus) was found at three of our monitoring sites (photo by Linda Craig).

You can be involved in the citizen science continuation of this project in a number of ways:

  • CLICK HERE for a data sheet to monitor reptiles and frogs on your property. You can observe reptiles and frogs by undertaking active searches under tiles or debris on the ground, listening for frog calls, or sitting and waiting near a spot you think they might like to visit.
  • Send photos of interesting reptiles and frogs on your property to Connecting Country and we can share them on our Reptile and Frog Monitoring web page and Facebook page.
  • Learn more about our diversity and beautiful reptiles and frogs and how to identify them by using the many resources available on our resources page (CLICK HERE).

Please send your data sheets and photos to asha@connectingcountry.org.au or to Connecting Country, PO Box 437, Castlemaine, 3450

Connecting Country’s Reptile and Frog Monitoring Program is being undertaken with the support of the Ian Potter Foundation, and with monitoring tiles provided by the Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning.

 

Enjoying birds in frosty July – two events to come

Posted on 11 July, 2017 by Tanya Loos

Any bird lover knows that a wintery day is no barrier to birdwatching! The birds go about their business undaunted by the cold; well-wrapped in their feathery coats. If we rug up well, and there is no wind, then winter birding can be a lovely change from huddling by the fire!

This Jacky Winter is well insulated!      Photographed by Peter Turner

There are two events coming up soon for those that are interested in their local birds and their habitats. Both events involve a bird walk followed by a presentation about the birds of the local area.

Sunday July 16, 2017 – Bird walk and Landcare workshop for Guildford area

Bird Walk: Local bird and habitat walk along Casley Lane, near Guildford.  9:15am – 11:00am. Meeting point map sent with your RSVP.

Presentation: Guildford birds and how you can care for them, by Connecting Country’s bird enthusiast, Tanya Loos.  Also hear from Maurie Dynon, Guildford and Upper Loddon Landcare. Morning tea and presentation:  Guildford Hall 11:00am – 12:30pm

Please RSVP (with any dietary requirements) to Tanya Loos on 03 5472 1594 or by email tanya@connectingcountry.org.au

This section of Campbells Creek has been surveyed for birds since 2010. The birdlife is amazing!

Saturday July 22, 2017 – Feathered Friends of Campbells Creek (part of Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Sustainable Living Workshop series)

Castlemaine and Chewton now have beautifully revegetated waterways thanks to the tireless work of local community groups. This has benefited our local birdlife greatly. Connecting Country has surveyed the birds of Campbells Creek for 7 years – and is keen to present a portrait of the creek’s burgeoning birdlife. Dress warmly for a mid-winter presentation, morning tea and bird walk at nearby Honeycomb Rd if weather permits.

The details: From 10.30am to 12.30pm.  Presented by Tanya Loos from Connecting Country.  In Campbells Creek area (the address/location will be provided to registered attendees closer to the date).  To reserve your place for the Feathered Friends walk contact Council’s Healthy Environments team on 5471 1700 or d.giles@mountalexander.vic.gov.au.

These two events are generously supported by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust.