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. 

14 July 2017 – Talk on ‘the Birds of West Papua’

Posted on 10 July, 2017 by Connecting Country

Guest speaker at the July 2017 meeting of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club (CFNC) is Nigel Harland.  A resident of Sutton Grange and immediate past president of the CFNC, Nigel is perhaps best well-known locally for his annual wildlife-watching trips to remote corners of the world.  He has recently visited West Papua and will be speaking about (and displaying photos of) the exotic birds and other sights from this great adventure.  Those of you that have attended previous presentations by Nigel will recall his talent as both a photographer and raconteur, and also conveying a depth of knowledge and interesting facts about the locations that he visits.

The presentation is to be on the evening of Friday 14 July 2017, in the Fellowship Room behind the Uniting Church on Lyttleton St in Castlemaine.  The Uniting Church is midway between Barker St and Kennedy St, and next door to the Castlemaine Art Gallery.  The evening commences at 7.30pm.  Entry is free, and both members and visitors are encouraged to come along.

Winter in the Nuggettys – Nature News 4th July 2017

Posted on 6 July, 2017 by Connecting Country

For this month’s Nature News (also on page 15 of this week’s Midland Express), Nuggety Ranges Landcarer  Jane Mitchell writes about living on her property ‘Sunnydale’. This Nature News is dedicated to Jane’s recently departed daughter Clara Annie Patterson.

At ‘Sunnydale’ the birds are feeding off the last fruits of the year. Grey Currawong, usually too shy to come close, are attracted to the Persimmon tree near the back door along with groups of Silvereyes. The Pomegranate, planted by our European forebears, is a favourite of the Crimson Rosellas who tear at the split fruit with their strong beaks to reach the jewels inside. Then the smaller birds can follow now access has been granted.

Grey Currawong in Persimmon Tree, Sunnydale. Photographed by Jane Mitchell.

‘Sunnydale’, our home of 32 years, is in the Nuggetty Ranges which lie on the northern side of Maldon. Surrounding our land is Box-Ironbark bushland which provides habitat for over 60 species of birds and counting.

The Hedge Wattles are a favourite safe house for the Blue Wrens. Kookaburras have vantage points in the Grey Box and Yellow Gums to observe for their hunting purposes.

Overhead are Little Eagles, Wedge-tailed Eagles and Brown Falcons. There is a constant background sound-scape from Spotted Pardalotes. New Holland Honeyeaters exert their territorial rights in groups. Family groups of Red-browed Finches share the bird bath in turns returning to and fro their bush hideaway.

Then there are the seasonal visits from the male and female Scarlet Robin and Black-faced Cuckoo- shrikes who have their own particular flight habit. The thornbills twitter and flick through the taller canopy so fast they can barely be discerned.

Crimson Rosellas’ clear ringing call reaches across the valley. My special friend the Grey Shrike-thrush is a warming presence. Now the bronze-wings and Peaceful Doves are looking for any leftover Ruby Salt-bush seeds and are helping themselves to fallen pomegranates in their quiet, purposeful manner.

After the sun sinks the dark brings new visitors. A Southern Boobook call is a low, throaty sound from different vantage points. I hesitate to confirm but on a few evenings in the past the single and duet call from Barking Owls have been heard.

We are so fortunate to have this special place to live and share with our feathered friends. Each day I delight in their presence.

Silvereye in Persimmon Tree at Sunnydale. Photographed by Julie Hough

Fryerstown bird walk and workshop

Posted on 3 July, 2017 by Tanya Loos

Last Sunday, June 25 2017, Fryerstown residents and bird lovers from as far afield as Woodend and Shepherds Flat enjoyed a bird walk and gathering at the old Fryerstown School.  We were pleasantly surprised by the mild weather and yes – even sunshine!
Our group of twenty spotted 18 bird species , with Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters most definitely “bird of the day” as they were present in large numbers feeding on the flowering Yellow Gums.  Another highlight was some very good views of one of our target species, the Brown Treecreeper.  Nina Tsilikas took this lovely photograph of a Brown Treecreeper hopping about on the moss-covered ground. Out of shot is a large group of Long-billed Corellas who were digging for a bulb of some kind – the two species made quite a contrast.  They were foraging on a site known as Blue Duck Mine – soon to be the site of an exciting new project, but more on this later!

They appear to be plain brown – but the Brown Treecreeper is very beautifully patterned when seen at close quarters.

We walked along Turners Road to the Fryerstown Cemetery. Sadly the Eastern Yellow Robins who are usually there were absent, but we did get some lovely views of a male and female Galah. Nina was there again with her trusty camera – and these shots show the subtle difference between the sexes – the male has a dark brown coloured eye, and the female a pinkish red eye.

Male Galah

Female Galah

After the walk we all enjoyed sandwiches, cake and tea and coffee served by the School committee – and I gave a short presentation on woodland birds and how to help them thrive in the Fryerstown area.

Maurie Dynon from Guildford and Upper Loddon Landcare kindly stood up and gave the group an update on an exciting proposed restoration project in the Fryerstown township – the weed removal and revegetation of a patch of land known as the Blue Duck Mine. The funding is yet to be confirmed, but the land managers (Department of Environment Land Water and Planning) are  on board and so is the Fryerstown CFA, whose fire shed abuts the reserve. Fryerstown locals such as Clodagh Norwood, Helen Martin and  Bill Burris are thrilled that the Blue Duck Mine project, auspiced by the landcare group, could set in motion a number of habitat restoration projects locally.

Many thanks to the wonderful residents of Fryerstown for their generosity and enthusiasm – it was a really fun morning!

Finally, Connecting Country is  calling out for landholders who are interested in helping protect and enhance bird habitat on their property – if you are in the Fryerstown, Tarilta, Glenluce area and have remnant vegetation on your land – please fill in an expression of interest form – see Expression-Of-Interest-Form-July-2017-Connecting-Country and get in touch!

This event was generously supported by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust. 

Watching the Brown Treecreeper

Mon 10 July 2017 – FOBIF AGM and guest speaker

Posted on 30 June, 2017 by Connecting Country

Brian Bainbridge will be the guest speaker at the 2017 FOBIF AGM.

The Friends of the Box Ironbark Forests (FOBIF) Annual General Meeting will be held from 7.30pm on July 10 in the Ray Bradfield Rooms, next to the IGA carpark and Victory Park in central Castlemaine. More details on the night, including how to nominate for the FOBIF Committee can be found here. Supper will be served and everyone is welcome. The guest speaker on the night will be Brian Bainbridge, an Ecological Restoration Planner whose background is working with the Merri Creek Management Committee.

His topic will be Single species – many outcomes.

Single species conservation projects can have wide-ranging benefits when pursued in a holistic manner. Projects to secure local populations of Matted Flax Lily and Plains Yam Daisy have led Merri Creek Management Committee to build a deeper understanding of the Merri Creek’s changing ecology and the potential for landscape-scale conservation.  The projects have stimulated fresh approaches to engaging with community. 

Dates for the 2017 Regent Honeyeater Planting Weekends

Posted on 30 June, 2017 by Connecting Country

Help build habitat for the endangered Regent Honeyeater by attending a planting weekend in the Lurg Hill near Benalla this year.

Connecting Country’s friends at the Regent Honeyeater Project in the Lurg Hills near Benalla have put out a call for volunteer planters over the coming months. This project has established itself as one of the most active volunteer conservation projects in the nation. It has engaged a whole farming community in restoring remnant Box-Ironbark habitat for the endangered Regent Honeyeater, and attracted ongoing support from a wide cross-section of the community to help farmers with the on-ground works.

Propagation and planting days are organised each year for a thousand students from more than 20 local schools and hundreds of volunteers from universities, walking clubs, church groups, bird observers, scouts, environment groups and the like. The massive scale of their tree-planting work has enormous benefits for landcare in their area as well as for wildlife. Almost 900 hectares of restored habitat is reducing salinity and erosion problems, and improving water quality, stock shelter and natural pest control.

Please find the weekend planting dates for the Regent Honeyeater Project in and around Lurg in 2017 year below:

August 12-13

August 26-27

September 9-10

September 23-24

October 7-8

They have plenty of great sites available that will improve ecosystems and give benefits into the future for the endangered wildlife. The project can supply accommodation in the Scout and Guides halls in Benalla in the form of mattresses and an evening meal on Saturday and an onsite lunch on Sunday.

Please contact field Officer with the Regent Honeyeater Project, Andie Guerin, with any queries and to RSVP via email: andie@regenthoneyeater.org.au

It’s a great time to support our work

Posted on 26 June, 2017 by Connecting Country

This owlet-nightjar was seen at its cosy hollow in a broken off tree stag on Sunday’s Bird Walk led by Connecting Country’s Woodland Birds project coordinator, Tanya Loos . Picture by Peter Turner.

As it’s nearly the end of the 2016-17 financial year, you may wish to consider making a tax-deductible donation to Connecting Country.  Connecting Country is a registered charity and is also listed on the national Register of Environmental Organisations (click here for more details).  The easiest way you can donate is via the secure Give Now online donation platform.  You can also find out more about other ways to donate on our webpage by clicking here.

While most of our activities are funded by grants from government programs or through philanthropic support, donations and volunteer contributions from our members and supporters allow our impact to go much further.  It also gives us greater scope to undertake activities that don’t fall neatly into traditional grant programs, yet are still critically important for achieving our aims.

Although it doesn’t align with most local biological timelines, Connecting Country’s financial year matches most other organisations throughout the country – with one finishing on the 30 June and the next one starting on the 1 July.  As such, we’ve commenced the process of compiling our annual report, and we hope that you’ll enjoy its stories of habitat restoration and nature appreciation across the Mount Alexander Shire. *Watch this space*

We’ve enjoyed bringing the aspirations of our community for improved local landscape health into fruition and look forward to continuing this work into 2017-18.  We thank-you for your support.

CC Membership Renewal for 2018-17 – now available online

Posted on 22 June, 2017 by Connecting Country

Connecting Country’s membership renewal drive for the 2017-18 has commenced, and we are happy to announce that it is simpler than ever.  By following this secure link (CLICK HERE) or by following the secure links from our home page, you can now renew your membership online in a couple of minutes.

Pine Assassins from Castlemaine Secondary College at this year’s Camp Out on the Mount

Among other benefits, annual membership of Connecting Country:

• Continues to be free of charge
• Demonstrates your support for our activities, and our aims of working towards an increasingly healthy natural environment within the Mount Alexander Region.  The support of good membership numbers is critical when we apply for grants and other external support
• Provides insurance cover when you attend our events
• Allows you to vote at our Annual General Meeting – likely to be held in October 2017.

For people applying to become members for the first time, you can use the same form.  However, your application will then need to be endorsed at the next monthly CC Committee of Management meeting before your membership is formalised.

If you would prefer a hard copy membership form instead, please contact us (info@connectingcountry.org.au) to request an emailed PDF or a posted form .

Jida Gulpilil sharing stories and knowledge with the group at the February Landcare Link-up

A sample of our achievements over the past 12 months include:

• Publication of a reptile and frog brochure, and implementation of an associated monitoring program
• Continued community-based monitoring of birds, phascogales and revegetation plots
• More than 10 education events coordinated on various aspects of natural resource management and cultural heritage
• Coordination and funding support for Camp Out on the Mount and Little Habitat Heroes events
• A range of supports for 31 local Landcare and Friends groups, including Green Army teams and grant-writing
• Review and update of the Woodland Bird Action Plan
• On-ground habitat restoration works undertaken across more than 400 ha of land, including actions such as fencing remnant vegetation, tubestock planting and direct seeding and weed and rabbit control

With the end-of-financial year looming, you may be interested in making a tax-deductible donation to support Connecting Country’s work towards habitat restoration and improved landscape health across the Mount Alexander Shire and surrounds.  The membership form will direct you to the on-line Give Now donation page.  Alternatively, you can visit our website for other methods of donating and other details about our tax-deductible charity status (click here).

Threatened woodland birds get a bodyguard

Posted on 21 June, 2017 by Connecting Country

Threatened woodland bird populations in the Mount Alexander region are being better protected through a new collaborative Connecting Country project. Over three years, $300,000 from the Victorian Government’s Biodiversity On-Ground Action initiative will help to protect, enhance and increase critical bird habitat in Box-Ironbark Forests in the Mount Alexander area. This area is important because it provides core habitat for the Victorian Temperate Woodland Bird Community, which is listed under the Flora and Fauna Guaranteed Act and an indicator of the health of the landscape.

The Diamond Firetail is one of the threatened Woodland bird species to be targeted by the project.

Krista Patterson-Majoor, Connecting Country Director – Project Manager, explains; “Over recent years, we have seen a decline among most threatened species within this bird community. We are taking a team approach with this project and collaborating with Trust for Nature, Dja Dja Wurrung, North Central Catchment Management Authority, Parks Victoria, Landmate, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), local Landcare groups and private landholders to carry out a variety of environmental works to help protect the birds.”

Works funded will include having private land owners undertake weed control and fencing to protect remnant vegetation across 60 hectares. In exchange, the owners will set aside land for conservation for at least ten years, including stock grazing removal and pest control. This funded project aligns with our Woodland Bird Action plan which aims to stabilise and then increase the populations of local species by protecting and expanding their core habitat. Landholders who are interested in finding out more are encouraged to contact Connecting Country or fill out an  Expression-Of-Interest-Form-July-2017-Connecting-Country.

DELWP Program Manager, Biodiversity, Jill Fleming, said: “This community-led group has been working for more than 10 years to protect threatened woodland birds in the Mount Alexander region and it’s great to see them receive this funding that will help them, and all the partners, to continue this important work.” DELWP’s involvement will help to broaden the scope of the project and ensure works carried out on private land will be complemented by similar activities on 80 hectares of surrounding public land that has been strategically aligned with private landholders and woodland bird priority zones. “By controlling the weeds and removing stock grazing, we discourage non-native birds, who may displace the native ones, from using the same habitat,” Ms Fleming said.

Twenty-six large scale, multi-partner regional partnership projects totalling $7.7 million have been funded through the Regional Biodiversity On-Ground Action initiative to address major risks to threatened species and ecosystems across the state. These projects will be delivered through regional partnerships between agencies, organisations, community, landholders and traditional owners. The list of projects is available at: www.environment.vic.gov.au/biodiversity/biodiversity-on-groundaction 

Box Ironbark East Biodiversity Hub Steering Group Members (from left) – Chris Timewell (CC), Jill Fleming (DELWP), Matt Menhennet (Landmate), Tanya Loos (CC), Steve Comte (Landmate) Deanna Marshall (TFN), Krista Patterson-Majoor (CC) Bonnie Humphreys (CC), Britt Gregory (NCCMA), Kirsten Hutchinson (TFN) and Noel Muller (PV) – at our inaugural meeting in Castlemaine. Absent are Rodney Carter (DDW), Steve Jackson (DDW) and Adrian Martins (NCCMA).

Little Habitat Heroes planting a huge success!

Posted on 19 June, 2017 by Connecting Country

A friendly and enthusiastic crowd of nearly 100 big and little habitat heroes came together on Saturday the 17th of June 2017. In perfect weather, we planted, guarded and watered-in 900 indigenous understorey plants at the former silkworm farm on Mount Alexander. Little Habitat Heroes exemplifies what Connecting Country is all about – bringing the community and nature conservation together.

Just over a year ago an group of new mums approached Connecting Country with their idea for a novel and meaningful way to mark their babies first birthday; they wanted to raise funds for a community planting to restore habitat. Connecting Country was thrilled to partner with these capable women as they successfully outstripped their fundraising target and worked hard with us over the following twelve months to see the planting day to fruition.

Three big cheers for the Little Habitat Heroes!

Fueled by a scrumptious morning tea and lots of goodwill, the crowd of volunteers put in a great effort which will create amazing habitat on Mt Alexander into the future. It was an honour for Connecting Country staff to be involved and a thrill to look over what we achieved together at the end of the day.

We congratulate and thank all involved – with a massive well done! Special thanks also to our partner organisations  including Harcourt Valley Landcare, Barkers Creek Landcare B-Team, VicRoads, the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, Parks Victoria, and all of the generous donors and volunteers.

We look forward to seeing what projects our amazing community comes up with next and to continuing to work together to restore habitat across our shire.

Tarrengower Cactus Field Day – Sunday 25 June 2017

Posted on 19 June, 2017 by Connecting Country

Help the Tarrengower Cactus Control Group treat infestations like this one on Sunday 25th June in Nuggetty.

The next Tarrangower Cactus Control Group community field day is on Sunday 25th June 2017. Attendees will be working at a number of sites in the Nuggetty area. The group will meet in Nuggetty School Road at the site of the old Nuggetty School. The way to the venue will be sign posted along the Shelbourne Road from the Tarrengower Prison corner.

The Nuggetty Landcare group has done a lot of work at the old school site with its historic Peace Cairn. It is well worth a visit and will be a great place to meet and to hold our sausage sizzle.

For more information about the field day please contact Tony Kane from the Tarrangower Cactus Control Group on 0400 495 480.

Connecting Landscapes Celebration warms hearts on a cool June night

Posted on 15 June, 2017 by Connecting Country

Last Tuesday, 6th June 2017, the Connecting Landscapes Celebration Event saw an engaged community come together to socialise, learn and commit to a future vision of a healthy landscape in the Mount Alexander Region. The celebration acknowledged the achievements of the Connecting Landscapes project over the past five years and recognized Connecting Country’s milestone tenth year. Over sixty landholders who have been part of our on-ground work program were treated to a delicious meal from Growing Abundance and deserts from the Murnong Mummas, trivia competition and an informative talk from David Cameron from Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) .

Connecting Country President, Brendan Sydes, gives a short history and summary of plans for the future.

Brendan Sydes,  President of Connecting Country’s Committee of Management,  kicked off the evening with an Acknowledgement of Country and a brief overview of Connecting Country history to date. He also launched our new Biodiversity Hub project to be delivered in partnership with DELWP, Trust for Nature, Parks Victoria and Dja Dja Wurrung.

Connecting Landscapes project coordinator, Jarrod Coote, gave an overview of the achievements of our Connecting Landscapes project, the staff, and what is next for Connecting Country. Funded through the Australian Government, Connecting Landscapes has been Connecting Country’s major project for the last five years. It has seen huge gains for the environment through our on-ground works, monitoring and community engagement programs.

With our targets for the Connecting Landscapes project successfully it reached, we have:

• Protected 1200 ha (3,000 acres) of native bushland on private land
• Revegetated 400 ha (1,000 acres) of “greenfield” sites – i.e. paddocks
• Treated rabbits and weeds over 1600 ha
• Built 40km of fences
• Developed 25 Landholder Management Plans
• Delivered our successful education and monitoring programs

This table speaks volumes about our overachiever tendencies with actual results outstripping our targets in each of the five areas of on-ground works activity.

Tanya Loos,  Connecting Country Woodland Birds Project Coordinator, gave an overview of the monitoring component of the program. This included highlighting the various types of ecological monitoring undertaken by Connecting Country and acknowledging the many different groups of people involved including volunteers, landholders, experts and students. A highlight was the results for nest box monitoring with increases in occupation of the boxes for Sugar Gliders and Tuans.

An overall increase in numbers of Tuans and Sugar Gliders occupying nest boxes across the shire is encouraging.

Dinner was served and attendees collaborated on trivia questions which tested their natural resource management knowledge. Well done to the winners of the quiz; with only one question amiss, they secured a nest box each and some plants and guards. Free nest boxes were also given out to lucky door prize ticket holders.

All tables put in a great effort on the quiz.

The final part of the evening was a talk by David Cameron, Senior Botanist and curator of the state Flora Database with DELWP. His extensive knowledge about plants and, in particular, important weed species of the future was welcomed by the audience as useful advice for what to focus on their properties.

David Cameron talked about plant identification and weeds to look out for in the future given the likely effects of Climate Change.

Desert was served with many happy faces exchanging conversation in the cool of a June night. We would like to acknowledge the funding from the Australian Government which made this evening and the Connecting Landscapes project possible. We would also like to warmly thank all of our landholders and groups who have been involved in Connecting Country projects so far – every little bit of change we create helps biodiversity across our landscape. We look forward to more exciting projects like this in the future.

Issue 69: Victorian Landcare and Catchment Management Magazine now available

Posted on 15 June, 2017 by Connecting Country

Issue 69 of the Victorian Landcare and Catchment Management magazine, which is a special feature on climate change, is now available online.

Among the stories in this issue:

• Climate change – an opportunity to rethink, restore and reboot
• Helping the grains industry deal with climate volatility
• Victoria’s freshwater blue carbon stores
• Five crowdfunding tips from the southern Otways
• Introducing Landcare Victoria Incorporated

To read or download the current issue of the magazine visit https://www.landcarevic.org.au/landcare-magazine/ .

All the other back issues (i.e. from issues 1-68) of the Victorian Landcare and Catchment Management magazine are now on the Victorian Landcare Gateway https://www.landcarevic.org.au/resources/magazine-library/

Those who receive the magazine in hard copy will receive it in your letter boxes over the next week or so. Happy reading!

June 2017 – North Central Chat

Posted on 8 June, 2017 by Connecting Country

There’s lots happening in the region, even in the winter months. Click here to view the June 2017 edition of the North Central Chat and find out more about who is doing what in our region.

Nature News – 6th June 2017 Master spinners of silk; the Orbweavers

Posted on 8 June, 2017 by Connecting Country

For this month’s Nature News (also on page 28 of this week’s Midland Express), local writer Dr. Lynne Kelly shares her love of spiders and knowledge of two local species of Orbweavers commonly found in the Castlemaine region.

Left: Garden orbweaver in her web at night. Photo taken by: Dr Lynne Kelly

“I adore spiders. I used to be an arachnophobe but knowledge cures an irrational fear, slowly at first. Then one day I watched an orbweaver spin her web from start to finish. That was the day I became a spider-obsessive. In the Mount Alexander Shire two varieties of orbweavers dominate – the large golden orbweavers who stay on their webs all day and the slightly smaller garden orbweavers that spin in the evening and scamper to hide in the foliage at dawn.

We have a few species of garden orbweavers. They are all in the Eriophora genus, distinguished by two prominent projections near the front of the abdomen. Garden orbweavers usually remove most of their web before dawn, re-absorbing the protein in the silk to use again. A single reinforced strand is left across the gap between bushes or trees in the hope that it will still be there the following evening. If that strand is broken, the spider will point her abdomen skyward and release a fine filament of silk. In even the slightest breeze, this silk will catch on foliage and she will rush across, back and forward, to reinforce the mainstay of her web. She will then drop to the ground and attach an anchor. She’ll rush up again to spin the radials and a spiral outwards. From the edge of her nearly complete web, she will then circle back towards the centre laying down the sticky spiral. Having worked tirelessly for nearly an hour, she will rest, head down, waiting for her prey.

Right: Golden orbweaver in her web by day with a tiny male approaching from above. Photo taken by: Dr Lynne Kelly

Unlike the garden orbweavers, the huge golden orbweavers stay on the web all day, constantly repairing and reinforcing it. It is not the spider which is golden but the glow of the silk when it catches the sun. All the individuals I’ve seen locally are the Australian Golden Orbweaver (Nephila edulis). Discarded debris is left in the web above the spider to confuse the birds. Male garden orbweavers are only marginally smaller than their females but the males of the golden orbweavers are tiny by comparison [see above photo on right]. Although the males of most spider species will survive their sexual encounters, the Nephila males sacrifice themselves in their final act. Having produced a golden egg sac, the female will then die with the first frost.”

For further reading, Lynne’s book, “Spiders: learning to love them” (Allen & Unwin, 2009) is an excellent resource for those interested in finding out more about these amazing creatures.