Restoring landscapes across the Mount Alexander Region

Time to Evaluate

Posted on 21 October, 2014 by Connecting Country

Workshop Program - Biodiversity 2014 094We’ve just finished the 2014 workshop program and it’s time to evaluate!

If you attended any of our sessions during the year (including the public talk by Ian Lunt) we are keen to find out what you thought. And here is an incentive to fill in the short survey: besides helping us to improve the program for next year, you’ll also have the chance for some great rewards, including one lucky person who will receive a two-hour session with an ecologist – who will visit your property for a one-on-one session. Perhaps you need help with identification and developing a plant or bird list, planning a restoration project, or have specific property management questions. Also on offer to randomly selected respondents include a nest box to provide an instant hollow on your property for a Brush-tailed Possum or Sugar Glider and a copy of Leon Costerman’s excellent field guide to eucalypts of south-eastern Australia, ‘Trees of Victoria and Adjoining Areas’.

Go directly to the link here: connecting-country-2014-workshop-program-evaluation. If there are two of you in the same household, you can fill out a second survey from the same computer, just return to the link. Respond before 27 October 2014 to be in the running for one of the incentives.

If you missed out on this year’s workshops, you can still catch up on the summaries here. We’ll be running a similar program in 2015.

 

10 Nov 2014 – Native Grass Direct Seeding Forum

Posted on 21 October, 2014 by Connecting Country

Starting-from-scratch

In the discussion at the recent Connecting Country AGM about the screened Landscape Restoration film one of the film makers, Ian Penna, told the audience of an upcoming direct seeding forum. We now have the details of this forum. It has been organised by Flora Victoria and will take place on 10 November in Keilor which is just over an hours drive from Castlemaine.  There will be a range of speakers including Dr Paul Gibson-Roy, head of the Grassy Groundcover Research Project.

The invitation and program for the forum can be found here.

 

19th Oct – Campbells Creek Landcare Community Day

Posted on 17 October, 2014 by Connecting Country

The Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare Group have invited the local community to their annual Community Day at Campbells Creek Park, opposite Campbells Creek Primary school, Midland Highway. This event is a good opportunity to meet new residents and local families and get to know the secrets of the creek.

Activities on the day (Sunday 19th Oct) include a free fully catered BBQ lunch with delicious salads and their famous fruit punch. Children will be entertained with numerous activities and surprises.

You can join one of the free bus tours which will run through the day, discover interesting locations along the creek and see the results of 14 years of environmental work conducted by the Friends.

The day starts at 10.00am and concludes at 2.00pm. Free BBQ from 12 noon.
They have invited you to bring your family, bring your friends and don’t forget to bring a hat and walking shoes.

 

Back from the Brink

Posted on 14 October, 2014 by Connecting Country

Landcare works on weeds and riparian zonesWhich weed is your main bane?

Participants at our sixth workshop session on October 5th 2014 reeled off a lengthy list. The most despaired over were spiny rush, gorse, blackberry, bridal veil creeper, bent grass, crack and basket willows, quaking grass, wheel cactus, capeweed, and all manner of thistles. The list may have lengthened as the day progressed, but at the end of the session we certainly had a greater understanding of their ecology, control and management, if not an overall view of the place of weeds in the restoration story.

Whilst the noisy hot rods and ‘chopped’ vehicles did laps of the nearby Newstead racecourse, our group visited three local sites to look at “before” and “after” weed control sites and heard some of the challenges of working with riparian zones and creek-lines. These sites are usually the most compromised sites, but also the most potential value for biodiversity.  Farmer Adrian Sartori and Landcare stalwart Maurie Dynon (Guildford-Upper Loddon Landcare), Pat Radi-Mansbridge (Bushco Land Management), Patrick Kavanagh (Newstead Landcare) and Botanist David Cameron (Arthur Rylah Institute, DEPI) shared their experiences and practical knowledge of weed ecology and management with us.

_DSC0020_0927Thanks to all our presenters, the Sartori family for hosting us at the Strangways site and to Newstead Landcare Group’s Patrick Kavanagh for introducing us to two significant Newstead sites. Also thanks to the Newstead Mens’ Shed who manned the Rotunda park BBQ for us.

To find out more about the session, including a view of the day from participant Deb Wardle, go to the corresponding page in the Education Program, where you will also find resources and images from the day. For more information, contact janet@connectingcountry.org.au or 5472 1594.

This was the last session of the 2014 series. Thanks to all who contributed, either in planning, participating, presenting, assisting and hosting. We will be running the program, in a similar format, again next year.

 

Local events aplenty for Bird Week

Posted on 10 October, 2014 by Tanya Loos

Aussie_Backyard_Bird_count_2014Bird enthusiasts, from beginners to experienced, are encouraged to get involved in National Bird Week 2014.

This year, BirdLife Australia is holding its first ever Aussie Backyard Bird Count, and there are events locally to attend if you are keen to count some birds! You can also go online to www.aussiebirdcount.org.au to find out more. The Backyard Bird Count involves a twenty minute count from any local patch you like, whether it be your backyard bushland or favourite park. You can count once, or many times.  In the spirit of the week, Connecting Country staff will post their observations as the week progresses on our website .

You can enter your observations on the Aussie Bird Count website but if you are a smartphone user you can download the Aussie Backyard Bird Count app.

Kick off bird week with the Bird Man Sean Dooley, editor of BirdLife Magazine, and author of The Big Twitch. Baynton-Sidonia Landcare are hosting Sean’s walk and talk on Sunday 19th October, Interested people are welcome to register for both the Bird Walk and the talk at the Baynton Hall, or for either session, by contacting Barbara on 0458590642 or emailing archiemcleod1@gmail.com by 17th October.

Local ecologist Geoff Park is also giving a talk in Bendigo as part of National Bird Week.  It’s on Saturday 18th October (11am- 12.30pm) in the Bendigo Library Reading RoomClick here for details.

The Macedon Ranges Shire also has a bird week event, with a bird forum on the afternoon of Saturday 18th October.  See the attached flyer for details (click here).

And Bird Week finishes locally with a bird monitoring outing, led by Connecting Country’s Habitat for Bush Birds coordinator Tanya Loos. The outing will be on Sunday 26th October, the final day of bird week, and we will be visiting properties in the Clydesdale area, specifically looking for the feathered five. All welcome, from beginners to experienced but numbers are limited.  To book a place, contact Tanya Loos at tanya@connectingcountry.org.au, or call 5472 1594.

 Some background info on the Habitat for Bush Birds project: helping the feathered five

This project is working to restore habitat for five local bush bird species; the Hooded Robin, Painted Button-quail, Jacky Winter, Brown Treecreeper and Diamond Firetail. Over two years, Connecting Country and participating landowners will carry out 300 ha of habitat restoration actions within 11 priority habitat zones. With the community’s help, we will also be scanning the Mount Alexander shire and immediate surrounds for the feathered five; as the more sightings we have, the better able we are to measure our success in helping these plucky yet threatened little birds.  More information is available on our website (click here) and some new bird-watching activities will be announced soon.  (The Habitat for Bush Birds project is supported by the Victorian Government through Communities for Nature funding.)

 

Our AGM and other new events

Posted on 9 October, 2014 by Connecting Country

A reminder that Connecting Country’s AGM is being held on Tuesday 14 October 2014 at the Campbell’s Creek Community Centre from 7 pm.  A copy of the agenda is available (click here).  After the AGM, we will be showing a documentary about Landscape Restoration, and then having a Q&A session with the film-makers and local landholders involved in the film.  Followed then by some dessert and drinks, and a chance to catch up with friends and make new ones.  Contact Chris if you need further information (chris@connectingcountry.org.au) – or also see our earlier post about this event (click here).

There are also three other new items recently posted on the Connecting Country website that may be of interest:

– ‘Chicks in the Sticks’ event on 30 October – click here

– ‘Picnic in the Sunday Hills’ event on 12 October – click here

– The latest edition of the North Central CMA publication called ‘chat’ – click here

 

10 and 16 Oct 2014 – Six seasons each year, not four!

Posted on 7 October, 2014 by Connecting Country

nature diaryNot too long before joining Connecting Country as coordinator of its Habitat for Bush Birds program, Tanya Loos published a book (Daylesford Nature Diary; Six seasons in the foothill forests) which challenged the traditional notion of the four seasons.  Some of parts of the book are adapted from her regular nature columns in the Hepburn Advocate. Tanya writes:

Who says the first day of Winter is on June 1? Indigenous people around the world and here in Australia mark the seasons through the weather patterns, and the behaviour of flora and fauna. Inspired by this, I created a six season calendar for the Wombat Forest region.

I will share how I used ten years of nature journal observations to adapt the Yarra Timelines calendar to the Wombat Forest area. If you like the idea of marking the seasons by such things as the arrival of spring migrants, or fabulous fruiting fungi – do come along.

There are two local opportunities in the coming fortnight to hear Tanya speak about her observations and findings, which undoubtedly have broader relevance and interest across central Victoria.

1. The meeting of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club.  Friday 10 October 2014 from 7.30pm.  In the hall behind the Uniting Church, Lyttleton St, Castlemaine.

2. The meeting of the Newstead Landcare Group.  Thursday 16 October 2014 from 8pm.  Newstead Community Centre.

Both members are visitors are welcome and encouraged.  The field nats event is free, and the Newstead Landcare group requests a gold coin donation to cover costs.  Copies of her book will be available for sale.

 

14 Oct 2014 – Connecting Country Annual General Meeting

Posted on 23 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

Both members and visitors are warmly invited to attend Connecting Country’s Annual General Meeting for 2014.  It is to be held from 7pm on Tuesday 14th October 2014 at the Campbells Creek Community Centre (see attached map).

The AGM will be followed by the launch of the 2014-2024 Strategic Plan for Connecting Country (the draft plan is open for comment until Sunday 28th Sept – click here for more info).  We will then be screening a recently launched documentary film called Rediscovering the Country – A Journey Into Landscape Restoration (~30 min), which will be followed by the Q & A session with some of the film-makers and interviewees from the film.  To finish the evening, there will then be refreshments (drinks and desserts), and an opportunity to mingle and chat with the Connecting Country staff, committee, members and supporters.  We hope that you can make it.

Habitat for Bush Birds - Birdwatching for Beginners

For the AGM itself:
*  A draft AGM agenda can be viewed by clicking here.
*  A committee of management nomination form can be downloaded by clicking here.  Nominations must be received by the Secretary at least 7 days before the AGM.  If you would like to know more about being a committee member, contact the current Connecting Country president (president@connectingcountry.org.au).
*  Contact Naomi if you are unsure if you are currently a member of CC (naomi@connectingcountry.org.au or call 03 5472 1594).
*  A proxy voting form is available (click here) for those members who are unable to make it to the AGM – but still wish to contribute their vote if there are any elections

From the makers of Rediscovering the Country – A Journey Into Landscape Restoration (Ballarat Tree Growers and Sheoak Films) – The film is aimed at people interested in landscape rehabilitation through revegetation, and who want to learn more about how such projects can be made successful and deliver desired environmental and social benefits.  It presents several community-led revegetation projects in Australia (including Connecting Country) to see how they are working to improve the land, wildlife habitat and human communities. These projects have locally developed objectives, such as returning rare animal species, helping local farmers, linking remnant vegetation, repairing degraded land, and they all were generated out of action by concerned and committed community groups or individuals.  The film also shows how community activism in Sri Lanka uses the analogue forestry/regenerative agriculture technique to mimic the original forest structure and return a forest cover that produces food, natural resources and an economic income for small farmers.

 

To plant, or not to plant?

Posted on 17 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

This was the question posed at our fifth Connecting Country Workshop for 2014, on Sunday September 7th. And the answer? It depends!

Jarrod and Saide talk tubestock techniques

Jarrod and Saide talk tubestock techniques

Saide Gray and Gary Gibson hosted the session on their Sandon property, where they have used a mix of tubestock planting, direct seeding and natural regeneration in their revegetation program. Guided by our presenters Damien Cook (Rakali Consulting) and Jarrod Coote (Connecting Country) we were able to examine and discuss each of the approaches.

The session gave participants the opportunity to explore revegetation options at both a property and landscape scale, interpret the findings for their own situations, and pick up some practical tools, tips and techniques for each of the methods.

As Damien highlighted, restoration science is a new area – we’ve only been studying it in depth over recent decades (after spending so much effort removing native vegetation in Australia for the past 200 years or so) and we are constantly learning as we go.  But the key to any revegetation program is to observe the natural processes happening on your property and in the surrounding landscape and try to employ them, such as using pioneer or succession species in your plantings.

Thanks to Saide and Gary, Damien and Jarrod for sharing their expertise with the 26 participants from across the Mount Alexander Region, and also Frances Cincotta (Newstead Natives) who provided additional resources.

For more information on the session, including photos, a summary from participant Louis Crabb and follow up resources, go to the Workshop Session Page. For more info on this year’s program, contact janet@connecting country.org.au or 5472 1594.

 

 

 

14 & 15 Oct 2014 – NCCMA Workshop on Pasture Cropping & Grazing Management

Posted on 14 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

The North Central CMA is hosting a two day intensive workshop on Pasture Cropping and Grazing Management, which will take place in Newstead  (at the football clubrooms) on 14 & 15 October 2014An on-farm visit will be included in the workshop.

The workshop will feature industry specialists Colin Seis and Graeme Hand. Graeme Hand was a presenter at a Connecting Country workshop held in Yandoit in 2012. The aim of this workshop is to provide commercial farmers with a ‘how-to of Pasture Cropping and Grazing Management’. Continue Reading »

 

23 Sept 2014 – School Holiday Landcare Activity

Posted on 12 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

web-barkers-creekThe Barkers Creek Landcare Network has organised a fun family day with games and activities on Barkers Creek during the upcoming school holidays. You can contact Mandy (p:0409866279 or e:mandchilcott@gmail.com) to find out more. Click on the flyer at left to enlarge.

 

15 Sept 2014 – Update on children’s play about Forest Creek

Posted on 11 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

Still Waters‘, is a play about the story of Forest Creek developed by local landcarer Thais Sansom in conjunction with local primary school children. It will be performed NEXT MONDAY, 15th September at 6.30pm at The Capital Theatre, 50 View Street. Bendigo. Some details of this venture were covered in an earlier post.

Tickets ($10 adults, $5 primary age kids) can be purchased at the Capital Theatre, over the phone on 5434 6100 or online .

Continue Reading »

 

Connecting Country’s Draft Strategic Plan – now open for comment

Posted on 10 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

In our earliest years (2007-08), Connecting Country developed its Biodiversity Blueprint to document the health of the local landscape and to guide our activities during our formative years. Since then, Connecting Country has grown rapidly as an organisation.  There is more knowledge about the environmental threats and opportunities in the local area.  New issues have also arisen that were not considered in the original Blueprint.  As such, we identified the need to reconsider the role of Connecting Country.  Over the past six months, staff, committee members and advisory groups have been working together to develop a draft 10-year Strategic Plan to capture and refine this information and, ultimately, set the direction for the organisation over the next 10 years.

The draft Strategic Plan outlines our vision and mission and the objectives and strategies for our four focus areas (see diagram).  It will be used by the committee and staff in a variety of ways, including in the development of projects and application for grants.  It will also be a public document that describes and promotes what Connecting Country does, and how we plan to continue into the future. A copy of the draft plan is available for downloading (click here for 1MB PDF version or contact us if you’d prefer a Word version).

We would love to receive your thoughts, feedback and suggestions on this draft plan. Are we on the right track?  Are we missing something important?  Are there bits that are unclear?  If possible, we would like your feedback by 28 September 2014.  For enquiries and feedback contact Krista Patterson-Majoor by email: krista@connectingcountry.org.au or telephone:  5472 1594 (available Mondays).

Connecting Country would like to thank all those who have already contributed to the draft plan.  It is intended that the completed plan shall be launched at our AGM on the 14th of October.

connecting country focus areas

 

 

An Afternoon Spent in an Aboriginal Landscape

Posted on 9 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

This article is about the Baynton Sidonia Landcare group’s Aboriginal Landscapes seminar that took place on Sunday 24th August 2014.

AL3

Rodney Monk talks to Baynton Sidonia Landcare president John Baulch.

Sixty-five lucky people (as half that number again had to be turned away) spent six hours immersed in Aboriginal life as it was practiced in the Baynton Sidonia area up until just 180 years ago.

The seminar began with Trish Terry of the Taungurung Clans Association welcoming participants to Country and explaining why she is qualified to welcome us to Country and what the welcome means.

Participants then experienced two outdoors workshops. In one, Tandy Annusheit told Dreamtime stories in the Taungurung language to a rapt audience, with Waa (the Raven) joining in occasionally in real time. It was extraordinarily moving to hear the mellifluous sounds of the language being spoken, probably for the first time in almost two centuries, at that spot.

The other workshop was led by Rodney Monk who is passionate about the preservation of local artifacts including clay heat balls and ovens to scar trees and rock quarry sites. He entertained and educated his audience so they gained a much wider appreciation of the kind of artifacts that still await “discovery” and preservation. He both thrilled and challenged his audience by saying to them that his culture is now the wider Australian community’s culture and as such requires effort, commitment and resources for conservation.

Trish Terry led a session titled “Cultural Landscapes” and in a very short time gave participants several new perspectives. One of these was that the landscape is culture: landscape does not just happen to be the way it is now. It was shaped by Aboriginal people, and that shaping, almost two centuries on, is still clearly visible and used by us today.

Continue Reading »

 

12 Sept 2014 – Egg and Bacon plants of Castlemaine

Posted on 8 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

If you do a Google search on ‘Castlemaine’ and ‘bacon’, at least the first 10 pages of results are all references to the KR Castlemaine business (AKA – the ‘Baco’).  Yet the local area has many native pea shrubs – with the distinctive ‘egg and bacon’ flowers.  A walk through the local bushland at this time of year is a sea of oranges, yellows, reds and browns.

Copyright: Alison Pouliot Photography

The guest speaker at the September Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club (CFNC) general meeting is local ecologist Ern Perkins. Ern’s talk will be on the pea-flowered plants, with particular reference to some of the local peas, and especially the ‘egg and bacon’ plants. The peas are beautiful, important to the bushland ecology, and make great garden plants.   The talk will be held at the Fellowship room in the building behind the Uniting Church in Castlemaine (Lyttleton St, next to the Art Gallery) from 7.30pm on Friday 12 Sept. Members and visitors are all welcome – and entry is free.

There is also an excursion to ‘Humboldt’ on the Saturday following the talk (13 Sept), which will also be led by Ern. Humboldt is a hot spot for some significant pea plants. The walk will be for about a kilometre.  Meet at the Octopus building on Duke St (opposite the Castle Motel).  Exact departure time to be confirmed at the Friday evening meeting – but probably 1.30pm.

 

28 Sept 2014 – Landcare Golf Day

Posted on 4 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

golf-day-flyerMembers of all Landcare and Friends groups across the Shire are invited to a Landcare Golf Day on 28 September to celebrate Landcare.  The day has been organised by Muckleford Catchment Landcare Group, and is being held at the Castlemaine Golf Club in Muckleford.

The 9 hole game will be followed by a light lunch and drinks in the clubhouse. There will also be activities for children, talks from bird experts during the game and weeding activities along Bassett Creek after lunch.

You can find further details by clicking on the flyer to the left.  Bookings are essential.

 

Talking Landcare in the Midland Express

Posted on 3 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

Have you read the Midland Express this week?

Mount Alexander Region Landcare groups got a big boost this week with the publication of a full 2-page spread in the Midland Express newspaper called ‘Talking Landcare’ (see pages 32 and 33 in the 2 Sept 2014 edition).

express landcare article-50

The Midland Express – always a good read.

The articles demonstrate the vibrancy of the local Landcare movement, and will hopefully generate some more interest and new members.  Thank you to all of the groups that contributed ideas and content at the July 2014 Landcare Link-up event.

And a big thank you to Newstead Natives, Regional Vic Farm Services, Rewells Mower Service, Maine Environmental Services, Pyrenees Quarries and SureGro for their advertising support which made the Landcare feature possible.

Make sure you get your hands on a copy of Express this week to check it out!

 

Sept–Oct 2014 – ‘Spring into Nature’ events from TFN

Posted on 2 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

spring-into-nature‘Spring into Nature’, is an event series organised by Trust for Nature. Trust for Nature is a not-for-profit conservation organisation that has developed unique ways to permanently protect remnant vegetation on private land.

Trust for Nature is inviting the general public to experience some of the most remarkable environmental conservation properties in Victoria, each offering a special sanctuary to native flora and fauna in need of protection. People will have the opportunity to chat with landowners who have permanently protected their properties, enjoy guided walks and talks, and learn about practical land management techniques that help protect precious wildlife.

north-central-spring-into-natureThere are nine events throughout Victoria this September and October. The North Central Victoria event will be held on 9 September in Kotta which is south-west of Echuca and an hour and 15 minutes from Bendigo.

A list of  all events, dates and details can be found on the Trust for Nature website  and the Spring into Nature brochure can be found here.

 

15 Sept 2014 – School concert about Forest Creek

Posted on 2 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

Castlemaine Primary School and Chewton Primary School are producing a school concert entitled Still Waters.  It is the story of Forest Creek told by all the students from both schools.

The story will cover the geological history, the aboriginal heritage, the gold mining era, and finally the regeneration and revegetation along the creek.  The Brush-tailed Phascogale will be a main character throughout the show, beautifully representing the success of on-going environmental restoration along the creek.

The concert will be held at the Capital Theatre, in Bendigo on the evening of Monday 15th September.  Time and booking arrangements are yet to be confirmed and will be posted on this website as soon as they are available.

This concert follows a strong focus in recent times on the regeneration of Forest Creek by a number of local Landcare groups (Chewton LC, Castlemaine LC and Golden Point LC) and Connecting Country. The Connecting Country report Forest Creek Action Plan can be downloaded here.

Continue Reading »

 

14 Sept 2014 – Victoria: before & (just) after European colonisation

Posted on 2 September, 2014 by Connecting Country

On Sunday 14 September, Eliza Tree is giving a presentation entitled:

Australia Felix, or Indigenous Cultural Landscape, Jaara country, before the goldrush & William von Blandowski: Insights from an outsider’.

Eliza Tree is a well-known local artist and historian who has undertaken research on Victoria prior the Gold Rush with particular reference to Indigenous culture and Major Mitchell’s 1836 expedition. Details of the afternoon event which will take place in Harcourt can be found here. While most people have heard at least a little about Major Mitchell and his explorations, William von Blandowski is little known and his contributions under-appreciated.  He was one of Victoria’s first scientists, and led an expedition in 1857 from Melbourne to the Murray River. Continue Reading »