Talking Fire – Igniting a Spark

Posted on 24 November, 2016 by Connecting Country

There’s a triangle involved in fire; which involves conditions, substrate and spark.  The “Talking Fire” weekend on 12-13th  November 2016 lit a spark, but it certainly wasn’t damaging. The triangle of local, Indigenous and technical expertise, field and forest visits, and space to talk about what people in the Newstead-Maldon community have heard and seen, all created another sort of ignition.

Part of the field trip convoy through the Muckleford Forest looking at ecological values, burning and fire recovery

People are concerned about the places they love, including home and the local landscape more generally. Talking Fire was a great start to a new kind of conversation: about learning, reducing fear, building understanding, caring for our towns, settlements and the whole landscape together.

Thanks to everyone who participated and contributed. Especially Maldon Urban Landcare Group (MULGA). And for funding – thanks to Mount Alexander Shire Community Grants, Maldon and District Community Bank (Bendigo Bank), Norman Wettenhall Foundation. For catering – Newstead Primary School, Newstead Mens’ Shed; for gifts – Goughs Range Olives and Newstead Natives; in-kind support – Newstead Landcare, Connecting Country, Newstead Fire Brigade, Newstead Auxiliary, Friends of Box Ironbark Forests, Bendigo TAFE, DELWP. And our recorders – Julie Hough, Julie Millowick, Christine Sayer, Marion Williams, Simon Beckett, Andrew Skeoch, Sarah Koschak, Gordon Dowell. And three cheers for the planning group too.

Andrew Bennett (wildlife and landscape ecologist, La Trobe University and Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research), Sam Strong (pHD candidate at Charles Sturt University), Joan Sartori (Newstead CFA Auxiliary), Mick Burke and Trent Nelson (Dja Dja Wurrung Clans)

And mostly, to everyone who came to any of it, or all, and joined the chat. Talking Fire think there were around 40 – 50 on each day, and not the same attendees, or speakers. It made for more conversations.

Because many people couldn’t attend the event, or only came to parts of it, Talking Fire are curating the audio, visual and audio-visual of the weekend at their website www.talkingfire.org. You will be able to get a gist of the conversations there. But please be a bit patient for it all to arrive.

Talking Fire are also interested in collecting ‘fire histories’ around the CFA auxiliary, and other fire experiences – to share and learn from. Contact Gordon 0467 586 881 or Janet 0439 003 469.

More info: www.talkingfire.org or Chris 54762457.

Fantails and Button-quails on the Metcalfe Bird Walk

Posted on 23 November, 2016 by Tanya Loos

On the 6th of November 2016, Connecting Country’s monthly bird walk was at Metcalfe Nature Conservation Reserve, or “the Common”. We met at the Metcalfe Hall, and some twenty of us were delighted to hear that locals, Brian and Kate Hamond, had something special they wished to share.

Safe and sound, photo by secondary school student Maeve Boyle

A large roll of wire in the Hamond’s open shed proved an excellent nesting spot for a pair of Grey Fantails. As we all gathered around, binoculars in hand, we were delighted to observe the pair swap over egg brooding duties. They seemed unconcerned by our presence, and Brian said he has been able to go about his usual business in the shed without disturbing the fantails. Many thanks to Brian and Kate for this exciting start to the morning.

We set off to the Common and the excitement continued – for the moment Greg Waddell opened the car door, we were stunned to get very good views of a small quail-like species as it walked and then flew away into the woodland. A rather technical discussion of Button-quail identification followed using a couple of bird books. We decided that the Pizzey and Knight field guide is most useful in these situations, as it has the key identifying feature in italics.  It was agreed that the bird was a Little Button-quail, rather than the more common Painted Button-quail. Little Button-quails are being seen increasingly in Eastern Australia after these record-breaking rains and – although rarely seen – they are on our local bird-checklist-for-the-mount-alexander-region.

The highlight birds seen along the Ridge Track were probably the Rufous Whistlers, calling incessantly from the canopy. A quiet spot that morning, we saw just 13 species along the track. The wildflowers were stunning however – thick masses of flowering Chocolate Lilies and Yam Daisies.

We traveled around the Goldfields Rd to the more lush areas on the lower slopes of the Reserve, and did a Twenty Minute 2 Hectare count as we walked up the slope and we saw 9 species. The birds were a bit hard to see due to the lush and abundant growth on the Yellow Box and Grey Box. Again, the wildflowers were a treat- with Chocolate Lilies and Bulbine Lilies in huge drifts. Thanks to Maeve for being our scribe.

We also saw a white form of Chocolate lily! This is not an albino – just a colour variation. You may have noticed some white forms yourself – such as Wax-lip Orchids, and also more recently, Bluebells (Wahlenbergia).

Our Bird Walks usually finish up at about 11:30am, but this time we travelled back to the Metcalfe Hall and I gave a short Powerpoint presentation on the birds of the Metcalfe area.

It was a very enjoyable morning, and I would like to thank Debbie Farmer, Secretary of Metcalfe Landcare, for organising the Hall and publicising the event locally. It was fantastic to have some beginner birdwatchers there!

Smiles in the woodland, photo by Tanya Loos

Wednesday 30th November – Soils workshop with Katie Finlay and NCCMA

Posted on 14 November, 2016 by Connecting Country

Following on from our Farm Field Day in August, Connecting Country is working with North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA) to run a short workshop about soils in Harcourt.

During this workshop participants will hear from Katie Finlay from Mt Alexander Fruit Gardens about their property and the role soil  health plays in their farming system. Practical instruction from Mandy Coulson (NCCMA) and soil scientist Rebecca Mitchell will take participants through a series of soil tests in the recently launched Soil Health Guide to measure health on your land.

If you’d like to come along, the free workshop will run from 10 – 11.30am on Wednesday November 30th 2016.

To reserve your place at this event, please follow this link: https://www.trybooking.com/241695.

For more information contact Naomi on 5472 1594 or email naomi@connectingcountry.org.au.

Tarrangower Cactus Control Group nominated for Parks Vic award – vote for them!

Posted on 10 November, 2016 by Connecting Country

Cactus Warriors partying and celebrating at the recent Maldon Easter Fair

The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group has let Connecting Country know that they have been nominated for Parks Victoria’s Kookaburra Public Choice Award. You, your family and friends can support the Cactus Warriors by voting for them.

You can go direct to the voting form through this link:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/publicchoiceaward

If you would like to read more about the award and those who have been nominated before you vote please use this link:  http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/get-involved/volunteer/kookaburra

Voting closes on 30 November 2016. Let them know you care!

Call for photos from Friends of the Box Ironbark Forests

Posted on 9 November, 2016 by Connecting Country

The theme of the next FOBIF photo exhibition is “Mountains and Waterways”.

Mount Tarrengower from Chewton Hills. Bernard Slattery, 23 June 2010

Stilts, tuans and Swifty make for a great Connecting Country float!

Posted on 9 November, 2016 by Connecting Country

An enthusiastic mob of kids and adults turned out to show their support for Connecting Country last Friday night at the Castlemaine Show Parade

Twenty people volunteered to walk the main street of Castlemaine proudly showing their support for Connecting Country on the evening of Friday 28th October. We were lucky to have an appearance by Swifty the parrot and a resident tuan along for the float as well as Ella with her amazing stilt walking ability for all to see.

This fun event aimed to promote the work that Connecting Country does in our local area to the broader community of Castlemaine. Volunteers in high-vis also gave out hedge wattle seeds, caramello koalas and eucalyptus lollies to the happy and supportive crowd.

A big thank-you to Bonnie for donating the wattle seed, Jarrod for driving the red ute, Beth, Ella and Micah for dressing up and everyone else for volunteering their time and enthusiasm for Connecting Country.

Our resident tuan and Theo enjoy the afternoon sunshine on the direct seeder before they head down the street.

Little Habitat Heroes campaign reaches $2000!

Posted on 7 November, 2016 by Connecting Country

Connecting Country is proud to be supporting the Little Habitat Heroes in their campaign to raise funds for landscape restoration at the former silkworm farm site on Mount Alexander. They have raised just over $2,000 already and are keen to raise at least $3,000 to cover the costs of plants, guards, and a community planting day in 2017.

This project was born by a group of new mums who met at a Mothers Group in Castlemaine in early 2016. They shared a dream to create something unique for their babies’ first birthdays and wanted to contribute to the restoration of the local environment and give their children the gift of a personal connection with nature.

For more information about this project see our previous blog post.

Visit: www.littlehabitatheroes.org, or their facebook page or donate via Give Now. A huge thanks to all of those who have already donated.

16 & 17 November 2016 – Parks Victoria led walks around Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park

Posted on 3 November, 2016 by Connecting Country

Join in the conversation about how best to manage heritage values in the diggings park.

Parks Victoria are currently reviewing the Heritage Action Plan for the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. As a part of this review, they are inviting the community to take part in three half-day walks at specific locations within the park. The aim of the “walkovers” is to share concerns and values of these areas to help inform their future management. See the itinerary below for an outline of each of the half day walks.

They might touch upon indigenous, natural, social or community values, as well as the significant gold-mining heritage, which together will help Parks Victoria present a holistic approach to the management and presentation of the Park’s landscape.

The walks will be led by Chris Johnston and John Dyke of Context Pty Ltd., who are helping Parks Victoria review and update the Heritage Action Plan.

The Garfield-wheel in Chewton

Itinerary

Walkover 1: Garfield
Date: Wednesday 16th November 2016
Time: 10am to 1pm
Meet at: Garfield Wheel car park at 9.30am

Sites on walkover 1 include:

• Welsh Village
• Scotchman’s Gully
• Quartz Hill
• Garfield Wheel and environs

NB: this is a one-way walk with the idea of sharing a number of vehicles to drive to the start of the walk near Welsh village.

Walkover 2: Spring Gully
Date: Wednesday 16th November 2016
Time: 2.30pm to 5.30pm
Meet at: Spring Gully car park at 2pm

 Sites on walkover 2 include:

• Eureka/Poverty Gully
• The Monk
• Old Coach Road/Goldfields Track
• Spring Gully No. 1 mine and battery site

NB: this is a one-way walk with the idea of sharing a number of vehicles to drive to the start of the walk at the Eureka Reef site.

Walkover 3: Vaughan Springs
Date: Thursday 17th November 2016
Time: 10am to 1pm
Meet at: Vaughan Springs car park at 9.30am

Sites on walkover 3 include:

• Vaughan Springs
• River Loddon
• Tubal Cain Mine
• Helge/Italian Hill Track
• Chinese cemetery
• Irishtown (optional)

The walks will take approximately 3 hours with regular stops to enable Parks Victoria to record conversations and there will be an opportunity to fill in a record/comments sheet as we go or at the end of the walk. Strong footwear is advised and bring water and refreshments as appropriate, and are water-proof just in case!

If you are interested in attending or need any further information about this invitation, please contact Jade Harris on any of the contacts found below.

Email: jade.harris@parks.vic.gov.au

Please make sure that you RSVP by no later than the Wednesday 9^th November to allow for appropriate planning of the walk overs.

Connecting Country’s monthly bird walks – Metcalfe, Sunday 6 November 2016

Posted on 2 November, 2016 by Connecting Country

Hedge wattle (acacia paradoxa), perfect habitat for Thornbills. Photo by Geoff Park

Connecting Country’s Habitat for Bush Birds Project Officer, Tanya Loos is running free monthly bird walks.  These walks are for those folk interested in practicing and improving their birding skills, regardless of skill level. The next walk is at Metcalfe Nature Conservation Reserve “The Common” on Sunday 6th November 2016

Local landcarer Debbie Farmer will be on hand to co-lead. Debbie is the secretary of Metcalfe Landcare. Beginner birdwatchers are most welcome!

This bird walk will conclude at the Metcalfe Shire hall with a presentation on the birds of the Metcalfe area. Bring your lunch and have a bite to eat while Tanya takes you through the local birds, their habitat use and calls. The presentation will take an hour including questions.

How to get there:

• If you are from Castlemaine and surrounds – meet at 8:20 am outside the Continuing Ed building, Templeton Street, to car pool to the site. If the event needs to be cancelled, someone will be there at 8:20am to let you know.
• Metcalfe and Taradale locals – meet at the Metcalfe Shire Hall at 8.50 and then car pool to the Reserve.

There is no need to book for these walks, but let Tanya know if you would like to borrow some Connecting Country binoculars. If you would like to subscribe to Tanya’s email list for these walks please contact her tanya@connectingcountry.org.au.

Talking Fire – Maldon, Newstead and places in between

Posted on 2 November, 2016 by Connecting Country

Join in on a conversation to better understand fire in our landscape at the Newstead Community Centre over the weekend of 12-13 November 2016.

‘Talking Fire’ will discuss what fire means for our local communities and the environment. The aim is to bring local expertise and knowledge together with outside experts in the field of fire behaviour and fire ecology, so that the community can talk about and better understand, plan, and live with fire.

Some of the questions driving our conversation are:

– What is the history of fire in the Newstead/Maldon area?

– How have the landscape, community & fire policies changed?

– How can we protect what we value?

– How can we respond to fire risk, now & in the future?

We are also seeking local knowledge and stories. Do you have a “fire experience”, direct or indirect, to share? As a part of the weekend Gordon Dowell will be recording the stories and histories of locals.

We hope that from the weekend our local landscape can be seen anew, through the eyes of scientists, fire experts and long lived locals alike, and through a wider, “landscape lens”, not just from a household or property viewpoint.

Whether you live in Newstead or Maldon, or the bush and farmland surrounds, you’re invited along to ‘talk fire’. Come to any or all sessions. The event is free, but we need bookings to help our caterers, the Newstead Preschool and Mens’ Shed, provide enough for all. To book your places for the Talking Fire weekend please click here.

Thanks to Mount Alexander Shire, Maldon & District Community Bank (Bendigo Bank) and the Norman Wettenhall Foundation for supporting the event. Many more supporters are contributing in non-financial ways. See our website www.talkingfire.org for the program, for updates and to book. Or follow Talking Fire on Facebook.

3 Waterbug Events with Waterwatch

Posted on 27 October, 2016 by Connecting Country

Connecting Country’s friends at the North Central Waterwatch program are excited to be hosting three events in November, and there is a theme – Waterbugs!

What’s on offer in November:

You, Me Biodiversity Talk – John Gooderham, The Waterbug Company will be presenting

When: Saturday 5^th November 2016

Time: 2.30 – 4.30 pm

Where: Trentham Community Hall

Click here for more details.

ALT Training Workshop – John Gooderham, The Waterbug Company – YOU WILL NEED TO REGISTER FOR THIS – LIMITED PLACES

When: Sunday 6^th November 2016

Time: 9.30 – 3.30 pm

Where: Baringhup, Loddon River

Native Fish Recovery Program’s – NatureBlitz event 2016 – YOU WILL NEED TO REGISTER FOR THIS – LIMITED PLACES 

When: 7-11 November 2016

Time: All day over 5 days

Where: We will be staying at Tree Tops and will be taking participants to a range of sites along Box-Pyramid Creek and the Loddon River.

Waterwatch are also looking for enthusiastic community members to become volunteers and help monitor the response of native fish, waterbugs and water quality across the region. Being a citizen scientist isn’t just a great opportunity to contribute to the community and the environment, it’s a chance to get out in nature, explore and discover what else lives where you do.

If you are interested in volunteering to help collect vital information about the health of our waterways please feel contact Cass Davis, our Regional Waterwatch Coordinator via email cass.davis@nccma.vic.gov.au

Sat 29 Oct 2016 – Singing from Country launch at the Maldon Folk Festival

Posted on 25 October, 2016 by Connecting Country

Community Music Victoria, in conjunction with a range of other organisations, are launching their ‘Singing from Country’ project at the 2016 Maldon Folk Festival this Saturday 29th October. Their launch includes a Workshop and Concert and promises to be an inspiring and uplifting experience, particularly for those with an interest in our local landscapes.

From their website, this ‘festival-within-a-festival’ features two connected events that will change the way you think, feel and express stories about our great land.’

Presenters for the workshop will include Rebecca Phillips from the Dja Dja Wurrung Association Revival Group with support from a project partner, the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages.  Andrew Skeoch will play recordings of regional birdsong, tuning your ear to the plethora of natural soundscapes, and Geoff Park will open your eyes and inspire you to look again, at the country on which you live.

Singing from Country is described as a unique eco-cultural-arts collaboration between traditional landowners, holders of ecological wisdom, and songwriters.  It aims to inspire songwriters, choirs and other community members to learn about, appreciate and celebrate Country, reclaiming our love of land.

The final stage of the project will see local choir-leaders arrange and rehearse Singing from Country songs with their singing groups and perform them in the Castlemaine State Festival in March 2017.

For more information about this weekend’s events and to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.

Connecting Country Supporter Survey Results are in!

Posted on 24 October, 2016 by Connecting Country

A big thank-you to all of the people who responded to our supporter survey. We appreciate the time taken to fill out this survey. These responses are helping us to shape our direction into the future.

Some interesting results (please note that there were 58 responses in total) include…

• Around half live in town or on less than 5 acre block (25)
• 76% are involved in landcare
• Ranking of our work (note that all facets were rated roughly even): 1. On-ground action, 2. Community engagement and education, 3. Monitoring, 4. Landcare support
• Top priorities for action: Habitat enhancement for local birds and other native species, Development of wildlife corridors, Environmental education, Vegetation management and restoration
• Lower priorities for action: Sustainable agriculture, Understanding fire ecology and impacts, Pest plant and animal control
• Preferred funding options: Government grants, Philanthropic organisations, Donations/Bequests
• Some encouraging comments:
  • Keep up the great work!!
  • You provide a vital connection for landcare groups and help with educating communities.
  • I’m sure people would be prepared to pay for the field days and workshops, especially when lunch is provided too. Thank you for all the wonderful work you do.
  • As an out-of-towner, I am inspired by your organisation. Keep up the good work.
  • Keep up the great work, your input into the community really pays off.
  • I like the way CC connects different networks, I am exceeding grateful for the work CC has undertaken on my property. It has given me an enormous boost.
  • Although I am a city dweller, Connecting Country is becoming more important to me. I’m sure more city dwellers would become involved in CC activities if they were aware of the programme.
  • You’ve all been doing a fantastic and wonderful job!!
  • Thank you for the work that you already do.
  • Thank you – wonderful team and great initiatives.
  • The educational programs provided by CC have enhanced my understanding of the biodiversity of our local area and heightened my interest to find out more. Thankyou CC.

To view the full summary please click here .

Connecting Country is showing off!

Posted on 21 October, 2016 by Connecting Country

Come show your support for Connecting Country and have some fun as we head down Barker St in our high vis and workboots on. Connecting Country is running a float in this year’s Castlemaine Show parade on Friday 28th October 2016. We’d love it if you joined us to walk proudly down the street and celebrate our volunteers involved in Connecting Country.

We will be hooking the direct seeder up to our red ute and handing out acacia seeds for people to grow into habitat for local woodland birds. This fun event will be a great way to show what we do and who we do it with in the Castlemaine district.

We would love you to be involved! Contact Naomi by email at naomi@connectingcountry.org.au or call 5472 1594. Look forward to seeing you there!

Our direct seeder will be on show at the parade

19 October – Water Rats event – have you seen one or want to know more?

Posted on 19 October, 2016 by Connecting Country

The Bendigo Creek Platypus Project in partnership with the North Central Catchment Management Authority and the Waterwatch program are excited to extend an invitation to attend the upcoming Water Rat community information evening to be held on Wednesday 19 October 2016 at Bendigo Tafe, Charleston Road Campus.

Please click on flyer for more information about this event

While Geoff Williams from the Australian Platypus Conservancy is in town, he is trying to gather information about the Water Rat with a focus on current distribution.

If you have seen and know where there are Water Rats in our region, it would be great if you can please fill in the Water Rat Survey form, and return to our regional Waterwatch coordinator Cass Davis at cass.davis@nccma.vic.gov.au by Tuesday 18th October 2016. Cass will then pass them on to Geoff so he can include your information in his research.

Thursday 20th October 2016 – Newstead Landcare’s AGM and fire presentation

Posted on 17 October, 2016 by Connecting Country

Burnt out landscape in the Maldon area.

As the days warm up and the summer approaches, the thoughts of many who live out of town turn to the threat of bushfires. The things that we love about the bush can become sources of anxiety and fear in the hot, dry months. How do we protect ourselves from bushfire and still protect the plants and animals that make our area so special? Questions like these will be addressed at Newstead Landcare Group’s October presentation “Protecting from Bushfire, Protecting our Biodiversity” on Thursday the 20th of October 2016 at the Newstead Town Hall.

The CFA’s Owen Goodings will speak about what we can do to manage fire and live with biodiversity.

“We are really excited to have Owen Gooding, a leading researcher on vegetation management and fire presenting at our October meeting. Owen is also the Vegetation Management Officer for the CFA, so he is very well placed to help us understand the issues” said Frances Cincotta, Newstead Landcare’s President.

The presentation will cover how to manage vegetation on your property, be it a small holding or larger bush block, to reduce the risk in case of fire and to retain native vegetation. “Owen will also be discussing ways to think about bushfire and native vegetation in the wider landscape and dispelling a few myths” Ms Cincotta added.

This presentation ties in with another important event about bushfire for residents of the Newstead and Maldon areas. Understanding Fire in our Landscape: A Community Conversation is a community event being held on the weekend of the 12-13 November 2016, in Newstead. For more details about this event; click here.

“In this Community Conversation fire in the Newstead-Maldon landscape will be discussed in detail – the history of fire, local ecology, and fire risk” said Chris Johnston, one of the organisers of the event. “There will be talks, displays, biodiversity walks, visits to the sites of past fires, and a chance to record your memories of local fires.” Supported by community and external experts, the weekend will be a chance to learn more and share ideas across our local communities about living with fire.

For more information or to book for this free event go to talkingfire.org or to the Facebook page Talking Fire.

Understanding Fire in our Landscape is supported by the Mount Alexander Shire Council 2016 Community Grants Program, Maldon & District Community Bank and the Norman Wettenhall Foundation.

Talking Fire – Maldon, Newstead and places in between

Posted on 17 October, 2016 by Connecting Country

Join a conversation to better understand fire in our local landscape at the Newstead Community Centre over the weekend of 12 and 13 November 2016. ‘Talking Fire’ will discuss what fire means for our local communities and the environment.

The aim of these workshops is to bring local expertise and knowledge together with outside experts in the field of fire behaviour and fire ecology, so that the community can talk about and better understand, plan for, and live with fire.

Some of the questions driving the conversation will be:

• What is the history of fire in our area?
• How have the landscape, community & fire policies changed?
• How can we protect what we value?
• How can we respond to fire risk, now & in the future?

You may have other questions, ideas or solutions.

‘Talking Fire’ are also seeking local knowledge and stories at this workshop. Do you have a “fire experience”, direct or indirect, to share? As a part of the weekend Gordon Dowell will be recording the stories and histories of locals. The Newstead CFA Auxiliary are among those we will be keen to hear from.

Maldon area; fire, ecology, people – can they all co-exist?

They hope that from the weekend our local landscape can be seen anew, through the eyes of scientists, fire experts and long lived locals alike, and through a wider, “landscape lens”, not just from a household or property viewpoint.

Whether you live in Newstead or Maldon town, or the bush and farmland surrounds, you’re invited along to ‘talk fire’. Come to any or all sessions. The event is free, but we need bookings to help our caterers, the Newstead Preschool and Mens’ Shed, provide enough for all.

Thanks to Mount Alexander Shire, Maldon & District Community Bank and Norman Wettenhall Foundation for supporting the event. Many more supporters are contributing in non-financial ways. See our website www.talkingfire.org for more information and to book.

Connecting Country’s 2016 AGM and Annual Report

Posted on 14 October, 2016 by Connecting Country

Connecting Country President, Brendan Sydes, addresses the 60 strong crowd.

We were thrilled with the strong turn out and great atmosphere for our 2016 Annual General Meeting on Tuesday the 11th of October 2016 at the Campbells Creek Community Centre. We are also excited to share our 2015-16 Annual Report. We are proud of our achievements in the past year, and this report provides an opportunity for us to celebrate them with our supporters. In the spirit of mindful resource use, we would encourage you to view the report in a digital format by clicking on the cover below. Huge thanks to Eliza Tree for the use of her painting titled Jarra Country on the cover and for bringing it along to the AGM for viewing.

The general business part of the AGM saw the election of our volunteer Committee of Management members. Brendan Sydes was re-elected as president, Deb Wardle – Vice President, Marie Jones – Treasurer, Jenni Thomas – Secretary. Max Kay, Malcolm Trainor, and Saide Gray return as general committee members.

Following a light meal, we heard from six local experts about their vision for the Mount Alexander region. Kath Coff gave an indigenous perspective, Ian Higgins spoke about vegetation management, Beth Mellick gave an insight into the history of Connecting Country and our relationship with the Norman Wettenhall Foundation, Paul Foreman spoke about keeping water in the landscape, Carla Meurs shared the benefits of vegetation for wildlife on her farm and Geoff Park talked about, you guessed it, birds!

L-R: Paul Foreman, Kath Coff, Beth Mellick, Carla Meurs, Ian Higgins, Eliza Tree and Brendan Sydes.

We all then broke into working groups according to their area of interest and discussed how Connecting Country could achieve their vision. Connecting Country staff and committee now have the task of collating all the feedback from the night and our supporter survey and deciding on our future directions. A huge thank-you to everyone who attended and gave their time, energy and ideas. We really appreciate the feedback and support from attendees and our community in general. We will be provide regular updates as we progress through this process.

If you missed out on our AGM, Connecting Country is encouraging people to be involved in shaping our future direction by filling out our Supporter Survey.  To participate, please CLICK HERE.  There are a relatively small number of questions, and will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. This survey will remain open until Sunday the 16th of October 2016. We have had a great response so far and we thank everyone for their very valuable input.

Eliza Tree describes her amazing creation. Jaara Country

Our multi-talented staff team in action.

Kath Coff inspires the crowd with her vision.

Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park survey – what are your thoughts?

Posted on 13 October, 2016 by Connecting Country

Parks Victoria is currently reviewing the Heritage Action Plan for the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park and Jade Harris from Parks Victoria has asked Connecting Country to share details of their community survey.

Parks Victoria want to know about the places people value within the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park, find out about issues of concern and get your ideas about other themes, stories or aspects of the park that could be shared with visitors.

You can provide your feedback and ideas via an online survey that will remain open until Wednesday 30th November 2016.

Please fill out the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CastlemaineDiggings. It should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

The results of the survey will provide baseline data for Parks Victoria to identify strengths and gaps in our current themes, stories and practices in relation to the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. It will also enable us to report on improvements, achievements and initiatives and better plan for the future of the park to enhance visitor’s experiences.

Note: The survey is conducted by Context and information is treated confidentially. The survey does not seek to collect personal information or identify any individual, although if you want to be kept informed about planning for the future of this park, you can leave your contact details at the end of the survey.

8 Nov 2016 – Landowners looking after Grasslands Workshop

Posted on 12 October, 2016 by Connecting Country

The Landowners looking after Grasslands – Field Day on the Plains has been rescheduled to Tuesday November 8th 2016, 10.00am to 2.30pm because of the wet roads.

Join the Northern Plains Conservation Management Network, Trust for Nature and Dr David Baker-Gabb, renowned expert on Plains-wanderer, in launching Managing Native Grasslands for Plains Wanderers Field Guide. Hear from Dan Harley, Threatened Species Biologist with Zoos Victoria, about their Fighting Extinction Programme and the plan to start captive-breeding Plains-wanderers in 2017. Accompany Paul Foreman, grassland ecologist for a walk across Andy & Judy McGillivray’s property, and learn how to survey for threatened grassland flora species such as the nationally listed Swainson-peas.

WHEN: Tuesday November 8th 2016, 10.00am to 2.30pm
WHERE: Andy & Judy McGillivray’s, McIntyre Rd, off Roslynmead Rd, Torrumbarry. Vic Roads Reference: 30J2 & 31A2 .
Morning tea, lunch & afternoon tea will be provided. Please wear sturdy walking shoes, bring a camp chair, sunhat, binoculars, warm coat, sunscreen and a bottle of water.
RSVP is essential to the North Central CMA by 5 pm Thursday 3rd November on (03) 5448 7124 or email info@nccma.vic.gov.au

Please poster here for location details.