Restoring landscapes across the Mount Alexander Region

Meet Our New Crew

Posted on 16 May, 2016 by Connecting Country

For four years now, Connecting Country has assembled an annual Works Crew to undertake planting, weed management, rabbit control and fencing on many of the properties we are working with. The crew for 2016 started just after Easter, and are enthusiastic about the season ahead. We wish to share a warm welcome to Anna Pike, Rachel Campbell and Luke Archer. Once again, the crew is headed up our inspiring Crew Leader, Alex Schipperen.

CC_crew_2016-b

A warm welcome to our new crew members (L-R); Luke Archer, Rachel Campbell, and Anna Pike. Crew leader, Alex Schipperen, is on the far right.

Let us introduce them:

Anna has studied Environmental Management at university and was a Project Firefighter in Gelibrand. In the long term, Anna wants to become a park ranger, so the plant identification skills she’ll learn with Connecting Country are a top priority. Anna isn’t fazed by the hard work ahead – after spending her summer cutting through fences for fire access, she realises it’s about time she put some up again.

Rachel comes to us from Woodend, where she is an active part of Woodend Landcare’s Thursday Crew. When she heard that the annual koala count in Wombat State Forest totalled zero, she realised some serious work needed to be done and she wanted to get involved. This led to Rachel to undertake a Diploma in Conservation Land Management. Joining the Works Crew will give Rachel the practical on-ground experience she needs to complement her studies.

Luke has spent the past 12 months working with the Green Army, around Daylesford, Wedderburn and Mount Alexander. He’s developed skills in plant identification, weed control and erosion control, which he hopes to expand on with the Works Crew. Luke loves the outdoors, and has visions of a landscaping apprenticeship in the future. He’s most looking forward to learning about seed collecting and helping out with our nest box monitoring program.

Over their time with Connecting Country, Anna, Rachel and Luke will obtain their chemical use certificate, first aid certificate, learn chainsaw operation and tree felling, and their construction industry ‘white card’ induction – all great foundations for future work. For now, however, they are busy fencing off areas in preparation for the planting season ahead. Please do say hello if you see them out and about.

The works crew are an important part of our Connecting Landscapes across the Mount Alexander Region project funded by the Australian Government.

 

Swift Parrot count this weekend

Posted on 11 May, 2016 by Tanya Loos

Fans of the Swift Parrot are pleased to hear that the “swifties” are back in the Mount Alexander region, with a small flock of adults and juveniles reported on Geoff Park’s blog Natural Newstead (click here). These precious and declining migratory parrots visit the area every year in Autumn and winter. BirdLife Australia coordinates counts across the birds’ range, and we encourage you to participate this weekend (14-15 May 2016)! The Swift Parrot surveys can be undertaken in a couple of different ways.

Swift Parrot feasting on blossom, a beautiful photo by Chris Tzaros.

Swift Parrot feasting on blossom, a beautiful photo by Chris Tzaros.

  1. Join me on an outing to Kalimna Park this Saturday 14 May 2016. Kalimna Park is not renowned for a lot of Swiftie sightings but it is good to know where the birds are not occurring, as well as where they are. This walk is a rescheduled outing from last week which was cancelled due to bad weather. Please call or email to book a place and for further details. Phone 0400 458 910 or tanya@connectingcountry.org.au
  2. Head out on a survey yourself! The form to use is very easy and can be downloaded from the Birdlife website (click here). Elizabeth (Beth) Mellick from the Norman Wettenhall Foundation is coordinating the various Swiftie survey locations in our region, so if you are carrying out a survey, please email Beth at  beth@nwf.org.au.  The Muckleford-Newstead area is usually the best place to go to see some Swift Parrots!  However, some other potential locations that are not yet covered by birdwatchers include: Harcourt, Nuggetty, Welshmans Reef, and if you wish to go further south, Campbelltown and Talbot.

From Tanya Loos,
Coordinator of Connecting Country’s Woodland Bird Projects

 

Wetland Plants Identification Course

Posted on 3 May, 2016 by Connecting Country

Damian Cook and Elaine Bayes have let us know that they are now taking registration for their excellent 3 day Wetland Plant Identification Course at the stunning Reedy Lagoon at Gunbower Island.

The course commences in October 2016 and is aimed at anyone interested in wetland plant identification and ecology. The course will run over 3 days and each day will focus on a different wetland habitat (water’s edge, deep marsh and mudflat) and be timed so as to follow the wetting and drying of the lagoon. Participants can elect to do 1, 2 or all 3 days. Registrations are now open and there are two sessions to choose from.

More information on the course, and details on how to register, are available on the Rakali Consulting website (click here).

WetlandCourse_WebImage

 

Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare – Direct Seeding Field Day 17 April 2016

Posted on 13 April, 2016 by Connecting Country

Nearly two years ago, the Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare (FoCC) machine direct-seeded wattles on barren hard ground outside the new Tonks centre in Lewis Drive, Castlemaine.
The ground was so hard and compacted, the hoes just bounced off the surface.  Now some of those seedlings are over three metres tall in spite of the hot and dry seasons since!

On Sunday 17 April 2016 @ 10:00 a.m. their Seeding Field Day will look “at the success from these efforts, and we’ll see and help with direct seeding again in a very different situation, this time in some dry rise country away from the creek.   Because the soil is so poor there, we’ll be sowing much earlier and using very different species.”

There will be:

–   a demonstration of the machinery used with direct sowing
–   an opportunity to help with sowing by hand
–   LATE morning tea provided

FoCC will also be giving away samples of seed if you’d like to try out the techniques later at home.

Meet at 10:00 a.m. in the car park at the end of Lewis Drive, below Tonks (see map).
The morning involves a walk of around 600 m to the new sowing site – they’ll provide transport for those who would find this difficult.

Please bring hats, gloves, enclosed footwear, sturdy clothing suitable for the weather and your own water – FoCC will supply the rest.

 

Feathered Five Inspire Art, Song and Research

Posted on 10 March, 2016 by Connecting Country

hannah birds

Hooded Robins by Hannah Vellacott

The Feathered Five inspire many people – and our Feathered Five Festival showcases some of the resulting work ranging from artists, singing groups and scientists.

For local artist Hannah Vellacott, they have inspired a series of paintings titled ‘Diamond In The Woods”. These paintings will be on show during the Feathered Five Festival at the Corner Store Merchants (220 Barker St Castlemaine) from the 12 March until 9 April 2016.

Hannah describes her work: “In these paintings I aim to capture the beauty and fragility of the feathered five, through detail and the gentle wash of colour that is unique to watercolour painting. The use of white space is inspired by traditional Japanese ink paintings. I like the way the objects appear to float on the paper and your eye is drawn to the details in the bird or flowers.

For local singing group, the Chat Warblers, they have inspired a new song! Written by Judith Tregear and mixed by Jane Thompson, the song will debut at our evening forum on Saturday the 19th of March. We cannot wait to hear it!

For world renowned ecologist, Andrew Bennett,  woodland birds have inspired his long-standing research interests in landscape ecology and conservation biology, with a particular focus on understanding how human land-use and landscape change affect native wildlife and ecological processes. At the evening forum, Andrew will share the results from his recent research into woodland birds in Central Victoria and lead a topical discussion about “Drought then flooding rains: how do woodland birds respond to climatic change?”

Spots are still available for the evening forum, but are filling fast. CLICK HERE for more information and to make a booking. Bookings close on the 17th of March 2016.

 

11 March 2016 – Local eucalypts talk

Posted on 9 March, 2016 by Connecting Country

The guest speaker at the March 2016 meeting of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club is Bernard Slattery.  His presentation is cheekily titled ‘Drab Green and Desolate Grey?  Learning to look at our eucalypts‘.

Bernard is a local resident and is actively involved with the Friends of the Box Ironbark Forests (FOBIF).  He is a co-author of the locally produced Mosses of Dry Forests of South-eastern Australia.  His new area of interest is the local eucalypt species, and he will talk about some of the things he has discovered and learnt over the past couple of years.  This talk matches nicely with the current photographic exhibition on trees being held at TOGS café in Castlemaine (CLICK HERE for details), and soon to be at the Newstead Arts Hub.

Details of Bernard’s talk:
When – Friday 11 March 2016, from 7.30pm
Where – The Fellowship Room, behind the Uniting Church on Lyttleton St, Castlemaine (next door to the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Museum)
Who – Members and visitors are all welcome.  All ages.  No cost for entry.

 

Trees of the Mount Alexander Region

Posted on 26 February, 2016 by Connecting Country

FOBIF 2016 exhibitionA photographic exhibition Trees of the Mount Alexander Region will run at Togs Place café from 26 February until 31 March 2016.

The exhibition has been coordinated by the Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests (FOBIF) and aims to highlight the amazing variety to be seen in our local indigenous trees.  Even those trees of the same genus—for example, Eucalyptus—can exhibit a wild variety of shape and colour, as well as providing a home and other resources for an extraordinary diversity of wildlife.

The exhibition photos have been selected from over 125 that were submitted to FOBIF during December and January. In June 2016 the exhibition will have a second showing at the new local arts venue, the Newstead Railway Arts Hub. At this latter exhibition, at least one photo from each contributor will be included in a continuous slideshow.

Togs Place can be found at 58 Lyttleton Street, Castlemaine. Photos will be for sale, with proceeds going to FOBIF to cover costs.

(Also of interest to tree-lovers, the Bjarne K Dahl Trust and the Royal Society of Victoria are presenting a one-day symposium in Mebourne on 18 March 2016 highlighting eucalypt diversity and conservation.  For further details, see their website – CLICK HERE)

 

Feathered Five Festival March 2016: Diamonds in the hills

Posted on 15 February, 2016 by Tanya Loos

There’s diamonds in those hills – Diamond Firetails, that is. This jewel of a bird is one of the ‘feathered five’, our very special woodland bird species that are a focus for Connecting Country. Over the years, we have supported a number of on-ground projects that strive to ensure these five species and other woodland birds are flourishing in the Mount Alexander region of central Victoria now and in the future.

Our inaugural Feathered Five Festival is a celebration of woodland birds and their habitat with two days of birdwatching, activities and talks over the weekend of 19-20 March 2016. However, you don’t need to be a budding birdwatcher to attend the free Saturday Evening Forum on the 19th of March in Campbells Creek.

From 5pm until 6pm, Connecting Country staff members will be on hand to answer your land management concerns; Bonnie Humphreys can help you identify any plant, Jarrod Coote will consider whole farm planning and funding opportunities, Tanya Loos knows lots about birds and other fauna,  Alex Schipperen is great with practical things such as fencing and the control of weeds and rabbits, and Asha Bannon will help you link-up with your local Landcare Group. You can bring along any plant samples you’d like identified and you can contact us beforehand if you’d like a detailed aerial photo of your property to discuss. Meanwhile, Judy Laycock will be running some exciting nature art activities with the kids.

Following a tasty dinner from Growing Abundance and music by Castlemaine’s Chat Warblers, we are thrilled to have Professor Andrew Bennett, from Latrobe University and the Arthur Rylah Institute, and Phil Ingamells, from the VNPA, share their thoughts on the future of biodiversity in the area. Andrew has been a scientific advisor to Connecting Country since 2010 and will discuss “Drought then flooding rains; how do woodland birds respond to climatic change?”. Phil Ingamells is sure to inspire us with his talk “Collaborating on ten things we can all do to help nature adapt to a new climate”. A short panel discussion will take place after the talks.

Photo by Geoff Park

This Diamond Firetail is damp and covered in dew from the recent much needed rainfalls that have graced the Castlemaine region in recent weeks. Photo by Geoff Park (Natural Newstead)

On both mornings of the Feathered Five Festival, bird walks in search of the feathered five will occur in various locations around the Mount Alexander region. Connecting Country’s Woodland Bird Coordinator, Tanya Loos, explains; “in the last year or two, through walks and workshops, we have been encouraging a cohort of budding birdwatchers to get out there and improve their birdwatching skills. This weekend is their time to shine as a number of community led walks will be carried out simultaneously on the Saturday morning – the feathered five drive!”

On the Sunday morning, we’re pleased take part in a guided nature walk with a special focus on woodland birds and their habitat. The walk will take place at a private property in Strangways which is a woodland wonderland, with a lovely grassy understory and grand old eucalypts. This joint Connecting Country and the Friends of Box Ironbark Forest (FOBIF) event will be led by Tanya Loos (Connecting Country) and Andrew Skeoch from Listening Earth.

You can come to one event –or all three! Bookings are essential – by the 17th March 2016. Click here for more information and to book, or call Connecting Country on 5472 1594.

This festival has been made possible with funding from the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and the Australian Government.

Feathered Five Festival Poster 2016

 

Our “new look” education events in 2016

Posted on 29 December, 2015 by Connecting Country

As 2015 draws to a close, many of us in the Connecting Country office have been thinking ahead. For the past six years, we have run a popular education program predominantly featuring a series of technical workshops and guest-speaker events. In 2016 we plan to continue with our education program – only this time a little differently….

Feathered five banner pic
Local birds, and particularly the ‘feathered five’, is our focus for 2016. The feathered five comprise the acrobatic Brown Treecreeper, the elegantly spotted Diamond Firetail, the post-sitting, tail-wagging Jacky Winter, the handsome Hooded Robin, and the mysterious ‘oooom-ing’ Painted Button-quail. Connecting Country has picked these five woodland birds as ambassadors for habitat restoration efforts across the region.

Our inaugural Feathered Five Festival will kick off the year on the 19th and 20th March 2016 – a two day celebration of bird-watching, walks and talks.

Then there will be biannual nest box checks, a ‘sticky beak’ tours of on-ground work projects, regular bird walks, landcare link-ups, and one of our favorite events, the Camp Out on the Mount.

In August, in partnership with the North Central Catchment Management Authority, we’re very pleased to host a Farm Expo which will cover diverse topics such as holistic grazing, water on farms, biodiversity in the paddock, and small farm diversification.

We’ll be celebrating Landcare week in September in a big way with our local grade five and six students at the ‘Mount Alexander Schools Landcare Day‘.  We’ll also be supporting local groups to get involved in the Landcare Open Day.

In conjunction with the Castlemaine Festival of Gardens, in November we will be celebrating gardens too – wildlife friendly gardens. There will be workshops and resources made available as well as a inspiring open garden or two to explore.

In 2016 we’d also like to be more active in the press and on-line. Watch out for our monthly ‘Nature News’ articles in the Midland Express.  We are developing some exciting and informative on-line videos for our Connecting Country vimeo page. And you can always keep in touch via our Connecting Country Facebook Page  – do ‘like’ us!

More information about all of these activities will be available in the new year.  The best way to stay informed is via the Connecting Country webpage and our regular emails and blogs. Alternatively you can contact Krista for more information on 5472-1594 or krista@connectingcountry.org.au.  (NB: The office is closed from 25 December 2015 and re-opening on 4 January 2016.).

In the meantime we wish everyone a safe and enjoyable festive season, thanks for your support throughout 2015 – and don’t forget to top up your bird baths!!

 

Fancy seeing your photos at the next FOBIF exhibition?

Posted on 17 December, 2015 by Tanya Loos

Many of you will be familiar with the stunning photography exhibitions that are curated by the Friends of Box-Ironbark Forests (FOBIF), featuring intricate moss portraits, woodland birds and other flora and fauna of our beautiful area.  The theme of the next FOBIF photo exhibition is Trees in the Mount Alexander Region, and FOBIF are calling for potential photographers now.

TOGS in Castlemaine will host the exhibition in March 2016 and later in the year the Newstead Railway Arts Hub has kindly agreed host the same exhibition. Photos will be for sale to cover FOBIF costs.

The tree theme also allows photos of  close-ups of buds, nuts and flowers – and the fauna that live among the tree bark and foliage. For more information on submitting photos, and the guidelines click here.

We are excited at Connecting Country because March is also the month of the first Feathered Five Festival – a two day celebration of five very special woodland birds that live in our local forests. More on this soon….

yellow box maybe at Kyneton woodlands Barton property

This is a magnificent tree – which I think is a Manna Gum.  FOBIF members have kindly offered to assist in the correct identification of the trees for any submitted photos. Picture by Tanya Loos

 

The Only Twitcher in the Village

Posted on 25 November, 2015 by Connecting Country

Sean described his younger self as ‘the only twitcher in the village’.

Sean Dooley may have been seen as ‘uncool’ when he was the only birdwatching kid at school… but he is definitely very cool, and rather hilarious, these days. We all enjoyed his tales of birding adventures as he discussed ‘why every kid needs a swamp and every swamp needs a kid’ at Connecting Country’s AGM held on Tuesday 24 October 2015.

It was a delightful evening, with tasty hot soup, lots of catch-ups and discussion between CC members and supporters, and much laughter thanks to Sean.

From the AGM itself, the CC committee elected for 2015-16 comprises:

  • Brendan Sydes (president)
  • Marie Jones (secretary)
  • April Merrick (treasurer)
  • Saide Gray, Malcolm Trainor, Deborah Wardle, Jenni Thomas (general committee members).

Special tribute was paid to Paul Hampton who has stepped back from the committee after a contribution of more than 5 years. We currently have one vacancy on the committee, which will be discussed at the next CC committee meeting.

Tanya will be running our new stewards for woodland birds project

Tanya (standing on right) is running our new Stewards for Woodland Birds project

We were also proud to launch our new “Stewards for Woodland Birds” project funded through the Helen McPherson Smith Trust Foundation. As part of this project, we are looking forward to working more closely with the Landcare groups and other community members in our eleven priority zones to help woodland birds to thrive. More on this exciting new project soon!

For those that couldn’t attend, our 2015 Annual Report is available HERE.  Please let us know if you’re interested in further details about any of the stories within it. A short video highlighting some of our achievements was also shown on the night and is available for viewing HERE.

 

Woodland Bird Monitoring Workshop with Chris Tzaros – 9 Dec 2015

Posted on 18 November, 2015 by Tanya Loos

On the first Saturday of December, join a small group of bird observers for a morning with ecologist and photographer Chris Tzaros. Chris shall take us through the ins and outs of monitoring woodland birds – with a special focus on the collection of data for Connecting Country and BirdLife Australia.

We are currently looking for volunteers to carry out regular bird surveys on both private and public land across the Mount Alexander region. In particular we are searching for the feathered five: the Jacky Winter, Painted Button-quail, Hooded Robin, Brown Treecreeper and Diamond Firetail. Attending this workshop would be a great first step in getting involved.

The workshop will cover:

  • A background to bird identification and bird fauna of the Mount Alexander region.
  • Bird monitoring methods of the monitoring project (including a practical component).
  • The role of community volunteers in ecological monitoring projects.

Some experience in bird watching is desired, however we are open to any enthusiastic attendees! Be quick though – we have just a few places left.

When: Saturday 5th December 2015 , 9am-12pm  (followed by lunch until 1pm).

Where: Newstead Community Centre, Newstead.

RSVP: Essential! Contact Tanya Loos on 03 5472 1594 or by  email tanya@connectingcountry.org.au. Please detail any dietary requirements.

A male Red-capped Robin, taken by Chris and generously contributed to our Woodland Bird Brochure

A male Red-capped Robin, by Chris Tzaros

 About Chris Tzaros: Chris is a wildlife ecologist and nature photographer for his company; Birds, Bush and Beyond. In 1997 he was awarded Young Australian of the Year in the Victorian environment category in recognition of his commitment to box-ironbark conservation and his dedicated work on threatened birds such as the Grey-Crowned Babbler and Swift Parrot. In 2005, Chris authored a comprehensive book on the Wildlife of Australia’s Box-Ironbark Country. Chris is also an accomplished bird photographer and has contributed many beautiful images to Connecting Country’s Woodland Birds Brochure.

 

 

Party Like A Cactus Warrior

Posted on 16 November, 2015 by Connecting Country

IMG_63841-eIt’s 10 years since the Tarrangower Cactus Control Group was officially formed.

On Sunday 29th November, instead of the usual field day, they’re holding a party to thank all of those who have volunteered and supported the group during that time.

Committee member Lee Mead says:

“We would like to invite all previous and current volunteers to help us celebrate all our achievements over the past 10 years. We’re planning a gourmet BBQ, and there’ll be cakes, games and prizes, of course.

Please join us at The Butts Reserve, Mt. Tarrangower Rd, Maldon, from 11:30am.

All you need to bring is a chair and your cold drink of choice.”

In my experience, the Cactus Warriors are never short of three things – humor, creativity and sausages. Hopefully all three will be on display at their birthday party!

You can learn more about the Tarrangower Cactus Control Group and the impacts of Wheel Cactus at the group’s website – http://www.cactuswarriors.org

Cactus warriors enjoying a fun moment in 2006-web

 

 

 

Connecting Country’s 2015 Annual Report – Out Now

Posted on 22 October, 2015 by Connecting Country

Spring in central Victoria is a time of the year when plants are flowering and growing, woodland birds and other native fauna are busily raising the next generation, and – hopefully – the rain is falling and the creeks are flowing.Annual Report cover 2015

It’s also the time when Connecting Country looks back over the past 12 months and brings together some of the best stories and achievements.  This year’s Annual Report includes an original drawing on the cover from award-winning local author Trace Bella, a story from Muckleford landholders who have worked with the CC Works Crew to incorporate habitat restoration into their working farm, and well as updates and photos from all of our staff about other projects and programs – plus our aims for the year ahead.

A copy of the Annual Report is available for downloading (click here).  We hope you enjoy reading all that you have helped support!  We couldn’t have done it without you.

A small number of hard copies of the Annual Report will be available on the evening of the AGM.  Don’t forget to come along to this special evening, even if just to hear our guest speaker Sean Dooley.  As well as being chief editor of ‘Australian Birdlife’ magazine, a comedy writer and a regular bird-expert radio guest, Sean is also the author of The Big Twitch, Cooking with Baz and Anoraks to Zitting Cisticolas (an A to Z of Australian birds and birdwatching).  This celebratory evening event is being held on Tues 27 October at the Castlemaine Golf Course clubhouse (Rilens Rd, Muckleford).  The AGM commences from 6.30pm, yummy vegie soup is served after the AGM from 7pm, and with Sean speaking from 7.30pm.  Friends, family and other ‘non-members’ are welcome.  For more details, see our earlier blog (click here).

 

More Events in October and November

Posted on 14 October, 2015 by Connecting Country

2015-11_NatRecWs_ASIt’s a busy time of the year.  In addition to the other events noted for October 2015 in a previous blog (click here), Connecting Country’s upcoming AGM (click here for details!) and the Landcare Campout on the Mount (click here), we’ve also been made aware of other upcoming events and activities occurring in the region which are related to landscape restoration and habitat management.  A selection of these are summarised below.

Nature Sound Recording for Beginners
Andrew Skeoch is running a Nature Sound Recording for Beginners workshop 28 and 29 November 2015 in Newstead. A great skill to learn for Landcarers and nature studies.  Follow this link for further details (click here).

Native Fish Recovery Scientific Forum
The North Central CMA is hosting the Native Fish Recovery Scientific Forum, to be held at the Cohuna Bowling Club on the Thursday 22nd October 5:30 pm -9:00 pm.  The event will be facilitated by Siwan Lovett from the Australian Rivers Restoration Centre , with presentations from social researcher Alan Curtis from Charles Sturt University, research scientist Craig Boys from NSW Fisheries, and Les Perkins from the Farmers Conservation Alliance in Oregon, USA.  For more info, including RSVP details, see the attached flyer (click here).

Bee Keeping
Daniel BeeShepherd is a local who has recently been helping Connecting Country with advice and suggestions about management options for bees that have taken over natural tree hollows and nest boxes.  As an alternative to poisoning, Daniel promotes the re-homing of feral bee colonies into managed hives within urban gardens.  If you are interested in learning more about keeping bees in your garden, he is running a workshop series at the Kyneton Community Centre starting from Monday 19 October.  The attached flyer has more information about this education workshop series (click here), and you can also visit Daniel’s website (click here).  The October issue of the Chewton Chat newspaper has an article about Daniel’s removal of bees from a recently fallen tree near Golden Point Rd (see page 24).

Bird Week in the Macedon Ranges
The Macedon Ranges Shire Council have a number of events planned as part of Aussie Bird Week, including a talk on Sat 17 October about Birds of Prey and another presentation on the 22 October about the local birds are most at risk of extinction and those have already been lost.  Follow this link for further information (click here).

 

 

27 Oct 2015 – Connecting Country’s AGM

Posted on 13 October, 2015 by Connecting Country

Connecting Country members and supporters are invited to join us on the evening of Tuesday 27 October 2015.   We have our Annual General Meeting (AGM), a special guest speaker and a light meal.  It’s also a chance to catch up with CC staff, committee and other friends.  It’s being held at the clubhouse of the Castlemaine Golf Club on Rilens Rd (just off the Pyrenees Hwy, between Castlemaine and Newstead).

The formalities of our AGM are being held first, from 6.30pm until 7pm.  A copy of the agenda is attached (CLICK HERE).

If you are a Connecting Country member, then:

  • You are entitled to vote on any and all relevant agenda items.  If you are unable to make it to the AGM, but still wish to vote, then proxy forms are available.
  • You are also able to nominate to join the Connecting Country committee.  If you are interested in applying to join the committee, you are encouraged to contact the current president – Brendan Sydes – to talk more about what is involved in being on the committee, and the opportunities that are available (president@connectingcountry.org.au).

From about 7pm until 7.30pm, a light meal will be provided.  Locally made vegetarian soups and bread will be provided, along with tea, coffee and other drinks.

AGM guest speaker Sean Dooley

AGM guest speaker Sean Dooley, with a feathered friend

From 7.30pm, we will launch the new component of our woodland birds program, followed by a presentation by Sean Dooley from Birdlife Australia.  Many of you will know of Sean either through his editorship of the Australian Birdlife magazine, as a regular contributor to ABC and community radio programs on all things ‘bird’ or as the author of ‘The Big Twitch’ (click here), which is one of my favourite books. His is also a very entertaining raconteur, being involved in comedy for many years as a contributing writer to TV shows such as Spicks and Specks.

To ensure sufficient catering and seating, it is preferred if you could send your RSVP to me if you’re planning to come along (chris@connectingcountry.org.au).  Also send an email or call me if you are unsure if you are a member; if you’d like a committee nomination form or a proxy form; or if you’d like a copy of the 2014 AGM Minutes or 2014-15 Financial Statements to read before the meeting.

Chris Timewell, Director.

 

Needle Grass & the Damage Done

Posted on 12 October, 2015 by Connecting Country

Chilean Needle Grass, Texas Needle Grass and their close relative Serrated Tussock will be the focus of an information session at the Barfold Hall on Saturday 17th October 2015.

Needle Grass

This photo from New Zealand shows how serious some farmers are about keeping Needle Grass out of their property. From http://agrihq.co.nz/fwplus/.

The session’s focus on identification and control methods will be extremely helpful for landholders wishing to protect their property from invasion by these plants, and for those who already have a problem and would like to know what their control options are.

The session will be presented by Martin Deering, biosecurity officer for Loddon Mallee Region.

Texas Needle Grass is fairly widespread in the upper Campaspe River catchment, between Kyneton and Lake Eppalock. In some places whole paddocks have been made unusable for grazing by an invasion of this perennial tussock-forming grass.

Chilean Needle Grass and Serrated Tussock are not well-established in the region but have the potential to be a serious threat to agriculture and the environment across the Mount Alexander Shire.

One of the big challenges for land managers concerned about Needle Grass is identifying the plant. Needle Grasses can look almost identical to native Spear Grasses, and as with many grasses, they are difficult to identify when not in flower.

Spring is the best time to take a look at what’s growing on your property or roadside to find out whether that mystery plant is a friend or foe.

The session will take place on Saturday 17th October, from 10.30 am at Barfold Hall, 1909 Kyneton-Redesdale Rd, Barfold. All are welcome and there is no need to RSVP.

This event is part of the Campaspe Valley Landcare Group’s ‘Stopping Stipoids in The Upper Campaspe’ project, funded by a Victorian Landcare Grant from the North Central Catchment Management Authority.

 

 

 

28 Nov 2015 – Rural Women’s Event

Posted on 9 October, 2015 by Connecting Country

The North Central CMA has announced the upcoming 2015 Chicks in the Sticks Rural Women’s event on Saturday 28th November.

“Now in its third year, the annual rural women’s event has become one of the most successful platforms in our region to network, learn from and collaborate with like-minded women who are passionate about environmental action and sustainable agriculture.

“This year’s event will take place along the Campaspe River at Carlsruhe with keynote speaker Katie Finlay- RIDRC Rural Women of the Year; Victorian award winner.

All the event details are on the flyer (CLICK HERE) and RSVPs to the North Central CMA are essential (Phone 03 5448 7124). Last year they booked out quickly, with 120 women registering in just two weeks.  This year has the capacity to host 150 women, so if you are interested it’d be best to book your place sooner rather than later.

 

Aussie Backyard Bird Count 2015

Posted on 7 October, 2015 by Tanya Loos

Celebrate National Bird Week 2015 by taking part in the biggest citizen science project to hit Aussie shores!  From 19-25 October, thousands of people from across the country are heading out into their backyards, local parks, or favourite outdoor spaces to take part in the second annual AUSSIE BACKYARD BIRD COUNT!   This is an initiative of BirdLife Australia; Connecting Country is an affiliate group of this fantastic organisation. We have a data-sharing agreement with BirdLife Australia – which means that the Aussie Backyard Bird Count helps us keep track of how woodland birds are faring in the Mount Alexander region.

 ABBC Logo1To get involved in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count, all you need is 20 minutes, your outdoor space of choice, and some keen eyesight (or binoculars).  It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice or an expert.  Simply record the birds you know and look up those you don’t on BirdLife’s new Aussie Bird Count app or our through their website (www.aussiebirdcount.org.au).  You’ll instantly see live statistics and information on how many people are taking part near you and the number of birds and species counted across your neighbourhood and the whole of Australia!

Not only will you get to know your feathered neighbours, but you’ll be contributing to a vital pool of information from across the nation that will help us see how Australian birds are faring.  Last year volunteers counted 800,000 birds from across Australia, this year Birdlife Australia hopes to make it to at least one million. Get your friends and family together, head into the great outdoors and start counting!

For more information head to www.aussiebirdcount.org.au  or check out the ABBC Poster.

Also, don’t forget that there are some great guest speakers in the Mount Alexander Shire area over the coming weeks, with Andrew Skeoch speaking at the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club this Friday (9 Oct) and Emmi Scherlies talking about Powerful Owls at the Newstead Community Centre next Thursday (15 Oct).  See our earlier blog for further details on these two events (click here).  We’ll also have some information soon about our guest speaker at our upcoming AGM on 27 October.

 

Weeds, weeds ……. and no more weeds? Workshop – 25 October 2015

Posted on 5 October, 2015 by Connecting Country

David Cameron David Cameron from Arthur Rylah Institute shares some of his ecological knowledge.

David Cameron will share some of his detailed plant knowledge.

Spring is a beautiful time of year for native plants with yam daisies, chocolate lilies and Silver Wattles in full flower.  But alongside the natives, most landholders will also be all too aware of the competing weeds that have sprung up as well, from persistent ground covers like Soursob through to the thornier weeds like blackberry and gorse.

While the battle to manage weed spread can seem endless, in Connecting Country’s final workshop of the year ‘Back from the Brink’ on Sunday 25 October 2015 from 10am to 3pm, we will be taking participants to different sites in the Newstead area to have a look at where long-term weed control strategies have been effective, and identifying the key ingredients to successful weed management.

Accompanied by local Landcarers (who really know their weeds and the secret to community weed management), Matt McEachran from Bushtech will talk us through the most appropriate methods and the calendar for treating weeds, and David Cameron, senior botanist from the Arthur Rylah Institute, will lead us through some weed identification. Participants can’t fail to leave the workshop with a better knowledge of weeds and different methods their control.

This event is fully catered and transport is provided. Costs are $20 for Connecting Country members or concessions (membership is free) or $30 for non-members.

Register now for this event – places are limited. Contact Jules@connectingcountry.org.au or 5472 1594. Alternatively, Click here for more information on the workshop series, and CLICK HERE to download a registration form.

This program is supported by Connecting Country through funding from the Australian governmenthttp://cdn.connectingcountry.org.au/press/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cc-education-program-logo_v2.2-large.jpg