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, 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.
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.
To 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 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 government
16 Oct 2015 – New watering point on the Goldfields Track
Posted on 5 October, 2015 by Connecting Country
The Goldfield’s Track stretches between Bendigo and Ballarat, and along its way passes through some amazing forests, woodlands and historic landscapes in the Mount Alexander shire and immediate surrounds.
The Great Dividing Trail Association (GDTA) has invited members and other supporters of Connecting Country to attend the launch of the FIRST watering point on the Leanganook Track section of the Goldfields Track (between Bendigo and Castlemaine). GDTA funded the new tank and in consultation with Coliban Water, the tank was recently assembled and installed on site. Coliban Water is GDTA’s partner in this initiative and they have announced that they will ‘host’ the tank for track users.
When is the launch: Friday 16 October 2015, from 11.00 am
Where: At the new tank in Mandurang South, which is located east of the Goldfields Track, next to the Coliban Channel and near the Parks Victoria dry campsite. Mandurang South Road is close by and Map 30 of the Goldfields Track Walking Guide refers to it. A map is also attached (CLICK HERE).
RSVP: For catering purposes by Friday 9 October 2015 to Alison Lanigan at gdtatrail@gmail.com
Refreshments will be provided after the launch.
It’s all happening in October….
Posted on 30 September, 2015 by Connecting Country
Hi everyone. As is often the case, our local area is full of activity over the coming month. Rather than sending out a stream of blogs over the next few days, we’ve done our best to package some of the main ones into a single extended blog. Hope you can make it through to some of them. There are also some grant applications and other items of interest below. Chris
Connecting Country Annual General Meeting – 27 Oct 2015
The Connecting Country AGM – with guest speaker – is to be held on the evening of Tuesday 27 October. Soup and yummy dipping breads to be provided as a light meal. It will be held at the Castlemaine Golf Course, on the Pyrenees Hwy (between Castlemaine and Newstead). Further details to follow soon.
Local Lives, Global Matters Conference – 16-18 Oct 2015
This international conference is being held in Castlemaine from Friday October 16th to Sunday October 18th. They have just introduced affordable day and session passes, to ensure that the conference is also accessible to locals. You can now buy a day ticket for $80 (waged) or $50 (unwaged). Sessional passes are $15 (waged) and $10 (unwaged). Three day tickets have been reduced to $240/$150. You can also join others at the ‘Low food miles’ dinner, with music, on Saturday night, prepared by Castlemaine’s own ‘Growing Abundance’ ($35/$30).
“Immerse yourself for a day or two or three. Join conversations around local economies, social and ecological justice, reclaiming democracy and revitalised spirituality. Listen to keynote speakers from around the world, and hear about innovations generated in our own central Victorian back yard via panels, workshops and site visits.”
Connecting Country are involved in a panel discussion as part of the conference on the Saturday afternoon. Connecting Country staff member Krista, Welshman’s Reef landholder Brian and Cactus-buster Ian will be talking about community efforts to improve landscape health. Check out their full program on the conference website to learn more and register (click here). And they also have a Facebook page (click here).
‘Listening to the Wild’ with Andrew Skeoch – 9 Oct 2015
The sounds of our natural environment are comprised of many voices; birdsong, frog choruses, seasonal insect choirs, mammal calls… How have all these varied animal repertoires evolved? And how can we appreciate and find meaning in listening to nature’s soundworld around us? Join the audience with naturalist and bioacoustic researcher, Andrew Skeoch, as he presents beautiful and fascinating recordings from wild places around the world, and inspires you to hear the world afresh.
Andrew is the guest speaker for the October meeting of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club. The evening starts formally at 7.30pm on Friday 9th October, but you are welcome to arrive earlier for a cup of tea and a chat beforehand. Members and visitors welcome – no entry fee. It will be held in the Fellowship Room, behind the Uniting Church on Lyttleton St, Castlemaine (next door to the Art Gallery and Museum).
Powerful Owls of Central Victoria – 15 Oct 2015
On Thursday 15 October, Newstead-based scientist Emmi Scherlies will be giving a community presentation on the Powerful Owls of central Victoria. Everyone is welcome to come along. It starts at 8pm at the Newstead Community Centre. It is a gold coin donation with all contributions going to the Newstead Landcare Group. In correspondence to CC, Emmi said, “Please pass on this invitation to anyone that you think might like to learn a bit about Powerful Owls. Hope to see you there!”
Oral History Training – 14-15 Oct 2015
The Nuggetty Land Protection Group (NLPG) is researching and writing of a landscape history of the Nuggetty district, which is an area about 5 kilometres north of Maldon. As part of the project, NLPG is collecting spoken and visual material from people living in, or having a connection with, the area. In order to collect stories about the Nuggetty district, environmental historian, Robyn Ballinger, will be conducting FREE training workshops in Maldon on how to undertake oral history interviews. The training is open to anyone and is completed in one 3-hour session. After the training is completed, it is hoped that each participant will conduct an audio oral history interview for the project using a supplied digital recorder. Training sessions will be held at the Maldon Neighbourhood Centre on Wed 14 October (6.30-9.30pm) and Thurs 15 October (2.30-5.30pm). Bookings are essential.
For further details, see the attached flyer (CLICK HERE), or contact Jane (janee@impulse.net.au 5475 2693) or Sue (sba56183@bigpond.net.au 0417 368 899).
The North Central Chat
The North Central CMA has just released the September 2015 issue of their ‘chat’ publication, which is filled with stories about Landcare and Watchwatch from the region (CLICK HERE). It also contains information about new phone apps for weeds and for pest animals, and lists the successful applicants for the National Landcare Programme component of the 2015-16 Community Grants Program- North Central Victoria. From the Mount Alexander Region, congratulations to Castlemaine Landcare, Golden Point Landcare and Malmsbury District Landcare. The recipients of the state-based Landcare grants are yet-to-be announced.
FRRR Small Grants For Rural Communities – Round 28
Not-for-profit community based organisations can apply for grants up to $5,000 to support projects and activities that offer clear public benefit for communities in small rural, regional and remote locations in Australia, contributing to their social and community welfare, economic, environmental, health, education or cultural development. Applications from communities with a population of 10,000 or less will receive priority. Closing Date: 5pm Monday 5th October 2015. For more information, either go to the FRR website (click here), freecall 1800 170 020 or email info@frrr.org.au.
Nominations open for the Victorian Rural Women’s Award
The government’s Rural Women’s Award honours the efforts of emerging leaders and creates opportunities for women to effect change in agricultural industries and rural communities. The Victorian finalists will be celebrated at a ceremony at Parliament House in March 2016, with the winner to receive a bursary of $10,000 to implement their project vision and participate in the RIRDC Australian Institute of Company Directors Course. Staff at the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources are available to help prospective nominees through the process (contact Jon Graftdyk on 03 5772 0225 or Jon.Graftdyk@ecodev.vic.gov.au). Applications for the award are open until 30 October 2015. For more information about the award and to obtain a nomination form, visit the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award website (click here).
Photographic exhibition – 10-24 Oct 2015
And don’t forget that the Newstead Railway Arts Hub is running an exhibition of the photos of Newstead-based naturalist, Curly Hartup – click here for our earlier blog about this event.
Alan ‘Curly’ Hartup – Newstead photographer and naturalist
Posted on 24 September, 2015 by Connecting Country
Via Geoff Park, Ken Hartup has made us aware of a wonderful exhibition of nature photographs by leading amateur photographer and long-time resident of Newstead, Alan Jesse Hartup (1915 –2004), which will be opened at the Newstead Railway Arts Hub on Saturday 10 October 2015 at 3pm. Viewings thereafter are by appointment through until the 24 October.
This exhibition is largely of bird life in Newstead and the surrounding districts, from Alan’s vast array of black and white photographs and colour slides. This selection of 20 works of black and white and prints from colour slides, span over 60 years of Alan’s impressive output. Beginning with his beloved 35m Voigtlander camera, he progressed to the brilliant level of work he achieved with his Mamiya and Rollieflex 2¼ square cameras and his great ability with dark room techniques.
Alan has been represented widely in amateur circles and has been a central figure in promoting, selecting and judging photography in Victoria and interstate. In preparing for this exhibition we have been reminded what a wonderful legacy Alan has left with images of the beauty and richness of our surroundings. He was a man at one with the natural world and one who took a vital interest in our environment and how to care for it. The exhibition was prompted by local field naturalists Geoff Park and Mrs. Joan Butler.
The attached flyer has further details (CLICK HERE).
Enjoy Spring at Pilchers Bridge: a celebration of flora and fauna
Posted on 18 September, 2015 by Tanya Loos
Landholder Chris Kirwan has generously invited one and all to his magnificent Trust for Nature property on Saturday 26 September 2015.
Perched on the edge of the Pilchers Bridge Nature Conservation Reserve, Chris’s property protects Heathy Dry Forest and Box Ironbark Forest. The vegetation provides important habitat for the endangered Lace Monitor, the vulnerable Brush-tailed Phascogale and the Powerful Owl, and listed Victorian Temperate Woodland Bird Community species such as Speckled Warbler.
Tanya Loos will be giving a short talk on the birds of the area – as Connecting Country has two monitoring sites very close to Chris’s property. She will be joined by “the moth-man”, ecologist Steve Williams who will give a short talk on moths and the understorey; Ian Higgins from North Central CMA, who will present on the local flora; Patrick Pigott, Ecologist, Federation University who will discuss a nearby tree thinning trial, as well as representatives from CFA, and Axe Creek Landcare. CLICK HERE to see the flyer.
Saturday 26th September 2015
10.00 am to 4.00 pm
at 178 Huddle Road, Myrtle Creek
Sponsored by the Axe Creek Landcare Group
Enquiries: Chris Kirwan Phone: 5439-6494 Email: cwkirwan@bigpond.com
A magnificent Lace Monitor – very rare these days and obviously quite at home!
16 Sept 2015 – Rabbit-buster Roadshow
Posted on 11 September, 2015 by Connecting Country
The Rabbit-buster Roadshow is moving across north-central Victoria, with the nearest event to the Mount Alexander Shire occurring on the evening of Wednesday 16 Sept at the Belvoir Park Golf Club in Ravenswood. This event is being hosted by North Central CMA, who are pleased to bring Dr Tarnya Cox (Invasive Animals CRC) back to the region to present at this information session.
Information sessions will cover:
– Invasive Animals CRC Boost project (pathogenic calicivirus)
– Integrated rabbit management
– Landholder participation in the Boost project
– Case studies from local Landcare groups
– Where to next — the future release of a new strain of RHDV
– Rabbit Buster Month campaign.
For further information, see the attached flyer (CLICK HERE).
To RSVP to the North Central CMA (for catering purposes) – either call (03) 5448-7124 or email info@nccma.vic.gov.au.
Spring into Nature with TfN
Posted on 11 September, 2015 by Connecting Country
Each year, our good friends at Trust for Nature run a series of field days across the state which highlight some of the incredible biodiversity values that are being managed and protected on private land. On Sunday 4 October 2015, there will be a guided bushwalk walk from Mt Korong to Mt Kooyoora (near the Wedderburn-Inglewood area).
As part of Trust for Nature’s Spring into Nature event series, we open the gates to selected Victorian properties to demonstrate what can be achieved in the name of conservation. Come along to celebrate Victoria’s natural heritage, experience the diversity of our native plants and wildlife, and enjoy spring the way nature intended! Talk with landowners who have permanently protected their properties, enjoy guided walks while the wildflowers are on display, and learn from practical land management experiences that help our native plants and wildlife.
To see the full range of available events from across Victoria this spring – including the Mt Korong bushwalk – and also for RSVP details, follow this link to the TfN website (CLICK HERE).
11 Sept 2015 – Photographic Journey to the Last Frontier
Posted on 2 September, 2015 by Connecting Country
The Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica is a formidable plate of ice the size of France, uninhabited and deadly. The sheer cliffs of the Byrd Glacier tower above the sea ice and to early explorers formed the great barrier to their exploration endeavours. Ross Island is a home to polar-adapted wildlife such as the Weddell Seal which spends the entire year in Antarctica. As the summer approaches, the frozen surface of the Ross sea begins to fracture and dissolve. Above the colonies of seal, Adelie Penguin and marauding Killer Whale, the fractured and tortured ice tongue of the Mt. Erebus Glacier sweeps off the slopes of the planet’s most southerly active volcano, towering almost four thousand metres into the polar sky.
The guest speaker at the September General Meeting of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club is National Geographic’s award winning wildlife photographer and TV presenter Jason Edwards (see his bio and website HERE). His presentation will focus on the environment and the species that inhabit the Ross Ice Shelf and Ross Island, and the researchers who brave the harsh wilderness to study them.
The event formally starts formally at 7.30pm on Friday 11 September, but you are welcome to arrive from 7pm to have a cup of tea and a chat beforehand. Members and visitors are very welcome, including families – and there is no entry fee. As per usual, it will be held in the Fellowship Room, behind the Uniting Church on Lyttleton St, Castlemaine (next door to the Art Gallery and Museum).
19 Sept 2015 – Protecting Threatened Wildlife Forum
Posted on 28 August, 2015 by Connecting Country
Our neighbours down south, the Macedon Ranges Shire Council, will host a lively and topical forum on local wildlife facing extinction on Saturday 19 September 2015.
“Protecting Threatened Wildlife” will combine stimulating thought and discussion from two of Australia’s leading ecologists; Dr Peter Menkhorst (Arthur Rylah Institute) and Dr Dan Harley (Zoos Victoria). It will take place from 2pm–4.30pm at the Newham Mechanics Institute, 1292 Rochford Road, Newham.
Held during National Threatened Species Month, the afternoon will see speakers cover a range of topics, including:
- species in the Macedon Ranges that are most at risk from extinction
- what we’ve lost as a result of extensive clearing of native vegetation
- effective strategies being employed to prevent the loss of native animals.
29 Aug 2015 – Landscape Inspired Newstead Artists
Posted on 27 August, 2015 by Connecting Country
This Saturday 29 August 2015 from 3pm to 5pm is the Grand Opening of the Newstead Arts Hub. To celebrate this opening of the Arts Hub at the refurbished Newstead Railway Station, local artists were invited to submit two or three pieces of work for the inaugural exhibition. Of interest is that almost all the works (paintings, photos and sculpture) take inspiration from the natural landscape, which is one of the reasons we thought Connecting Country members and supporters may be interested in attending either on the opening weekend, or one of the two subsequent weekends. (Further details are provided in the flyer).
Wetland Plants Identification Course with Damian Cook
Posted on 25 August, 2015 by Connecting Country
The Mount Alexander Shire is indeed fortunate to have so many specialists in natural history in its midst. Two of the best are Damian Cook and Elaine Bayes, and Connecting Country is lucky to have them on our Expert Advisory Group.
Through their business – Rakali Consulting – they are running three one-day courses in the identification of wetlands plants. Elaine and Damian have told us, “This course 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 stunning Reedy Lagoon at Gunbower Island. Participants can elect to do 1, 2 or all 3 days. ….. [Each] day will be divided between being outside observing plants in their natural habitat and collecting specimens and class time using field guides, keys and microscopes. There will also be discussion and presentation time. Notes and identification keys will be provided. Lunch, morning and afternoon tea provided.”
| Day 1 | Wed 11 November 2015 (Spring) | Water edge/shallow marsh – identifying grasses, sedges and rushes (gum boot depth) |
| Day 2 | Wed 24 February 2016 (Summer) | Deep Marsh/Floating and submerged aquatics (waders) |
| Day 3 | Wed 20 April 2016 (Autumn) | Mud flat specialists (gum boot depth) |
The course is being held at Treetops, Spencer’s Bridge Road (off Cohuna-Koondrook Rd), Cohuna, Victoria which is located on the banks of Gunbower Creek. Field work will be conducted at Reedy Lagoon and timed to follow environmental water delivery to ensure wetland plants are at their peak. The cost per day is $319 (inc. GST) or $880 (inc GST) for all three days.
More information on the course, and details on how to register, are available on the Rakali Consulting website (click here).
30 Aug 2015 – Wheel Cactus Injecting Day
Posted on 25 August, 2015 by Connecting Country
Tony Kane from the Tarrangower Cactus Control Group has let us know that they are holding their monthly working bee on Sunday 30th August at a property on the extension of Tarrengower School Road off Watersons Road. Follow the signs from the corner of the Maldon-Bridgewater Road and Watersons Road, on the north-western side of Maldon. CLICK HERE for more information from their flyer.
It starts at 10.30 am, and finishes with a BBQ and drinks at lunchtime. Everyone is welcome to join in the control of this noxious pest. Instructions and equipment provided on the day.
Award winner at the Sustainable Agriculture forum in Castlemaine
Posted on 17 August, 2015 by Connecting Country
Local orchardist – Katie Finlay – was recently crowned the 2015 Victorian Rural Woman of the Year, and now is in the running for the National Rural Woman award. At the Castlemaine forum for discussing their draft Regional Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, the North Central CMA has organised for Katie to be the guest presenter. Katie will speak about her journey towards sustainability. (As noted in a previous blog – click here – the North Central CMA are also seeking feedback on their draft Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan on the same evening and at same event).
From North Central CMA manager Tim Shanahan “Increasing the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices across the region will strengthen the future of the industry while protecting natural resources such as land and water.”
Further quotes from Tim, additional details about the event and to read a summary of the draft Sustainable Agriculture strategy, follow this link (click here).
The Castlemaine forum is one of five being held across the region. It is on Monday 31 August 2015 from 7.30 pm at the Campbells Creek Community Centre, Elizabeth St – with a light supper served from 7pm. To attend, RSVPs have been requested for catering purposes (email info@nccma.vic.gov.au or by phone on 03 5448 7124).
Celebrating a 10th Anniversary in the grasslands of northern Victoria
Posted on 17 August, 2015 by Connecting Country
The good people of the Northern Plains Conservation Management Network are celebrating their 10th anniversary. With guest speakers, a visit to a specially protected Grassy Ecosystem on private property and a catered morning tea and lunch, they’ve invited us all to join the milestone festivities.
The Northern Plains CMN is located in the central part of the north of Victoria. It was established in 2005 with the aim to bring together all those involved with and interested in the management and conservation of grasslands and grassy woodlands in the north central area.
Their special event is being held on Friday 4th September 2015, from 10.30am to 3.30pm, in Terrick Terrick East. Further information is available in this flyer (click here).
To attend the event, an RSVP to the North Central CMA is essential (by 5 pm Tuesday 1 September on 03 5448 7124 or email info@nccma.vic.gov.au).
14 Aug 2015 – Central Victorian Botanical Wonders
Posted on 11 August, 2015 by Connecting Country
The guest presenter for the August meeting of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club (CFNC) is Rodney Orr, a highly respected ecologist from Bendigo. Rodney was editor and compiler of the book “The Orchids of Bendigo’, and has also contributed many articles to Whirrakee (the newsletter of the Bendigo Field Naturalists Club) over a number of years and decades. He is one of the foremost experts on the wildflowers of this part of central Victoria.
His talk to the CFNC is titled “Bendigo’s Botanical Wonders”, and will no doubt be filled with interesting stories and a slideshow full of amazing photographs.
The presentation will be held in the Fellowship Room from 7.30pm on Friday 14 August (although you can arrive from 7pm for a cup of tea and a chat beforehand). The Fellowship room is located behind the Uniting Church on Lyttleton St in Castlemaine (next door to the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Museum). Everyone is welcome and there is no cost for entry.
If you are inspired by this talk, the club’s excursion on the following day (Sat 15 Aug) is to the Whipstick mallee forests to the north of Bendigo. Details to be provided at the Friday evening meeting.
Hot, but not heated – Bill Gammage at the 2015 Workshop Launch
Posted on 27 February, 2015 by Connecting Country
It was over 35 degrees celcius outside – and probably hotter inside the Campbells Creek Community Centre – but that didn’t deter around 300 people from attending the launch of the Connecting Country 2015 Workshop Program on Sunday 22 Feb 2015.
copies available at stonemans bookroom
The main attraction was historian and award winning author Bill Gammage, who spoke about ‘1788’* aboriginal land management and ‘fire stick farming’. Drawing upon the early records of Colonial explorers and European settlers, Bill has described a systematic and complex system of aboriginal land management throughout Australia, from coast to coast, which included planned and selective burning, to create conditions for prey and plenty. It’s a new way of looking at the Australian landscape; which has led to plenty of conjecture and debate amongst scientists and lay-people alike. Undoubtedly, Bill’s book has struck a chord in the community on many levels.
What is it about the book that draws this level of interest and engagement?
Perhaps because the scope of his text is large enough to encompass – and also exclude – many and varied views, and perhaps because there is always much difficulty in moving from the big picture, down to the more specific and locally relevant scale. For instance, what do central Victoria’s Box Ironbark forests (and their myriad species) need/tolerate/resist in terms of fire duration, intensity and timing? And how does this compare with granitic landscapes on the eastern side of Mount Alexander, or on the basalt plains to the west? And what value do we place today on the areas described as ‘scrub’ – so full of shrubs, ground-layer plants, logs and leaf litter that provide critical habitat for so many declining woodland birds and other species.
Bill’s challenge to all of us is to view our landscape, on both in the large (continent-wide) and lesser (catchment, regional, local, property) levels with fresh eyes.
How much do we really know and understand the inter-relationships of animal, plant, human – and how have they been altered over the past 200 or so years? How can we possibly work to benefit all? We can surmise, through the research of Bill and others such as Ron Hateley**, how it was prior to 1788, but what for the future? How can we learn and benefit from both indigenous and scientific ecological knowledge?
Ultimately, it all comes down to our own particular lens through which we view the world, and our landscapes.
bill, janet, brendan, marie and trent
Many thanks to Bill, to Dja Dja Warrung Traditional Owner Trent Nelson for welcoming us to his Country and talking about the contemporary challenges for all of us, to Mal Brown (Scarlet Consulting) for facilitating the session and as always we thank our Committee members, especially Brendan Sydes and Marie Jones who presented on the day. Thank you to the many Connecting Country volunteers and staff members who made the day a success. Also thanks to Alice Barnes from Sovereign Hill who generously audio-recorded the session and has made it available for us to share with those who couldn’t make the event or had to be turned away because of the venue limitations.
Some images from the session are available in our Education and Resources Section (Click here). To see what people are saying afterwards, or to comment on the presentation, go to the Forum page (click here). We hope to have the audio from the presentation available on our website soon.
To sign up for one or more of the Autumn workshop sessions register HERE (NB: the session on the 1st March is now fully booked).
For more information about our education program, contact janet@connectingcountry.org.au or phone 5472 1594.
* Bill uses the term ‘1788’ as shorthand for the beliefs and actions of Aboriginal people at the time of first European colonisation in Australia.
** Ron Hateley’s book, “The Victorian Bush – Its ‘Original and Natural’ Condition.”, published by Polybractea Press, provides a comprehensive and compelling perspective on vegetation patterns prior to European colonisation of Australia.