Restoring landscapes across the Mount Alexander Region

Correction of date for CFNC talk

Posted on 8 August, 2011 by Connecting Country

The Castlemaine Field Naturalist Club meeting will be held on Friday 12 August, not 13 August as stated in a previous email. Craig Grabham will be giving a presentation on bats in Victoria and around the Castlemaine area. Click here for more details.

Also a reminder that Megan Wong will be giving a presentation entitled  ‘Untangling the soil food web’ this Thursday 11 August at the Newstead Community Centre. This will be a very intriguing journey into life in our soil. Click here for more details.

 

All about Bats

Posted on 7 August, 2011 by Connecting Country

At the next Castlemaine Field Naturalist Club meeting Craig Grabham will discuss what bats are, their ecology, and bat diversity in Victoria and around the Castlemaine area. The role of bats in the broader ecosystem and why they are important to us will then be covered followed by a summary of the various survey methods used to survey bats. To conclude the evening, people will be able to use the Anabat detector and other survey equipment.

The presentation will take place on 12 August at the Uniting Church Hall (enter from Lyttleton Street). Starting time is 7.30 pm. All welcome.

Photos by Craig Grabham

 

 

How Life in the Earth Supports Life on Earth

Posted on 5 August, 2011 by Connecting Country

Newstead Landcare Group’s August presentation ‘Untangling the soil food web’ will be a very intriguing journey into life in our soil. Megan Wong, researching for a PhD in soil ecology, will introduce soil microflora (bacteria and fungi) and microfauna (eg nematodes and springtails), which are important and fascinating creatures that go largely unnoticed. Microscopic creatures that make up the soil food web, and how they all work together to support life on earth will be discussed. Megan will touch briefly upon her current plant-microbe research in the Northern Plains Grasslands of Victoria.

The talk will be from 8-9 pm on Thursday 11 August at Newstead Community Centre. All are welcome to attend. Gold coin donations would be appreciated. The presentation will be followed by a brief business meeting.

 

Innovative Farming Forum in Kerang

Posted on 5 August, 2011 by Connecting Country

The North Central CMA are inviting the community to attend the Innovative Farming Forum on 17 August 2011 at the Kerang Valley Resort. The Forum is designed for those farmers who are already, or are considering:

  •  irrigating less
  • changing their land and water use, or
  • unsure about their options with a variable climate and availability of water for irrigation.

The forum will provide an opportunity to:

  • hear from farmers who have successfully changed their land use
  • hear from key note speakers regarding sustainable land practice options on farming land where irrigation has been significantly reduced, or ceased completely
  • network with farmers and others to share experiences, lessons and advice; and
  • learn more about the Innovative Farming program and associated projects

For catering purposes please RSVP to North Central CMA on 5448 7124 or info@nccma.vic.gov.au by Friday 11 August

 

CACTUS KILLERS WANTED!

Posted on 27 July, 2011 by Connecting Country

The Tarrangower Cactus Control Committee and Parks Victoria will hold their next community field day on Sunday 31 July starting at 10.30 pm.  The field day will be held in Cooks Lane, which is off the Baringhup Road near its intersection with the Bridgewater – Maldon Road.  The route to the site will be well signposted from the intersection.

The field day is an opportunity to enjoy some time outdoors while helping to eradicate Wheel Cactus from our district.  No experience is necessary and everyone concerned with the natural environment is most welcome.  Dress for the occasion in warm clothes and sturdy footwear.  The day will conclude at about 1 pm with a free sausage sizzle and cuppa.

Wheel Cactus community field days are monthly events and take place on the last Sunday of each month.

 

Bridal Creeper Field Day Report

Posted on 20 July, 2011 by Connecting Country

‘Stop the spread’ was the catch cry at the Bridal Creeper Field day organized by Ian Grenda and the Nuggetty Landcare Group and held on Sunday 10 July. A Weed of National Significance (forever more known as a WONS!) Bridal Creeper is regarded as one of the worst weeds in Australia because of its invasiveness, potential for spreading, and its environmental and economic impacts.

Ian, Janis and Jane took the troopers through an area where various control methods were being trialled and talked about how a site assessment was vital in choosing the most appropriate control method.  The use of biological controls of rust fungus and leaf hoppers would help to weaken the plants and prevent flowering and seeding, and would suit areas that were difficult to access, had large infestations and perhaps difficult for the land managers to tackle.  Hand weeding would be okay to stop the spread but when you see the prolific corms that all need to be treated this method would suit perhaps new plants or areas where native plants were present.  Spraying methods were also discussed along with scrunching and gloving!

After a warming BBQ and lots of ideas, people headed off with bags containing rust spore or leaf hopper infested Bridal Creeper ready to spread the helpers and help stop the spread of this creepy plant.  A great session and thanks to Nuggetty!

Click here to see the Project Brief and here for Field Notes on data and photo monitoring.

For further information, email Ian Grenda (iangrenda@live.com) or Janis Stewart (janisstewart@internode.on.net)

 

Three Fascinating Field Trips

Posted on 13 July, 2011 by Connecting Country

This year’s Connecting Country Education Program treated participants to three fascinating field trips around Mount Alexander Shire.

In May, Phil Dyson from the North Central Catchment Management (CMA) provided an insight to how landscapes are formed with his geology and soils tour. From the anticlinal fold in Lyttleton St in Castlemaine to the top of Mt Alexander, we learnt about the main rock types in the Mount Alexander Shire landscape and how these were formed.  We observed how geology, soils and vegetation interact to produce differing impacts on land use.

Phil Dyson points out interesting landscape features from the top of Mt Alexander.

‘The bush is more than just bush’ was the theme of our Yellow Box Woodland tour with Paul Foreman (Bush Heritage) and Ian Higgins (North Central CMA) in June.  At an idyllic woodland site tucked away in the Irishtown forest, we learnt how to recognize different vegetation communities and habitat characteristics. Ian and Paul highlighted that the disturbance history of local vegetation communities is different, which means some are more rare and more damaged than others.

Paul Foreman assists participants with completing a vegetation assessment.

Elaine Bayes (BRIT TAFE and Department of Sustainability and Environment) and Damien Cook (Australian Ecosystems) inspired all participants by their knowledge of, and passion for, waterways and wetlands, our final field trip. We followed the Loddon River from Glenluce to Newstead learning how to assess waterways and observing how land use changes as you move downstream. At the Moolort Wetlands we saw the abundance of birds, and other aquatic plants and animals, that have been thriving over the past few months after these areas filled with water for the first time in over a decade.

Damien Cook highlights the wetting and drying cycle at the Moolort Wetlands.

Connecting Country would like to send a huge thanks to all participants, our wonderful presenters, and, especially, to Deirdre Slattery who developed the program.

This year’s education program is not over! We have two more free evening talks on the bill. Arn Tolsma from the Arthur Rylah Institute will talk about the role of fire in Box Ironbark Forests on the 25th of August. The history of Forest Creek and its impact on the landscape will be explored by Robyn Ballinger on the 8th of September. These events will be held at the Campbell’s Creek Community Centre and kick off at 6.30pm with soup provided by the Growing Abundance Project. Click here for further information.

 

10 July – Planting on the Loddon River

Posted on 5 July, 2011 by Connecting Country

Newstead Landcare Group’s second planting for 2011 will be by the Loddon River at Newstead. It will take place this Sunday 10 July at 9.30 am. The group is planning to put in more shrubs and sedges on “the Island” about 600m upstream from the bridge. As the road may be boggy and rough, you may want to park in Layard Street near the ford and walk downstream. Bring some gloves and a mug for morning tea. Buckets, hammers and digging implements would also be useful.

If you would like more information, contact Patrick Kavanagh on 54 762 755. All are welcome.

 

Reminder about Upcoming Events

Posted on 4 July, 2011 by Connecting Country

This is a reminder about four events that you may be interested in attending over the next week:

Friday 8 July
Euan Moore will speak on Birding in Sri Lanka at this month’s Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club meeting. Starting time is 7.30 pm and the venue is the Uniting Church Hall (enter from Lyttleton Street). All welcome.

Saturday 9 July
As part of their Small Conservation Reserves Survey, the Castlemaine Field Naturalists have organised an excursion to the Walmer South Nature Conservation Reserve. The group will depart from the carpark opposite the motel in Duke St, Castlemaine at 1.30 pm sharp.

Sunday 10 July
The Nuggetty Land Protection Group is inviting interested community members to attend a workshop on Bridal Creeper. The workshop will be held at the Bridal Creeper Trial site which is located immediately behind the Maldon cemetery in the Maldon Historic Reserve. It will take place between 11.00am and 12.30pm and finish with a free sausage sizzle and cupper. For more information click here.

Monday 11 July
The Friends of the Box-Ironbark AGM will be held at the Continuing Education building, Templeton St, Castlemaine. Starting time is 7.30 pm. The guest speaker will be Damian Wells, CEO of the North Central Catchment Management Authority and he will speak on Catchment Management and the Floods.


 

Integrated Weed Management workshops

Posted on 21 June, 2011 by Connecting Country

Landcare and the North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) are hosting an informative workshop titled ‘Integrated Weed Management’ to be held at Boort and Woodend, on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 June respectively.

The ‘Integrated Weed Management’ workshops will be presented by prominent Professor Brian Sindel from the University of New England. Formally a member of CSIRO, Professor Sindel is now the Professor of Weed Science at the University. Professor Sindel is an author and editor of a wide range of well-known weed management resources and has over twenty years of invaluable knowledge, research and experience in weed ecology and management.
Continue Reading »

 

27 June – Reference Group Meeting

Posted on 10 June, 2011 by Connecting Country

What will Connecting Country look like in 5 years time? Please join us to share your thoughts and ideas to help shape the future direction of the project.

An agenda will be sent prior to the meeting. For minutes from the last meeting click here. All are invited. We would love to see at least one member from each Landcare/friends group attend.

The meeting will take place in the Ray Bradfield Rooms, Castlemaine, between 7 pm and 9 pm.

 

World Environment Day in Castlemaine

Posted on 25 May, 2011 by Connecting Country

World Environment Day will be celebrated in Castlemaine on Sunday 5 June with an Environmental Expo in the Market Building organised by Trust for Nature. Connecting Country, Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests, MASG and a range of other local environmental organisations, community groups and schools have organised displays and activities for the morning which starts at 10am and finishes at midday.

The event will be family friendly with children’s art activities at various stalls and there will be short environmental documentaries. It will be a good opportunity for people to find out how they can be involved in environmental initiatives in the area. Everyone is welcome. The Expo coincides with the Farmers market which will take place in the adjacent Victory Park.

The mayor of Mount Alexander Shire, Janet Cropley, will launch the councils new Environment Strategy during the morning.

More information can be found here.

 

3 June 2011 – ‘Recreating the Country’ Field Day

Posted on 22 May, 2011 by Connecting Country

The Ballarat Region Treegrowers is hosting ‘Recreating the Country’ Field Day on Friday 3 June 2011 at the ImLal Biorich Demonstration site (VicRoads Country Directory Map 77 ref B4).  The day starts at 10am and finishes at 4.15pm.

Recreating the Country is a new model of revegetation that integrates conservation with production.  This new model aims to enrich habitat potential across rural Landscapes, not just for a lifetime, but for centuries to come.  The field day will involve talks and site tours by conservation and farm forestry experts. Download the flyer here for further information.

If there is sufficient interest from community members, the North Central CMA is planning on organising a bus from Bendigo to the field day site.  For further information or to register your interest in attending the field day via bus please contact Ashley Beven, Regional Landcare Facilitator, North Central CMA by Friday 27 May 2011:

Phone: (03) 5440 1864
Mobile: 0428 508 726
Email: ashley.beven@nccma.vic.gov.au

 

Free Community Grants Writing Workshops

Posted on 20 May, 2011 by Connecting Country

The North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) is providing free Community Grants Workshops throughout the catchment. The workshops, which will cover the 2011-12 Victorian Landcare Grants, will also include a Community Grant Writing course.  The course, run by a professional writer, Kerry Anderson, will provide participants with practical advice and guidance in writing and developing funding applications.

The Castlemaine workshop will be held at the Ray Bradfield Rooms, Victory Park on Tuesday 31 May, starting at 6pm and finishing at 9pm (including supper).  There will be similar workshops in Wedderburn, Kyneton, Maryborough and Kerang. Click here for further details.

Bookings are essential. All sessions are free and a light meal will be provided.

RSVP to reception@nccma.vic.gov.au or telephone 03 5448 7124 at least two days prior to the workshop, indicating which venue you would like to attend and any dietary requirements.

 

Ecology Field Days

Posted on 18 May, 2011 by Connecting Country

The first two Ecology Field Days run by Connecting Country will take place soon. The Geology and Soils day has been booked out but there are some spaces still available for the Yellow Box Woodlands day. Bookings are essential. Contact contact Krista on 5472 1594 or krista@connectingcountry.org.au

29 May: Geology and Soils (Phil Dyson, North Central CMA)
We will visit sites that will give us an overview of the main geological influences in Mt Alexander Shire. We will explore the mysteries of soils, the relationships between soil and geology, and consider how have the different geologies have shaped our use of the land.

5 June: Yellow Box Woodlands (jointly led by Ian Higgins from Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare and North Central CMA, and Paul Foreman from Bush Heritage Australia and Blue Devil Consulting)
We will explore two sites to see an area of old yellow box woodland and one that has been greatly altered by land uses. We will learn about the interactions of trees, shrubs, herbs and fungi at each site and consider what opportunities each offers for animal habitat.

Both sessions run from 9am to 1.30pm. Transport is provided and the cost for each day is $10. For full details click here.

 

26 May 2011 – Fungi: Exploring a Forgotten Kingdom

Posted on 17 May, 2011 by Connecting Country

The first of Connecting Country’s 2011 free evening talks, Fungi: Exploring a Forgotten Kingdom, will take place on Thursday 26 May.  The seminar will be held at the Campbells Creek Community Centre. Supper will be served at 6.30pm followed by the talk at 7 pm. Entry is free and members of the public of all ages are welcome. However, to give us an indication of likely numbers for catering purposes, it would be helpful if you could let us know by Friday 20 May if you are planning to attend: contact Krista on 5472 1594  or krista@connectingcountry.org.au

Mycena epipterygi. Photo By Alison Pouliot

Boletellus obscurecoccineu. Photo by Alison Pouliot

 

 

 

 

 

Fungi expert, Alison Pouliot, will be the speaker. She writes that ‘we are constantly surrounded by fungi; in the soil, in the air, in the rivers and oceans, the forests and deserts, and perhaps even between our toes. Following the torrential rains these last months we’re likely to be surrounded by even more. The Mount Alexander Shire has a rich diversity of fungi and is the ideal place for an autumn fungi foray. Due to the warm and moist soil conditions the first fungi are already poking through the earth. It looks like we could be in for a bumper season. Continue Reading »

 

13 May 2011 – Expert to Talk on Frog Declines – and Recovery

Posted on 10 May, 2011 by Connecting Country

Respected Melbourne-based biologist, Dr Richard Retallick, is presenting a summary of the research on the decline and possible recovery of frogs to the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club on the evening of Friday 13 May (8pm at the Uniting Church Hall, entry from Lyttleton St, Castlemaine). All members of the community are welcome to attend. Entry is free.

Through the 1980s and 1990s, biologists were coming to a terrible consensus – populations of frog species were in decline at an alarming rate worldwide to the point where many species appeared to have disappeared completely within a short timeframe. At least two Australian frog species became extinct, and another two previously common local frog species, the Growling Grass Frog (Litoria raniformis) and Bibron’s Toadlet (Pseudophryne bibronii), effectively disappeared from the broader Castlemaine area.

Dr Richard Retallick was in the early phase of his academic career when a new potential causal factor was discovered – a disease called Amphibian Chytrid Fungus. Dr Retallick recalls, “Most of the populations that I had planned to study had either disappeared entirely or were reduced to a small number of individuals. Once chytrid fungus was identified for the first time, and linked to the unexplained frog declines worldwide, I was inevitably drawn into the whirlwind quest that followed, racing the clock to understand the impact and ecology of the fungus, which took me from the tropics of northern Australia to the deserts of Arizona and back to southern Australia.

“Despite its terrible consequences, the story of the discovery of chytrid fungus and the worldwide research to understand its origins and impacts and to find possible cures, is a remarkable one. There are still many unknowns, but each year a bit more of the puzzle is solved.”

 

24 May 2011 – Information Session for Small Landholders

Posted on 9 May, 2011 by Connecting Country

The North Central Catchment Management Authority has organised an information session aimed at lifestyle landholders who wish to find out more about protecting the natural values of their properties.

Topics covered will include covenanting, incentives and rebates available, sources of funding, grazing regimes for small herds, and projects to help you improve your place. David Stewart from the Department of Primary Industry Small Landholder Information Service will be the speaker.

The session will run from 6.30pm till 8.00pm and will be held in the Bendigo Council Offices. A light meal and children’s activities will be provided.

For further information click here.

 

22 May 2011 – Nuggetty Planting Day

Posted on 2 May, 2011 by Connecting Country

This is an invitation to help plant 1000 indigenous seedlings on 22 May for a project funded by Connecting Country and supported by BRIT. For more details click here.

 

9 June 2011 – Biodiversity Across the Borders Conference

Posted on 25 April, 2011 by Connecting Country

The theme for the 2011 Biodiversity Across Borders Conference is “Vulnerability and Resilience of Ecosystems”.  The conference will be held at the Mt. Helen campus of the University of Ballarat on 9 June 2011. Continue Reading »