‘Impact of urbanisation on birds’ with Jacinta Humphrey – Connecting Country AGM 2020
Posted on 6 August, 2020 by Ivan
Connecting Country would like to warmly (and safely) invite you to the Connecting Country 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday 26 September 2020 at 2.00 pm.
This year’s AGM will be a little different: for the first time ever we are planning an online event. But as usual Connecting Country style, it will be much more than an AGM and will feature two very special presentations. This year’s AGM theme is resilience and adapting to change, and we have signed up two guest speakers who have been involved in monitoring ecological change over time. Long-term ecological monitoring is vital if we are to have accurate data to make informed decisions about land management, and develop strategies to address the ongoing decline and extinction of our wildlife.
We’re delighted to present our two excellent and engaging AGM guest speakers:
Jess Lawton (Connecting Country) on ‘Connecting Country’s ten years of ecological monitoring‘. Jess is our treasured Monitoring Coordinator, PhD candidate and resident phascogale expert. Join Jess on a journey through Connecting Country’s long-term monitoring programs, with a focus on nest boxes and bird surveys.
Jacinta Humphrey (La Trobe University) on ‘The impact of urbanisation on birds’. Jacinta is a PhD student at La Trobe University and member of the Research Centre for Future Landscapes. Join Jacinta to hear about her research into the impact of expanding urbanisation on wildlife, with a focus on birds – a key issue raised by the local community during our recent Habitat Health Check project. To view Jacinta’s engaging video summarising her project – click here
The AGM 2020 will also include a brief presentation from staff and committee members about Connecting Country’s achievements over the last decade, to allow supporters old and new to hear what Connecting Country does and our plans for the coming year. This is a free online, which is open to all members of Connecting Country and our community from near and far.
Booking is essential for this event. To register for the AGM and receive the online link to attend please – click here
There will be no super-delicious catering at this year’s AGM, but feel free to join us for some online discussion and chit-chat after the event, maybe even a BYO refreshment! If you have any questions, please email ivan@connectingcountry.org.au or call (03) 5472 1594.
AGM formalities:
- Click here to download the agenda
- Click here to download a committee nomination form
- Click here to download the proxy voting form
- Click here to complete a membership application
- Click here to download the 2019 AGM minutes
Victorian Biodiversity Atlas: its purpose and significance – 10 July 2020
Posted on 7 July, 2020 by Jess
Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club (CFNC) are hosting an online event the evening of Friday 10 July 2020 titled ‘The Victorian Biodiversity Atlas: its purpose and significance’, featuring Elizabeth Newton, who has worked for the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and currently works with Trust for Nature. This free online webinar is open to the community to learn more about this important topic.
At Connecting Country, we encourage the community to submit fauna and flora records to the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas. You can read more about the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas (click here) and about our amazing volunteers who have submitted hundreds of records to this important database (click here). Learning more about the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas, and uploading any of your own fauna and flora records is a great way to contribute to nature conservation, especially if you have some extra time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CFNC meetings are usually held on the second Friday of each month (February to December) starting at 7.30 pm. Due to government requirements, the CNFC committee has decided to suspend all club face-to-face activities until further notice.
Details of this event, including how to register, are provided on the CNFC website (click here)
The Victorian Biodiversity Atlas (VBA) is a foundation dataset that feeds into biodiversity tools used in the government’s everyday environmental decision making. Approvals and permits, funding decisions, and burn planning all rely on biodiversity observations submitted to the VBA.
This presentation will cover what the VBA is, contributing your data, and how your own flora and fauna records can make a difference.
It will also explore why the Department of Environment, Land and Water (DELWP) uses the VBA, and how it differs and interacts with other biodiversity databases such as Atlas of Living Australia, iNaturalist, and Birdata.
If you wish to attend this webinar, please email Peter Turner at munrodsl@iinet.net.au to receive details on how to attend.
If you previously registered for CFNC’s May webinar you will receive an email with details on how to register for the July session.
For further information please contact Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club – click here
DELWP climate science webinars – 24 and 26 June 2020
Posted on 19 June, 2020 by Ivan
Two interesting and important climate science webinars are open to the community to learn more about Victoria’s climate past, present and future, and what we are likely to see in our region in 2050 and beyond. The Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is running these free online events on 24 and 26 June 2020. A major challenge for Connecting Country, and others working to restore landscapes, is where to find this information and how to apply it to our work. These free webinars will help inform us about the latest science and we can apply it to planning future projects.
DELWP climate science webinars
Want to understand more about the climate change information available for Victoria? How has the climate already changed? What might Victoria’s climate be like in 2050 and beyond? Where do you even start in looking for this information?
DELWP is running two webinars to give an overview of the information from Victoria’s Climate Science Report 2019 and the local-scale Victorian Climate Projections 2019, as well as guidance on understanding and using the information.
Webinar 1: Climate change in Victoria – past, present and future
Date: 1-2 pm, Wednesday 24 June 2020
- Victoria’s climate has already changed
- Future climate projections
- Resources available – using the decision tree to find what you need
- Victoria’s Climate Science Report 2019
- Regional information: Victorian Climate Projections 2019 Regional reports, data tables
- Communicating Climate Change
- Planning for uncertainty
- Lots of time for Q&A with the DELWP project team
Join via this link on the day: MS Teams Live Event
Webinar 2: Victorian climate projections 2019 – findings and tips for interpreting
Date: 1-2 pm, Friday 26 June 2020
- What do the projections say for Victoria?
- What are the benefits of local-scale climate data?
- How to understand and work with the different sources of uncertainty in projections
- Top tips to interpret the projections correctly
- Lots of time for Q&A with DELWP and CSIRO scientists
Join via this link on the day: MS Teams Live Event
There’s no need to register for the webinars – just save the time in your calendar and click on the links above to join when it’s time. The recording will be available if you can’t make it on the day.
Need advice on controlling Gorse? VGT extension in Sutton Grange
Posted on 9 June, 2020 by Jacqui
Please see the invitation below to landowners in the Sutton Grange area from the Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT). For enquiries, or to register your interest, please contact Brydie Murrihy from the VGT on the details below.
The Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT) will be delivering a community-wide extension services program in the Sutton Grange area this June/July 2020. Households may register their interest by contacting Brydie Murrihy by email or phone (see below for details).
Extension Service
The VGT Extension Officer, Brydie Murrihy, will conduct a property assessment either alone or assisted by the landowner and will provide professional best practice management advice tailored to the property. The landowner will receive extension material and information on any support or assistance that may be available to them, a property map detailing location of gorse plants, a detailed weed management plan and follow up phone calls and/or visits with landholders if required.
This program is a free service and the property inspections will be scheduled to suit the participants involved.
Application
If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Brydie or the VGT via the VGT website or social platforms (Facebook & Instagram).
To set-up an inspection: Brydie Murrihy 0428 335 705 or email bmurrihy@cva.org.au.
There are limited spots so get in quick!
Social distancing rules will apply.
Birdlife presents Powerful Owl online: 14 May 2020
Posted on 12 May, 2020 by Ivan
Are you looking for an interesting online bird event this week? Birdlife Australia is running a series of birding at home events and activities, to keep us engaged and learning at home during the COVID-19 restrictions. This week will feature an online event about our birds from the night, the nocturnal community, and will include a questions and answers session with Dr Beth Mott, Birdlife Australia’s Powerful Owl Project Officer.
Here is what Birdlife Australia has to say about the event.
Birding at home: Nocturnal birds with Dr Beth Mott
‘To help everyone who is now #BirdingatHome, Birdlife Australia presents a weekly live series on Facebook where our bird experts will be taking questions and talking about what we love best – birds. Beth is our Powerful Owl Project Officer (NSW) and is fully primed to answer your questions about noises in the night – your nocturnal birds!
Beth will talk about the night birds we are likely to see and hear at home, as well as threatened species such as Australia’s biggest owl – the Powerful Owl– so if you’ve got a query, post your question here! Beth will also touch on how you can help prevent our nocturnal birds from exposure to the dangers of rodenticides.
Even if you are an expert birder, we encourage you to join in for a chat – and please spread the word to all the bird and nature lovers in your life.
To find out more about our Powerful Owl project work in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria – see https://birdlife.org.au/projects/powerful-owl-project’
Topic: Nocturnal birds with Dr Beth Mott
Date: Thursday 14 May 2020 12pm – 1pm
Venue: online
Host: Birdlife Australia
To register: click here
The value of small patches of remnant vegetation: 14 May 2020 webinar
Posted on 7 May, 2020 by Ivan
One of the biggest challenges for restoration projects across the region is habitat fragmentation and how to manage isolated patches of remnant vegetation. Connecting Country has been working for over a decade to restore our fragmented landscape through strategic planning, and working with local landowners to help protect and restore wildlife habitat and connect areas of remnant vegetation.
Although traditionally, conserving large patches of intact habitat is considered a priority, the value of smaller patches is less clear. Connecting Countries biodiversity monitoring programs have highlighted the value of the small patches of remnant vegetation for woodland birds and the Brush-tailed Phascogale, among other species.
We discovered a useful upcoming webinar that explores the value of small patches of remnant vegetation. It is hosted by Ben Zeeman, a vegetation ecologist working at the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority. Ben will discuss recent research examining the relevance of habitat fragmentation theory when conserving critically endangered ecosystems in highly modified landscapes. The results of this work challenge some long-held conservation principles, identifying that small habitat patches often have high ecological value.
This talk will be delivered online with time for questions and conversation at the end. Please register for the session and you will be emailed a link before the event.
Topic: The value of small patches of remnant vegetation
Date: 14 May 2020 at 6.45 pm
Venue: online
Host: Ben Zeeman
To register: click here
Agenda:
- 6.45 pm – Livestream starts – allowing for the resolution of technical issues
- 7.00 pm – Ben to speak about remnant vegetation
- 7.45 pm – Ben to take questions
Connecting Country calendar competition: entry highlights so far
Posted on 23 April, 2020 by Ivan
Last week we announced our inaugural Connecting Country calendar competition and so far the entries have been flowing in steadily all week.
Our theme is woodland birds and this photo competition is open to all Connecting Country members and people of the Mount Alexander region. The aim of the competition is to highlight our special woodland bird community and share the passion and skills of our passionate local photographers, as well as produce a beautifully printed calendar for the year 2021.
The calendar will be available to purchase and will feature the top 12 photographs, as selected by the Connecting Country team. There is a limit of two entries per photographer, and the competition opened on Monday 20 April and will close at 5 pm on Monday 18 May 2020. Both experienced and amateur photographers are encouraged to participate. Simply email your chosen images to ivan@connectingcountry.org.au by 5 pm on 18 May 2020.
We have been extremely impressed with the entries so far and thought we would share the highlights this week in a gallery below.
Thank you to everyone who’s contributed so far! Keep the entries coming until Monday 18 May 2020.
Calendar competition details:
- Photos must be relevant to the theme of woodland birds and taken in the Mount Alexander region in central Victoria.
- There is a maximum of two photo entries per photographer.
- Entries must be submitted by email to ivan@connectingcountry.org.au, including the location, date and subject of the photo.
- Original photos must be at least 3 MB for image quality, but to enter please email files under 1 MB.
- Entries close on Monday 18 May 2020.
- Winning images will be selected by Connecting Country and published in a 2021 woodland birds calendar.
- There will be no commission paid to competition winners, but full recognition of your work will be featured and acknowledged.
Further details on the competition format and conditions are provided on our website: click here
Online mushroom discovery workshops 2020
Posted on 23 April, 2020 by Ivan
We are a big fan of the talented and passionate Alison Pouliot, who is not only a very knowledgeable fungi expert but also a photographic maestro. You may be familiar with Alison’s fungi and photography workshops, which she has delivered to the community and stakeholders for over a decade. This year, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, Alison is delivering some of her workshops online, which will allow us to see the wonderful world of fungi without leaving our lounge room. With promising autumn rainfall this year, there are early signs for a terrific fungi season, with much color and diversity already appearing in our forests and woodlands.
Here are the details regarding Alison’s online fungi workshops, from her website:
Mushroom Discovery Workshops Online
Given the current situation, fungus forays and workshops in the next six weeks have been postponed until 2021. Workshops scheduled for June 2020 will be reviewed in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, a series of online workshops have been scheduled. We really hope you can join us!
Although the world is in lockdown, the fungi are running riot out there in the forest! The recent rains could mean we are in for a bumper fungus season. This online workshop introduces participants to the diversity, ecology and curiosities of the Kingdom Fungi. In the first part of the workshop participants will learn how to recognise the major fungus morphogroups; the various parts of different types of fungi; and the features used to make identifications in the field. We will then work through participants’ specimens and identify them and discuss them. Don’t forget to bring along some fungus specimens.
Although the world is in lockdown, the fungi are running riot out there in the forest!
Why are fungi important in forests and gardens? How do we differentiate the desirable from the deadly?
This online workshop introduces participants to the diversity, ecology and curiosities of the Kingdom Fungi. Participants will learn the basic skills in identifying fungi though demonstration of techniques and by using their own specimens.
For workshop times and to book visit Alison Pouliot’s webite: click here
Workshops are booking out fast, so be quick to secure your place!
Announcing our new woodland birds photography competition!
Posted on 16 April, 2020 by Frances
We are super excited to announce the inaugural Connecting Country calendar competition ….. drum-roll please!
Our theme is woodland birds and this photo competition is open to all Connecting Country members and people of the Mount Alexander region. The aim of the competition is to highlight our special woodland bird community and share the passion and skills of our passionate local photographers, as well as produce a beautiful printed calendar for the year 2021.
The calendar will be available to purchase and will feature the top 12 photographs, as selected by the Connecting Country team. There will be a limit of two entries per photographer, and the competition opens on Monday 20 April and will close at 5 pm on Monday 18 May 2020. Both experienced and amateur photographers are encouraged to participate. Simply email your chosen images to ivan@connectingcountry.org.au by 5 pm on 18 May 2020.
Calendar competition details:
- Photos must be relevant to the theme of woodland birds and taken in the Mount Alexander region in central Victoria.
- There is a maximum of two photo entries per photographer.
- Entries must be submitted by email to ivan@connectingcountry.org.au, including the location, date and subject of the photo.
- Original photos must be at least 3 MB for image quality, but to enter please email files under 1 MB.
- Entries close on Monday 18 May 2020.
- Winning images will be selected by Connecting Country and published in a 2021 woodland birds calendar.
- There will be no commission paid to competition winners, but full recognition of your work will be featured and acknowledged.
Further details on the competition format and conditions are provided on our website: click here
Backyard science cures for boredom
Posted on 2 April, 2020 by Ivan
No doubt you have seen some great ideas of how to remain engaged and occupied during the isolation phase of the COVID-19 outbreak. It’s a very challenging time and impacts continue to spread across the globe. Connecting Country is adapting our community engagement model, to deliver some events to our audience, community and stakeholders in the comfort of their own home. Stay tuned for when we advertise these events in the coming months. We also hope to produce some videos down the track to keep everyone engaged.
We have discovered some excellent activities you can do from the safety of your own backyard and still contribute to science. ‘The Conservation’ recently published an inspiring article. Please enjoy the following extract highlighting many useful activities and ideas to contribute to backyard science. To view the full article – click here.
Environmental projects need your support too
If you’d like to get your mind off COVID-19, there’s a plethora of other options for citizen scientists. You can contribute to conservation and nature recovery efforts – a task many took to after the recent bushfires. Some sites ask volunteers to digitise data from ongoing environmental monitoring programs. Contributors need no prior experience, and interpret photos taken with remote digital cameras using online guides. One example is Western Australia’s Western Shield Camera Watch, available through Zooniverse.
Other sites crowdsource volunteers to transcribe data from natural history collections (DigiVol), historical logbooks from explorers, and weather observation stations (Southern Weather Discovery).
Citizen science programs such as eBird, BirdLife Australia’s Birdata, the Australian Museum’s FrogID, ClimateWatch, QuestaGame, NatureMapr, and the Urban Wildlife App, all have freely available mobile applications that let you contribute to ‘big’ databases on urban and rural wildlife.
Nature watching is a great self-isolation activity because you can do it anywhere, including at home. Questagame runs a series of ‘bioquests’ where people of all ages and experience levels can photograph animals and plants they encounter.
In April, we’ll also have the national Wild Pollinator Count. This project invites participants to watch any flowering plant for just ten minutes, and record insects that visit the flowers. The aim is to boost knowledge on wild pollinator activity.
The data collected through citizen science apps are used by researchers to explore animal migration, understand ranges of species, and determine how changes in climate, air quality and habitat affect animal behaviour.
This year for the first time, several Australian cities are participating in iNaturalist’s City Nature Challenge. The organisers have adapted planned events with COVID-19 in mind, and suggest ways to document nature while maintaining social distancing. You can simply capture what you can see in your backyard, or when taking a walk, or put a moth light out at night to see what it attracts.
For those at home with children, there are a variety of projects aimed at younger audiences.
From surveying galaxies to the Bird Academy Play Lab’s Games Powered By Birds – starting young can encourage a lifetime of learning.
If you’re talented at writing or drawing, why not keep a nature diary, and share your observations through a blog.
By contributing to research through digital platforms, citizen scientists offer a repository of data experts might not otherwise have access to. The Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA) website has details on current projects you can join, or how to start your own.
Apart from being a valuable way to pass time while self-isolating, citizen science reminds us of the importance of community and collaboration at a time it’s desperately needed.
Sharing is caring – Landcare Link-up a success
Posted on 10 March, 2020 by Asha
Do you want to make a difference and help care for our local environment? Are you interested in learning more about caring for our local environment? A great place to start is by getting involved with your local Landcare group!
At our recent ‘Landcare Link-up’ on Saturday 29 February 2020 at the Castlemaine Uniting Church Hall, nine of our local Landcare and Friends groups shared stories of their work with 35 fellow volunteers and other community members. Our region has one of the highest densities of landcare and friends groups in the country, who deliver on-ground works, biodiversity monitoring and landowner education events.
Here is a small taste of what each group spoke about – if anything piques your interest, please go ahead and contact the group to chat more! Contact details can be found on our website by clicking here.
Maldon Urban Landcare Group – Update on their work monitoring and protecting large old trees (aka ‘Living Treasures’) on public land in Maldon.
Friends of Kaweka Sanctuary – The history of Kaweka Sanctuary and the work of the Friends group to care for this beautiful park right in Castlemaine.
Barkers Creek Landcare and Wildlife Group – Information on local rabbit populations, the recent ‘Rabbit Buster workshop’, and how to manage rabbits in our region.
North Harcourt & Sedgwick Landcare – The story of this group’s recent rejuvenation, how they are working to engage new people and the next generation, and their plans for the future.
Intrepid Landcare retreat – An overview of the exciting 2019 Intrepid Landcare retreat for 16 to 35-year-olds in Castlemaine.
Sutton Grange Landcare Group – Introduction to the Albert Cox Memorial Sanctuary and Sutton Grange Landcare Group’s work to care for this special site.
Golden Point Landcare – An engaging talk about the process and benefits of becoming incorporated!
Muckleford Catchment Landcare – How this group keeps Landcare fun by focusing on things like planting days, bike-riding, and good food.
Tarrangower Cactus Control Group – Using biocontrol to support weed control and a new survey for Landcare groups to give feedback on weed management in the Mount Alexander Shire.
A huge thank you to everyone who spoke at the Landcare Link-up and to everyone who came along to share in the storytelling. It was a heart-warming and inspiring afternoon, and a great showcase of the amazing power of volunteer groups!
Talking sludge with Susan Lawrence – 13 March 2020
Posted on 5 March, 2020 by Frances
Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club are hosting Susan Lawrence talking about ‘Sludge: An Environmental History of the Gold Rush’ on 13 March 2020.
The gold rush was one of the defining episodes in Australian history and has left a rich legacy in culture, architecture and archaeology. Many of the stories are well-known but the profound environmental disruption associated with the gold rush is all but forgotten. For decades a deluge of sand, silt and gravel poured from the mines. New research is showing how one hundred years later the effects of the sludge continue to shape Victoria’s rivers and floodplains. It has implications for the management of cultural heritage, river remediation programs, catchment management, public health and debates about how people and environments interact.
Prof. Susan Lawrence is an archaeologist at La Trobe University, Melbourne. She has nearly thirty years’ experience working on sites all over Australia, including Tasmanian whaling stations and South Australian farms. She is the author of several books and has published internationally on gender, artefact studies, urban archaeology, colonialism, and industrial archaeology. Susan is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and the Society of Antiquaries of London. Her most recent book is Sludge: Disaster on Victoria’s Goldfields (Black Inc/La Trobe University Press 2019), co-authored with Peter Davies.
Castlemaine Field Naturalists meet monthly at 7.30 pm in the Fellowship Room behind Castlemaine Uniting Church, 24 Lyttleton St, Castlemaine VIC.
Visit their website for more information – click here
Nature photography in Newstead – 8 March 2020
Posted on 5 March, 2020 by Frances
The Mount Alexander region is blessed with some extremely talented nature photographers. Their thoughtful and evocative images help us appreciate and connect with the local environment. Local photographers and Connecting Country supporters, Janet Barker, Frances Cincotta, Patrick Kavanagh, Geoff Park and Bronwyn Silver, are holding an exhibition, Photographers of the Goldfields, at the Newstead Arts Hub in March 2020.
The launch and exhibition opening will be this Sunday 8 March at 11 am, so please come along and enjoy the talent on display and some tasty local food.
Here is a message from the photographers:
From the tiniest world contained on a dewdrop, to the expansive landscapes of the Plains and Mounts, the beauty of the Goldfields is all around us. However many treasures remain sight unseen, until revealed by the camera’s lens/focus.
Photography allows us to appreciate, understand and learn more about our local environs. Seen in its best light and in the moment, a photograph reveals that millisecond in time, for all time.
Bronwyn Silver, Geoff Park, Patrick Kavanagh and Janet Barker see their photography as a way of celebrating and ultimately protecting nature. Photographers of the Goldfields 2020 will feature some of our favourite gems, worth taking a longer look at.
Saturday 7 March to Sunday 29 March 2020
Weekends & Monday 9 March from 10 am to 4 pm
Launch: Sunday 8 March at 11 am – All welcome
Newstead Arts Hub: 8A Tivey Street, Newstead VIC
Scroll through below to enjoy some favourite images and visit the exhibition to see more.
Clean up Australian Day: Sunday 1 March 2020
Posted on 27 February, 2020 by Ivan
Clean up Australia is happening this Sunday 1 March 2020, including at eight locations across the Castlemaine region in central Victoria. Clean Up Australia inspires and empowers communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment. What was started 30 years ago, by an ‘average Australian bloke’ who had a simple idea to make a difference in his own backyard. It has now become the nation’s largest community-based environmental event. It is hard to believe that this initiative began as the inspiration of one man, Ian Kiernan.
An avid sailor, Ian was shocked and disgusted by the pollution and rubbish that he continually encountered in the oceans of the world. Taking matters into his own hands, Ian organised a community event with the support of a committee of friends, including co-founder Kim McKay AO. This simple idea ignited an enthusiasm and desire among the local community to get involved and make a difference. And surely if a capital city could be mobilized into action, then so could the whole nation! And so it was that Clean Up Australia Day was born in 1990.
Local working bees in our region, include:
- Expedition Pass Reservoir – click here for information
- Campbells Creek – click here for information
The best way to get involved in a cleanup activity is to view the map of all working bees (click here), where you can search via postcodes and townships. You can also create a cleanup event working bee, which is really awesome, and fundraise for your event if required.
Gorse management info session: 21 March 2020
Posted on 27 February, 2020 by Ivan
Our partners at Sutton Grange Landcare Group have teamed up with the Victorian Gorse Task Force (VGT) to deliver an information session on Gorse (Ulex europaeus). Gorse is a species of flowering plant in the pea family (Fabaceae). It’s native to the British Isles and Western Europe, and has spread over 23 million hectares in Australia.
Join the Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT) at the information session with the Sutton Grange Landcare group on Saturday 21 of March 2020, held in the Sutton Grange Hall (921 Faraday-Sutton Grange Rd, Sutton Grange VIC ). There will be information about the role of the Victorian Gorse Taskforce, a chance to chat with their Extension Officer, information on best practice gorse management and refreshments to finish.
RSVP to Brydie Murrihy on 0428 335 705
For more information please contact:
Brydie Murrihy (VGT Extension Officer)
m. 0428 335 705
e. VGT@cva.org.au
or
Christine Brooke (Sutton Grange Landcare)
e. sglg@live.com
The Victorian Gorse Taskforce was formed in 1999 and launched a community-led integrated approach to reducing gorse across the landscape. VGT members include local people who have successfully controlled gorse on their land, as well as natural resource management, agricultural, pest management and other experts. We work with private landowners and public land managers such as the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, local councils and catchment management authorities. We also work with researchers exploring new ways to tackle gorse.
Please enjoy the video below by the VGT, that outlines the impacts of Gorse across Victoria.
Climate change resilience workshops in Castlemaine
Posted on 27 February, 2020 by Ivan
Our fabulous Castlemaine Community House is offering a series of three workshops to assist individuals and families to develop resilience around the climate crisis. The workshops will be facilitated by Dr Susie Burke, environmental psychologist and therapist, and member of Psychology for a Safe Climate.
- Where: Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton St, Castlemaine VIC
- When: Please refer to times and dates for each workshop below
- Cost: $15, or $10 concession (or if booking for more than one person)
- How to book: Please book directly with Castlemaine Community House online via the website links below.
Further information regarding the workshops is available from Castlemaine Community House via their website (click here) or by telephone at (03) 5472 4842
Coping with Climate Change
Date: Wednesday 11 March 2020
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
To book: click here
An experiential workshop to help people deal with grief and anxiety, come to terms with the climate emergency, and stay engaged in solutions.
This workshop is for anyone who is deeply concerned about the impacts of climate change on the things they love and care about, and would like to explore with others how to come to terms with the climate crisis and cope with distressing thoughts and feelings.
Participants will learn techniques for making room for uncomfortable feelings, free themselves from self-defeating thoughts and urges, cultivate a perspective of active hope, and increase their capacity to be present and focus on what matters in the context of the climate emergency.
Deep Adaptation to Climate Change
Date: Monday 23 March 2020
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
To book: click here
A workshop to help people start to come to terms with the climate emergency, and stay engaged in solutions.
In this workshop participants will discuss and begin to work out what ‘Deep Adaptation’ could mean (and what it doesn’t). Four questions guide the work on Deep Adaptation:
- Resilience: what do we most value that we want to keep and how?
- Relinquishment: what do we need to let go of so as not to make matters worse?
- Restoration: what could we bring back to help us with these difficult times?
- Reconciliation: with what and whom shall we make peace as we awaken to our mutual mortality?
Parent Workshop – Talking with Children about Climate Change
Date: Monday 30 March 2020
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
To book: click here
A workshop which aims to help parents think through the impact of climate change on their children, cope with that knowledge themselves, whilst at the same time supporting their children to cope with climate change now and in the future.
By attending this workshop participants will be able to:
- Think through how they, as parents, can respond to the current reality of climate change and the threat of worse impacts to come.
- Learn strategies for coping with the ‘uncomfortable truths’ of climate change
- Gather ideas about how to support their children to cope with it.
- Learn about the skills and capacities that our children, the next generation, will need for engaging in efforts to restore a safe climate, and for adapting to the inevitable changes ahead.
Facilitator: Dr Susie Burke PhD FAPS
Dr Susie Burke is an environmental psychologist, therapist, climate change campaigner and parent, currently working in private practice in Castlemaine. She is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society, and author of the Climate Change Empowerment Handbook and other articles and resources on the psychology of climate change. She consults, and runs workshops and individual sessions to help people cope with and come to terms with climate change, with a particular interest in how to raise children in and for a climate altered world.
Platypus citizen science workshop: Sunday 15 March 2020
Posted on 20 February, 2020 by Ivan
Our friends and partners at Friends of Campbells Creek are organising a FREE public workshop on Sunday 15 March 2020 in Campbells Creek, VIC. Experts from the Australian Platypus Conservancy will highlight the conservation needs of these animals and outline ways the community can help monitor their populations in local rivers, creeks and lakes.
A practical demonstration in nearby Campbells Creek will follow the formal presentation.
Bookings can be made online – click here
For the event flyer – click here
The platypus is listed as ‘Near Threatened’ in Australia and on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. For more information and maps of distribution – click here.
More details about the event are provided below, courtesy of Friends of Campbells Creek.
Community skills monitoring project
Monitoring key species of fauna and flora can teach us about the health of local ecosystems and alert us to changes in the environment. This workshop will help Landcare groups, other environmental organisations and interested individuals focus on how citizen science methods can be used to collect data about platypus and rakali populations. However, the principles involved can be applied more broadly for monitoring other species.
Presenters: Drs Melody Serena and Geoff Williams of Australian Platypus Conservancy
Proposed timetable and format:
1.00 pm Arrival, registration and welcome
1.30 pm Presentation 1: Platypus biology and conservation considerations
2.30 pm Presentation 2: Rakali biology and conservation considerations
3.15 pm Questions and afternoon tea
3.45 pm Presentation 3: Platypus and rakali spotting hints and research/monitoring techniques
4.30 pm Questions, Final summary and briefing for field session
Field-based practical session (optional extra activity for interested participants)
4.45 pm Travel to selected local field site
5.00 pm On-site briefing regarding observation session
5.15 pm Observation session
6.00 pm Debrief
6.15 pm Finish
For inquiries and email bookings: please contact Thea King on: info@focc.org.au
Birdlife Castlemaine AGM: Saturday 7 March 2020
Posted on 13 February, 2020 by Ivan
Our partners and friends at BirdLife Castlemaine are having their Annual General Meeting (AGM), following their monthly bird walk. It is a good chance to hear their achievements and what is planned for the year ahead, as well as enjoy a bird walk at the lovely Mount Tarrengower. Here are the details from BirdLife Castlemaine.
Please be advised that the 2020 Annual General Meeting of the BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch will be held on Saturday 7 March 2020 at 11.30 am at 25A Church Street, Maldon VIC.
The meeting will follow the monthly bird walk to be held on Mount Tarrengower. Morning tea will be available from 11.00 am. A nomination form for committee positions is available by contacting BirdLife Castlemaine via email (castlemaine@birdlife.org.au). The positions vacant are Convenor, Secretary, Treasurer and committee members. A proxy voting form is also available. Please consider nominating for the committee.
Nomination forms and proxy voting forms should be emailed to castlemaine@birdlife.org.au OR mailed to: Secretary, BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch, 25A Church Street, Maldon VIC 3463. Nominations will also be accepted on the day of the AGM.
Best wishes
Secretary – BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch
For further information please – click here
You are invited! Join us for the Landcare Link-up – 29 February 2020
Posted on 6 February, 2020 by Asha
Are you interested in learning more about our local Landcare/Friends groups? Maybe you want to get involved in environmental volunteering, meet like-minded people, show your support, or just want to know what Landcarers have been up to? Come along and join local volunteers at the February Landcare Link-up at the Castlemaine Uniting Church Hall.
This is the third annual Link-up dedicated to sharing the stories of Landcarers from the Mount Alexander region and highlighting some of the key projects and achievements. This year Landcarers are keen to invite the broader community and stakeholders along to be part of the journey and learn from the various groups in our region. The Link-up is always a casual and fun affair, with stories from a variety of groups and plenty of time for chatting over hot drinks and snacks.
To read about the Sharing Stories Landcare Link-up in 2019, please click here.
When: Saturday 29 February 2020, 4:00-7:00 pm
Where: Castlemaine Uniting Church Hall, 24 Lyttleton St, Castlemaine Victoria, Australia.
RSVP: by February 24 2020 to asha@connectingcountry.org.au or call (03) 5472 1594
Click here to download the invitation for the Landcare Link-up.
Become a Connecting Country Member: Join us on our landscape restoration journey
Posted on 6 February, 2020 by Ivan
We have noticed many of our supporters are not currently members of Connecting Country. The support we offer is not exclusive to our members, but we would love to sign up some new people and increase our membership in 2020. By being a member, you are showing your support for Connecting Country, and assisting us to achieve our aims and objectives. Membership provides insurance cover when you attend our events and activities or volunteer with us, and also allows you to vote at our Annual General Meeting and have a say on our future direction.
We currently have 250 valued members and would be thrilled to increase our membership to over 300 members this year. More members will assist us when applying for grants and presenting to potential funding bodies.
Membership is free, and needs to be renewed annually. Applications from first time members are submitted to the Committee of Management for official approval.
To become a member of Connecting Country for free, and help us on our mission of landscape restoration, please click here.
For a quick recap of some of what we do and why it’s important, view the following video.
How Connecting Country began
In 2007, the Normal Wettenhall Foundation (now Wettenhall Environment Trust) developed a work plan for supporting community-led landscape restoration in south-east Australia. The Executive Officer contacted Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests (Mount Alexander Region), an environment group in Castlemaine, to see if there was interest in working collaboratively across the region on a landscape restoration project. A reference group formed, eventually leading to the creation of Connecting Country.
During 2008, the project produced a Biodiversity Blueprint (click here for details) that identified our assets, the possible threats they face and what future actions we can take. It suggested directions, clarified priorities in landscape restoration and helped reconcile cultural, agricultural and natural values.
In 2009, Connecting Country worked in partnership with the North Central Catchment Management Authority to implement a program across the local landscape with a specific focus on the threatened Brush-tailed Phascogale (Tuan) and its Yellow Box Woodland habitat.
Since 2012, we have implemented programs related to local Landcare support, habitat connectivity and pest plant and animal management. We have supported development of local action plans, habitat enhancement for woodland birds, community skills training in environmental management and biodiversity monitoring. For more information on our current projects click here.