Talking weeds in Taradale – Weed ID and Control Workshop

Posted on 17 October, 2024 by Lori

On Sunday 13 October, Connecting Country partnered with North Central Catchment Management Authority, to host a Weed ID and Control Workshop in Taradale.

Connecting Country’s Bonnie Humphreys teamed up with natural resource management expert, former Connecting Country staff and local farmer Jarrod Coote, to bring a suite of information on some of our local weeds. Specimens of noxious and environmental weeds were on display and participants were invited to delve into the biology of weeds in order to understand the best timeframe and course of action for management. When thinking about controlling a particular species, participants were encouraged to research:

• When is the active growth cycle?
• When does it seed?
• How are the seeds distributed?
• How does the plant reproduce (i.e. does it regrow from stems, does it have bulbs, or a tap root)?

An understanding of the biology of a weedy plant will help participants to undertake control methods more effectively and efficiently.

The workshop also covered legislation around noxious weeds, and responsibilities for landholders, weed control techniques and planning for weed control. Participants also had the opportunity to see a practical demonstration of an Eco Blade destroying gorse!

                 Photos by Carmen Bunting

“…I know I expressed my appreciation on the day, but this is just to reinforce how much the weeds day at Taradale was appreciated.  It was well organised.  The speakers were realistic, informed & practical in their presentations and contributions.  The field component was accessible and, again, very practical – thoroughly worthwhile day…” (David Cheal)

More information on local weed control is available in Connecting Country’s Healthy Landscape Guide which is available electronically on the website or in hard copy for $15 through the Connecting Country office or at Stall #625 at The Mill.

This workshop was the first in a series of events that is part of Connecting Country’s new Partnerships Against Pests project funded by Agriculture Victoria in 2024-25, and was also supported by the North Central Catchment Management Authority.

Partnering against pests in the Mount Alexander Region 

Posted on 18 September, 2024 by Hadley Cole

Connecting Country is excited to announce our new ‘Partnerships Against Pests’ project funded by Agriculture Victoria in 2024-25. Through this program, Connecting Country will work with a range of stakeholders to raise awareness of local pest plant and animal issues, and empower community with the skills to address these threats.   The project will involve a series of field days, market stalls, a weed control video and training events alongside a seasonal communication campaign around key pest issues in the region. 

The first event will be a ‘Weed Identification and Control Workshop’ on Sunday 13th October from 10 -1pm in Taradale.  We will be focusing on a range of local noxious and environmental weeds, covering identification tips and control techniques with practical demonstrations. We are hoping to provide an opportunity for you to meet with local contractors from your area. 

This event is FREE but places are limited so please book your tickets HERE.  This secures a showbag of goodies to get you started and catering on the day. 

We are also currently updating our ‘Mount Alexander Region Contractors List’.  This list is available on our website as a connection for landholders looking for a local environmental contractor. If you work within the Mount Alexander Region and would like to be included on this list or involved with the above mentioned field day, please get in touch via email: info@connectingcountry.org.au 

The Weed Identification and Control Workshop is funded by the Victorian State Government Partnership Against Pests Program and the North Central Catchment Management Authority.

Bird of the Month: Blue-faced Honeyeater

Posted on 20 August, 2024 by Anna

Welcome to Bird of the Month, a partnership between Connecting Country and BirdLife Castlemaine District. Each month we’re taking a close look at one special local bird species. We’re excited to join forces to deliver you a different bird each month, seasonally adjusted, and welcome suggestions from the community. We are blessed to have the brilliant Damian Kelly from BirdLife Castlemaine District writing about our next bird of the month, accompanied by his stunning photos.

Adult Blue-faced Honeyeater. Photo by Damian Kelly

When we first moved to Castlemaine about 14 years ago, the Blue-faced Honeyeater was almost unknown in the local area. Fast-forward to the present day and now it is not unusual to hear and see these birds around town. They range from northern Australia along the east coast to South Australia. They can be found in a wide range of habitats from open forests to orchards, banana plantations, parks, golf courses and home gardens.  To me they are a bit of a ratbag of a bird – often in groups and always noisy, diving in and out of foliage in the quest for food, even right in the centre of town.

In the breeding season they rarely build their own nest, preferring to take over the abandoned nests of a variety of species ranging from Red Wattlebirds to Noisy Miners, Magpies and Magpie-Larks. In some areas Babbler and Friarbird nests are also used. Often they don’t bother modifying these nests but may re-line them if needed. Occasionally they will build their own nests. In this case it is a neat cup-shaped construction of bark and grass. Usually 2-3 eggs are laid.

Like several other Australian species the Blue-faced Honeyeater is a co-operative breeder and immature birds may help at the nest to feed the young.

In feeding they are quite adaptable, consuming insects and invertebrates along with nectar and fruit when available. This may be sourced from native and introduced species – as an adaptable species they get food wherever it is available. Occasionally they are known to be orchard pests and are not popular in this regard.

Identification of adults is easy with their distinctive blue face. Immature birds, however, lack the blue and instead have green around the eyes.

Immature Blue-faced Honeyeater with green around the eye, as it matures it will turn vibrant blue. Photo by Damian Kelly

Feathery Festival – September 2024

Posted on 14 August, 2024 by Anna

Connecting Country, Birdlife Castlemaine District and Barkers Creek Landcare and Wildlife Group are excited to present:

Join us for a series of events in celebration of woodland birds

September 2024 on Djaara Country

The Message of the Lyrebird Film Fundraiser

Thursday 5 September 7:30pm (doors open at 6pm for dinner and music)

Theatre Royal Castlemaine

Tickets $25/$20 concession HERE

This is a special fundraising event also featuring live music by Joel Bloom and Hilary Blackshaw and a conversation with local Landcarers and ecologists.

All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards – Connecting Country’s Conservation Program and Balangara Films Education Distribution Program. 

Guided Birdwalk

Saturday 7 September 9am 

Rise and Shine Nature Conservation Reserve, Newstead 

Join expert bird watchers from Birdlife Castlemaine District on a free guided walk in one of the region’s bird watching hotspots, including a ‘how to identify birds’ session, followed by a delicious brunch in the outdoors with entertainment from the Chat Warblers. Kids welcome.

Reserve your spot HERE

Birds and Beers

Wednesday 11 September

Talk starts at 7pm (come down earlier for dinner)

Shedshaker, Castlemaine 

Enjoy a beer and some delicious grub, and Join Tanya Loos, author of forthcoming book Living with Wildlife: a guide for our homes and backyards, while she delves into the delights of our local bird fauna. As well as describing commonly seen birds of the Castlemaine region, Tanya will provide tips on how to make sure our homes and backyards are havens for birds.  

Practical advice will include preventing window collision, owl friendly rodent control, how to stop birds attacking windows and why bird baths are a better option than feeding birds. 

2024 National Tree Day Community Planting

Posted on 13 August, 2024 by Hadley Cole

This year Connecting Country teamed up with McKenzie Hill Action & Landcare Group and  Mount Alexander Shire Council to host a community planting to celebrate 2024 National Tree Day. The event was funded by community donors, businesses and Mount Alexander Shire Council, which is a wonderful credit to our local community! We clearly value biodiversity restoration and providing community members with opportunities to contribute to healing Country.

The day was a huge success with approximately 60 people in attendance. McKenzie Hill Action and Landcare Group (MHALG) worked tirelessly in their planning of the event and made sure there was a hot free lunch at the end of the planting for all participants care of Rotary Castlemaine.

Happy community members.

Maisie, Connecting Country work experience champion!

Fury friends were welcome.

Mount Alexander Shire Council worked with MHALG volunteers to coordinate a kids activity area which included badge making, seed ball making and colouring, all of which had a pollinator theme providing opportunities to learn about the regions local insect pollinators.

Participants enjoying the kids activity area. Photo by Connecting Country.

Amelia and Olive from McKenzie Hill Action & Landcare Group and Sally from Mount Alexander Shire Council coordinating kids activities.

Participants of all ages came along, from young toddlers to grandparents and everyone in between, including fury canine friends! Everyone was keen to get their hands dirty. The species chosen for the planting included a variety of lifeforms (grasses, shrubs, trees, ground covers etc,) including species such as, Matted Bush-pea (Pultenaea pedunculata), Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra), Tree Violet (Melicytus dentatus) and Bushy Needlewood (Hakea decurrens).

The planting was held at the Langslow Street Old School Site, a long standing site MHALG have been working on for over ten years. The focus of the planting is to increase the number of pollinator attracting plants to the area and is part of Connecting Country’s Bee Line project, a pollinator corridor project carried out in partnership with local Landcare Groups funded through the 2023 Victorian Landcare Grants.

MHALG have big plans for the Langslow Street Old School Site, including promoting the plantings across the site as educational resources to encourage biodiverse plantings of indigenous species in our region. The community planting day resulted in 400 pollinator attracting plants going in the ground, which will add enormous value to the groups’ long term plans and bring a diversity of pollinators to the local area.

If you would like to learn move about McKenzie Hill Action & Landcare Group you can contact them via Facebook – click here

If you wish to learn more about attracting native insect pollinators to your garden, check out Connecting Country’s guide to pollinator attracting plants of the Mount Alexander region – click here

Lori, Bonnie and Hadley from Connecting Country. Photo by Connecting Country.

The Connecting Country team send a big Thank You to all the collaborators involved in this event and to all the wonderful participants who helped to get plants in the ground!

Thank you also to the local event sponsors including, The Good Op Shop, Shed Shaker Brewing and Mount Alexander Shire Council.

We look forward to watching these plants grow!

Budding young volunteer Fynn.

Planting brings big smiles!

Superstar Ben stayed till the end.

Community champions: Top honours to Marie and Tavish at Landcare Awards

Posted on 24 July, 2024 by Ivan

Local community champions Marie Jones and Tavish Bloom were awarded top honours at the recent Victorian Landcare Awards, highlighting the amazing passion and dedication in the central Victorian Landcare movement. We are very proud of both Marie and Tavish, who have shown countless hours of commitment and hard work in restoring our ‘upside down’ landscapes of the Mount Alexander region. Please raise a glass to toast our well-deserved awardees!

Marie Jones: Joan Kirner Landcare Award

Marie was a founding member of Golden Point Landcare Group and has clocked up 30 years with the local group, as well as stints on the North Central Catchment Management Board and Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forest (FOBIF). She is currently the president of FOBIF, which runs monthly walks, organises photographic exhibitions, and develops educational materials to promote and advocate for the Box-Ironbark Forests of the region.  Marie was a founding member of Connecting Country over 25 years ago and continues strong involvement as Secretary on the Committee of Management.

Marie Jones collecting seed. Photo by John Ellis.

Marie has worked tirelessly to ensure that Connecting Country is successful, serving for many years as secretary or president and being involved in multiple sub-committees. Under Marie’s guidance, the network has successfully protected, restored, and enhanced over 15,000 hectares of the region’s landscape.

Director of Connecting Country, Lori Arthur, said ‘We love the gentle way Marie brings our community together and raises awareness of the issues facing our biodiversity and wildlife. I enjoy working with Marie, learning from her wisdom, compassion and kindness through the Landcare movement’.

Marie features on Connecting Country’s Landcare promotion video below, where she is quoted as saying ‘Landcare is everybody’s, and it is our responsibility to look after our local landscapes.  It is an honour to volunteer in our community and contribute towards these things’. Well done Marie, very much deserved!

Tavish Bloom: Woolworths Junior Landcare Award

Tavish is an inspiration to the next generation of Landcarers in our region, and at the ripe age of 13 years old, has an enviable track record and passion for our landscape and wildlife. He lives next to the Post Office Hill Reserve at Chewton and has been part of a project installing and monitoring 28 nesting boxes in the Central Victorian reserve as a member of the Post Office Hill Action Group. This project has given Tavish a terrific platform to learn more about our marsupials and birds that call the nest boxes home and has inspired him to tell his story to other young Landcarers and school friends.

Tavish interviewed by Dr Ann Jones at Resource Smart Awards 2023. Photo by Castlemaine Steiner School.

The nest boxes have housed several occupants, including a female Brush-tailed Phascogale using one of the boxes to successfully raise eight joeys last summer. Nest boxes are vital for providing refuge for threatened species in the absence of their usual habitat, such as hollows in large old trees. Tavish has enjoyed the interactions and sharing of the reserve with the Brush-tailed Phascogale, which has enabled him to learn more about the threatened species and ensure they have the habitat to thrive in the future.

As a young child, he spent countless hours observing and recording flora and fauna in the reserve and two years ago joined the Post Office Hill Action Group (POHAG), which cares for the reserve. This reserve was turned upside down during the gold rush in the mid-1800s and then was later used as a rubbish dump and tip for the region. Tavish is inspired to continue restoring the degraded landscape with mid-storey shrubs and nest boxes, which will enable woodland birds and marsupials to thrive in their once-denuded landscape.

Tavish with Costa Georgiadis at the Victorian Landcare Awards. Photo by Joel Bloom.

Well done Tavish, we hope you continue the journey with your inquisitive nature and passion for the wildlife and biodiversity, that is often forgotten about in our busy lives. Landcare Facilitator at Connecting Country, Hadley Cole, said ‘Tavish is such an awesome inspiration for the future of Landcare in our region and has shown that younger members of our community are keen to be involved in land management for a better future. ‘I have seen Tavish educate and inspire others around him, which is such an important role to play in ensuring Landcare continues into the future.’

Tavish now goes on to represent Victoria in the National Landcare Awards later this year. Best of luck Tavish, we’re all cheering for you!

Connecting Country would like to congratulate and thank everyone who contributes to Landcare in our region, and in particular, give a big high five to Marie and Tavish for their extraordinary contributions.

To learn more about Marie and Tavish’s accomplishments head over to the Landcare Magazine’s website to read full articles dedicated to Marie and Tavish – click here

To find out more about Landcare in our region, or to get involved – click here.

Confirm your support for Connecting Country’s work: EOFY

Posted on 4 June, 2024 by Ivan

A huge thank you to our many amazing supporters who have been generously donating via our online service over the past year. Now is a great time to make a financial contribution to Connecting Country’s work, if you can afford to, as the end of the financial year approaches. Donating is easy – use our secure online service (click here), with all donations to Connecting Country being tax-deductible.

We appreciate all your financial support, whether large or small, one-off or regular.

Thanks also to all our supporters for being part of the Connecting Country community in 2024, joining our shared vision for landscape restoration across the Mount Alexander region. The valuable work we do couldn’t happen without people like you – volunteering time to help with wildlife monitoring, joining our education events, participating in our on-ground projects, giving financial help or just being a member.

We have a demonstrated track record of fifteen years of successful landscape restoration and strategic landscape planing for the future. However, in the current situation, it’s extremely difficult to secure funding for on-ground environmental projects. The post-COVID-19 pandemic has caused our government and many philanthropic organisations to freeze or delay grant opportunities.

We are determined to survive, and maintain our core capacity and current projects until new project funding arrives. However, we need help to maintain the strong foundations essential to our success as a community-driven organisation and keep us focused on long-term plans. With enough support, the coming year will see us continue to help landholders with on-ground actions, prepare for climate change, maintain our long-term monitoring, and deliver events that inform, educate and inspire.

You can be assured that any financial support from you will be well spent, with 100% invested into our core work of supporting and implementing landscape restoration in our local area. We run a very lean operation and our small team of part-time staff attracts voluntary support that ensures every dollar goes a long way.

As a Connecting Country supporter, you’ve already contributed to some amazing successes. Since beginning in 2007 we have:

• • Helped protect and restore 15,000 ha of habitat across the Mount Alexander region, which equates to around 8.1% of the shire.
  • Delivered more than 245 successful community education events.
  • Installed more than 450 nestboxes for the threatened Brush-tailed Phascogale
  • Maintained a network of 50 long-term bird monitoring sites
  • Secured funding to deliver more than 65 landscape restoration projects.
  • Supported an incredible network of over 30 Landcare and Friends groups.

Thanks again for your support for Connecting Country. Making our vision a reality is only possible with strong community support. Please enjoy this gallery snapshot of some of our 2023-24 activities.

Celebrating our wonderful volunteers: National Volunteer Week

Posted on 20 May, 2024 by Ivan

This week, 20-26th May, is National Volunteer Week, Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering, highlighting the important role of volunteers and inviting people not currently volunteering to give it a go.

This years theme is ‘Something for Everyone’ and Connecting Country would like to take this moment to say a massive thank you to our amazing volunteers from our many projects and programs.

Connecting Country could not do what we do without our volunteers. Our management committee is run by volunteers, our monitoring programs rely on skilled citizen scientists, our landholders ensure landscape restoration is maintained, and others help with events, Landcare, engagement and in countless other ways. We love our volunteers and appreciate their dedication to our vision of increasing, enhancing, and restoring biodiversity across central Victoria.

National Volunteer Week 2024 will recognise the diverse passions and talents everyone brings to the act of volunteering. It’s also an invitation to explore the myriad of opportunities available, emphasising that there’s a place for everyone in the world of volunteering. We have plenty of opportunities to apply your skills as a volunteer and have had so many talented volunteers assist us over the recent years.

Our projects run off very tight budgets, with funding opportunities few and far between, so we rely on volunteers more and more to help us achieve our mission of landscape restoration within the Mount Alexander region. The community has always been at the core of what we do at Connecting Country. In this new phase, we’ve had to rely on our community even more.

Because we’re surrounded by an engaged and enthusiastic community, we’re still able to check in on our local biodiversity and deliver monitoring, engagement, Landcare support and landscape restoration across our region. If it wasn’t for your hard work, we simply would not be able to continue our valuable long-term biodiversity monitoring, engage our community in caring for our local landscapes, or empower landowners to manage their land as wildlife habitat.

To everyone who has helped Connecting Country over the past two decades: a big thank you! We are so grateful for your support.

To find out more about volunteer opportunities at Connecting Country, please visit our website – click here

National Volunteer Week Events will take place from 20-26 May 2024, to say thank you to the millions of  Australians who volunteer their time. We invite you to join in the events across the country.

Castlemaine Landcare present: Recovery plan for native fish with Dr Peter Rose

Posted on 15 May, 2024 by Lori

Castlemaine Landcare Group are hosting a fascinating presentation about a recovery plan to return native fish to the environment as part of their upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM).  All welcome.

Recovery plan for native fish presentation

Dr Peter Rose, North Central Catchment Management Authority.

Aquatic ecologist, Dr Peter Rose, from the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA), will explain a recovery plan for native fish at the AGM of Castlemaine Landcare Group (CLG).  CLG invite anyone interested to come along to Castlemaine Community House (30 Templeton St) on Wednesday 22 May at 7.30pm.

Peter will describe the work underway – riparian protection and enhancement; water for the environment; construction of fishways, and captive breeding and release of threatened fish. He will also discuss recent complementary work to identify and protect aquatic refugia in upland unregulated streams and establishment of ‘surrogate’ fish habitats in farm dams to re-stock waterways. The presentation will highlight existing partnerships with Landcare groups, and possible future avenues for Landcare groups to become more active in fish recovery projects.

Dr Peter Rose is an aquatic ecologist with over 20 years’ experience within the government, university, and private sectors.  Peter works at NCCMA as the Project Manager for the Native Fish Recovery Plan – Gunbower and Lower Loddon  He is also the Recovery Reach Coordinator for the Mid-Murray Floodplain Recovery Reach.  Peter manages large-scale restoration native fish projects including fishway design and construction, instream woody habitat reinstatement, riparian protection and enhancement, wetland rehabilitation, and floodplain-specialist fish conservation projects.

It promises to be a very interesting evening!

When: Wednesday 22 May 2024 at 7.30pm

Where: Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street Castlemaine VIC 3462

Inquiries: castlemainelandcaregroupinc@gmail.com

This is a free event hosted by Castlemaine Landcare Group.

New Phascogale brochure: hot off the press

Posted on 31 January, 2024 by Ivan

It’s been some time since Connecting Country developed a new brochure, but here we have it, hot off the press – and it is all about the mighty cute, and threatened, Brush-Tailed Phascogale!

The brochure is aimed at educating our community and raising awareness of the Brush-tailed Phascogale and their habitat needs. It is available for download immediately – Click Here, or you can pick it up from the Connecting Country office in Castlemaine VIC.

The brochure is part of our ‘Habitat trees for Phascogales’ project that aims to protect and enhance habitat stepping stones for the Brush-tailed Phascogale and other native fauna, by protecting existing large old trees on grazing land.

We know that much of central Victoria’s native woodland has been heavily disturbed by a long history of mining, clearing, woodcutting, grazing, and changes in fire and water regimes. The local Box-Ironbark landscape provides habitat for many threatened species, including the Brush-tailed Phascogale, but much of the remaining woodland lacks complexity and is missing hollow-bearing trees that are important for foraging and nesting sites and protection from predators.

Tuan in a nestbox at Welshmans Reef. Photo Jess Lawton

Scientific studies demonstrate an alarming acceleration in the decline of most species within this community over recent years, including the Brush-tailed Phascogale which has experienced localised extinctions in some regions and has undergone a substantial range contraction and decline in numbers overall.

The Mount Alexander region is a likely stronghold for the Brush-tailed Phascogale and is important for the species’ future survival (Lawton et al. 2021, Austral Ecology). However, our region’s woodlands are heavily degraded and large old trees with hollows are now scarce and not being replaced.

Our project aims to protect large old trees from early senescence and facilitate natural regeneration. Over time, other key elements of phascogale habitat, such as fallen logs and leaf litter, will return to these areas.

The new brochure looks amazing, thanks to the hard work and creative magic of the Connecting Country team. In the brochure, you’ll find gorgeous images from some wonderful local photographers, as well as a summary of our how we can help the Phascogale thrive in our region.

Click here to download your very own copy, or drop into the office to pick up a free hard copy. We’d love to hear feedback on our brochure and any other information you may require into the future.

The Habitat Trees for Phascogales project is supported by the Victorian Government through the Nature Fund as well as the Ian and Shirley Norman Foundation.

Muckleford Catchment Landcare pay tribute to David Griffiths

Posted on 19 December, 2023 by Hadley Cole

On Sunday 19 November 2023, Muckleford Catchment Landcare Group held a memorial for long time Landcare member and landscape restoration specialist David Griffiths. The group rallied together with other community members and friends of David to pay homage to the legacy that he has left. Beth Mellick secretary of Muckleford Catchment Landcare has shared the below tribute.

David Griffiths planting in Muckleford. Photo by Beth Mellick.

Muckleford annual general meeting and memorial to David Griffiths

We decided to go ahead with our planned annual general meeting in November, but to also make it into a memorial day for our good friend David Griffiths.

Dave died of cancer recently. Although we knew he was ill, his death still came as a shock and for many of us, we still can’t believe he is actually gone.

He left a huge legacy across central Victoria, having planted hundreds of thousands of trees on private property. He really knew all about this landscape restoration stuff – his favourite phrase was ‘landscape function’. 

We were so lucky that Dave was willing to share his knowledge and expertise with Muckleford Landcare. The amazing success of our plantings is because of his famous yeoman’s plough!

During the AGM we decided to leave Dave in the Vice President role. His dying was still too new, it was (and is) too soon to move on. He can’t be replaced. Members of our Landcare group and the Muckleford community got up and spoke about Dave, our comrade, and how he affected their lives, and their properties. We then planted a tree in his honour down at the Muckleford train station.

Thanks to the Goldfields Victorian Railway for being so amenable to our request for this memorial.

People say “gone but not forgotten”, and in Dave’s case this is so true because wherever we look, we see his work, and some of us believe if we look closely, we can see Dave.

Words by Beth Mellick

The Connecting Country team send deepest condolences to the friends and family of David.

Photos below show Muckleford Catchment Landcare members and community members paying tribute to David Griffiths. Photos by Beth Mellick.

Attracting native pollinators to your garden: new indigenous plant guide

Posted on 7 December, 2023 by Ivan

Ever wondered how you can attract more native pollinators to your garden, and which plants would be the most suitable for our region’s climate? Well, hot off the press is our latest brochure, ‘Attracting Pollinators to your Garden in the Mount Alexander region‘, which is now ready for download or print and it looks fabulous. 

Pollinators can range from bees, butterflies, flies, wasps, moths, birds and even bats and are crucial to the successful reproduction and conservation of many of Australia’s native plant species. With reports of decline of pollinators across the globe due to land clearing and climate change, now is the time to plant, create and nurture habitat for our local native pollinators.  

The Common Halfband Hoverfly is a slim-bodied fly with reddish eyes. Photo by John Walter.

Resin Bees get their name because they build their residences out of resin. Photo by John Walter

Elegant Hairy-Cellophane Bee pollinating a native pea. Photo by Karen Retra.

The Imperial Jezebel, is a gorgeous Delias butterfly. Photo: John Walter

Throughout 2023, Connecting Country has been rolling out The Buzz project: promoting pollinators of central Victoria. The project is a Connecting Country project funded by the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA) through the 2022 Victorian Landcare grants, that aims to celebrate and expand community knowledge on the smaller heroes of our local ecosystems, the insect pollinators.

In the brochure, you’ll find gorgeous images from some wonderful local photographers, as well as a summary of why it is important to create habitat for our native pollinators. You will also find a table containing our favourite twenty indigenous plants that will be sure to attract some native pollinator heroes to your garden.

Click here to download your very own copy, or drop into the office and we can print you a hardcopy. We’d love to hear feedback on our brochure and any other information you may require into the future.

Special thanks to our generous volunteer photographers – Geoff Park and Bonnies Humphreys – who freely donated their images. Without your help and generous donations, such a professional product would not be possible.

The Buzz Project is funded by the 2022 Victorian Landcare Grants through the North Central Catchment Management Authority.

Pollinator heroes of Central Victoria: Common Halfband Hoverfly

Posted on 30 November, 2023 by Ivan

With spring upon us, now is the perfect time to take a closer look at the smaller pollinator heroes of our region! There is plenty to see and hear across all habitats across central Victoria if you stop and pay attention to the little things. Throughout the warmer months the bees are buzzing, butterflies are fluttering, beetles are looking for mates and wasps are making nests. There is plenty to see and hear across all habitats in central Victoria if you stop and pay attention to the little things. These wonderful pollinating creatures are the heroes of the bush, grasslands, our gardens and waterways.

The Buzz project: promoting pollinators of central Victoria, is a Connecting Country project funded by the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA) through the 2022 Victorian Landcare grants, that aims to celebrate and expand community knowledge on the smaller heroes of our local ecosystems, the insect pollinators.  As part of this project, we have explored the lives of some of our most loved native pollinators from across the local region through a series of blogposts throughout November. This is the final blogpost in this series, with the hero of focus from the endearing hoverfly family.

Dr Mark Hall, local entomologist, has kindly shared his extensive knowledge on some of the local pollinator heroes that are so important to the health of our ecosystems. 

Common Halfband Hoverfly (Melangyna viridiceps)

Words by Dr. Mark Hall

Hmm, is this a bee? It certainly looks a bit like one with those bright yellow bands. And it is visiting lots of flowers. No, this is actually a fly trying to mimic a bee. Thankfully there are some tell-tale signs to tell the two apart. See those really big eyes, and the very short antennae? Unlike bees that have oval eyes on the sides of their head, fly eyes are typically much larger and rounder, sometimes taking up most of the head. And the antennae are shorter in flies, whereas bees have longer, segmented antennae. And that’s not where the differences end.

Flies are often more abundant in cooler climates, such as higher-up mountains, and can forage in colder weather (so can be more active than bees in early spring in this region). Whereas bees will often be more direct in their fight for flowers, hoverflies spend a lot of time flying above flowers, seemingly surveying for the perfect one before landing. Like bees, they feed almost exclusively on flowers (their larvae eat aphids) and are very good pollinators. They are fast flyers like bees, but they do lack the branched hairs that make bees exceptional pollen carriers.

The Common Halfband Hoverfly is a slim-bodied fly with reddish brown eyes, dark thorax and black and yellow banded abdomen. Photo by John Walter.

The Common Halfband Hoverfly can be found across most habitats in south-eastern Australia and in the southwest, including quite arid environments. They will feed on the nectar and pollen of many different types of plants and can also be confused with other hoverfly species, most typically the Yellow-shouldered hoverfly (Simosyrphus grandicornis), which is also common and abundant.

Why not take the opportunity to slow down this spring and take a look in your local bushland or garden and see what pollinator heroes you can find?

Pollinator heroes of Central Victoria: Resin Bee

Posted on 29 November, 2023 by Ivan

Spring is here which means the bees are buzzing, butterflies are fluttering, beetles are looking for mates and wasps are making nests. There is plenty to see and hear across all habitats in central Victoria if you stop and pay attention to the little things. These wonderful pollinating creatures are the heroes of the bush, grasslands, our gardens and waterways.

The Buzz project: promoting pollinators of central Victoria, is a Connecting Country project funded by the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA) through the 2022 Victorian Landcare grants, that aims to celebrate and expand community knowledge on the smaller heroes of our local ecosystems, the insect pollinators.  As part of this project, we will explore the lives of some of our most loved native pollinators from across the local region through a series of blog posts throughout November.

Dr Mark Hall, local entomologist, has kindly shared his extensive knowledge on some of the local pollinator heroes that are so important to the health of our ecosystems. 

Resin Bee (Megachile ferox)

Words by Dr. Mark Hall

One of at least 169 bee species in the family Megachilidae, which include the leaf-cutter and resin bees, Megachile ferox can be found across southern Australia.

It has a very hairy head, body, legs and abdomen that are perfect for pollen-carrying. It also has large mandibles (jaws) for chewing nest holes in wood. The bright red tip on its abdomen may be what you see first though.

Resin Bees get their name because they build their residences out of resin. Photo by John Walter

The Resin Bee is most active during spring and summer, particularly from November to February, visiting a range of important flowering plant species, including Eucalypts, Dillwynia and Bursaria. It nests in woody structures, such as trees and shrubs and can make a home in insect hotels in gardens if they are designed and placed correctly.

With extensive and prolonged habitat clearing occurring through much of central Victoria, this and other wood-nesting species have become less common. However, where woody nests and good floral diversity are available, this species will provide an excellent pollination service.

The Buzz project: promoting pollinators of Central Victoria, Landcare planting

Posted on 28 November, 2023 by Hadley Cole

Victoria Gully group members planting away. Photo by Victoria Gully Landcare.

Pollinators can range from bees, butterflies, flies, wasps, moths, birds and even bats and are crucial to the successful reproduction and conservation of many of Australia’s native plant species. With reports of decline of pollinators across the globe due to land clearing and climate change, now is the time to plant, create and nurture habitat for our local native pollinators. 

Throughout 2023 Connecting Country has been rolling out The Buzz Project: promoting pollinators of Central Victoria. During the winter months, while the pollinators were lying low, Landcare groups from across the region were busy planting pollinator-attracting plants at their sites. Connecting Country distributed 240 plants to Landcare groups from the region, including species such as; Chocolate Lily, Matted Flax-lily, Narrow-leaf Bitter-pea and Sticky Everlasting-daisy.

Landcare groups added the plants to their existing sites, adding a greater diversity of flowering plants and encouraging our native pollinators to move through the landscape.

Victoria Gully Landcare Group considered sites across the gully carefully when finding a home for the pollinator-attracting plants. They looked for areas that were protected from kangaroos, sites that provided dappled shade and were protected from recreational activities as well as having reasonable soil, and manageable weeds. The group planted within the protection of a 4m diameter temporary chicken wire fence and chose to plant nice and early in the planting season to give the plants the best chance of survival. 

Muckleford Catchment Landcare tackle grazing pressure with large wire guards. Photo by Muckleford Catchment Landcare.

Group members of Muckleford Catchment Landcare Group planted the pollinator species across properties in the groups’ area including Walmer, adding a diversity of understory plants to their existing work. To protect the plants from the grazing of curious animals, the planters used large chicken wire guards to give the plants the best chance of thriving.

Local Aboriginal Landcare group Tabilk Mooroopook Upper Loddon Landcare Group, who are auspice by Nalderun, planted their pollinator plants at Me-Mandook Galk, Nalderun’s ancestor tree property in Chetwon. They reported a successful planting day with Nalderun’s young First Nation leaders.

 “Many thanks from us here at Nalderun (and from the native pollinators at Me-Mandook Galk!) for the plants. They were planted by our School-based trainees (SBATs) out at the Ancestor Tree, both in and around the Bush Tucker beds, on one of their TAFE days studying Certificate II in Horticulture. The students had only just finished creating bee-hotels the week before, so we’re looking forward to attracting & hosting lots of amazing pollinators out there! “

Photos below show the Nalderun First Nations youth planting pollinator species at Me-Mandook Galk, in Chewton. Photos by Nalderun.

Harcourt Valley Landcare group added their pollinator plants to an existing work site along Barkers Creek in Harcourt. Volunteers enjoyed a chilly morning out planting at one of their treasured sites on Barkers Creek in Harcourt. The pollinator-attracting plants added value to existing understorey plantings the group have been carrying out over the years at this site. The group noticed Eastern Yellow Robins and Grey Shrike Thrush at the site on the day of the planting and they also spent a little time learning how to identify the local River Red Gums.

Photos below show the Harcourt Valley Landcare group members busily planting along Barker Creek in Harcourt. Photos by Bonnie Humphreys.

Elphinstone Land Management Association planted their pollinator plant species at a new experimental site along a seasonal creek in Elphinstone. The group have formed a ‘Cool Places Project’ where they are aiming to restore sites that already provide shade and protection from the heat with indigenous plants. As the site is along a creek line there are challenges with Gorse and Blackberry invasion, however, the group are working slowly to get rid of the weeds and replace them with indigenous flora, 10 square meters at a time by trialling solarisation of the weeds. The aim over time is to build the biodiversity at the site by adding layers of indigenous flora to fill the ground cover, lower and middle stories.

We are delighted to see local Landcare and friends groups volunteering to plant and provide food sources and habitat for our local native pollinators across the region. By planting local indigenous plants we can provide greater biodiversity and connectivity of pollinator corridors that will see our local pollinators thrive and survive. And when they are doing well so are many of our other local fauna and flora! Thank you to all the groups who volunteered their time to plant these pollinator species across the region. We look forward to watching these plants grow, recruit and continue their ecological cycles.

The Buzz Project is funded by the 2022 Victorian Landcare Grants through the North Central Catchment Management Authority.

Pollinator heroes of Central Victoria: Elegant Hairy-Cellophane Bee

Posted on 23 November, 2023 by Hadley Cole

With spring upon us, now is the perfect time to take a closer look at the smaller pollinator heroes of our region! There is plenty to see and hear across all habitats across central Victoria if you stop and pay attention to the little things. These are the heroes of the bush, grasslands, our gardens and waterways.

The Buzz project: promoting pollinators of central Victoria, is a Connecting Country project funded by the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA) through the 2022 Victorian Landcare grants, that aims to celebrate and expand community knowledge on the smaller heroes of our local ecosystems, the insect pollinators.  As part of this project, we will explore the lives of some of our most loved native pollinators from across the local region through a series of blogposts throughout November.

Dr Mark Hall, local entomologist, has kindly shared his extensive knowledge on some of the local pollinator heroes that are so important to the health of our ecosystems. 

Elegant Hairy-Cellophane Bee (Trichocolletes venustus)

Words by Dr. Mark Hall

Perhaps the most striking thing about this larger bee is the vivid gold bands on its abdomen that glint in the sunlight as it flies between Hardenbergia flowers. Along with the golden orange hairs across the rest of its body and head, this is a far more attractive bee than the European Honeybee, which it may be mistaken for. And this species is native! It also sounds quite different once you learn to recognise its buzz. That hairy body is perfect for carrying the pollen of many native pea species, such as Daviesia ulicifolia and Gompholobium huegelii, and the orchid Diuris maculata among others.

Elegant Hairy-Cellophane Bee pollinating a native pea. Photo by Karen Retra.

The Elegant Hairy-Cellophane Bee is one of 40 species of Trichocolletes, an endemic bee genus, occurring nowhere else except the southeast of Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. It is active from July to January, so can be one of the earlier bees seen visiting flowers in early spring. It nests in the ground, often in groups but with each bee having a separate nest entrance and looking after its own eggs. Perhaps there is simply safety in numbers, or good real estate is hard to come by? And as its name suggests, it produces a cellophane-like substance which it uses to seal its nest to protect its precious cargo from pests and parasites.

Why not slow down and take a look in your local bushland or garden and see what pollinator heroes you can find?

Pollinator Week 11-19 November 2023

Posted on 13 November, 2023 by Hadley Cole

This week marks 2023’s Australian Pollinator Week. Australian Pollinator Week acknowledges our important and unique insect pollinators. It is a designated week when community, business and organisations can come together to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and support their needs. As we are now in the full swing of Spring weather, it is a perfect time to take a moment in nature to pay attention to the smaller creatures in our ecosystems. There are a number of events across the state celebrating Pollinator Week, including a pollinator discovery walk with Dr. Mark Hall in Heathcote VIC on Saturday 18 November and an online webinar hosted by the Wheen Bee Foundation on ‘integrated pest and pollinator management’ on Wednesday 15 November. For more information on events – click here

Common Halfband (hoverfly). Photo by John Walter.

Throughout the week (November 11 to 19) you can also take part in a ten minute pollinator count and record the pollinator life forms you observe in your garden, favourite nature place or Landcare site. For more information on how to take part in the pollinator count -click here

A tribute to David Griffiths Sunday 19 November 2023

Posted on 13 November, 2023 by Hadley Cole

The Landcare community has sadly lost dedicated and incredibly knowledgeable Landcare volunteer and restoration specialist David Griffiths. David was a long term member of Muckleford Catchment Landcare Group and has contributed to countless restoration projects across Central Victoria. Muckleford Landcare have released the following statement;

‘It is with great sadness that I share with you the news that our Vice President, David Griffiths, has died.

Dave was a long time Landcare member, and landscape restoration practitioner. We have all learnt such an awful lot from him, and we will carry his wisdom with us. He became a great friend and mentor to many of us and we will miss him terribly.

As one of our committee members said, he has left a huge legacy – all we have to do is look around us, in the Muckleford region and central Victoria.

We will have a tribute for Dave at our upcoming get together on 19 November 2023, 1.00 pm at the Muckleford train station.’

Landcarers and community members are welcome to join David’s tribute on Sunday and pay their respects.

The Connecting Country team send condolences to Muckleford Catchment Landcare Group and to David’s family and friends. His dedication, knowledge and friendship will be missed greatly by the Landcare community.

David Griffiths working across various Landcare sites. Photos by Beth Mellick. 

2023 Great Southern BioBlitz November 24-27

Posted on 9 November, 2023 by Hadley Cole

The Buzz project: iNaturalist workshop success

Posted on 6 November, 2023 by Hadley Cole

The Buzz project: promoting pollinators of central Victoria, is a Connecting Country project funded by the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA) through the 2022 Victorian Landcare grants, that aims to celebrate and expand community knowledge on the smaller heroes of our local ecosystems, the insect pollinators.

The project has been running throughout 2023 and has included a presentation with local entomologist Dr Mark Hall covering ‘Native pollinators on your property: who, where and what they do?’ followed by a field trip that took a further look into ‘promoting native pollinators from property to landscape.’

Eager participants focussed on Euan’s presentation. Photo by Connecting Country.

The final event for the year was held in early October 2023 and was an iNaturalist workshop with local naturalist Euan Moore. This was the perfect opportunity for pollinator enthusiasts to learn how to record their data on the online iNaturalist platform.

Fifteen eager participants came along to the workshop armed with cameras and laptops for a four-hour workshop. Euan talked us through the basics of the iNaturalist platform such as how to create an account, how to upload an observation, and how to have your observations verified by experts from across the globe. We then investigated how to join iNaturalist projects where users have the opportunity to contribute to local projects such as the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club project or the 2023 Great Southern Bioblitz: Castlemaine region, or nationwide projects such as Wild Pollinator Count Australia.

We took some time to wander around the Castlemaine Community House garden and gather images of pollinators to upload onto our iNaturalist accounts. Euan talked us through the important aspects to include in our photos to provide ample visual information for iNaturalists users to identify the species in question.

Participants searching for pollinators to photograph. Photo by Connecting Country.

Participants Frances and Bev chat with Euan the workshop presenter. Photo by Connecting Country.

Participants reported that they enjoyed a lovely day of learning and some were very eager to get out there and record their local sightings!

Connecting Country would like to give a huge thank you to Euan Moore for his time and dedication in teaching community members these wonderful iNaturalist skills.

This event was made possible due to funding through the 2022 Victorian Landcare Grants. We are grateful to our funders for making this interesting event possible.