Birdata app and portal – an exciting new step
Posted on 19 April, 2018 by Tanya Loos
Recording bird surveys has just become much easier for a lot of keen bird people in our local area! Last Friday (13 April), over 20 bird survey volunteers gathered at the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens Tea Rooms to hear about BirdLife Australia’s smartphone app and bird data website.
Andrew Silcocks from BirdLife Australia manages the Bird Atlas – a comprehensive map of the distribution and numbers of Australian birds. Over the course of three very enjoyable hours, we learned how our data collection helps in bird conservation, how to use the very user-friendly app, and how to examine bird information on the portal known at Birdata.
And we were all very happy to hear Chris Timewell, BirdLife Australia’s Woodland Bird Project Coordinator (formerly Director of Connecting Country), present on the Birds on Farms research project. A separate blog post about the Birds on Farms project will follow soon.
Andrew Silcocks and Chris Timewell from BirdLife Australia
Connecting Country has been an affiliate organisation of BirdLife Australia since 2015. The two organisations are both bird mad (of course!), and collect and share bird data with one another. Connecting Country’s long term monitoring program has sent BirdLife over 20,000 individual records for their Birdata bird mapping project, and we have also extracted data from BirdLife to help with our reporting.
The Birdata app
The feedback from participants was wonderful! The app is surprisingly easy to use – the phone finds your location, then you give it a site name, add the survey information such as the type of survey, and then simply start counting birds! So for those of you who were unable to attend the workshop, the following comments may encourage you to visit the Birdata website, download the app and have a go!
‘Really clearly explained, and I found the app easy to use’
‘I used Birdata extensively up until about 2 years ago so this provided a valuable update’
‘I had never previously used this app but I now feel very confident to conduct and submit surveys’
‘Opened my eyes to the power of the app AND the portal’.
To download the app click here. In the help section of the Birdata website here, there are short instructional YouTube videos and printed information on the portal and the app. These also might be useful for those of you who attended the workshop and would like a refresher.
The Birdata portal
The Birdata website is referred to as a portal. Once you are logged in, you can see your surveys and all your data. You can edit and change surveys you have done, such as correct a misidentified bird or refine the location.
You can also share your surveys with other people, such as on social media or by email. Any person doing bird surveys for one of our ‘official’ monitoring programs (such as the KBA monitoring, the Perkins surveys, or the Connecting Country sites) can send their data directly to BirdLife using the app if they wish. This saves on time and double handling. However, also emailing a copy of your surveys to us here at Connecting Country will help with keeping track of our bird survey program. Of course, those people who wish to stay with the old pen and paper method are most welcome to do so!
A fantastic feature of the portal is the ability to generate an up-to-the-minute bird list of any area of any size simply by drawing a polygon on the Birdata map. I used this function today to supply a bird list to Sutton Grange Landcare group. See the ‘Explore’ button on the portal for this feature.
Many many thanks to Andrew Silcocks for such an enjoyable and informative workshop! We would also like to thanks the Wettenhall Environment Trust for funding the workshop.
Say ‘swift parrot’! Workshop attendees were all smiles on a beautiful autumn day.
Save the date – Camp Out on the Mount 2.0
Posted on 19 April, 2018 by Asha
Due to the severe weather warnings last weekend, we have rescheduled the 2018 Camp Out on the Mount!
The new date is Friday 11th May (starting late afternoon after school) to Saturday 12th May (finishing late afternoon). A new schedule for all of the activities and more details will be coming out next week, but please save this date in your diaries if you’d like to come.
Pine Assassins from Castlemaine Secondary College from the 2017 Campout
Workshop: the ecology and care of large old eucalypts – 28 April 2018
Posted on 17 April, 2018 by Tanya Loos
Large old trees, their ecology and care – a two hour workshop in Guildford on Saturday 28 April. This short workshop will be presented by Tanya Loos from Connecting Country in partnership with the Mount Alexander Shire Council. It includes a walk through the Guildford Recreation reserve.
Our old eucalypts are incredibly valuable to local fauna. Studies show koalas prefer large old trees as their branches are broad and comfortable. Old trees are superior nectar producers to their young cousins, with masses of blossom providing abundant nectar to honeyeaters, bees and flying foxes. Their seed production is better too, with old trees producing more and better quality seed.
And then there are the hollows! Hundreds of animal species cannot survive without the hollows that large old trees provide. Possums, sugar gliders, bats, rosellas, owls, geckos and many more critters need hollows to shelter and to raise young.
A magnificent candlebark on Yapenya ( Mount Barker)
So come along and find out how we can care for these living treasures! We’ll discuss the mistletoe question (answer: leave it!), what large old trees really can’t stand, and what to plant beneath large old trees to keep them healthy and happy.
Saturday 28 April 2018 at 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Please book or make inquiries through Mount Alexander Shire Council: call 54711700, or info@mountalexander.vic.gov.au
Volunteers needed for nest box checks
Posted on 12 April, 2018 by Asha
Connecting Country is once again monitoring our nest boxes. These boxes were installed across the shire in 2010-11 to provide habitat for Brush-tailed Phascogales.
The boxes have all been monitored at least once during autumn in the survey periods of 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016. A summary of the results to date across the whole of the survey periods, and other information about the monitoring program, are available on the Connecting Country website – click here.
Please contact us if you are interested in assisting as a volunteer with the nest box checks by emailing asha@connectingcountry.org.au. You won’t be climbing trees or ladders, or handling animals, rather helping with carrying equipment and recording data. It is a great opportunity to see some interesting and special places in our local landscape, and learn more about phascogales and other species.
Updates on the nest box monitoring program will be provided after the autumn monitoring. For further info on our nest box program, see our monitoring page of our website – click here.
Connecting Country nest box
Historic gum trees of Maldon – Nature News April 2018
Posted on 12 April, 2018 by Tanya Loos
April’s Nature News was written by Sarah Edwards, who completed her internship at Connecting Country, and Bev Phillips from Maldon Urban Landcare Group. This story featured in the Midland Express on 10 April 2018.
If you want to explore some of the ‘living treasures’ featured in this month’s Nature News, Bev Phillips is leading a walk for a Maldon Focus Quarterly Conversation on Saturday 5 May 2018 at 1.30 pm. See here for more information.
Red Box at St Brigid’s Catholic Church Maldon.
This story began in 2010, when the late Wendy French from Maldon Urban Landcare Group (MULGA) noticed some large pre-European settlement indigenous eucalypt trees located within Maldon, and was very interested in discovering how old they were. Wendy studied approximately 20 trees in town and estimated their age.
Six years later, MULGA continued the work Wendy had started. Firstly, there was an original Red Box tree, estimated at 295 years of age, at an intersection that was being re-designed. Then there was a planning proposal for a retirement village to be developed on the site of a Maldon church, where there were four eucalypts estimated as between 185-430 years old. MULGA wanted protection of the trees during construction, and for an existing Petanque piste to not be moved close to the area the four trees. These issues re-ignited the notion of protecting old indigenous trees, as MULGA discovered the trees were not listed or protected under the heritage overlay.
In 2017, MULGA members organised a field day to search for all indigenous eucalypts in Maldon that could be classified as being over 165 years old, hence existing before European settlement in 1852. With the help of Frances Cincotta, from Newstead Natives, MULGA members identified, photographed and recorded GPS coordinates for the trees, and used standardised measurements and published growth rates to estimate their age.
They identified 61 likely pre-1852 eucalypts, including Grey, Yellow, Red and Long-leaved Box species on private and public land in Maldon. The oldest tree was estimated at 530 years old, and 80% were estimated at over 200 years old. In addition, 36 pre-1852 trees were surveyed on parts of the Maldon Historic Reserve. These trees were estimated to be between 190 and 645 years old.
Somehow, the 97 eucalypts managed to survive throughout the gold rush and population boom of the area. They are historically significant as well as being important to the ecosystem in Maldon. If only trees could talk, imagine the stories they could tell!
This is an ongoing project. Although the eucalypts surveyed on the Maldon Historic Reserve are under the protection of Parks Victoria, there is currently no protection overlay for the 61 eucalypts surveyed in other areas of Maldon. The protection of these trees is essential to preserve the natural environment and the heritage of Maldon. MULGA will continue to work with Mount Alexander Shire Council to achieve this.
Reminder – please book in for next week’s Camp Out
Posted on 5 April, 2018 by Asha
The 2018 Camp Out on the Mount is coming up no sooner than next week! If you haven’t booked in yet, please visit our booking website to register your interest. You can select which activities you’d like to come along to, and this will help us plan ahead to make the weekend as enjoyable as possible for everyone. There’s no need to bring along your ticket, just yourself and gear for camping.
CLICK HERE to go straight to the booking website, or CLICK HERE to visit our page with more info about the 2018 Camp Out.
Thanks, and hope to see you there!
Birdata App Workshop Friday 13 April
Posted on 29 March, 2018 by Tanya Loos
Andrew Silcocks from BirdLife Australia provides an introduction and practical demonstration of how to use online Birdata mapping and the smartphone app – at the beautiful Castlemaine Botanical Gardens.
A Diamond Firetail, by Geoff Park
This year, BirdLife Australia staff are travelling Victoria with a series of presentations and workshops on Birdata – how to use it, and more importantly, why to use it.
The information that BirdLife Australia takes from Birdata underpins their State of Australia’s Birds Reports, as well as population and species trends and distribution analyses. These analyses inform threatened species nominations, which in turn influence the government allocation of conservation dollars and resources to those species.
Andrew is the coordinator of Birdata at BirdLife Australia and he is keen to share the Birdata app with you! Tanya Loos from Connecting Country will also be on hand to discuss the close relationship between Birdata and the Connecting Country bird monitoring program.
When: Friday 13 April from 11am – 3pm
Where: Castlemaine Tea rooms, at the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens
What you need:
*Shoes and clothing appropriate for birdwatching outside
*Your binoculars (some will be provided)
*Your Birdata login – just sign up at https://birdata.birdlife.org.au/
*The Birdata app downloaded on your phone – available on Apple or Android
Bookings and enquiries to Tanya Loos tanya@connectingcountry.org.au or call our office on 5472 1594
Saving the Silver Banksia presentation
Posted on 22 March, 2018 by Tanya Loos
Clearly there is a lot of love for the Silver Banksia in our region! About 60 people gathered in Harcourt on Monday 19 March 2018 to hear geneticist Adam Miller present the latest results from his genetic studies on Silver Banksia (Banksia marginata) populations – hot off the press!
Adam Miller presents to a full house at the ANA Hall.
Dr Adam Miller is a geneticist from Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University. Adam has a wide range of research interests, including ecological genetics and genomics, wildlife conservation and environmental restoration, pest control, environmental stress and adaptation research. For the science buffs among you, Adam’s extensive publication history on Google Scholar can be found here.
Adam’s talk was titled ‘Planting for the future through smart genetic management: Banksia Marginata as a case study’. The presentation was absolutely fascinating. Any genetics project needs a lot of preparatory explanation. I’d already taken seven pages of notes before we got onto the banksia project proper!
Banksia decline
Silver Banksias were once common all over the Victorian Volcanic Plains and the Mount Alexander area, but now we only have isolated populations of old individuals. The banksias face many threats. Recruitment of new plants is very difficult as young plants are eaten by rabbits or wallabies, and the young plants can’t grow through thick Phalaris grass. Herbicide spray drift from farms is another threat. However, Adam and other conservation geneticists believe that loss of genetic diversity is a key driver in the extinction of species, and without active management we can’t be confident these species will survive climate change. If we can’t get it right for an iconic species such as Silver Banksia, the future looks grim for other struggling species, such as Drooping Sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata).
Genetic diversity
Genetic diversity underpins the ability of a population to respond to environmental change. High diversity increases the chance there is enough variety for at least some of the population to cope with environmental changes. Low diversity increases the chance of extinction. The Central Victorian Banksia Working Group wanted to find out what is going on with the genetics of the surviving Silver Banksias. Are they genetically isolated? Are they in poor genetic health or in-breeding? Where is the best genetic material? Which plants should we collect seed from for replanting or creating a seed orchard?
After the presentation, people crowded around Adam and the screen to hear more!
Latest results
Analysis results for the Central Victorian banksia population showed:
- All banksia populations in central Victoria are genetically isolated from one another, meaning populations are not cross-pollinating.
- There is no current evidence of inbreeding – the genetic diversity of all the samples is still quite good! However, there is an imminent risk of inbreeding due to genetic isolation.
- Managed intervention will be needed to prevent these populations from disappearing.
Analysis of the Victorian Volcanic Plains banksia population showed similar results.
What to do
Critical recommendations for saving Silver Banksias:
- Manage the isolated remnants by mixing up genetics to reduce the risk of future inbreeding.
- Select seed from multiple locations across the landscape. Selection and blending of seed from across the isolated populations – known as ‘multi-provenancing’ – will help provide the genetic diversity so desperately needed to cope with a changing climate.
- Track plant provenances through time, so we can assess which ones survive better in this climate. This can be done on people’s properties or through establishing seed orchards.
- Improve connectivity across the landscape to facilitate the movement of pollinators. We currently don’t know who the key pollinators are, but the genetic studies reveal there should be a maximum of ten kilometres between populations to allow cross pollination.
Thank you!
Harcourt Valley Landcare Group hosted the event along with the Central Victorian Banksia Working Group. Bonnie Humphreys (President of Harcourt Valley Landcare Group) thanks all involved, including the many volunteers who provided banksia samples and contributed to the project. The Wettenhall Environment Trust provided an amazing supper! The Kara Kara Conservation Network and North Central Catchment Management Authority also provided support and funding for the project. The presentation was made possible through funding from the National Landcare Program.
Many thanks to Adam for his thoughtful presentation, and to Bonnie for organising the event.
Sharing Landcare Stories – February 2018 Landcare Link-up
Posted on 8 March, 2018 by Asha
For anyone seeking inspiration, there was plenty to be had at the Campbells Creek Community Centre last Monday. We had a great turnout of nearly 40 people representing 14 of our local Landcare and Friends groups, plus representatives from North Central Catchment Management Authority, Mount Alexander Shire Council, Parks Victoria, and Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. The event focused on groups sharing the work they’ve been doing for the last year or so. Based on some great feedback, we may be making this an annual theme!
Talks spanned the huge range of the amazing work local groups do, including weed control, planting, monitoring, promoting sustainable agriculture, advocating for our environment, preserving heritage, holding education events, installing signage and engaging community.
Landcare and Friends groups who presented included: Baringhup Landcare, Castlemaine Landcare, Friends of Campbells Creek Landcare, Golden Point Landcare, Guildford and Upper Loddon Landcare, Friends of Kalimna Park, Maldon Urban Landcare Group, Muckleford Catchment Landcare, North Harcourt-Sedgewick Landcare, Nuggetty Land Protection Group, Post Office Hill Action Group, and Taradale Landare. The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group also celebrated the launch of their new brochure, Weeds and your responsibilities (CLICK HERE for more info), with guest speaker Mayor Bronwen Machin.
Thank you to everyone who came along to our February Landcare Link-up and made it an enjoyable night. An extra special thanks goes to all our presenters, the wonderful volunteers who helped with setting up, packing up and doing dishes, and to Bonnie and Vivien for your photos (scroll the gallery below!).
Camp Out on the Mount 2018
Posted on 8 March, 2018 by Asha
The sun rising on Leanganook on the Sunday morning of the 2017 Camp Out on the Mount
Have you ever camped out on Leanganook (Mount Alexander)? This is your chance to camp out in a fun community setting, learn about nature and cultural heritage in our area, and water some young native plants that need care after a dry summer. We are once again working with several community groups to run the popular Camp Out on the Mount, a weekend event for people of all ages.
Please join us for a morning working bee on the Saturday, followed by an afternoon of activities to learn more about our environment and Aboriginal culture. Share in dinner, chatting and singing around the campfire, a heritage talk from George Milford, and a night walk in the bush with Parks Victoria. On the Sunday morning we will also be treated to a nature walk with Tanya Loos. Together, we will be caring for and learning about Leanganook, and celebrating the work that Landcare and Friends groups do for our environment all year round.
A huge thank you is due to the many community groups who are coming together to make this event so special. These include: the Camp Out Advisory Group, Harcourt Valley Landcare, Little Habitat Heroes, Parks Victoria, Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests, Nalderun Upper Loddon Group, Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, Castlemaine Secondary College students, Harcourt Lions Club, and Connecting Country.
CLICK HERE to visit the booking website
CLICK HERE to download the flier
CLICK HERE to read the blog post about last year’s Camp Out on the Mount
When: Saturday 14th – Sunday 15th April 2018
Where: Leanganook Camping Ground, Joseph Young Drive, Mount Alexander Regional Park, Faraday
What to bring: Camping gear, food (Lions Club BBQ will be available on Sat night for a gold coin donation), weather appropriate clothes, sturdy shoes and sun protection. Please bring a bucket to the working bee if you can, this will help us water as many plants as possible!
Below is a run-down of the 2018 Camp Out weekend. You are more than welcome to attend some or all of the activities. Please let us know through the booking website which activities you plan to attend, as this will help us get an idea of how many people to expect.
If you have any questions, please call Asha on (03) 5472 1594 or email asha@connectingcountry.org.au
This year’s Camp Out on the Mount is supported by funding through the Victorian Landcare Program.
Silver Banksia of Central Victoria presentation 19 March 2018
Posted on 27 February, 2018 by Tanya Loos
Silver Banksias (Banksia marginata) once occurred in large areas across central Victoria, but are now limited to a few isolated locations. Are we at risk of losing this species from our landscape? Come along and find out.
Presentation by Dr Adam Miller (Senior Lecturer in Aquatic Ecology and Biodiversity at Deakin University).
Monday 19 March at 7.30 pm
ANA Hall, 7 High St, Harcourt
Please RSVP to Bonnie by Thursday 15 of March (email: bonnie@connectingcountry.org.au or phone: 5472 1594)
Click here for the flier, with a map showing the location of ANA Hall. Tea, coffee and a light supper will kindly be provided by the Wettenhall Environment Trust.
This talk has been made possible through funding from the National Landcare Program.
The flower of the Silver banksia – immature, and mature on the right. By JJ Harrison (jjharrison89@facebook.com) – Creative Commons
Turn your property into habitat for woodland birds
Posted on 8 February, 2018 by Frances
Would you like your property to provide a home for threatened birds and marsupials? We’re looking for keen local landholders with at least three hectares of remnant vegetation to set aside for our local wildlife.
Only one week left to get involved in our Prickly Plants for Wildlife project!
Trees are great, but small native animals need shrubby habitat to find food, build nests and shelter from predators. Due to a long history of gold mining, timber cutting, grazing, and introduction of rabbits and weeds, many of our woodlands are missing these important prickly shrubs. We’ll work with you to develop a plan specific for your property and needs. As well as planting key understorey species to enhance existing native vegetation, actions can include watering, weed control, rabbit control and ongoing maintenance. We’ll also provide financial support and advice to implement the plan.
Requirements for eligibility:
- Local property: Your property must be located within the Shire of Mount Alexander, Victoria.
- An area of at least 3 ha of native vegetation: We need a project area of a minimum of three hectares containing some remnant vegetation, such as scattered eucalypt trees, or land that is in transition to native species after the removal of grazing. This project is not suited to revegetation of cleared paddocks.
- Commitment to project management: Eligible landholders will receive a site visit, management advice and a property habitat management plan. We’ll also provide some financial support for on-ground actions such as planting, watering, pest control and maintenance. On-ground work will be overseen by the landholder, with the help of local contractors. You will manage any contractors on your property. However, we’ll be available to offer advice and help with any questions.
How to apply:
Please fill in the expression of interest form (link below) and email it to bonnie@connectingcountry.org.au by Monday 19 February 2018. If you have any questions or would like to discuss, please call Bonnie at Connecting Country on 5472 1594.
Expression-Of-Interest-Form-Prickly-Plants
Bushy Needlewood – Hakea decurrens
A female eastern Spinebill, by Geoff Park
Spreading Wattle – Acacia genistifolia
Ecology artworks at Falkner Gallery until 25 March 2018
Posted on 5 February, 2018 by Tanya Loos
Two beautiful exhibitions by talented local artists are on now at the Falkner Gallery in Castlemaine: Margaret Cromb showing ‘Bushland’ and Greg Somerville showing ‘…stitched to everything…- musings of an errant ecologist.’
Margaret is one of Connecting Country’s most avid bird survey volunteers and we are really delighted that Margaret is generously donating 50% of the net proceeds of her exhibition sales to Connecting Country! Thanks Margaret – you are already so generous with your time!
Margaret’s ‘Bushland’ exhbition is a series of watercolours and woodcuts that describe the natural environment of Central Victoria. Margaret writes: ‘I consider myself to be especially blessed to live in an area surrounded by extensive forests and I continue to enjoy exploring them and becoming more familiar with the birds and animals which inhabit them. I have been involved over many years with Landcare especially in the Casey/ Cardinia area where I came from. More recently I have become involved with Connecting Country and its bird-monitoring program. Spending time in the bush looking for birds and being immersed in the environment is a great joy to me. I am impressed with Connecting Country and its focus on restoring natural habitat by educating and supporting landowners. So it is a pleasure to be able to donate to its activities through this exhibition.’
The works depict bushland scenes, individual trees and wildflowers, often including local birds. Margaret’s characteristic layering of colour washes can be seen in her representational portrayals of the local environment, about which she is so passionate.
Upstairs, Greg Somerville captures the local environment with different media – textiles and photography – but with similarly powerful effects. His training and early work as a biologist has led him to use the insights of science, especially ecology and Chaos Theory, in his artistic output. Greg writes:‘The imagery I utilise is grounded in the patterns, textures and minutiae of the bioregion in which I live. They are also informed by my knowledge of biological structures, the energies and relationships found in ecosystems, within the micro and macroscopic….The patterns of water drops on leaves, the way lichen spreads on sandstone or the manner in which trees co-inhabit the landscape is every bit as revelatory as the great texts, painting or musical composition.’
His abstracted quilted works and his photographs use detailed patterns, textures and layers to suggest the complexities and subtleties of nature.
Both exhibitions are on now and continue until 25 March 2018, with 50% of the net proceeds from Margaret’s work being donated to support Connecting Country.
Please note Falkner Gallery’s revised hours for 2018: Wed 1-5, Thurs–Sat 11-5 and Sunday by appointment. The gallery is at 35 Templeton St, Castlemaine.
Weed guides published thanks to the cactus warriors
Posted on 16 January, 2018 by Tanya Loos
Many congratulations to the The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group (TCCG) for the creation of an innovative series of weed brochures that are are specific to the five wards in Mount Alexander Shire. The brochures are available for download on the links below, and also as hard copies at the Mount Alexander Shire offices.
TCCG President Lee Mead writes about the project for our blog:
The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group (TCCG) recently completed a project producing some new brochures about weed control. This project was funded and supported by the Mt. Alexander Shire Council. Five brochures were created, one specific for each of the five wards within our Shire. The brochures highlight the most problematic weeds in each ward and encourage landowners to manage their weeds by providing essential information.
A field of Wheel Cactus
The idea for these brochures was inspired by the need to reach the landowners who are not controlling Wheel Cactus on their properties. Most landowners that don’t control Wheel Cactus infestations are absentee owners or new owners who are unaware of their weed responsibilities.
These problems are not exclusive to Wheel Cactus, so to help overcome the lack of control with many different weeds, TCCG created the new brochures and have asked the Shire to include them in the ‘Welcome Kits’ sent out to all new ratepayers. This will hopefully educate new landowners as soon as they purchase a property and reach the ones that don’t live here.
The brochures provide information about the responsibilities of landowners to manage weeds, the best control methods to use and where to find more detailed information. They also stress that not only rural properties are involved in weed control, but urban properties also have the same legal responsibilities, pointing out that most noxious weeds are escapees from private gardens.
TCCG thanks the many local Landcare groups who collaborated on this project by contributing their votes on problematic weeds and photos of some of their local weed infestations. The brochures include the contact details for these groups and will hopefully lead to future new enquiries and members.
We hope there’ll be an official and fun launch in the near future, but please contact the TCCG via their website at www.cactuswarriors.org if you have any queries. Click on the links below to download the brochure specific to your ward. And if you are unsure of your ward here is a map to check.
CASTLEMAINE-Weed-Brochure-2018
TARRANGOWER-Weed-Brochure-2018
Meet the Connecting Country office team of 2018
Posted on 11 January, 2018 by Tanya Loos
As we welcome in a new year, we thought it appropriate to re-introduce you to the team at the Connecting Country office. Although small in number, we make up for it in enthusiasm and commitment. And we are very modest! ; )
The Connecting Country staff are:
Frances Howe frances@connectingcountry.org.au
Director
As an environmental scientist, Frances has helped assess and manage the environmental and social impacts of large development projects, across Australia and around the world. She also worked as an environmental advisor for a non-government organisation in Lesotho (Africa). Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Master of Environment from the University of Melbourne. Having travelled far and wide, including living in the Middle East, Africa and the United States, Frances recently returned to settle in Castlemaine.
Frances lives with her husband and dog on a small bush block outside Castlemaine, surrounded by the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. Frances is in the office from Monday to Thursday, overseeing Connecting Country’s projects, organisational management and administration.
Bonnie Humphreys (bonnie@connectingcountry.org.au)
Botanist, Landholder engagement and on-ground works program
Bonnie Humphreys joined the Connecting Country team as Project Officer in 2011. She grew up in Bendigo and Castlemaine and has completed her Diploma in Conservation and Land Management at the Bendigo TAFE. Bonnie has a special interest in native flora and weed ecology. Her current work includes on ground site assessments of landscapes within the Mount Alexander Shire. These assessments will help determine the best ways to protect and manage remnant vegetation. Bonnie also coordinates all of our on ground works programs, working with landholders and the Dja Dja Wurrung and Land Mate Works Crews. Bonnie lives in Barkers Creek with her partner and two dogs, Meya and Zeena.
Tanya Loos (tanya@connectingcountry.org.au)
Woodland Birds Project Coordinator,
Community Engagement and Monitoring Program
Tanya is a keen field naturalist and ecologist with a particular interest in birds and bats. She has worked for state and local government in various biodiversity and native vegetation projects, and is thrilled to be working for Connecting Country as their Monitoring and Engagement coordinator. This role includes the citizen science program and the education program. Tanya lives on a bush block in Porcupine Ridge with her husband, dog Leela and rescue parrots, and she enjoys writing about wildlife watching and plant spotting.
Asha Bannon (asha@connectingcountry.org.au)
Landcare Facilitator
Asha is a local resident with a particular interest in wildlife conservation and community engagement. After completing a Bachelor of Environmental Science at Deakin she moved back to Mount Alexander Shire in order to study the local bird communities. Her Honours project focused on the relationships between birds and time-since-fire in Box-Ironbark ecosystems. Asha is a strong believer in the power of community groups when it comes to land management and conservation, and she is excited to be working with and supporting our local Landcare Groups. Asha lives in Campbells Creek with her family and dog, Max.
Other important people
In our office you may also find our amazing office volunteers, Jane and Naomi, our book keeper Bruce, and the occasional member of our management committee. We also have visitors for all sorts of enquiries, meetings with staff, our steering group meetings and more!
New office hours:
The Connecting Country office is open Monday to Thursday, 9 am to 4:30 pm.
Please note we are no longer open on Fridays.
We are very excited about working with our friends and supporters in 2018.
Macrophotography exhibition at Dig Cafe Newstead Dec 20 2017
Posted on 21 December, 2017 by Tanya Loos
Newstead naturalist and photographer Patrick Kavanagh is well known for his incredible macro photography which is an occasional feature on Geoff Park’s blog, Natural Newstead. Patrick is holding an exhibition of his photographs at Dig Cafe Newstead entitled ‘Small World – Visions from Another Dimension’. An apt title! Patrick sent us through some words and images to entice you to head to Newstead…
A long-nosed weevil, extremely small in size. By Patrick Kavanagh
There is another world hidden from our unaided senses. A world of strange and wonderful animals – some could be from another planet, some are insects but look like sea shells. The damage inflicted by a caterpillar on a eucalypt leaf looks like a Renaissance window. A piece of abstract art turns out to be the wing of a moth. A tiny world, on a scale of millimetres, best seen through a macrophotographer’s lens.
This remarkable world will be on show at an exhibition of macrophotography at Dig Café in Newstead. Photographer Patrick Kavanagh is showing the images he has taken at his home at Strangways.
The exhibition ‘Small World – Visions from Another Dimension’ will be on at Dig Café, Newstead from Wednesday 20 December until late January.
An extreme close-up of a moth’s wing. By Patrick Kavanagh
What’s under that tile? – reptile and frog monitoring at Campbells Creek
Posted on 14 December, 2017 by Frances
You may think ceramic roof tiles belong on roofs, but we have another use for them. Ceramic roof tiles also make great shelters for reptiles and frogs.
On Friday 8 December 2017, we gathered at the Campbells Creek walking track to admire the beautiful creekline restoration work achieved by Friends of Campbells Creek. The aim of the workshop was to check the tiles previously set out as part of Connecting Country’s citizen science monitoring program for reptiles and frogs. This program involves arrays of ceramic tiles set out on both private and public land across the shire. For some more information on our reptile and frog monitoring program click here.
Peter Johnson (PJ) from Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) demonstrated how to safely check monitoring tiles, and helped us identify the creatures we found. At the first monitoring site we found several native garden skinks (Lampropholis guichenoti) sheltering under the tiles, along with numerous scorpions, centipedes, beetles, slugs and ants. Unfortunately we discovered the second monitoring site had been ‘tidied up’, with the tiles piled into a neat stack! Asha and the rest of the team reset the tiles and took this as a valuable lesson in the challenges of doing scientific research.
It was a perfect day for reptile and frog monitoring – not too hot or too cold. Although we didn’t find frogs or larger reptiles, Peter suggested that it takes time for the tiles to become suitable habitat for these animals. Experience suggests the tiles are first colonised by invertebrates, then increasing numbers of reptiles and frogs move in over several years. So we can expect tile monitoring to get more exciting as monitoring continues!
Over some morning tea, Peter shared more of his knowledge and experience about reptile and frog identification and conservation. We thank Peter and DELWP for their support in running this event.
If you would like some ceramic tiles and instructions on how to set up reptile and frog monitoring on your property, please contact Asha Bannon at Connecting Country.
The following images were captured on the day by our director, Frances Howe.
Bird Baths – tips for keeping birds cool and safe
Posted on 14 December, 2017 by Tanya Loos
Bird baths – there are mosaic ones, terracotta ones, deep ones, shallow ones. What makes a great bird bath, and how do we best care for them?
Types of baths – for a variety of bathing styles
Very small birds like thornbills stand in shallow water, crouch down and then flutter their wings at unbelievable speed to bathe. Honeyeaters and fairy-wrens seem to dip into to deeper baths and almost swim through the water. Larger birds like rosellas wade in to a deep bath and create a massive splashy mess to their great enjoyment!
White-throated treecreepers creep up the side of a nearby log or branch, and then back into the bath. You can almost hear the reversing beep!
I have three baths of differing depths and heights, and each are used by different birds. As the bird bath enthusiasts among us know, bird baths are also used as baths and a source of clean drinking water by animals such as echidnas, wallabies, kangaroos, and frogs and reptiles. Occasionally a bird bath is used as a clever lure for the hunters among us – see the stunning images from the Yellow-footed antechinus and Grey fantail story here.
Location of the bath(s)
The placement of the bath is important for a few reasons. If it is in full sun, it will get too hot, and the birds are too exposed to aerial predators such as goshawks. Birds also need a place to perch and preen their feathers after their bath.
Pardalotes are very cautious at my place. They wait until the bath is jam-packed with happy visitors and then come down to the bath, checking for danger at many different perch heights as they approach. They visit the bath that is located under a a tall fruit tree and protective shrub. The White-browed scrubwrens and fairy-wrens share the deep mosaic bath on the ground with the rosellas.
Another reason to have plenty of perching spots around the bath area is that queues form on very hot days! Birds will wait nearby until there is enough room to fly down and have their turn.
Safety for the bathers
Ensure the bath is beyond the reach of cats – hang it from a tree or use a pedestal bath if cats are around. If you have a pedestal bird bath, some dead branches placed across the bath may make it more attractive for smaller birds.
Keep the water cool, fresh and clean. It’s a good idea to locate bird baths near your plants that need watering on hot days, so you can water your plants and refill the bird baths easily at the same time. It’s best to keep the bath clean by giving it a regular scrub with a brush, to avoid the spread of diseases such as Beak and Feather disease, which affects parrots.
If the bath is bucket shaped or deep, always provide a sturdy stick or series of stepping stones for small animals to climb out. I have seen skinks and young rosellas drowned in water that was too deep with smooth sides.
Finally, if you are going away, ask your neighbour to refill your bird bath, so your birds and other creatures don’t lose their water supply.
Here is a series of images from our staff member Bonnie Humphreys. Bonnie has three baths at her property in Barkers Creek. Note how clean and fresh the water is! Click on the arrow on the right hand side to move through the images… Thanks Bonnie!
Sociable Skinks – Nature News Midland Express – 5 December 2017
Posted on 5 December, 2017 by Tanya Loos
For this month’s Nature News, Tanya Loos from Connecting Country writes about the sociable skinks photographed by Nick Schulz on his property in Nuggetty. This article was featured in the Midland Express on 5 December 2017.
Earlier this year, landholder Nick Schulz sent us a series of stunning photographs from a granite outcrop on his property in Nuggetty. The pictures show a large group of plump, spiny and spotted skinks seemingly enjoying each other’s company near the safety of deep rock crevices. They are Cunningham’s skinks and they turn the idea of reptiles being cold loners on its head!
A family of skinks peers out from the safety of their rock crevice. Photo by Nick Schulz
The skinks live in long term family groupings, with a large breeding pair (around 25 cm long) and many immature siblings of various ages and sizes from previous years. This kind of social system is more commonly seen in birds and mammals. Researchers suggest that the family group represents safety in numbers, with more eyes to look out for predators such as birds of prey. Another advantage may be temperature-related, as the skinks huddle together to help keep warm during cold weather.
The breeding pair remains faithful to one another from season to season and sometimes over many years – similar to the Stumpy-tail lizard or Shingleback, who also have long monogamous relationships. Both the Stumpy-tail lizard and the Cunningham’s skink give birth to live young instead of laying eggs.
Cunningham’s skinks are only found around rocky outcrops. Each family group must have a rocky habitat with nice deep crevices to hide in. If threatened by predators, the whole group scuttles into the cracks to hide. If the bird of prey or fox is persistent and tries to remove a skink from a crevice, they will inflate their bodies and make their spines stick out, becoming incredibly hard to dislodge from cracks.
The very spiny tail is evident in this photo. Photo by Nick Schulz
Cunningham’s skinks are omnivorous, like other large skink species such as Stumpy-tails and Blue-tongue lizards. Most of their diet made up of plant matter such as flowers, fruits, soft leaves and shoots. They also eat insects, spiders and small lizards.
We have had reports of this species in Sutton Grange, Elphinstone and now Nuggetty. If you have granite outcrops on your property, you may be hosting a whole family!
Many thanks to Nick for sharing his wonderful photos with us. For more information or to report a Cunningham’s skink family, contact Tanya Loos at Connecting Country 5472 1594, or info@connectingcountry.org.au.
Connecting Country’s Birthday Picnic in the Gardens
Posted on 30 November, 2017 by Tanya Loos
On Tuesday 28 November 2017, members and staff of Connecting Country from past and present gathered to share delicious food and reflect on our tenth birthday!
The weather was kind to us, and we had a relaxed gathering in the shade of deciduous trees and the lee of the Castlemaine Tea Rooms. The food was ‘bring a plate’, enhanced by a generous donation of silky goats cheese from from the Holy Goat Farm. Thanks Ann-Marie and Carla!
After the lovely picnic, Bernard Slattery, Beth Mellick and Brendan provided some entertaining speeches about the formation of Connecting Country ten years ago. At this point, Brendan quite rightly acknowledged founding member Marie Jones for her past, present and ongoing kindness and stewardship of all of us at Connecting Country. Thank you, Marie!
Brendan gave Krista, our former Co-director, a gift to say thanks for her time at Connecting Country, and Marie presented new director Frances Howe with a gift too – a passing of the baton!
Jane Rusden created a wonderful tree for us to write little messages on each of the leaves – thank you Jane!
Many thanks to all who attended this relaxed and lovely celebration – and thanks also to the many people who sent in apologies or dropped in to wish us a happy birthday!
Krista and Brendan
It was lovely on the grass
Frances receives a hat from Marie
Higgo and Asha
Bernard and Brendan
Friends and food
The beautiful tree by Jane Rusden with memories and well wishes