Is it possible to manage for fire and biodiversity?
Posted on 10 July, 2014 by Connecting Country
What do you feel when you think about managing the fire risk on your property?
“Confused … worried … fearful … ignorant … confident … conflicted … overwhelmed …”
These were some of the responses from participants at the latest Connecting Country ‘Improving Biodiversity on Your Property’ session on Sunday 6 July 2014.
By far the most common response was confusion – about the messages put out by various agencies, and about whether it’s actually possible to have a property that provides a healthy habitat for wildlife, yet is also a relatively low fire risk.
By the end of the session, those initial responses had changed:
” informed … empowered … reassurred … more aware …”
With facilitator Chris Johnston guiding the discussions, presenters Owen Goodings (CFA, Statewide Vegetation Team Leader), fire ecologist David Cheal (ex-DEPI, now Federation University), field ecologist Julie Whitfield (ex-DEPI now Amaryllis Environmental) and landholders Team and Christine Henderson shared their expertise and experiences – each through their own particular lens.
A summary of the session and follow up resources are can be found here: Workshop 4: Fire & Biodiversity.
Thanks to Team and Christine for offering their beautiful Taradale property for the session, a perfect venue to explore the issues at both a property and landscape level.
Mid-winter might not be the best conditions for a workshop in the field, but it is a good time to be thinking, observing and planning around fire and biodiversity.
20 July 2014 – Invitation to Connecting Country planting day
Posted on 9 July, 2014 by Connecting Country
You are warmly invited to join Connecting Country’s second community planting day for 2014. The first of these was a great success (click here for info about the first planting day). These planting days are a great way to meet other local people involved in Connecting Country while also creating valuable habitat linkages for native wildlife such as the threatened Brush-tailed Phascogale.
This second community planting day will be on the Sunday 20 July 2014. We will be providing a free bus ride to a beautiful property in Elphinstone. The bus will depart from Castlemaine outside the Ray Bradfield room in the Maxi IGA car-park at 9am for a 9:15am departure. Pick-up from outside the Elphinstone pub can also be arranged.
After the planting and over a BBQ lunch, the landholder will give a talk about the property and the work he is doing with Connecting Country. Jarrod Coote from Connecting Country will then talk about the property in the context of broader biodiversity issues. We will be returning to Castlemaine (via Elphinstone) by bus, arriving back at 1:30pm.
Please RSVP by Thursday 17th of July to bonnie@connectingcountry.org.au to secure a place on the bus, and for further details about the day.
If you miss this planting day, or want to get involved in more of them, National Tree Day is on Sunday 27 July. Many local groups have planting events on this day. One of these is being held at Powlett Hill (click here) and others will be publicised here over the next week or two.
11 July 2014 – David Hollands on Wading Birds
Posted on 7 July, 2014 by Connecting Country
David Hollands. Photo from his website.
David Hollands is one of Australia’s best known bird photographers. His immaculate and well-written books on Australian night birds, birds of prey and kingfishers are a must-have for all naturalists and bird-enthusiasts (click here for more info).
In 2012, after 12 years of preparation and trips across the country, David published an extraordinarily detailed and beautiful book about Waders – The Shorebirds of Australia. It was prepared in conjunction with renowned wader specialist Clive Minton, and includes species known to use habitat in the local area such as dotterels, lapwings, snipes and stilts.
The Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club is very lucky to have David as guest speaker at its July club meeting. Everyone is welcome (including families), and there is no cost for attendance. The meeting starts at 7.30pm on Friday 11 July 2014 in the hall behind the Uniting Church on Lyttleton St, Castlemaine (next to the Art Gallery & Museum).
On the following day (Saturday 12 July), the club excursion will be to Ellis Falls, weather dependent. The excursion will depart from the Octopus building on Duke St (opposite the Castle Motel) at 1.30pm sharp.
Petition about the Wellsford Forest
Posted on 1 July, 2014 by Connecting Country
Wellsford Forest in Spring, courtesy Dr John Bardsley
The Wellsford Forest Conservation Alliance is campaigning to upgrade the Wellsford Forest to national park status. The group is concerned that at present the forest, with nine 500-year-old ironbark trees, is vulnerable to logging and firewood collection. See FOBIF site for map of Wellsford forest and more information on the campaign.
Interested people may like to sign a petition, Protect the Wellsford Forest. The Alliance aims to present the petition to parliament in September 2014.
New issue of ‘chat’
Posted on 1 July, 2014 by Connecting Country
The June 2014 edition of the North Central CMA publication, chat, is now available and can be downloaded by clicking here. The issue includes articles on the Asian Black-spined Toad and the 2014 National Landcare Conference as well as information on courses, resources, awards and funding opportunities.
6 July 2014 – Reminder about Alex Wild talk on Ants
Posted on 1 July, 2014 by Connecting Country
Next Sunday (6th July) Alex Wild will give a presentation on ‘How ants run ecosystems in Australia and around the world’. The event will start at 3.30pm and the venue is the Newstead Community Centre. Everyone is welcome and entry is free.
Alex is a research scientist specialising in insects, especially ants, but also beetles, bees, wasps, and various other arthropods. He is also widely known as an insect photographer and teacher of macro photography – his photographs appear in numerous natural history museums, magazines, books, television programs, and other media.
This event has been organised by Newstead Landcare in conjunction with The Norman Wettenhall Foundation and Connecting Country.
Click here for further information or visit www.alexanderwild.com
Connecting Country Committee Vacancy
Posted on 27 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
There is currently a vacancy for a ‘general committee member’ on the Connecting Country committee of management. We are therefore seeking interest from Connecting Country members to be seconded onto the committee.
The role could be short term – that is, filling the vacancy for the next 2-3 monthly meetings in the lead up to the Annual General Meeting in late September-early October 2014. However, it would also be a good opportunity for someone who might be interested in a longer term involvement (potentially re-nominating at the AGM) – and these 2-3 meetings could be a trial run to see if you enjoy it.
Meetings are held in Castlemaine on the 4th Tuesday of every month, starting at 6.30pm and running for about 60-90 minutes. All committee members are unpaid volunteers (but drinks, snacks and good company are provided!).
If you have an interest or passion for the works that Connecting Country are doing, and feel that you might be able to contribute, please send your expression of interest to Chris (info@connectingcountry.org.au or call on 5472 1594) before 8 July 2014. Also feel free to contact us if you’d like more information about what is involved in being a committee member.
In Praise of Steering Committees
Posted on 26 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
The following article was written by Connecting Country’s Local Landcare Facilitator, Max Schlachter, for the Victorian Landcare Magazine’s special edition on ‘Landcare support’.
I have to admit that before I started my role as a Local Landcare Facilitator with Connecting Country if you’d asked me what a ‘steering committee’ was I would probably have answered “a group of people who get together around a navigation chart and a weather map to decide which way the ship should go”. While that probably says more about my lack of experience than anything else, the fact is I’ve come to value the support I get from my steering committee very highly. Continue Reading »
29 June 2014 – Cactus Control Field Day
Posted on 26 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
The next Cactus Community Field Day organised by the Tarrangower Cactus Control Group Inc. will be held next Sunday on 29 June. As usual the morning will start around 10.30 am.
The venue is a property near the corner of Watersons and Tarrengower School Roads. The route will be sign posted from the corner of Watersons Road and the Maldon-Bridgewater Road. Click here to see flyer with map. Everyone is welcome.
5&6 August 2014 – Soil health workshops
Posted on 25 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
The North Central CMA is holding workshops about visual soil assessments to improve soil and plant health in Wedderburn (5 August) and Waubra (6 August). Expressions of interest (EOI) are now being accepted. Continue Reading »
Community Planting – Connecting People with Place
Posted on 20 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
Twenty people banded together happily on Sunday morning (15 June 2014) to help a local Taradale landholder to realise his on-ground works with Connecting Country.
Roughly five hundred local indigenous plants were planted at two sites on the beautiful property over the course of the morning, which will extend and enhance the wildlife habitat corridor which follows the Coliban River. It was a day for Connecting Country volunteers, members and staff to come together and experience firsthand the restoration work that local landholders and our works crew do in the shire. And also to make new friends and swap stories over a lunch of sausages, burgers, muffins and hot drinks. Continue Reading »
Course on Inspiring Women in Agriculture
Posted on 20 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
The North Central CMA are now accepting Expressions of interest for an intensive four-day course for women in agriculture from the North Central CMA region. The accredited course will take place in Bendigo (13-14 August 2014) and Huntly (4 September and 16 October 2014).
Topics covered in the course will include: Continue Reading »
Habitat for Bush Birds
Posted on 19 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
Habitat for Bush Birds is a new Connecting Country project that aims to improve habitat for five threatened bird species in the Mount Alexander region. Project Coordinator Tanya Loos and botanist Bonnie Humphreys from Connecting Country recently visited the first landholders to take part in the project.
Dora’s property is a beautiful example of high quality box ironbark forest, with plenty of large old trees, woody debris and shrubs for small bush birds to thrive. Tanya was thrilled to observe a family group of Hooded Robins, a Diamond Firetail, a family group of Brown Treecreepers and a Jacky Winter on the fence line. All four of these species are the target species for the Habitat for Bush Birds project. Apparently the fifth species, the Painted Button-quail has also been seen on the property.
Here Bonnie is pointing out native saltbush to landowner Doralinda Guidici and her children Sam and Jade. The friendly Joggle and Jala were also very interested, and helped out in the way big friendly dogs do!
The Habitat for Bush Birds project has an on-ground component – with support available for protective fencing, weed control, pest animal control and supplementary planting available for private properties within 11 priority habitat zones. As Dora’s property is in such good condition, excluding sheep out of the high conservation vegetation will be of the highest priority.
The project also has a strong focus on monitoring – with the aim of locating where these threatened birds are present – and absent – over the whole Mount Alexander region. Continue Reading »
Connecting Country Membership Renewal Drive is on!
Posted on 18 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
Connecting Country has commenced its annual membership renewal drive and we hope that all current members will continue their membership into 2014-15 by completing and returning a renewal form. We are also always keen for new members, and we welcome applications at any time of the year.
Membership demonstrates your support for the organisation, which helps us obtain funding for new projects across the local community. Current members are also able to vote at the AGM if there are decisions to be made (e.g. committee elections) and provides you with insurance cover at Connecting Country events.
As per previous years, membership of Connecting Country is completely free.
Please find a 2014-15 Membership Renewal Form for current members here. This can be returned by email (naomi@connectingcountry.org.au) or by post to Connecting Country, PO Box 437, Castlemaine VIC 3450. Membership renewals are requested to be completed and returned by 31 July 2014.
New Membership Application forms are available here for those keen to join Connecting Country for the first time, or for those whose memberships have lapsed. More information about Connecting Country can be found on this website and our constitution can be found here. A completed hard copy of the membership application form either needs to be posted to the address above, or dropped into our office (room 10, 233b Barker St, Castlemaine – enter through the glass door on Templeton St).
Email Naomi if you unsure if you are a current Connecting Country member or not (naomi@connectingcountry.org.au).
It’s been a really exciting 12 months for Connecting Country, and we are in the process of preparing our Annual Report which summarises all that we have done – which we will send out to members in the coming weeks. Heartiest thanks to all for your continued support for and participation in Connecting Country activities.
Nominations open for the Bob Hawke Landcare Award
Posted on 10 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
The Bob Hawke Landcare Award is a national award and is an initiative of the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture. The award acknowledges an individual who has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to caring for the land; champions better practices; and gives their time to share knowledge with others so that they too can prosper.
The Bob Hawke Landcare Award recipient will be awarded with a prize package to the value of $50,000 for further development of their knowledge and skills in sustainable land management and Landcare. Nominations close 5pm EST on 4 July 2014. More information about the award and the nomination process are available at the Bob Hawke Landcare Award website.
13 June 2014 – CFNC Talk on Moss
Posted on 10 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
This Friday (13 June), there will be a special Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club (CFNC) general meeting. Local resident and amateur bryologist Bernard Slattery will be talking about local mosses. Bernard, and another local Cassia Read, launched the FOBIF publication, Mosses of the dry forests in south eastern Australia, to great fanfare two weeks ago.
Bernard writes,
I spent about 65 years not really noticing moss, except as a vaguely dank winter thing. How can a person be so blind? The discovery that things are quite spectacular down there on the ground came by accident, while I was looking for something else, and the experience has taught me that the way we see things, or don’t see them, can be quite mysterious. Maybe it has something to do with an idea Shakespeare was getting at when he talked of the man ‘ who will not see because he does not feel’…in any case, I’ll try to explain how it happened in my case. In the process, I’ll show a few pictures of what happens in the moss world when there’s a fire…the transitions are amazing.
The evening commences at 7.30pm at the Uniting Church Hall, Castlemaine – members and visitors welcome. The book will be available for sale on the night. You can also order it on the FOBIF website. A report about the launch which includes a transcript of the speech Frances Cincotta gave to launch the book is included on the website.
Looking for that special moss species.
Breutelia and triquetrella. Photo by Bernard Slattery. White Gum Track, 31 August 2012
15 June 2014 – Community Planting Day with Connecting Country
Posted on 2 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
Connecting Country is running two Community Planting Days over the coming months as part of our Connecting Landscapes program. The plantings are being done at strategically important locations, where the new vegetation will create valuable habitat linkages for native wildlife such as the threatened Brush-tailed Phascogale to move across the local landscape.
The first planting day is coming up very soon, being on Sunday 15th June in Elphinstone. We’d love for you to come and join us. We will be providing a free bus ride to site and are meeting in Castlemaine outside the Ray Bradfield room in the Maxi IGA car-park at 9am for a 9:15am departure. This is a great opportunity for people of all ages to get involved with our habitat restoration activities first-hand while meeting other Connecting Country members, volunteers and staff. After the planting and over a BBQ lunch, Tanya Loos – coordinator of the new Habitat for Bush Birds project – will give a talk about habitat structure for woodland birds. We will be returning to Castlemaine by bus at 1pm.
Please RSVP to bonnie@connectingcountry.org.au to secure a place on the bus, and for further details about the day.
New features in FeralScan
Posted on 2 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
The FeralScan website has recently been upgraded, which improves the way pest animals and their impacts can be mapped.
Improvements
- Mobile website – A mobile website for smart phone users has been developed.
- Community facility – A new community group facility is also available, allowing people to create or join a group within FeralScan, and share data with other group members. This could be useful to Landcare groups, landholder networks, local council pest control groups, etc. It is far more cost-effective to work with neighbours and local communities to map and control pest animals, than to work alone.
- Private data option – This will allow people to keep pest observations private if they choose.
- Improved data display – You can now click on a record to view its details.
The Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre has also released an iPhone App “Field Guide to Pest Animals” (Apple iOS devices only at this stage). The App contains species profiles for 53 of Australia’s worst pest animals. It contains profiles, photo galleries, animal footprints, animal calls, pest control resources, etc. You can find out more about this App here.
If you have any feedback (or questions) about these new facilities, please contact the FeralScan Team via Peter West (Invasive Animals CRC) email peter.west@invasiveanimals..com.
May 2014 edition of ‘chat’
Posted on 2 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
The May 2014 edition of the North Central CMA publication, chat, is now available and can be viewed by clicking on the image above. This issue includes articles on the upcoming Baynton Sidonia Landcare bus tour which will focus on local trees, Landcare training workshops in June, a NCCMA survey of landholders across north central Victoria, and an interview with Joel Salatin, the innovative American farmer, lecturer and author.
Farm Tree and Landcare Association Newsletter
Posted on 2 June, 2014 by Connecting Country
The latest FTLA newsletter is now available and an edited version can be viewed by clicking on the logo above. The issue includes information on workshops, funding opportunities, news and resources. Of particular interest is an alert about changes to the Hold Harmless Clauses for insurance for groups, an extension to the DEPI water rebate program, and an outline of the 2014 State and Federal budgets as they affect funding for Landcare and other environmental programs.