Cactus Killing Season Begins

Posted on 24 April, 2012 by Connecting Country

The Tarrangower Cactus Control Committee and Parks Victoria will hold their first Community Field Day on Sunday 29 April starting at 10.30 am. Local State MP, Maree Edwards, has agreed to launch our season and get us off to a flying start.

The venue for next Sunday is a property on Watersons Road between Treloars Road and Tarrengower School Road.  See the attached notice for a map. As usual the day will finish with a sausage sizzle and a cuppa.

For more details phone Cheryl and Tony Kane on (03) 5475 2073.

Farm Chemical and 1080 Pest Control Training

Posted on 24 April, 2012 by Connecting Country

BRIT TAFE is offering Farm Chemical and 1080 Pest Control training this month. There may be some positions available and people interested should contact Tony Misson, Coordinator, Primary Industries, Bendigo TAFE, on 03 5434 1759, or email tmisson@bendigotafe.edu.au

Farm Chemical Users Course (23, 24 and 25 April)
Course cost $375.00
Participants will receive training in the basic skills and knowledge to select, purchase, transport, store, record and use agricultural and veterinary chemicals responsibly. Completion of this course is required before participants can be issued with an Agricultural Chemical Users Permit (ACUP) from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI)

1080 Pest Control Course (27 April)
Course cost $200.00
This course aims to provide 1080 pest animal bait users with the knowledge, skills and competency to use 1080 pest animal bait products in a manner which is both safe for themselves and the environment. The course also aims to ensure bait end users understand that the use of 1080 pest animal bait products is only one element of an integrated pest animal management strategy. The course is designed for individuals and for persons operating within an integrated pest management plan eg. landcare groups.

Upon successful completion of this course (and prior completion of the Farm Chemical User Course), you will be eligible to obtain a 1080 endorsement to your ACUP issued under the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use Act) 1992. This will qualify you as an “authorised person” and permit you to purchase and use 1080 pest animal bait products in Victoria from 1 January 2008.

29 April 2012 – Golden Point Landcare Planting Day

Posted on 18 April, 2012 by Connecting Country

As part of the North Central CMA/Golden Point Landcare Weeds on Private Land Project, project officer Fritz Hammersley will be conducting a community planting day on the Photography Studies College property, Golden Point at 10:30 am on Sunday April the 29^th.  This property occurs on on the corner of Commissioner’s Gully Rd and Golden Point Rd.  All interested members of the public are invited to attend to plant and discuss how the planting and future plantings fit into the weed control strategy for the property.  Fritz is very interested in hearing other people’s weed control problems and strategies.

Equipment will be provided save for gloves, so bring a good pair of gardening gloves in your kit. A BBQ lunch will be provided at the log cabin near the site. Parking is available near the site or on Golden Point Road. For catering purposes, please let Fritz (0411566987  fritzham@bigpond.com)  or Jennifer  (Golden Point Landcare scretary – j.pryce@bigpond.com)  know if you are coming.

Participants at recent a planting day.

18 April 2012 – Can I get paid to farm nature?

Posted on 17 April, 2012 by Connecting Country

This Wednesday evening, April 18, Connecting Country will host a Panel discussion on the theme ‘Can I get paid to farm nature?’. Panellists will include Tim Read from Trust for Nature,  Peter Johnson from Land for Wildlife, Nick Lewis from ES Link Services, Paul Dettmann from Greenhouse Balanced and Chris Timewell from Connecting Country. Each representative will have 15 minutes to promote their services and to discuss the support mechanisms they have to assist landholders with land management. The panel will then look at a number of farm-based scenarios and suggest ways in which the landholder can manage the land to gain environmentally, economically and socially. The Panel discussion will be held at the Campbells Creek Community Centre (Elizabeth St) and commence at 6:30pm. The event is free for all members of the public and is fully catered.  Feel free to turn up on the night, although RSVPS are preferred for catering purposes (contact us on 5472 1594 or bryan@connectingcountry.org.au).

A follow-up excursion will be held on Sunday April 22 to a Sandon farm where we will hear the farmer (Malcolm Fyffe) and the conservationist (Geoff Park) discuss the realities of biodiversity management on economic landscapes. Buses and catering are supplied for this half day event and we will meet at the Ray Bradfield Room in Castlemaine for a 9am departure. This will be an interactive experience for participants and will be a great opportunity to flesh out ideas for personal land management situations.  Due to limited bus spaces, RSVPs are preferred (phone 5472 1594 or email bryan@connectingcountry.org.au).  There is a charge of $10 per participant for this event, which can be paid on the day.

For more information on these and future events click here.  Also, please pass this reminder onto others who might be interested in coming along.

Farm Tree and Landcare Association Newsletter

Posted on 14 April, 2012 by Connecting Country

The latest Farm-Tree and Landcare Association newsletter has plenty of interesting items including information on:

• Growers and Eaters Conference in Bendigo on Monday 23 April
• National Tree Day 2012
• A range of grants and scholarships

The newsletter can be viewed by clicking here.

28 April – A Focus on Frogs

Posted on 5 April, 2012 by Connecting Country

On Saturday 28 April the North Central CMA is conducting a free forum in Newstead on frogs. There will be a number of speakers who are frog experts. The event begins at 9am and finishes at 3.30. Lunch and morning and afternoon tea will be provided.  Click here to find out more.

Identifying EVC’s: Connecting Country Field Day

Posted on 4 April, 2012 by Connecting Country

Who could have asked for more on Sunday March 25^th when Connecting Country commenced its first field excursion as part of the 2012 education program?  Two Mount Alexander Shire Community minibuses loaded with eager students, locally-sourced condiments and plenty of reference material took to the hills in the north-east of the shire on a warm sunny day to learn about Victoria’s native vegetation classification system – the EVC approach.

The first of three sites visited for the day was at crown land in Sedgwick. Local ecological consultant Paul Foreman started the group’s journey into vegetation classification by guiding a discussion on land form descriptions, environmental variables and the benefits and limitations of several native vegetation classification systems used in Victoria and across Australia, including the EVC system. Both Paul and Ian Higgins (from the North Central Catchment Management Authority) then led a further discussion on how EVCs can vary across the landscape and through time according to factors such as elevation, topography, land-use, soil formations, moisture and nutrient availability.

Participants are challenged by a discussion on vegetation classification from Paul Foreman under the shade of the Grey Box and Red Ironbark at site one of the tour.

Ian Higgins leads a guided walk designed to expose the group to the variables of EVCs and what they look like in real life situations.

Continue Reading »

5 April 2012 – Focus on Needle Grass

Posted on 3 April, 2012 by Connecting Country

Malmsbury Landcare Group will be hosting a public meeting this Thursday called ‘Focus on Texas Needle Grass’. The purpose of the meeting is to raise awareness of the threat this exotic grass poses to agricultural and public land in the area and to discuss how to respond to the threat. Representatives from the DPI and Shire council will be attending and speaking.

The meeting will be held at Malmsbury Town Hall on Thursday 5^th April at 7:30pm. Anybody in our region concerned about the spread of exotic Needle Grasses is invited to attend.

Texas Needle Grass is almost identical to Chilean Needle Grass. If you are concerned about the existence of exotic Needle Grass in your area, or you are not sure how to identify them (they can look very similar to the native Spear Grass) there are good resources available to help. Our own region’s Chilean Needle Grass (Exotic Needle Grasses) Working Group has produced a comprehensive ‘Invasive Stipa [Needle Grass] Action Manual’, which can be accessed on the Chilean Needle Grass Working Group page on the Connecting Country Website (click here). Information on identification and management options can also be found on the DPI website (click here) and the Weeds Australia website (click here).

Chilean Needle Grass. Photo by Karen Stewart

FarmPlan21: Develop a Whole Farm Plan

Posted on 2 April, 2012 by Connecting Country

FarmPlan 21 is seeking interest within the North Central Region from landholders who would like to attend an accredited training course at DPI Bendigo on developing a whole farm plan. The course is free, runs for six evening sessions and commences on 12 April.

For more details click here.

5 May 2012 – “Understanding your Soil Test” workshop

Posted on 2 April, 2012 by Connecting Country

“You are what you eat!” may be true of humans and the food they eat, but it could also be said that your crops will reflect the soil that they grow in.  Strong healthy, pest- and disease-resistant crops are likely to be growing in well-structured soils with a wide range of nutrients readily available to the plants.  It is hard to imagine why all landholders wouldn’t wish to improve their soils, but many, especially those new to agriculture, often lack the know-how.

One of the best ways of finding out what your soil needs is to have a soil test done.  But sometimes reading the results can be an exercise in frustration.  The names of the chemicals; their interaction with each other and the cost of the whole exercise can be quite daunting.

Baynton Sidonia Landcare group is offering a workshop to assist people to understand soil tests and get an idea of how to improve their soils.  The workshop is not aimed at experienced farmers and it is weighted on the natural side: if you are after conventional soil additives, there are plenty of commercial retailers.

The workshop is on Saturday 5^th May at the Baynton Hall, starting at 10.00 am.  There will be a brief talk followed by a discussion of each participant’s soil tests and after lunch a field walk to examine some nearby examples of soil improvement.  The workshop will finish around 4 pm.  Refreshments and lunch will be provided and the workshop is free of charge.

Each participant needs to supply one or more soil tests, either from one paddock or from across their property.  Old soils tests, so we can make comparisons, would be of value too.  Guidance on getting soil tests done can be obtained from Carl Reeve on 0412144 936 but if you are interested in this workshop, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Carl soon, or start getting your test(s) done, as the results can take a while.

If you would like to participate in the workshop, you will need to book with Clare on
54 234 152 or clare@knco.net before Saturday April 14th.  And when you book, you will be asked to supply a copy of the soil test(s), so that Carl can have an opportunity to standardize the information, thus making it much easier for workshop participants to compare tests and so learn.

All are welcome at this workshop which is funded by the North Central Catchment Management Authority and organized by Baynton Sidonia Landcare Group.

14 & 15 April – Growing the Harvest Festival

Posted on 28 March, 2012 by Connecting Country

The Growing the Harvest Festival will be held in Castlemaine over the weekend of 14th and 15th April. The two days will be packed with activities including workshops, community apple juicing, a community lunch and meditation walks. To see the full program click here or call Heather on 0409 327791.

The Meet Your Local Farmers forum is likely to be of particular interest to Connecting Country members and supporters. It will provide an opportunity to connect with the people who grow food locally, hear their stories and understand their trials and tribulations. The contributing farmers are:

• George Kyvetos, fruit grower, from the Castlemaine Fruit Supply
• Dr Janey Jackson, beef producer
• Marie Murley, Goldfields honey
• Max Blackmore, cropping and mixed farming and secretary of the local branch of the VFF.

The session will be led by local orchardist, Katie Finlay of the Mount Alexander Fruit Gardens.

When: 11.15am – 12.15pm, Saturday 14th April
Where: Uniting Church Hall, Castlemaine
Cost: Free

We would also like to remind readers of two upcoming Connecting Country ‘farming’ events. On 18 April there will be a panel discussion on the topic of Can I get paid to farm nature? and on 22 April there will be a presentation by Geoff Park and Malcolm Fyffe on Farming and biodiversity conservation … how it can work in practice? For more details about these two events and the remainder of the 2012 Connecting Country education program click here.

‘We are country. Country is us’

Posted on 27 March, 2012 by Connecting Country

Dr Dennis Saunders, Research Fellow CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences and Member Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists

There are 20,000 kilograms of micro organisms in a hectare of soil. What happens to them in the process of agricultural production?

The fact is, as Dr Denis Saunders pointed out in his Connecting Country talk on 21 March, that we don’t know.

To explain why this is important, he put a question to his audience: if you were getting on an aeroplane, and saw a mechanic take a few bits out of the wing to put on another plane, wouldn’t you want reassurance that those bits were going to be replaced?’

At the moment we tend to be playing a game with the environment: we are not sure what changes we are bringing about, especially in the area of micro organisms. There is no reliable way of finding out how farming practices are affecting them. Reducing their numbers simplifies the landscape and potentially makes it less resilient to crisis events like flood or drought. Sobering statistics on extinctions suggest that we’re not doing as well as we should in land management.

Dr Saunders began by drawing attention to Aboriginal philosophies founded on the interdependence of land and people: ‘we are country , country is us’. He emphasised that farmers, who work on the land and manage it, are keys to land health: and that they should be suitably rewarded for their efforts, both through schemes like BushTender and through a fair pricing system for products of the land.

Dr Saunders pointed out that we are not presently paying the full price for food and fibre products: production is subsidised to an unknown extent by environmental degradation. An accounting system integrating agricultural and biodiversity values might be a way of getting a grip on how things are changing. ‘Conservation’ has tended to be a matter confined to such areas as National Parks: in fact, private productive land is at least as important.

Interestingly, Dr Saunders expressed misgivings about the word ‘biodiversity’, a potentially confusing term which he preferred not to use. And he warned that we should be careful in our use of language in talking of environmental matters. The tendency of conservation workers to talk down to farmers, and for some farmers to be dismissive of environmental concerns, will not help get a practical consensus about how we can ensure landscape productivity long term.

Seventy-five people came along to the Newstead Community centre for this event. The gold coin donation from attendees for the evening’s food is being donated to Newstead Landcare Group.

The next in the evening series of talks is a Panel Discussion – Can I get paid to farm nature? on Wednesday 18th of April, 6:30pm to 9pm, Campbells Creek Community Centre. For more information about Connecting Country’s 2012 education program click here.

March edition of Groundcover

Posted on 19 March, 2012 by Connecting Country

The March issue of the North Central CMA publication Groundcover is now available and can be downloaded here. As well as including interesting articles on Texas Needle-Grass and Myrtle rust, this issue covers Connecting Country’s appointment of Max Schlachter as the new local Landcare facilitator and information on Connecting Country’s education program.

2012 Mount Alexander Shire Youth Awards

Posted on 16 March, 2012 by Connecting Country

As part of National Youth Week 2012, Mount Alexander Shire Council is re-launching the Mount Alexander Youth Awards. The Awards will be presented at the Youth Celebration and Awards Night to be held during National Youth Week on Thursday 19 April 2012.

These Awards promote and celebrate the achievements and contributions of young people to the Mount Alexander community.  The Awards are open to young people aged between 12 and 25 who are employed or reside in the Mount Alexander Shire. For more information click here.

20 March – Biodiversity and agriculture – working together

Posted on 16 March, 2012 by Connecting Country

Dr Denis Saunders, former CSIRO chief research scientist, member of the Wentworth Group, and president of World Wildlife Fund.

Biodiversity and agriculture are often seen as separate entities, however, this doesn’t need to be the case.  On Tuesday evening, 20 March 2012, internationally renowned scientist Dr. Denis Saunders will present a free public talk at the Newstead Community Centre on the reasons why. With a long and distinguished career in landscape-scale analyses of agricultural rangelands and studies of Australian bird ecology, Dr Saunders is well placed to deliver this presentation – which will be of great interest to everyone – conservationists and farmers alike.

“Biodiversity – the variety of all life forms and their geographic patterns – is integral to a functioning landscape and provides critical environmental services such as nutrient cycling, water filtration and soil stability. Everyone benefits from a biodiverse environment. When biodiversity is diminished these benefits, such as life support processes, are decreased”, says Connecting Country Project Coordinator Chris Timewell.  Dr. Saunders will present a case that agriculture is an enterprise that is critically dependent on biodiversity services and will describe how we might go about integrating them.  A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

Denis’s evening talk, the first of Connecting Country’s 2012 Education Program, commences at 6.30pm with a pre-talk supper (gold coin donation to the local Newstead Landcare group).  This free event is fully catered and the food will be sourced from locally grown ingredients. All the evening talks and field days are open to all members of the public.

Also coming up on Sunday the 25^th of March is a field trip with Connecting Country to Pilchers Bridge where participants will learn about the process of identifying Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) and learn how they can be used in revegetation and biodiversity management. There are still places available for the field trip so register now to guarantee your place.

For more information and to RSVP please contact bryan@connectingcountry.org.au or call the Connecting Country office on 5472 1594. Full details of Connecting Country’s 2012 education program and a registration form can be found here.

25 March – Woody Weed Cutting and Painting Workshop

Posted on 13 March, 2012 by Connecting Country

Golden Point Landcare will be running a woody weed cutting and painting workshop on Sunday March 25^th from 11.30am-12.30pm at the Prideaux/Billington property, Chapel Street, Golden Point. The workshop is part of the NCCMA and Victorian Government funded project Private Land Weed Control 2011.

Fritz Hammersley, the project officer, will be demonstrating cutting and painting technique for the control of Gorse, Blackberry and Broom and any other woody weeds and discussing how this method fits in with broader aspects of weed control. This event will not feature chainsaw use. Tools and equipment will be provided.

As the event is on private property and late morning tea will be provided, it is requested that anyone interested in participating RSVP Fritz on 0411566987 or email fritzham@bigpond.com by end of day Saturday March 24^th.

Directions to the property will begin with signage on the corner of Llewellyn Rd and Golden Point Road, which is a little to the south of Expedition Pass Reservoir.

Fritz addressing participants at the Golden Point Landcare seed collection and sowing workshop in February. Photo: John Ellis

Nest box Monitoring and other Events

Posted on 5 March, 2012 by Connecting Country

Presenter Bryan McMullan is pictured along with one of the 400 nest boxes that have been strategically placed throughout the region.

Thanks to all those that joined Connecting Country in our nest box monitoring workshop in Chewton on 29 February. Participants were shown how to monitor and accurately identify nest box occupants and discussed how to document the sightings using our data sheet. They also received a visual display on the Brush-tailed Phascogale and the Sugar Glider, and how to differentiate between them.

Many thanks to Glenn Harrison of the Chewton Bushlands for hosting a nest box site visit during the evening and discussing the conservation initiatives that he is undertaking on his property.

The session was well received by all participants and was a wonderful opportunity to network and share ideas. This was the first of four nest boxworkshops – the others will be in Maldon (March 7), Sutton Grange (March 14) and Guildford (March 15). To find out more about these workshops and the other components of Connecting Country’s 2012 Education Program, click here, or call the Connecting Country office on 03 5472 1594.

As in 2011, a number of Connecting Country’s 2012 evening education events will be catered for by the Growing Abundance Project. The aim of this local organisation is to ‘give our community the tools to live more sustainably by reducing food miles and food waste’. To find out more about the organisation, click here, and to view their Low Food Miles campaign, click here.

Two opportunities to hear local nest box expert, Miles Geldard

You can find out more about how nest boxes work, how they can be designed for differnt animals and the ins and outs of constructing and placing them from local expert, Miles Geldard, at two upcoming events.

The first is on Friday 9 March when Miles Geldard will be the guest speaker at the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club. The meeting will take place at 7.30pm in the Uniting Church Hall, Lyttleton St, Castlemaine. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Miles will also give a presentation at Newstead Landcare’s meeting on Thursday 16 June  from 8-9 pm at Newstead Community Centre. This presentation will be followed by a cup of tea and then a brief business meeting if you would like to hang around. All are welcome to attend either the presentation or the meeting. Contact Patrick Kavanagh (Secretary) or Frances Cincotta (President) 5476 2691 for further information.

More information about Miles Geldard’s nest boxes can be found on his website Wildlife Nestboxes.

2012-13 Community Action Grants

Posted on 1 March, 2012 by Connecting Country

The Australian Government is seeking applications for 2012-13 Community Action Grants from local community groups to help them take action to conserve and protect their local environment.

As part of the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country initiative, Community Action Grants recognise the contribution that community groups make to the Caring for our Country priority areas of:

• Coastal environments and critical aquatic habitats
• Sustainable farm practices, or
• Biodiversity and natural icons.

As in previous rounds, local community, farming and Indigenous groups can apply for a grant between $5,000 and $20,000 (GST exclusive) to fund projects that encourage active participation and build the skills and knowledge of the community to protect and restore our environment and natural resources. Projects may include hosting a local field day, developing natural resource management plans, educating land owners in sustainable agriculture techniques and on-ground works.

Community Action Grant applications are subject to a competitive assessment process. Applications will be assessed based on alignment to Caring for our Country priorities, community engagement, project feasibility and value for money. All successful applicants must finish their project by 30 June 2013.

Applications close at 5pm (AEDT), on Tuesday 27 March 2012.

For more information on eligibility and to submit a Community Action Grants application, visit the Caring for our Country website (http://www.nrm.gov.au/funding/cag/index.html) or telephone 1800 552 008.

Report on Connecting Country’s Reference Group Meeting

Posted on 29 February, 2012 by Connecting Country

The first Connecting Country Reference Group meeting for 2012 was held on Monday 20 February. The turnout was excellent with representatives from a fourteen local Landcare Groups, Parks Victoria, Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests, North Central CMA, Redesdale Biolink Project, Mount Alexander Shire, Normal Wettendhall Foundation and Connecting Country staff and Committee of Management members.

The two new Connecting Country workers were introduced to the meeting: Max Schlachter, the new Landcare facilitator, and Michael Luke, coordinator of the Brilliant Barkers Creek Project. Kylie Stafford, the new Mount Alexander Shire Natural Environment Officer was also introduced.

The evening provided the opportunity for interested members of Landcare groups and others to have input into the new Landcare facilitator’s future workplan. The suggestions for future priorities have been collated in this Landcare Feedback document.

Finally the Forest Creek Action Plan was launched by Marie Jones, President of Connecting Country. The Plan documents how the creek is valued by local residents and what threats it may face in the future. It also provides information on the social and natural history of Forest Creek.

The minutes of the meeting can be read by clicking here.

Farm-Tree and Landcare Association Newsletter

Posted on 27 February, 2012 by Connecting Country