Green Drinks Night
Posted on 4 October, 2011 by Connecting Country
A Green Drinks night was recently organised by the Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Healthy Environments team. The gathering took place on Friday 9 September in the Public Inn, Castlemaine. It was an opportunity for the MAS Council’s Healthy Environments team and sustainability, environment and friends groups to find out what each was doing and how they might work together. As well, information was provided about the MAS Community Grants Scheme.
Marie Jones, president of Connecting Country, commented that it was “a wonderful initative that was appreciated by all who attended – as was indicated by the noise level of the animated conversations! It was great to see fresh faces both old and new and it certainly showed the need for these types of events to happen.”
If you would like to find out more about the Shire’s Community Grants Scheme, check the MAS website and watch the local newspapers. Information about Community Grant information sessions can also be found here.
13 October 2011 – Presentation on Direct Seeding
Posted on 4 October, 2011 by Connecting Country
The Friends of Campbells Creek and Connecting Country are pleased to announce the first in a series of evening presentations on different vegetation management techniques.
David Millsom, a direct seeding specialist, will present the first evening seminar from 7.30 pm on Thursday 13 October in the Campbell’s Creek Community Centre. The evening will comprise of two sessions. The first session will cover the technical aspects of seed collection, genetics, seed propagation methods and the development of direct seeding. The second session will cover application of these methods with several case studies illustrating what is happening elsewhere in the region. Refreshments will be available between sessions.
David farmed near Pyramid Hill for 30 years and converted 1,000 acres of his farm to native vegetation. He is a board member of Seeding Victoria, responsible for technical issues, and has worked for Greening Australia for almost ten years as a project facilitator and technical development officer for direct seeding. David’s latest project is the development of the change in delivery method for Wattle Grow inoculant and the subsequent reduction in costs.
David says, “based on 20 years experience, some of the science research and case studies that I will present contradict some people’s myths and established ideas”. David’s objective for the evening is to help people choose and use the most technically appropriate/cost effective methods of revegetation.
Please join us for what will be an interesting and informative evening. For more information and to RSVP please contact krista@connectingcountry.org.au or call Connecting Country on 5472 1594.
2011 Connecting Country AGM
Posted on 3 October, 2011 by Connecting Country
Ann-Marie Monda and Carla Meurs at the 2011 Connecting Country AGM
Can you farm in a different way? Is farmland degraded land? These are two of the questions Ann-Marie Monda and Carla Meurs from Sutton Grange Organic Farm addressed in their inspiring and informative presentation to Connecting Country’s AGM on 26 September 2011.
Their farm is organically certified and consists of 205 acres of granitic sandy loam. Rainfall is between 400 ml and 1000 ml rainfall a year. They run 75 goats and produce the award winning Holy Goat organic cheese which they sell at Farmers’ Markets and through a distributor who supplies outlets in regional Victoria, Melbourne and Sydney.
Bushland with Hedge Wattle in foreground.
Twenty-nine percent of the farm is bushland and two percent is infrastructure. The benefits of protecting this extensive bushland include the maintenance of seed banks, the protection of pasture provided by birds, insects and windbreaks and the beauty of this land which they believe benefits the goats and people.
The farmland zone is sixty-nine percent of the total land and supports substantial stands of native grasses which are deep-rooted, perennial and drought tolerant. Kangaroo grass and Wallaby grass are particularly beneficial in providing vital minerals and fibre for the goats. They described their successful efforts in increasing levels of phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, iron and PH levels in the soil. They have also recently trialled an innovative method for controlling Capeweed.
Ann-Marie with some of this year's kids. 21 September 2011
Ann-Marie and Carla concluded their talk by explaining their vision for the farm. They distance themselves from the conventional idea that growth means more goats and producing more cheese which could eventually be exported. Instead they view the growth of their farm in terms of sustainability, quality and generosity for their goats, the land, people and the soil.
Other news from the AGM
1. Connecting Country Coordinator, Chris Timewell, gave a comprehensive report on progress over the last 12 months. The vast majority (90%) of the years annual project targets were achieved, and often significantly exceeded. Twenty separate on-ground works projects were developed with landholders, and many others are in progress. Over 400 nest boxes have been installed. 260 of the boxes have been monitored, with many found to support tuans or Sugar Gliders. Three field days were all booked out, and more than 200 community members attended evening talks on a range of topics. Planning for another successful year ahead is already well underway.
2. All members of the Management Committee were re-elected and retained their current roles. Click here to view a list of members with short biographical details.
3. Jodie Odgers, North Central CMA, updated us with the latest Landcare news and announced the recipients of the Victorian Landcare Grants. Information about these grants will be posted on this website when a complete list is available.
4. Two Connecting Country members, Damian Kelly and Robin Feary, won the random membership renewal prizes. If you are interested in becoming a member of Connecting Country, click on the links below:
- Individual membership form (which can be posted or emailed back)
- Group membership form (which can be posted or emailed back)
Family Fun Day is a Great Success
Posted on 29 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
A huge crowd of over 700 people gathered at Victory Park in Castlemaine on Sunday 25 September to celebrate nature in our backyards.
Children enjoyed the huge range of activities including face painting, jumping castle, badge making, butterfly wing creating and water watch. They filled out nature passports, danced with Swifty the Parrot and Tilly the Platypus and collected nature cards from the Connies. The biggest hit of the day was the live native animal display by Tooko which included Dingos, a Cape Barren Goose, Possums, Turtles and a 2m long Python.
The nature information stalls gave away a huge amount of information about local environment groups including Trust for Nature, Parks Victoria, Connecting Country and local Landcare Groups.
Connecting Country would like to thank Victoria Naturally, Trust for Nature, the Norman Wettenhall Foundation, MECU, IGA, Bakers Delight and KR Castlemaine for helping to sponsor the event as well as the many volunteers who helped to make the day such a success.
Close encounters at the Family Nature Day, September 2011
Reporting sick or dead wildlife
Posted on 28 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
Wildlife Health Surveillance Victoria investigates reports of sick and dead wildlife from free ranging populations in Victoria to understand baseline health, detect changes and identify risk factors. The organsation is based at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, Werribee. For more information, including contact details if you see sick, dead or dying wildlife, click here.
Good News for Landcare
Posted on 28 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
Connecting Country is preparing an expression of interest for a Local Landcare Facilitator through the just announced DSE’s Victorian Local Landcare Facilitators Initiative. This expression of interest would be made on behalf of the Landcare, Friends and environmental groups in our area.
We’d love to hear the thoughts of local landcare members about this ASAP – Is it a good idea? Would your group support our application? How would it be managed? What other questions do you have?
To discuss this opportunity you can email or call the numbers below. Also, keep an eye out for a planning meeting so that we can get ourselves organized.
Marie: 5472 2892, goldenpoint@aanet.com.au
Chris: 5472 1594, chris@connectingcountry.org.au
Krista: 5427 1594, krista@connectingcountry.org.au
Details on the Initiative
This program is a fixed grant of up to $50,000 p.a. for up to four years. The funding is available for the salary and operating costs of a part-time Landcare Facilitator.
Under the guidelines a new Landcare Facilitator would be based within the local communities they support and would
- support on-ground NRM delivery;
- build local community capacity to enable groups to be self sustaining;
- undertake community engagement and build partnerships;
- assist with planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting; and
- secure project grants and other funding.
More information can be found on http://www.landcarevic.net.au/
September edition of Groundcover
Posted on 27 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
The lastest edition of the North Central CMA publication Groundcover includes information on the 60 new Landcare facilitators positions that have just been announced by the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Ryan Smith, and a report on Dr Arn Tolsma’s talk on fire history which was part of the Connecting Country education program. The edition can be downloaded here.
9 October – Metcalfe Landcare Planting Day
Posted on 23 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
Metcalfe Landcare’s next planting day will focus on indigenous understorey shrubs underneath mature eucalypts along the banks of the Coliban River. Plants will go straight into the ground with no staking, guarding or jute matting.
When: Sunday 9 October 2011
Time: 10.00am onwards
Where: Enter site from Red Gum Bridge over the Coliban River, Kyneton-Metcalfe Rd, in the middle of the township of Metcalfe. Look for the flags to guide you.
Wear: Suitable clothes, gloves and sturdy boots. Gum boots might be useful if we need to bucket water from the river.
BBQ lunch served on site.
Deb from Metcalfe Landcare writes that this will be a great day for families as the planting sites are all fully fenced with stiles for getting in and out. The group would LOVE to see everyone helping out on the day. The weather is expected to be sensational and the setting is beautiful at the moment.
For further details, ring Deb on 5423 2030.
Reminder about Connecting Country’s AGM and Family Fun Day
Posted on 20 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
This is a reminder about two significant Connecting Country events that are coming up soon.
The first is Connecting Country’s 2011 Annual General Meeting will take place on Monday 26 September at the Ray Bradfield Rooms, Castlemaine. The evening will begin with a presentation by Ann-Marie Monda and Carla Meurs from Sutton Grange Organic Farm (producers of Holy Goat cheese) and the election of the next Connecting Country committee. This will be followed by a project update from Coordinator, Chris Timewell, and the presentation of Victorian Landcare Grants to local recipients by Jodie Odgers (North Central CMA).
For catering purposes, please RSVP to krista@connectingcountry.org.au or call 5472 1594. For more details about this event, including links to membership forms and the full agenda, click here.
The second event is the Family Fun Day which will take place in Victory Park on 25 September between 11am and 2pm. For a number of months, a small committee with representatives from Connecting Country, Trust for Nature and the Norman Wettenhall Foundation, has been meeting regularly to plan activities related to the theme of ‘nature in your backyard’. A large turnout on the day is expected and the park will be alive with all sorts of happenings.
Click here to view the Family Fun Day website.
Farm Tree and Landcare Association News
Posted on 19 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
The lastest news update for FTLA includes information on funding, submissions and opportunities, events and resources. It can be downloaded here.
Symposium – Major Mitchell: Australia Felix
Posted on 14 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
September marks 175 years since Major Thomas Mitchell traveled through our region, Jaara Country, Central Victoria, Mount Alexander Shire. To recognise this event a symposium and exhibition entitled Major Mitchell: Australia Felix has been organised. It will take place in the Castlemaine Town Hall on 24 and 25 September 2011 between 10 am – 4 / 5 pm. The exhibition will include paintings and prints by Eliza Tree and Major Mitchell and guest speakers at the symposium will include Dr Ian Clark, Gregory Eccleston, John Tully, Gerry Gill, John Read and Ian Higgins. Click here for more details.
25th Anniversary Landcare Grants
Posted on 9 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
Community groups in North Central Victoria interested in enhancing or protecting the natural environment have until Monday 10 October to apply for funding courtesy of the Victorian Government’s 25th Anniversary Landcare Grants.
To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Landcare, the Victorian Government has announced $60,000 of funding to assist local community groups. The grants of $1,000 – $5,000 (ex GST) are for groups to hold events and undertake on-ground activities that will benefit the health of the region’s land, water and biodiversity – a mandatory component of the funding.
Attached are the guidelines and the application form. For further information, contact Jodie Odgers, Regional Landcare Coordinator, on (03) 5440 1883.
Connecting Country Annual General Meeting
Posted on 9 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
When: 7:30pm, Monday 26th September
Where: Ray Bradfield Room, Castlemaine
Please join us in some wine and cheese and celebrate our previous 12 months of the Connecting Country project. We shall be electing the committee for next 12 months, receiving a project update from Coordinator, Chris Timewell, and Jodie Odgers from North Central Catchment Management Authority, shall be presenting the Victorian Landcare Grants to local recipients.
In addition, we shall be getting inspired by our guest speakers, Ann-Marie Monda and Carla Meurs from Sutton Grange Organic Farm (producers of the award-winning Holy Goat Cheese). Having gained experience on farms in Australia and overseas, Ann-Marie and Carla’s organic cheese-making skills reflect their respect and care for the natural environment. With the wellbeing of the goat herd and an integrated holistic farm management taking priority, animals and their pastures are maintained at a level of optimum health. They are involved in Connecting Country’s Yellow Box Woodland project with supplementary plantings of native mid-storey shrubs within the fenced remnant areas of grassy woodland.
The full AGM agenda can be downloaded here.
It’s also time to renew your membership for the 2011-12 year! Although membership is free, Connecting Country memberships for groups and individuals still need to be renewed on an annual basis. New memberships for individuals and groups are also encouraged. In order to do this, the following documents can be downloaded:
- Individual membership form (which can be posted or emailed back)
- Group membership form (which can be posted or emailed back)
If you are interested in being on the Connecting Country Committee of Management, the committee nomination form can be downloaded (which must be posted to The Public Officer/Secretary, Connecting Country Inc., PO Box 347, Castlemaine VIC 3450 prior to the 26th Sept 2011).
For catering purposes, please RSVP to krista@connectingcountry.org.au or call 5472 1594 by Thursday the 22nd of September.
Taradale Planting Day
Posted on 7 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
The final planting day organised by Taradale Landcare will take place on Friday 9 September 2011 from 9.30am. The planting will be along Back Creek adjacent to Barkley Park. For further information contact Kate Smith on 0427 315 963. Click here to download a flier with the details.
Moss Field Day
Posted on 7 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
Fifteen people took part in a fascinating moss field day at Clinkers Hill Bushland Reserve on 27 August. This was part of the Moss and Liverwort project that is working towards producing a brochure about local mosses and liverworts. The group spent two hours identifying, photographing and recording ten varieties of moss.
Beth Mellick from the Norman Wettenhall Foundation supplied magnifying glasses and recording materials for everyone.
The afternoon was led by postgraduate student Cassia Read who is currently doing a PhD at Melbourne Uni on biological soil crusts of the Mallee and Wimmera.
Cass comments that “crusts are intriguing communities of moss, lichen and fungi that live at the soil surface in arid environments. These crusts have an important role in ecosystem function. I’m particularly interested in how they influence seed germination and survival and how they recover following livestock exclusion, as stock with hard hooves remove moss and lichens and expose the top soil to erosion.”
One of the mosses, Breutelia affinist, examined by the group . Photo by Bronwyn Silver
This project is supported by the Norman Wetttenhall Foundation, Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests and Connecting Country.
If you would like more information contact Beth Mellick on 5472 1316.
Rehabilitating Clinkers Hill
Posted on 7 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
The Victoria Gully Group is being assisted by Connecting Country and Parks Victoria to rehabilitate Clinkers Hill Bushland Reserve, which is at the southern end of Preshaw St in Castlemaine.
Working bees take place regularly on the second Sunday of the month from 9.30am to 11.30am followed by a cuppa. The next one is this Sunday 11 September when hand weeding and planting shrubs will be the focus of activities.
If you have any enquiries about this project, or would like to participate in future working bees, ring Elvyne Hogan on 5472 4171.
Volunteers at the first weeding workshop at Clinkers Hill, July 2011
CFNC meeting on Shorebirds
Posted on 6 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
At the next Castlemaine Field Naturalist Club meeting on 9 September there will be a presentation by Mike Weston on Shorebirds. The evening will begin at 7.30pm and the venue is the Uniting Church Hall. All are welcome.
Mike currently works as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at Deakin University. His interests are diverse but centre around wildlife and people, and working constructively to solve potential conflicts for the benefit of both people and biodiversity. His particular passion is the conservation of beach-nesting birds, and how they might be able to coexist with extremely high numbers of recreationists. To find out more about Mike Weston click here.
To see an example of local migratory waders have a look at this post on Geoff Park’s Natural Newstead blog where he records his recent observations of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers on Moolort Plains.
Looking at the fire record
Posted on 4 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
A solid crowd of about 80 rocked up to the second talk in the Connecting Country 2011 education program at Campbell’s Creek on August 25.
Arn Tolsma at Campbell's Creek: intervals between fires should be between 20 and 100 years, if ecological health is the prime consideration.
Dr Arn Tolsma gave a deeply engaging account of fire history in Australia, and in particular the South Eastern corner of the country. He showed evidence from analysis of peat cores that over thousands of years until about 1800 the incidence of fire has varied according to climate, not from human action. Incidence of fire increased dramatically in the 19th century. In particular there is little evidence of widespread Aboriginal burning. Early settler witnesses of Aboriginal fires are extremely vague, and suggest that it was limited in extent, and largely confined to grassland and grassy woodland.
On the subject of our region, he referred to the 1853 Selwyn map, which showed that river and creek lines were open and grassy, but ridge country wooded with scrubby box and stringybark: in other words, the idea that the forest was open country before settlement is false. He showed that there is no strong evidence that Box Ironbark environments must have fire to regenerate. Using the concept of ‘tolerable fire intervals’ he argued that fires at intervals of a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 50-100 years might be beneficial for these environments. Any use of fire should be carefully planned with very clear objectives established after site, vegetation and fire history analysis.
Dr Tolsma emphasised that he was speaking of fire as a management tool for the environment, a separate issue from the use of fire as a fuel reduction method. It is clear from his talk, however, that fuel reduction zones burned, say, every five years, will suffer ecological damage. This is consistent with the position of DSE fire managers, who frankly admit that ‘asset protection zones’ are ‘sacrificial zones’, ecologically speaking.
A summarised version of the slide show for the talk can be found here (6 MB). Dr Tolsma is co author of the DSE/CMA publication Ecological burning in box ironbark forests [2007]. The two volumes can be found online here and here
In the third and final talk in this series, Robyn Ballinger will discuss the environmental and social history of Forest Creek in European times. The presentation will take place on 8 September at the Campbells Creek Community Hall. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend. Click here for more details.
Native Grasses and Forage Shrubs in Farming Systems Field Days
Posted on 2 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
The North Central CMA are hosting two Native Grasses and Forage Shrubs Field Days. These will take place in September at Lake Charm and Marnoo. Graeme Hand (CEO of Stipa Native Grasses Association Incorporated) and Jason Emms (SARDI Senior Research Scientist for the Enrich Program) will present and discuss information on a range of topics relating to utilising native grasses and forage shrubs in local productive farming systems.
The field day is a free event with lunch provided to those that RSVP. Click here and here to see more details.
To register your interest in the field day please RSVP to the North Central CMA by 5 pm Monday 12 September 2011 on (03) 5448 7124 or info@nccma.vic.gov.au.
Digging down into Forest Creek
Posted on 1 September, 2011 by Connecting Country
Most Mount Alexander Shire residents and visitors to the area have seen photos of Forest Creek during the gold rushes, with enormous piles of dirt obliterating the watercourse. And most will know the creek as it is now, with substantial revegetation along most of its course. But the creek has other stories, not so well known, and these will be the subject of the third of Connecting Country free talks program for 2011 at Campbells Creek Community Centre on Thursday 8 September, to be presented by Robyn Ballinger.
‘The documents of the past give us a fascinating insight into the lesser known activities that happened along the creek,’ Robyn said yesterday.
‘Early maps, for example, show our creeks and rivers as being surrounded by excellent pasture land, suggestive of the kind of use the indigenous people would have made of it. The presence of gold dramatically altered all this.’
Robyn’s talk will look at the creek from Golden Point to central Castlemaine, and tease out its many histories. Forest Creek is known for its gold mining history, but people have made myriad other uses of this place over time. Using historical documents, Robyn will be providing a fascinating insight into the lesser-known activities that have shaped this local landscape.
Forest Creek at Welsh Street Bridge. Photo by John Ellis, August 2011
Robyn Ballinger’s presentation is a look at environmental history – how people have changed an environment over time and the consequences of that interaction for both nature and people.
To find out about this intriguing aspect of our local history, turn up to the Campbell’s Creek Community Centre on Thursday 8 September. A light supper made from local produce will be served from 6.30pm, and the talk will go from 7 to 9 pm. Although the event is presented free as part of Connecting Country’s Yellow Box Woodland project, RVSPs from community members wishing to attend are encouraged to assist with catering (contact Chris on 5472 1594 or chris@connectingcountry.org.au).
The project is being undertaken in partnership with the North Central Catchment Management Authority and is co-funded by the federal Caring for our Country program and the state Natural Resource Investment Program.