My Victorian Waterway Survey
Posted on 2 July, 2009 by Connecting Country
World first research into the social importance of waterways is happening in Victoria.
The Department of Sustainability and Environment are coordinating a survey to find out about how Victorian communities use and value waterways.
You are invited to be a part of it. Simply complete the online survey by the 31st July. It takes about 15 minutes.
All Victorian adults (18 years and older) can complete the survey and help shape waterway management throughout the State.
Connecting Country is changing
Posted on 23 June, 2009 by Connecting Country
Connecting Country’s Public Meeting
At Buda 42 Hunter Street Castlemaine
Open at 7 o’clock for a 7.30 start.
We invite you to be part of working with a local project to represent all groups involved in the management of a healthy, resilient and productive natural environment.
The public meeting on Monday 29th June is for the Connecting Country project to become incorporated.
As part of this process the beginnings of a formalised structure is being proposed to support the organisation:
- membership entitlement is automatic for all landcare/environmental/friends groups in the region (a registration form to be completed with contact details);
- nominations are being called for a management committee that will consist of 8 volunteer representatives from the region’s landcare community to be elected by the membership;
- the management committee will meet monthly and will be responsible for the for the strategic direction and performance of the organisation ;
- it will be advised and supported by a reference group, open to all CC members, and made up of representatives of landcare community groups, special interest groups and agencies and which will meet quarterly;
- the committee will also be advised on an as needs basis by an advisory panel made up of technical experts .
Join us for supper and drinks after the meeting
For a nomination and/or membership form please contact Julia Brown on 0431 720 876 or email info@connectingcountry.org.au
Minutes of Connecting Country Reference Group meeting June 11 2009
Posted on 18 June, 2009 by Connecting Country
Present: Maurie Dynon, Doug Ralph, Bernard Slattery, Marie Jones, Kirstin Hutchison, Jan Hall, Julia Brown, Beth Mellick, Patrick Kavanagh, Christine Kilmartin, Krista Patterson-Majoor, Tim Read, David Major, Deirdre Slattery, Geoff Park
Apologies: Elvyne Hogan, Peter Johnson, Julie Hurley, Virginia Adrian
Agenda
1. Marie gave an account of the proposed management structure of the incorporated Connecting Country:
–the elected Management Committee, which will meet regularly and make key decisions
–the Reference Group, open to all members who nominate: it will meet less often to review and advise the Management Committee
–the Advisory Group: this will consist of members with a range of expertise, who will be available for occasional consultation
She also thanked all for their input over the last 2 years.
2. Geoff gave a funding application update, and fielded questions. The package applied for provides:
–on ground works [fencing, offset of production losses, etc]
–community awareness
–monitoring and research
The questions and discussion which followed covered the following areas:
–the autonomy of Connecting Country within the NCCMA package
–the role of the Mount Alexander Shire
–the necessity to have an eye to future funding
–the equity challenge in using whatever funding is granted; and the importance of the planning projects workshop in clarifying how this is done
–the relationship of the Reference and Advisory groups to the Management Committee
–the need for clarification on the links between work on private land and the local Parks and Reserves; and between private and Trust for Nature property.
3. Krista gave brief Landcare report: the Landcare coordinators will finish at the end of the month. She emphasized the importance of MAS council connections from the point of view of information distribution and possible availability of facilities [for example, office space]
4. Julia gave the Project Officer’s report:
– the website is being updated regulary, 10 news and events and a link to an article in the latest TFN Bulletin on Connecting Country.
– Moderated 26 comments, all spam bar 2.
– Emails to info@connectingcountry.org.au now redirected to Julia
– Considering adding another blog section ‘related news’ to add books and other associated news.
– Potential problems with google earth for some users of CWMP.
– 158 sites marked on CWMP. To discuss recording and monitoring of statistics with Green Graphics.
-Incorporation. Written invitations sent out to all Landcare groups, friends groups, field nats, MASG, TFN, agencies, MAS councillors on Monday 1st June.
– Email invitations followed on Friday 5th June.
– This will be followed up by email and phone calls asking if people require any further information.
– Buda is booked and paid. Wine, catering, helpers confirmed.
– Presentation to be worked on.
– Media Doug and Malcolm and I will meet with Lisa Dennis Monday for photo @ Richards Road near pony club with regeneration and mature trees. Article will go in Friday 19th Mail and possibly Tuesday 23rd Express as well.
– Add in public notice’s Mail and Express. Notice in ‘Where to go….what to do’ in Mail. Press release drafted.
5. Future Projects workshop: [it was suggested at the May meeting that this be combined with the incorporation meeting ‘perhaps in the second half of July’. The steering committee subsequently decided to split the two events]
–it was decided that one of the purposes of this meeting is to ‘ground truth’ Blueprint projects, via a template and Landcare group knowledge
–a discussion followed on templates, and on methods of managing competing claims
–times and dates for the workshop were proposed. A decision on this will be made in readiness for the June 29th meeting.
6. Constitutional matters: Bernard gave a brief rundown on the constitution to be proposed on June 29: it will be the Model Rules of Association, modified to allow for an eight member committee.
New Publication by Stephen Murphy
Posted on 5 June, 2009 by Connecting Country
“Recreating the Country” by Stephen Murphy is a book for landholders and land managers filled with practical information about restoring habitat and protecting flora and fauna. Murphy urges people to re-think current revegetation strategies as many plantings lack the qualities necessary for wildlife. For more information and to order a copy go to The Australian Forest Growers website.
Connecting Country Reference Group Meeting
Posted on 14 May, 2009 by Connecting Country
Chewton Town Hall (Pyrenees Highway, Chewton)
Connecting Country wins funding to develop its plans to link landscape
Posted on 25 April, 2009 by Connecting Country
MEDIA RELEASE April, 2009
A large scale, community-driven landscape restoration project known as Connecting Country has received more funding from the environmental philanthropic organisation, the Norman Wettenhall Foundation. Based in Castlemaine, the Foundation has approved a $30,000 grant to the Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests for the project. The grant is to fund a Project Worker to develop detailed and fully costed action plans for improving habitat for wildlife and native plants within the Mt Alexander Shire. Projects could, for instance, focus on creating biolinks or target particular endangered species, such as Swift Parrots or Brush-tailed Phascogales (Tuans).
Connecting Country is a partnership of around 30 landcare and environment groups, as well as government agencies, who come together to form the Reference Group which guides the project. The Norman Wettenhall Foundation has supported the project since its inception with grants now totalling $80,000.
Over the last year Connecting Country has gathered information from landholders across the Mt Alexander Shire about the existing condition of the landscape and recorded sightings of where native plant and wildlife species were found. This information was then brought together to produce a Biodiversity Blueprint of the region, containing valuable information about environmental assets and a unique and comprehensive set of maps.
“The maps provide an eagle’s eye view of the whole landscape, allowing the Connecting Country partners to identify 21 possible opportunities for major on-ground habitat restoration works across the region,” says Beth Mellick, Executive Officer of the Norman Wettenhall Foundation. “These potential projects will form the springboard for action plan development in the project’s second stage.”
Another unique facet of Connecting Country was the pro bono production of an interactive website by software developer Spatial Vision. Based on Google Earth, the website offers simple and accessible mapping tools for people to enter information about flora and fauna sightings across the Mount Alexander region. This crucial second stage funding will also ensure the continued rollout of Connecting Country’s interactive website.
“It is expected that community involvement will provide greater knowledge about, for instance, the preferred habitat of Tuans or where native wildflowers can be found,” says Beth Mellick. “Clearly, the website has the potential to become a powerful tool in guiding future conservation efforts.”
With this latest grant, Connecting Country now has the resources for in-depth development of restoration plans that could significantly improve habitat connectivity and biodiversity expansion across the region’s landscape. Given the breadth and commitment of Connecting Country’s partners, once such action plans are developed, the Norman Wettenhall Foundation is quietly confident there’s a good chance of attracting other funding sources to bring their plans to fruition.
“We believe Connecting Country is leading the way in terms of a bottom-up approach to landscape restoration work in Australia,” says Beth Mellick. “This is a different and a unique model, because it is the community as a whole who are making decisions about the environment that they live and work in – what and how changes are made to protect habitat are determined by local knowledge and passion.”
For further information about Connecting Country see www.connectingcountry.org.au or contact Beth by phone on 03 5472 1316; mobile 0431 219 980
Prizes for using interactive mapping
Posted on 25 April, 2009 by Connecting Country
April 2009
The Norman Wettenhall Foundation has given out some prizes as incentives for people to enter data on the Connecting Country interactive mapping portal on their website.
For a number of months the community were encouraged to enter sightings of Brush-tailed Phascogales (otherwise known as Tuans) in the area. The Connecting Country project was collecting information about where, and in what numbers, the Tuans live on private land. This information is to be used in a broader project about connecting up habitat for the Tuans’ survival.
The winners of the competition were Nick Halliday (individual prize) and Geraldine Harris won the group prize which she will give to the Barkers Creek Landcare group. Geraldine was interested in seeing if she could master the Connecting Country web tools. “I usually give up on these internet things at the point where you have to register,” says Geraldine, “but this site was not difficult to use and I was able to easily enter my Tuan sighting.”
If you want to enter data about flora and fauna sightings, go to www.connectingcountry.org.au and give it a go.
Minutes of Connecting Country Reference Group meeting March 26 2009
Posted on 7 April, 2009 by Connecting Country
Minutes of Connecting Country Reference Group meeting
Present: Geoff Park, Maurie Dynon, Doug Ralph, Bernard Slattery, Marie Jones, Deirdre Slattery, Jan Hall, Julia Brown, Beth Mellick, Julie Hurley, Chris Morris, Malcolm Fyffe
Apologies: Elvyne Hogan, Patrick Kavanagh, Christine Kilmartin,Peter Johnson, Janis Stewart, Tim Read, Krista Patterson-Majoor, Virginia Adrian, Phil Ingamells
Agenda
1. Marie welcomed Julia Brown, newly appointed CC project officer.
2. Indigenous Flora Guide: Beth reported on this proposal from the Castlemaine Field Naturalists. It was agreed to seek PV/DSE and CMA funding for it; CC funds will also contribute; it is expected that FOBIF will have a representative on the editorial committee.
3. CFOC/NRIP
a. Marie read a letter of support from Uncle Brian Nelson. This letter will be posted on the website.
b. Geoff outlined our application for funding, its position in the CMA package, and the funding process. The application is built around the Phascogale, and focuses on Woodland environments. It includes roles for stewardship [Bush Tender, fencing, etc]; Community Education; Monitoring programs; and Landcare support. It includes two employed positions: on ground coordination and Landcare coordination. It would amount to about $600,000 and envisages a four year time scale.
c. The meeting recorded its appreciation for those responsible for the heavy work involved in preparing this application.
4. Landcare: coordinators’ positions end in June. After that, coordinator positions may be tied to network projects. A local Landcare meeting will be held on May 7 at the Campbell’s Creek Community centre to discuss the future of landcare in MA Shire.
5. Beth has prepared a media release (accompanied by a photo) of the announcement of further NWF funding for a Project Officer, the updating and promotion of the website and a contribution to the Indigenous Flora Guide.
6. The names of all those who had registered sightings of the Brush-tailed Phascogale were placed in a hat. The individual prize went to Nick Halliday from Golden Point Landcare and the group prize to Geraldine Harris, Barkers Creek Landcare. Thanks to Beth for organising this special treat!
7. The next CC Reference Group meeting will be on Thursday May 14th at 1.30 p.m. in the Chewton Town Hall
• to see how the CFOC application is going,
• discuss ideas on how to use the mapping program,
• finalise planning for the facilitated workshop on future projects – this workshop to be held at the end of May/early June.
8. Thanks were expressed to Peter McConnell for allowing us the use of the Castlemaine South School and its facilities.
9. Geoff gave a presentation on how to use the mapping tool on www.connectincountry.org.au Other sessions to be planned for interested groups.
Connecting Country – March Reference Group meeting
Posted on 21 March, 2009 by Connecting Country
To be held at Castlemaine South School on Thursday 26th March commencing at 5.30pm. For further details contact Marie Jones on (03) 5472-2892 or goldenpoint@aanet.com.au
Golden Point Landcare Meeting
Posted on 20 March, 2009 by Connecting Country
The meeting will be a workshop to use the Connecting Country web mapper
Phascogales (Tuan) Competition
Posted on 16 March, 2009 by Connecting Country
The Norman Wettenhall Foundation is giving away prizes to groups (to the value of $300) and to individuals (to the value of $150) who enter information about where they have seen Brush-tailed Phascogales (Tuans) in the Mount Alexander region. Click here to view the interactive mapping tool provided by Spatial Vision. Enter your Phascogale (Tuan) sighting and you are automatically in the draw. Competition closes 26th March. The prizes will be drawn at the Connecting Country Reference Group meeting 26th March.
Phascogale
Free Indigenous Seed Collection Workshops
Posted on 16 March, 2009 by Connecting Country
The session is designed to introduce participants to all aspects of collecting seed identification, collection, extraction, cleaning and storage of indigenous species. The workshop will cover include a basic theory session and a practical session in the afternoon. Continue Reading »
Day Out at Little Lake Boort
Posted on 16 March, 2009 by Connecting Country
North Central CMA is organising a great day out at Little Lake Boort for all landcarers across the region, to thank you all for your hard work and contributions to caring for our environment.
The theme of this year’s Landcare forum is ‘Landcare – Imagining the Future’. It will be a day of fun, laughter, interesting speakers, indigenous activities and entertainment, as well as information and ideas to inspire future projects. We will also be launching our booklet ‘Celebrating our Most Significant Change Stories of Landcare in the North Central Region’. Continue Reading »
Loddon River Planning
Posted on 4 March, 2009 by Connecting Country
Planning day at the Loddon River, Newstead, 4th of March.
Planning Day
Posted on 18 October, 2008 by Connecting Country
A planning day is proposed for October 18th to highlight the issues and concerns about the Loddon River. This will provide a great opportunity to learn more about the Loddon and how we can restore the health of the river. There will also be a spotlighting walk along the river with local naturalist Garry Cheers on Thursday 9th October. Contact Jennie Grundy on 5476 2314
Location: Loddon River at Newstead
Priority and Planning Workshop
Posted on 15 October, 2008 by Connecting Country
Connecting Country’s workshop held in the Chewton Town Hall saw more than forty people have their knowledge and interest recorded about the potential for landscape restoration in the Mount Alexander Shire. Community people interested in the environment along with some agency representatives were taken through the steps of identifying natural resource management works that are already happening in the shire and then went on to look at areas that have the possibilities for future restoration works. Continue Reading »
National Bird Day data from the Castlemaine Field Naturalists
Posted on 1 October, 2008 by Connecting Country
Chris Morris from the Castlemaine Field Naturalist Club has kindly provided data from the National Bird Day counts in the Castlemaine area. The records have been collected annually from 2000. You can view a graph of results via the attached photo.
The Connecting Country website is live
Posted on 1 August, 2008 by Connecting Country
The Connecting Country website is live and public! Please browse around and feel free to submit photos, news and events.
Location: Mount Alexander Shire