19 October – Water Rats event – have you seen one or want to know more?
Posted on 19 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
The Bendigo Creek Platypus Project in partnership with the North Central Catchment Management Authority and the Waterwatch program are excited to extend an invitation to attend the upcoming Water Rat community information evening to be held on Wednesday 19 October 2016 at Bendigo Tafe, Charleston Road Campus.
Please click on flyer for more information about this event
While Geoff Williams from the Australian Platypus Conservancy is in town, he is trying to gather information about the Water Rat with a focus on current distribution.
If you have seen and know where there are Water Rats in our region, it would be great if you can please fill in the Water Rat Survey form, and return to our regional Waterwatch coordinator Cass Davis at cass.davis@nccma.vic.gov.au by Tuesday 18th October 2016. Cass will then pass them on to Geoff so he can include your information in his research.
Celebrate Bird Week and the Aussie Backyard Bird Count
Posted on 18 October, 2016 by Tanya Loos
From 17-23 October 2016, thousands of people from across the country are heading out into their backyards, local parks or favourite open spaces to take part in the third annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count!
On Saturday, October 15 2016, Connecting Country’s Woodland Bird Project Coordinator Tanya Loos and BirdLife Australia’s Sean Dooley kicked off Bird Week and the Aussie Backyard Bird Count with a joint presentation in the Macedon Ranges .
Sean spoke passionately about growing up with birds in the Melbourne suburbs of Seaford, and his love for imperiled woodland birds such as the Grey-crowned babbler. He showed us how simple bird surveys conducted by citizen scientists all over Australia have enabled some alarming trends to be picked up – such as the decline of Laughing Kookaburras which are down some 40% in recent years.
Tanya then followed with an overview of the extensive on ground works program of Connecting Country, and how this work will help woodland birds and in particular the feathered five. She shared some exciting graphics which show the results of the citizen science program in the area – in particular for the Diamond Firetail and Brown Treecreeper. (Coming soon!)
Sean then took us outside and we used the Aussie Backyard Bird Count app to do a simple twenty minute survey, the highlight of which was a Sacred Kingfisher sitting on a little gate above a dam next to the Newham Mechanics Institute. The app is so easy to use! For those without a smart phone – the website is also very simple and really aesthetically pleasing.
To get involved all you need is 20 minutes, your ‘green patch’ of choice, and some keen eyesight (or binoculars!) And it doesn’t matter if you’re a novice or an expert—we’ll be there to help you out along the way! Simply record the birds you know and look up those you don’t on our ‘Aussie Bird Count’ app or the website. You’ll instantly see live statistics and information on how many people are taking part near you and the number of birds and species counted not just across your neighbourhood but the whole of Australia!
Not only will you get to know your feathered neighbours, but you’ll be contributing to a vital pool of information from across the nation that will help us see how Australian birds are faring. Check out the results from the 2015 Aussie Backyard Bird Count here.
Any questions about the Aussie Backyard Bird Count? Get in touch with Tanya at the Connecting Country office at tanya@connectingcountry.org.au
The Rainbow Lorikeet was the most commonly recorded bird in 2015. By Andrew Silcocks.
Thursday 20th October 2016 – Newstead Landcare’s AGM and fire presentation
Posted on 17 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
Burnt out landscape in the Maldon area.
As the days warm up and the summer approaches, the thoughts of many who live out of town turn to the threat of bushfires. The things that we love about the bush can become sources of anxiety and fear in the hot, dry months. How do we protect ourselves from bushfire and still protect the plants and animals that make our area so special? Questions like these will be addressed at Newstead Landcare Group’s October presentation “Protecting from Bushfire, Protecting our Biodiversity” on Thursday the 20th of October 2016 at the Newstead Town Hall.
The CFA’s Owen Goodings will speak about what we can do to manage fire and live with biodiversity.
“We are really excited to have Owen Gooding, a leading researcher on vegetation management and fire presenting at our October meeting. Owen is also the Vegetation Management Officer for the CFA, so he is very well placed to help us understand the issues” said Frances Cincotta, Newstead Landcare’s President.
The presentation will cover how to manage vegetation on your property, be it a small holding or larger bush block, to reduce the risk in case of fire and to retain native vegetation. “Owen will also be discussing ways to think about bushfire and native vegetation in the wider landscape and dispelling a few myths” Ms Cincotta added.
This presentation ties in with another important event about bushfire for residents of the Newstead and Maldon areas. Understanding Fire in our Landscape: A Community Conversation is a community event being held on the weekend of the 12-13 November 2016, in Newstead. For more details about this event; click here.
“In this Community Conversation fire in the Newstead-Maldon landscape will be discussed in detail – the history of fire, local ecology, and fire risk” said Chris Johnston, one of the organisers of the event. “There will be talks, displays, biodiversity walks, visits to the sites of past fires, and a chance to record your memories of local fires.” Supported by community and external experts, the weekend will be a chance to learn more and share ideas across our local communities about living with fire.
For more information or to book for this free event go to talkingfire.org or to the Facebook page Talking Fire.
Understanding Fire in our Landscape is supported by the Mount Alexander Shire Council 2016 Community Grants Program, Maldon & District Community Bank and the Norman Wettenhall Foundation.
Talking Fire – Maldon, Newstead and places in between
Posted on 17 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
Join a conversation to better understand fire in our local landscape at the Newstead Community Centre over the weekend of 12 and 13 November 2016. ‘Talking Fire’ will discuss what fire means for our local communities and the environment.
The aim of these workshops is to bring local expertise and knowledge together with outside experts in the field of fire behaviour and fire ecology, so that the community can talk about and better understand, plan for, and live with fire.
Some of the questions driving the conversation will be:
- What is the history of fire in our area?
- How have the landscape, community & fire policies changed?
- How can we protect what we value?
- How can we respond to fire risk, now & in the future?
You may have other questions, ideas or solutions.
‘Talking Fire’ are also seeking local knowledge and stories at this workshop. Do you have a “fire experience”, direct or indirect, to share? As a part of the weekend Gordon Dowell will be recording the stories and histories of locals. The Newstead CFA Auxiliary are among those we will be keen to hear from.
Maldon area; fire, ecology, people – can they all co-exist?
They hope that from the weekend our local landscape can be seen anew, through the eyes of scientists, fire experts and long lived locals alike, and through a wider, “landscape lens”, not just from a household or property viewpoint.
Whether you live in Newstead or Maldon town, or the bush and farmland surrounds, you’re invited along to ‘talk fire’. Come to any or all sessions. The event is free, but we need bookings to help our caterers, the Newstead Preschool and Mens’ Shed, provide enough for all.
Thanks to Mount Alexander Shire, Maldon & District Community Bank and Norman Wettenhall Foundation for supporting the event. Many more supporters are contributing in non-financial ways. See our website www.talkingfire.org for more information and to book.
Connecting Country’s 2016 AGM and Annual Report
Posted on 14 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
Connecting Country President, Brendan Sydes, addresses the 60 strong crowd.
We were thrilled with the strong turn out and great atmosphere for our 2016 Annual General Meeting on Tuesday the 11th of October 2016 at the Campbells Creek Community Centre. We are also excited to share our 2015-16 Annual Report. We are proud of our achievements in the past year, and this report provides an opportunity for us to celebrate them with our supporters. In the spirit of mindful resource use, we would encourage you to view the report in a digital format by clicking on the cover below. Huge thanks to Eliza Tree for the use of her painting titled Jarra Country on the cover and for bringing it along to the AGM for viewing.
The general business part of the AGM saw the election of our volunteer Committee of Management members. Brendan Sydes was re-elected as president, Deb Wardle – Vice President, Marie Jones – Treasurer, Jenni Thomas – Secretary. Max Kay, Malcolm Trainor, and Saide Gray return as general committee members.
Following a light meal, we heard from six local experts about their vision for the Mount Alexander region. Kath Coff gave an indigenous perspective, Ian Higgins spoke about vegetation management, Beth Mellick gave an insight into the history of Connecting Country and our relationship with the Norman Wettenhall Foundation, Paul Foreman spoke about keeping water in the landscape, Carla Meurs shared the benefits of vegetation for wildlife on her farm and Geoff Park talked about, you guessed it, birds!
L-R: Paul Foreman, Kath Coff, Beth Mellick, Carla Meurs, Ian Higgins, Eliza Tree and Brendan Sydes.
We all then broke into working groups according to their area of interest and discussed how Connecting Country could achieve their vision. Connecting Country staff and committee now have the task of collating all the feedback from the night and our supporter survey and deciding on our future directions. A huge thank-you to everyone who attended and gave their time, energy and ideas. We really appreciate the feedback and support from attendees and our community in general. We will be provide regular updates as we progress through this process.
If you missed out on our AGM, Connecting Country is encouraging people to be involved in shaping our future direction by filling out our Supporter Survey. To participate, please CLICK HERE. There are a relatively small number of questions, and will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. This survey will remain open until Sunday the 16th of October 2016. We have had a great response so far and we thank everyone for their very valuable input.
Eliza Tree describes her amazing creation. Jaara Country
Our multi-talented staff team in action.
Kath Coff inspires the crowd with her vision.
15 October 2016: Tanya heads south to talk birds
Posted on 13 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
Connecting Country supporters from ‘down south’ will be thrilled to hear that Tanya is presenting in Newham from 2 to 3.30 pm on Saturday the 15th of October 2016. She will be speaking alongside Sean Dooley from Birdlife Australia about the challenges faced by local woodland birds. More information in the flyer below.
Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park survey – what are your thoughts?
Posted on 13 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
Parks Victoria is currently reviewing the Heritage Action Plan for the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park and Jade Harris from Parks Victoria has asked Connecting Country to share details of their community survey.
Parks Victoria want to know about the places people value within the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park, find out about issues of concern and get your ideas about other themes, stories or aspects of the park that could be shared with visitors.
You can provide your feedback and ideas via an online survey that will remain open until Wednesday 30th November 2016.
Please fill out the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CastlemaineDiggings. It should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
The results of the survey will provide baseline data for Parks Victoria to identify strengths and gaps in our current themes, stories and practices in relation to the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. It will also enable us to report on improvements, achievements and initiatives and better plan for the future of the park to enhance visitor’s experiences.
Note: The survey is conducted by Context and information is treated confidentially. The survey does not seek to collect personal information or identify any individual, although if you want to be kept informed about planning for the future of this park, you can leave your contact details at the end of the survey.
FTLA Newsletter – October 2016
Posted on 13 October, 2016 by Asha
Susi Johnson from the Farm Tree and Landcare Association (FTLA) recently sent us an email with updates on membership and insurance renewals, as well as information on upcoming events, activities and grant opportunities. We’ve turned her email into a PDF for our members and Landcare groups who are interested in having a read (CLICK HERE).
8 Nov 2016 – Landowners looking after Grasslands Workshop
Posted on 12 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
The Landowners looking after Grasslands – Field Day on the Plains has been rescheduled to Tuesday November 8th 2016, 10.00am to 2.30pm because of the wet roads.
Join the Northern Plains Conservation Management Network, Trust for Nature and Dr David Baker-Gabb, renowned expert on Plains-wanderer, in launching Managing Native Grasslands for Plains Wanderers Field Guide. Hear from Dan Harley, Threatened Species Biologist with Zoos Victoria, about their Fighting Extinction Programme and the plan to start captive-breeding Plains-wanderers in 2017. Accompany Paul Foreman, grassland ecologist for a walk across Andy & Judy McGillivray’s property, and learn how to survey for threatened grassland flora species such as the nationally listed Swainson-peas.
WHEN: Tuesday November 8th 2016, 10.00am to 2.30pm
WHERE: Andy & Judy McGillivray’s, McIntyre Rd, off Roslynmead Rd, Torrumbarry. Vic Roads Reference: 30J2 & 31A2 .
Morning tea, lunch & afternoon tea will be provided. Please wear sturdy walking shoes, bring a camp chair, sunhat, binoculars, warm coat, sunscreen and a bottle of water.
RSVP is essential to the North Central CMA by 5 pm Thursday 3rd November on (03) 5448 7124 or email info@nccma.vic.gov.au
Please poster here for location details.
October 2016 edition North Central Chat
Posted on 12 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
Our Regional Landcare Coordinator, Tess Grieves sent through a link to the October 2016 edition of the North Central Chat to share. Inside you’ll find plenty of great news stories and courses coming up which may be of interest. CLICK HERE to view the newsletter.
Also see the 30 years of Landcare celebration event invitation HERE for those of you that may not have a copy yet. If you’re joining in the celebrations, please get your RSVP’s in to the North Central CMA: info@nccma.vic.gov.au or call (03) 5448 7124
Little Habitat Heroes – proudly supported by Connecting Country
Posted on 11 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
Connecting Country are very proud to be supporting the Little Habitat Heroes project. The plan is to regenerate a 10 hectare site of the East side of Leanganook (Mt Alexander). The invitation is open for all interested children to participate in the campaign and become ‘little habitat heroes’. By mid-November 2016 they hope to raise enough funds to order seedlings that will propagate in time for a planting day in winter 2017
This project was born by a group of new mums who met at a Mothers Group in Castlemaine in early 2016. They shared an dream to create something unique for their babies’ first birthdays and wanted to contribute to the restoration of the local environment and give their children the gift of a personal connection with nature.
Visit: www.littlehabitatheroes.org, or their facebook page or donate via Give Now.
The inspiring mums at Little Habitat Heroes are also working with local artists, Harcourt Landcare Group and Parks Victoria to make this great community project happen for our future nature lovers.
14 Oct 2016 – Birding in the Top End
Posted on 11 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
The tropical north of Australia has some of the most amazing landscapes and birdwatching of anywhere in the world. For the October general meeting of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club, club member Peter Turner will talk about his recent adventures to this area (with input from Rosemary Turner, Cheryl Taylor and Ron Wescott).
Red-headed Honeyeater. Photo by Peter Turner.
Peter writes “We had never managed to get to Darwin or Kakadu, so joining a…..Top End Birding tour for 2016 was a way to see the birds of the region with experienced guides, and to get an introduction to the landscapes and plants. Some months after booking, we found that CFNC members Cheryl Taylor and Ron Wescott had booked, too. So 4 of the 6 participants were from Castlemaine!
The talk will focus on some of the best birds and the range of landscapes we saw over the nine days of the first part of the tour, after which Rosemary and I visited Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) before returning to Darwin. Cheryl and Ron have provided notes on the highlights of the second part, across from Katherine to Kununurra, with a flying visit to the Mitchell Falls.”
The talk is on Friday 14 October, commencing from 7.30pm. As per usual, it is being held in the Fellowship Room, in the hall behind the Uniting Church, Lyttleton St, Castlemaine (next door to the Art Gallery & Museum). Both members and visitors are welcome to attend. No cost for entry, and no RSVPs are required.
Rufous Owl. Photo by Peter Turner
Creating Wildlife Friendly Gardens – Workshop and Webpage
Posted on 10 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
You can create beauty and habitat in your yard with a wildlife friendly garden. For those interested in habitat restoration but find themselves living in town we have put together a list of useful resources with information about how to build habitat for wildlife into our suburban gardens. Visit our new “Wildlife Friendly Gardens” page of our resources section (click here) for information about attracting wildlife to your garden.
Habitat for animals is possible, even on a very small scale. All photos by Cassia Read
Cassia Read will be showcasing her wildlife friendly garden as part of Connecting Country’s Education Program and the Mount Alexander Sustainable Living Workshop Series on Saturday the 22nd of October 2016 at 10.30am (Please note this as a correction to starting time information published in the Midland Express on October 4th).
This workshop is also advertised as part of the Festival of Open Gardens official program. The Festival is celebrating it’s 25th year and showcases gardens across Castlemaine and district. We especially love the gardens with native species (of course) in the program such as 152 Hargraves St., Winters Flat primary School, and the Newstead Community Garden.
12 Oct 2016 – Additional Spring Wildflower walk
Posted on 10 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
Inspired by the amazing displays across the local bushlands, a fifth Wednesday Spring Wildflower Walk has been added to the program by the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club this Wednesday afternoon (12 Oct 2016). It will depart from the Octopus building car-park on Duke St (i.e., the U3A building opposite the Castle Motel) at 4pm sharp (so best to get their 5-10 minutes beforehand). The excursion leader will be club member and botanist Richard Piesse. CFNC members and visitors all welcome to attend. No cost, and no RSVPs required. 
Nature News October 2016 – Make it and wildlife will come
Posted on 4 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
For this month’s Nature News, on page 26 in this week’s Midland Express (4th October 2016) local ecologist and garden designer, Cassia Read shares come of her insights from creating a wildlife friendly garden. While Connecting Country encourages you to use locally native plants where possible, Cassia has found that all sorts of flowering plants can provide useful habitat.
Cassia’s garden plays host to a range of local wildlife and plant species.
Striding around the corner of a friend’s Newstead house today my eyes suddenly met the steady gaze of a Grey Shrike-thrush sitting on her eggs. She’d made her home in a basket nailed to the wall, within arms-reach from where I stood. She wasn’t bothered by comings and goings of her human neighbours.
Thrush’ sing exquisite songs in my own Castlemaine garden. I was instantly inspired to hang baskets around my house to encourage more of these birds.
I am fascinated by the possibilities of gardens that meet both needs of the people and the local birds, lizards and butterflies. In these days of a changing climate, urban gardeners can support a host of local wildlife with food, shelter and water. It just takes some thought and a little time spent pottering in the garden.
In my own garden, I’m not aiming to restore bushland or even to create a picturesque bush garden. I grow fruit, veggies and some nostalgic flowers from my childhood. I welcome cool summer shade from deciduous trees. How do I balance my needs with those of wildlife?
I find comfort and direction in considering the spectrum of home garden styles in Castlemaine, ranging between easy-care concrete and bushland gardens that meld with local Box Ironbark Forest. Wherever a garden is positioned on this pavement-to-bushland spectrum, it can be nudged in a more wildlife friendly direction.
For instance, some grass provides a place for magpies to fossick where a pavement is void of life; old style flowers provide nectar for butterflies while ornamental cultivars bred for show are nectarless; a corner planting of dense shrubs is better for Blue Wrens and Thornbills than a park-like lawn that stretches from house to fence; a dry stone wall provides shelter for hibernating Marble Geckos where cemented walls are pure architecture.
Nudge, nudge, wink, wink…. Make it and wildlife will come.
Gardens with wildlife hum with energy and interest. Spotted Pardalotes dipping in a bird bath and Blue Banded Bees darting amongst the Rosemary flowers bring spontaneous joy. Today I’m planting colourful salvias for my girls to pick and Eastern Spinebills to feed on. Tomorrow I’ll scatter basking rocks for lizards. Not big steps, but nudges in a wildlife direction.
Cassia will be showcasing her garden as part of Connecting Country’s Education Program and the Mount Alexander Sustainable Living Workshop Series on Saturday the 22nd of October at 10.30am (Please note this as a correction to starting time information published in the Midland Express on October 4th).
For more information about attracting wildlife to your garden visit the “Wildlife Friendly Gardens” page of our resources section (click here).
Connecting Country supporter survey – Have your say!
Posted on 3 October, 2016 by Connecting Country
Ahead of our AGM next Tuesday (11th October 2016), Connecting Country is encouraging people to be involved in shaping our future direction by filling out our Supporter Survey. To participate, please CLICK HERE. There are a relatively small number of questions, and will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.
To find out more about the AGM, please see our earlier post or see our invitation below.
Last chance for direct seeding through Connecting Landscapes
Posted on 29 September, 2016 by Connecting Country
Direct seeding success at a property in Taradale
For the past five years Connecting Country has been incredibly fortunate to be running our Connecting Landscapes Across the Mount Alexander Region program. Funded through the Federal Government, it has allowed us to support 75 landholders undertake revegetation across 357 ha and the control of weeds and rabbits across an additional 1,349 hectares, plus additional bushland enhancement measures such as protective fencing and grazing change within all areas. We’ve also coordinated dozens of education events and continued our biodiversity monitoring surveys for birds and phascogales. Now is your last chance to get involved with the on-ground works aspect of this fabulous program. To meet our targets, we are looking for one or two new properties to undertake revegetation projects of at least 5 hectares (12 acres).
These subsidized revegetation projects would be organised and implemented by Connecting Country and its works crew. The plants used would comprise locally occurring wattles, eucalypts and other understory species. Using a process called direct seeding, they are planted as seed with our specialised equipment. We encourage all expressions of interest from landholders within the target area (see map below). If we cannot help you this year or through this program, we will keep your details on a database in case of future opportunities.
Bonnie explaining how direct seeding works to landholders.
Contact us now to get involved! Alternatively, talk to your neighbours if you think they might benefit. To find out more about our on-ground works process and to access an expression of interest form, CLICK HERE. For more information contact Jarrod or Bonnie on 5472 1594 or email jarrod@connectingountry.org.au.
Landholders who have already undertaken projects can expect Jarrod and Bonnie to be undertaking some follow up visits in the coming months to see how things are going.
‘Connecting Landscapes’ is just one of several, although the largest, projects that Connecting Country currently runs. While this particular program finishes up mid next year, our other programs such as hosting Asha (our landcare facilitator) and stewards for woodland birds will continue and there are many other exciting opportunities in the pipeline.
We are currently in the process of considering the future direction of Connecting Country and we encourage you to attend our AGM to help us explore the possibilities. Click here to find out more about the AGM. We are also currently running an on-line survey at the moment and would appreciate your input, click here to complete our on-line survey.
The target area for our Connecting Landscapes revegetation program is shown in blue.
Following in footsteps of Major Mitchell – 180 years later
Posted on 29 September, 2016 by Connecting Country
Local artist and historian Eliza Tree has been fascinated by the exploratory journeys of Major Mitchell across parts of south-eastern Australia, including through the Dja Dja Wurrung country in Castlemaine and surrounds. Mitchell’s expedition first traveled through this part of central Victoria in 1836. To recognize this journey 180 years ago, and ‘the avalanche of events that followed’, Eliza Tree is coordinating three events over the weekend of the 30 September to 2 October 2016.
Friday, 30th September, 11 am – 1 pm: Forest Creek walk – through Castlemaine Landcare Rehabilitation area, retracing Mitchell’s steps with references to his Journal and maps.
Saturday, 1st October, 1pm – 6 pm: Exhibition of paintings by Eliza Tree. Launch at 4 pm.
Sunday, 2nd October, 10am– 4 pm: Retracing Major Mitchell’s 1836 Expedition by Road, from Newstead to Redesdale, Revisiting descriptions from Mitchell’s Journals and maps. Ecology, Geology, Australia Felix. Bookings required to be made to Eliza.
For more information on each of these events, see attached flyer from Eliza (CLICK HERE) or visit her website (http://majormitchellexpedition.com/).
Eliza Tree’s painting of Castlemaine and surrounds at the time of Mitchell’s expedition
Mount Alexander Schools Landcare Days 2016
Posted on 28 September, 2016 by Asha
There were students as far as the eye could see; sorting through macro invertebrates, feeling the soil, looking for birds and building nests. Over three Tuesdays in September 2016, close to 380 Grade 5/6 students from 15 primary schools in the Mount Alexander region attended Connecting Country’s Schools Landcare Days. The idea developed at a Landcare Link-up last year, as a way to engage kids and their families with the environment around them. As all the locals know, we’ve had an amazing amount of wet weather lately, which meant that two out of three of our Schools Landcare Days were held at the Harcourt Leisure Centre, and one at Vaughan Springs on a rare sunny day.
Students learning about different soil types with Brendan Smith
The activities each day were designed to teach students about natural processes and cultural heritage, and to encourage them to think of ways they can apply this knowledge to look after their local area. The wonderful Patrick Wilson from Doxa Youth Camp in Malmsbury came to all of the days, and maintained an infectious energy for aquatic ecosystems and macro invertebrates. Brendan Smith from Parks Victora had students laughing and getting their hands dirty while he talked about the importance of soil structure and health. They also transferred some young grasses into trays for planting out later, which for some students meant ducking out of the warm Leisure Centre and braving the icy wind outside!
On August 30th Jida Gulbil kindly came along and discussed Dja Dja Wurrung culture with students, helped by his beautiful didgeridoo (or, as Jida joked, his “telescope to see the stars”). That day we were also treated to an activity run by students from Chewton Primary School. Supported by Naomi Raftery, Marie Jones, and Julie Holden; Jet, Scout, Max, Amara and Emma ran an activity looking at food webs and thinking about what happens if you take elements out of a food web.
Looking for aquatic macro invertebrates with Patrick Wilson
Our second Schools Landcare Day was held at Vaughan Springs, so Krista Patterson-Majoor was able to take students for a walk in the bush to learn about our local ecosystems and what has influenced the landscape we see today. Colin Lyons from Parks Victoria joined Krista to give his insights into the heritage aspects of the area. Meanwhile, Cathy McCallum and Graeme Harris from Baringhup Landcare were helping students to find and identify some mysterious bird cut-outs that were hidden in some very tricky places. In a quiet spot down the track, Asha Bannon and students were talking about Landcare and drawing soundscapes of what could be heard around them, which included lots of birds, lots of water, and lots of people!
On the last day, we had Aunty Julie and her students from Castlemaine Secondary College: Shakira, Grace, Cohen, Zeppelin, and Bailey. With help from the secondary students, the Grade 5/6s tried to match cards with seasonal events (e.g. “Wedge-tailed Eagles are breeding”) to the correct Dja Dja Wurrung season. This proved to be quite a challenge, but a great way to get everyone thinking. At the end of the day, all of the students had a nest to take home built at Nicole Howie’s birds nest activity. As Nicole said, it’s hard enough to make a nest with your hands, imagine how difficult it must be to make one with your beak while on the look out for predators.
A huge thank you to all of the amazing presenters who came along and gave it their all. The feedback from schools on the activities has all been extremely positive, and it was easy to see how engaged the students were with what they were learning. Thank you also to the teachers for being so supportive, the students for your patience and interest, and the Landcare members who came along to chat with schools and join in. Finally, we thank Nicole Howie for her hard work putting the days together.
The Mount Alexander School Landcare Days were made possible with funding from the North Central Catchment Management Authority Community Grants Program.
50 Years with Kaweka
Posted on 28 September, 2016 by Asha
The Friends of Kaweka Sanctuary invite you to an afternoon tea to celebrate our 50 years with Kaweka.
Kaweka Sanctuary was donated to the people of Castlemaine and in 1966 a public meeting formed a community management group. Come and help celebrate this milestone anniversary. All welcome!
When: Sunday 2nd October 2016, 2pm
Where: Corner of Hargraves and Turner Streets, Castlemaine
RSVP: For catering purposes, please contact Secretary Lyndell Green:
Email: lyndellgreen@me.com or Phone: 0448 190 444
