16 Sept 2015 – Rabbit-buster Roadshow

Posted on 11 September, 2015 by Connecting Country

The Rabbit-buster Roadshow is moving across north-central Victoria, with the nearest event to the Mount Alexander Shire occurring on the evening of Wednesday 16 Sept at the Belvoir Park Golf Club in Ravenswood.  This event is being hosted by North Central CMA, who are pleased to bring Dr Tarnya Cox (Invasive Animals CRC) back to the region to present at this information session.

Information sessions will cover:
– Invasive Animals CRC Boost project (pathogenic calicivirus)
– Integrated rabbit management
– Landholder participation in the Boost project
– Case studies from local Landcare groups
– Where to next — the future release of a new strain of RHDV
– Rabbit Buster Month campaign.

For further information, see the attached flyer (CLICK HERE).

To RSVP to the North Central CMA (for catering purposes) – either call (03) 5448-7124  or email info@nccma.vic.gov.au.

Spring into Nature with TfN

Posted on 11 September, 2015 by Connecting Country

Each year, our good friends at Trust for Nature run a series of field days across the state which highlight some of the incredible biodiversity values that are being managed and protected on private land.  On Sunday 4 October 2015, there will be a guided bushwalk walk from Mt Korong to Mt Kooyoora (near the Wedderburn-Inglewood area).

As part of Trust for Nature’s Spring into Nature event series, we open the gates to selected Victorian properties to demonstrate what can be achieved in the name of conservation. Come along to celebrate Victoria’s natural heritage, experience the diversity of our native plants and wildlife, and enjoy spring the way nature intended! Talk with landowners who have permanently protected their properties, enjoy guided walks while the wildflowers are on display, and learn from practical land management experiences that help our native plants and wildlife.

To see the full range of available events from across Victoria this spring – including the Mt Korong bushwalk – and also for RSVP details, follow this link to the TfN website (CLICK HERE).

Investigating biodiversity and its value across all scales

Posted on 7 September, 2015 by Connecting Country

Steve Williams introduces us to a moth “super-food” – Cassinia.

Did you know that Cassinia is a super-food for native moths? Or that lichens are actually the result of an algae and fungi working symbiotically? Twenty-four eager participants learnt this and so much more at Connecting Country’s Biodiversity in the Paddock workshop on Sunday 30th August 2015.

A huge thank you to landholders Peter Hansen and Sally Roadknight for inviting the Connecting Country team to their beautiful property at the foot of Mt Tarrengower to hear from presenters Cassia Read (on moss and lichens), Steve Williams (on moths) and Karl Just and Gordie Scott-Walker (on native flora).   Geoff Park (from Natural Decisions and Natural Newstead) expertly kept the flow, whilst highlighting the stunning bird life to be found all around in the property.

A farm tour allowed participants to see for themselves the impressive impact of tubestock planting, natural regeneration through removing grazing, and the effects of erosion control on the creek which funnels run-off from Mt. Tarrengower through their property. Gordie provided us with a detailed list of the reptiles and amphibians, and the hundreds of birds and plant species that he has observed on his parents property, reminding everyone of the gains to be had from regenerating land.

The message of the day from all four presenters was the huge value of biodiversity in the paddock, from the mosses and lichens which hold soil together, to the beautiful variety of moths which feed from and live on all kinds of plants – never has Cassinia arcuata (‘coffee bush’) appeared such a fascinating and valuable plant in the landscape.

Click here for more information and resources from this session.

Also, there are a few places remaining for our next workshop on Sunday 13 September on Conservation Fencing – click here for more information.

The education program is supported by Connecting Country through funding from the Australian government.

Have your say: Landcare in Victoria

Posted on 4 September, 2015 by Connecting Country

You may have already heard about the review of the Victorian Landcare Program happening currently, as announced by the Victorian Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water Lisa Neville. Community input into the review is encouraged via an online survey available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VictorianLandcare

The Victorian Landcare Program includes:

• Victorian Landcare Grants delivered by each CMA,
• Regional Landcare Coordinators based in each CMA and state-wide support team,
• Aboriginal Landcare Facilitator,
• Victorian Landcare Gateway website,
• Victorian Landcare & Catchment Management Magazine,
• Victorian Landcare Awards
• Victorian Landcare Facilitators (68 facilitator positions – one of which Connecting Country has hosted for the Mount Alexander Region since early 2012 (Max Schlachter’s role))

The input provided during the consultation will be used to inform recommendations for the Victorian Government’s support for Landcare into the future. This is your opportunity to contribute, and any decisions made will only be as good as the information we provide! So don’t forget to write comments if you think the survey doesn’t ask all the questions you want to answer!

• If you value Landcare …
• If you believe Landcare contributes to your community and your local landscape …
• If there are aspects of the Landcare program you want to keep …
• Or if you think there should be changes …
• If you are or have been involved in Landcare …
• If you have an opinion about the future of Landcare  …
  Have your say!

13 Sept 2015 – Conservation Fencing Workshop

Posted on 3 September, 2015 by Connecting Country

‘Conservation Fencing’ will be the topic of Connecting Country’s third Spring 2015 Education workshop, to be held in the Yandoit area on Sunday 13 September. Registrations are open for what promises to be an educational and practical day!

This is the fence that Rick and Beth built. Guess which side is excluding grazers…

Property owners Beth and Rick Higgins manage a large tract of bush in Yandoit, and over the years have established four exclusion zones, and experimented with differing approaches to revegetation over these sites. This session will use their property as an example to introduce participants to the role of conservation fencing.

Renowned ecologist Paul Foreman, from Blue-devil Consulting, shall introduce us to conservation fencing and its role in improving biodiversity including ways to design, place and measure its impacts on regeneration. With his detailed knowledge of local flora, he will take us on a plot ramble to see what’s there and what’s not and why.

Alex Schipperen, Team Leader for Connecting Country’s Works Crew team, will talk about types of fencing and give a practical demonstration in erecting a small exclusion plot. Alex has over 40 kms of fencing under his belt so he knows what he’s talking about!

We will also be fortunate to have Judy Crocker, Landcare Facilitator for the Mid Loddon Conservation Management Network, inspire us with her successful Bush-stone Curlew project that is protecting current breeding pairs by creating five 4-8ha, predator proof nesting sites in woodland areas.

Further details for the day including transportation will be provided upon registration. The workshop costs $30 or  $20 for Connecting Country members. Please contact Jules on jules@connectingcountry.org.au or call 5472 1594 to register. Click here for more information on the workshop series, and CLICK HERE to download a registration form. The program is supported by Connecting Country through funding from the Australian government.

11 Sept 2015 – Photographic Journey to the Last Frontier

Posted on 2 September, 2015 by Connecting Country

The Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica is a formidable plate of ice the size of France, uninhabited and deadly. The sheer cliffs of the Byrd Glacier tower above the sea ice and to early explorers formed the great barrier to their exploration endeavours. Ross Island is a home to polar-adapted wildlife such as the Weddell Seal which spends the entire year in Antarctica. As the summer approaches, the frozen surface of the Ross sea begins to fracture and dissolve. Above the colonies of seal, Adelie Penguin and marauding Killer Whale, the fractured and tortured ice tongue of the Mt. Erebus Glacier sweeps off the slopes of the planet’s most southerly active volcano, towering almost four thousand metres into the polar sky.

The guest speaker at the September General Meeting of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club is National Geographic’s award winning wildlife photographer and TV presenter Jason Edwards (see his bio and website HERE).  His presentation will focus on the environment and the species that inhabit the Ross Ice Shelf and Ross Island, and the researchers who brave the harsh wilderness to study them.

The event formally starts formally at 7.30pm on Friday 11 September, but you are welcome to arrive from 7pm to have a cup of tea and a chat beforehand.  Members and visitors are very welcome, including families – and there is no entry fee.  As per usual, it will be held in the Fellowship Room, behind the Uniting Church on Lyttleton St, Castlemaine (next door to the Art Gallery and Museum). 

Federal and State Grant Programs now open

Posted on 2 September, 2015 by Connecting Country

There are at least 3 government grant/support programs open at the moment (as at 2 Sept 2015) for community groups (e.g. Landcare, Friends of) to receive support to implement their environmental restoration projects.  We have summarised these below, but please follow the links to their websites for full details and descriptions.

Green Army: Round 4 – Applications close: 2 pm AEST (Canberra time) Wednesday 16 September 2015

The Federal Government’s Green Army is a 6-month programme for 17-24 year olds to train and work in the environment or heritage conservation.  Community organisations, Landcare groups, environment groups, Indigenous organisations, natural resource management organisations, local councils and others have been encouraged to apply for projects in their region.  The local groups receive a Green Army team to work on their projects, but only receive limited or no funding support for the project itself.
Projects must also contribute to Australia’s national and international environmental priorities and obligations.

Round Four of the Programme has two streams.  Stream 1 is for Heritage Projects which may commence from 1 January 2016. Stream 2 is for all eligible (non-Heritage) Projects which may commence from 1 July 2016.  All Projects approved under Round Four must be completed by 30 June 2017. Applicants who were unsuccessful through previous rounds may re-apply under this round.  For further details, see the Green Army website (CLICK HERE).

20 Million Trees Competitive Grants Round 2 – Applications close: 2.00pm AEST (Canberra time) 16 September 2015

The Federal Government is seeking applications from eligible groups or individuals interested in undertaking a tree planting project as part of the 20 Million Trees Programme. Applications are invited for projects seeking funding between $20,000 and $100,000 (GST exclusive).  This is primarily a programme to plant indigenous trees and shrubs that grow over 2 metres in height, although some understorey plantings, weed control and site preparation can also be undertaken with the funds.  The funds cannot be used to build fences or collect seeds.  However, as part of this same application, eligible groups and individuals can also concurrently apply to have a Green Army team undertake the plantings, site preparation and associated activities (which can include fence building and seed collection).   Projects up to $60,000 must be completed by 30 June 2017, while projects from $60,000 to $100,000 have until 30 June 2018 for completion.
For further details, see the 20 Million Trees website (CLICK HERE).

Threatened Species Protection Initiative – There are two streams of these new Victorian Government grants.

Community Volunteer Action grants – $2 million dollars is available to support small-scale, local threatened species projects that build community connections to the local environment. Projects must be between $2000 to $20,000.  Applications are due by 22 September 2015, and projects must be completed by November 2016.

Strategic Action and Critical Partnerships grants – $3 million dollars is available to environmental agencies and organisations, as experts in threatened species management, to undertake work that reduces threats and secures important sites for threatened species.  Applications are due by 8 September 2015, and projects must be completed by June 2016.

For more information on both sets of Threatened Species Protective Initiative grants – CLICK HERE.

Our Crew: Working towards the bigger picture

Posted on 2 September, 2015 by Connecting Country

2015 Works Crew from left: Team Leader Alex Schipperen, Lauren Cogo, Jason Burgoyne and Ned Brook

In April, Connecting Country’s 2015 Works Crew commenced. Our team leader, Alex Schipperen has been mentoring three new crew members; Lauren Cogo, Ned Brook and Jason Burgoyne in developing skills in conservation and land management. These skills have seen the crew complete some 730 hectares of work including 20 kilometres of fencing, 5,000 tubestock plantings and 319 hectares of pests and weeds treated across eleven properties in the Mount Alexander Region. We’ve asked Jason to share some of his experiences from his time with the Works Crew…

“While working, the crew loves to talk and our chats brought up the importance of biodiversity. It got me thinking about how the work we have accomplished will contribute to biodiversity in the Mt. Alexander region in the longer term.
Our projects have included fencing off remnant vegetation and creek lines to exclude stock allowing these areas to natural regenerate. The 5,000 indigenous trees and shrubs we’ve planted will provide a framework for other flora and fauna to establish in the future. Finally, through removing rabbits and weeds we are reducing the competition allowing native plants to establish.

Ned and Lauren adjust an end assembly for a fence line

The properties where we’ve worked are carefully selected with the aim of reconnecting the landscape; they link neighbouring properties and other existing vegetation in the surrounding area. This provides corridors and stepping-stones to allow flora and fauna to move throughout the landscape.

Looking back to April, I can visualise how the properties piece together on a localised and regional scale. For example, one property has a reserve of remnant vegetation at the rear, we fenced off three areas on the property and planted 400 natives linking the reserve to the roadside corridor. Scarlet and Flame Robins have already been seen using the tree guards as a perch to find their next meal! Proof that it doesn’t take a long to see the positive effects in the landscape.”
By crew member, Jason Burgoyne

Connecting Country currently has opportunities available to provide subsidised support for projects like these on new properties.  If you’re a local landholder and are interested in learning if your property is eligible, contact Jarrod Coote on 03 5472 1594 or jarrod@connectingcountry.org.au to discuss further.  Also please forward this onto any neighbours, friends or others you think might be interested received help from the Connecting Country Works Crew on a restoration project on their properties.

19 Sept 2015 – Protecting Threatened Wildlife Forum

Posted on 28 August, 2015 by Connecting Country

Our neighbours down south, the Macedon Ranges Shire Council, will host a lively and topical forum on local wildlife facing extinction on Saturday 19 September 2015.

“Protecting Threatened Wildlife” will combine stimulating thought and discussion from two of Australia’s leading ecologists; Dr Peter Menkhorst (Arthur Rylah Institute) and Dr Dan Harley (Zoos Victoria). It will take place from 2pm–4.30pm at the Newham Mechanics Institute, 1292 Rochford Road, Newham.

Held during National Threatened Species Month, the afternoon will see speakers cover a range of topics, including:

• species in the Macedon Ranges that are most at risk from extinction

29 Aug 2015 – Landscape Inspired Newstead Artists

Posted on 27 August, 2015 by Connecting Country

This Saturday 29 August 2015 from 3pm to 5pm is the Grand Opening of the Newstead Arts Hub.  To celebrate this opening of the Arts Hub at the refurbished Newstead Railway Station, local artists were invited to submit two or three pieces of work for the inaugural exhibition. Of interest is that almost all the works (paintings, photos and sculpture) take inspiration from the natural landscape, which is one of the reasons we thought Connecting Country members and supporters may be interested in attending either on the opening weekend, or one of the two subsequent weekends.  (Further details are provided in the flyer).

Wetland Plants Identification Course with Damian Cook

Posted on 25 August, 2015 by Connecting Country

The Mount Alexander Shire is indeed fortunate to have so many specialists in natural history in its midst.  Two of the best are Damian Cook and Elaine Bayes, and Connecting Country is lucky to have them on our Expert Advisory Group.

Through their business – Rakali Consulting – they are running three one-day courses in the identification of  wetlands plants.   Elaine and Damian have told us, “This course is aimed at anyone interested in wetland plant identification and ecology. The course will run over 3 days and each day will focus on a different wetland habitat (water’s edge, deep marsh and mudflat) and be timed so as to follow the wetting and drying of the stunning Reedy Lagoon at Gunbower Island.  Participants can elect to do 1, 2 or all 3 days. ….. [Each] day will be divided between being outside observing plants in their natural habitat and collecting specimens and class time using field guides, keys and microscopes.  There will also be discussion and presentation time. Notes and identification keys will be provided.  Lunch, morning and afternoon tea provided.”

The course is being held at Treetops, Spencer’s Bridge Road (off Cohuna-Koondrook Rd), Cohuna, Victoria which is located on the banks of Gunbower Creek.  Field work will be conducted at Reedy Lagoon and timed to follow environmental water delivery to ensure wetland plants are at their peak.  The cost per day is $319 (inc. GST) or $880 (inc GST) for all three days.

More information on the course, and details on how to register, are available on the Rakali Consulting website (click here).

30 Aug 2015 – Wheel Cactus Injecting Day

Posted on 25 August, 2015 by Connecting Country

Tony Kane from the Tarrangower Cactus Control Group has let us know that they are holding their monthly working bee on Sunday 30th August at a property on the extension of Tarrengower School Road off Watersons Road.  Follow the signs from the corner of the Maldon-Bridgewater Road and Watersons Road, on the north-western side of Maldon.   CLICK HERE for more information from their flyer.

It starts at 10.30 am, and finishes with a BBQ and drinks at lunchtime.  Everyone is welcome to join in the control of this noxious pest.  Instructions and equipment provided on the day.

Conservation fencing: it’s what’s inside that counts!

Posted on 20 August, 2015 by Connecting Country

Conservation fencing in action

Like many landholders in Mount Alexander, Beth and Rick Higgins have installed exclusion fencing to restore and regenerate biodiversity on their property, especially the understorey, herbs and grasses – the results of which are dramatic and inspiring. You can come and see for yourselves at Connecting Country’s third Spring Workshop,  Conservation Fencing.

There are many reasons install exclusion fencing on your property. You may want to keep out herbivores (such as stock, rabbits or kangaroos) from a revegetation or restoration site, or prevent damage from people, or even keep out introduced predators to have a safe place for native fauna to flourish.

Ian Higgins from the North Central Catchment Management Authority, will be giving us an overview of exclusion fencing and its role in improving biodiversity and taking us on a ‘plot ramble’ to see what’s  there and what’s not. He will also discuss ways to monitor success. Connecting Country’s incredibly skilled crew leader, Alex Schipperen, will then talk about the practicalities of installing fencing – including identifying what you are protecting, what are you protecting it from, and how best to do it? We’ll have other special guests on the day too.

When: Sunday 13 September 2015, 10am – 3.30pm.

Where: Yandoit (details provided upon registration). Transport available from Castlemaine.

Cost:  $30 per person or $20 for Concession and Connecting Country members.  Includes morning tea, lunch by C.A.K.E, session notes and handouts, and follow-up web-based resources.

Registration: Register now as limited places remain. Click here to download a registration form, or contact Jules or Krista at Connecting Country for further information.

This workshop is the third of four in the Spring series which aim to give participants skills and knowledge on working with nature to improve biodiversity. Places are still available for the Biodiversity in the Paddock session to be held on Sunday the 30th of August (click here for more information) and for the last workshop, Back from the Brink, covering controlling weeds and other threats in restoration projects (25 October). Click here for more information on the workshop series. The program is supported by Connecting Country through funding from the Australian government.

Krista Patterson-Majoor, Community Engagement

Award winner at the Sustainable Agriculture forum in Castlemaine

Posted on 17 August, 2015 by Connecting Country

Local orchardist – Katie Finlay – was recently crowned the 2015 Victorian Rural Woman of the Year, and now is in the running for the National Rural Woman award.  At the Castlemaine forum for discussing their draft Regional Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, the North Central CMA has organised for Katie to be the guest presenter.  Katie will speak about her journey towards sustainability.  (As noted in a previous blog – click here – the North Central CMA are also seeking feedback on their draft Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan on the same evening and at same event).

From North Central CMA manager Tim Shanahan  “Increasing the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices across the region will strengthen the future of the industry while protecting natural resources such as land and water.”

Further quotes from Tim, additional details about the event and to read a summary of the draft Sustainable Agriculture strategy, follow this link (click here).

The Castlemaine forum is one of five being held across the region.  It is on Monday 31 August 2015 from 7.30 pm at the Campbells Creek Community Centre, Elizabeth St – with a light supper served from 7pm.  To attend, RSVPs have been requested for catering purposes (email info@nccma.vic.gov.au or by phone on 03 5448 7124).

Celebrating a 10th Anniversary in the grasslands of northern Victoria

Posted on 17 August, 2015 by Connecting Country

The good people of the Northern Plains Conservation Management Network are celebrating their 10th anniversary.  With guest speakers, a visit to a specially protected Grassy Ecosystem on private property and a catered morning tea and lunch, they’ve invited us all to join the milestone festivities.

The Northern Plains CMN is located in the central part of the north of Victoria.  It was established in 2005 with the aim to bring together all those involved with and interested in the management and conservation of grasslands and grassy woodlands in the north central area.

Their special event is being held on Friday 4th September 2015, from 10.30am to 3.30pm, in Terrick Terrick East.  Further information is available in this flyer (click here).

To attend the event, an RSVP to the North Central CMA is essential (by 5 pm Tuesday 1 September on 03 5448 7124 or email info@nccma.vic.gov.au).

Managing our biodiversity under climate change

Posted on 12 August, 2015 by Connecting Country

Climate change will affect all life forms, either directly or indirectly, and not just humans.  How can local plants, animals and other species be helped to adapt to a changing climate?  How do we decide what to prioritise?

Scientists, government agencies, community groups, landholders and others are grappling with these and other questions relating to the impact of climate change on biodiversity.

Connecting Country has been made aware of two upcoming events designed to help address some of these tough issues.

Symposium: ‘Managing Victoria’s Biodiversity under Climate Change’
This symposium to be held on the 8-9 October 2015 in Parkville is being organised by the Victorian National Parks Association, the Royal Society of Victoria and the University of Melbourne.  Over these 2 days, a series of expert speakers will briefly outline likely impacts of climate change on Victoria’s ecosystems. Their presentations will address a likely scenario, or a series of scenarios, in the year 2050. Each talk will be followed by 20 minutes of discussion facilitated by a similarly qualified person.

For further details on the topics to be covered, and for registration details, see the attached link (click here).

Feedback on ‘North Central Region Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan’ (and ‘Regional Sustainable Agriculture Strategy’)

These two documents have been developed by the North Central CMA over many months, and are now available in draft form for public feedback.  Five public forums are being held to discuss them, with one of these in the Mount Alexander Shire at the Campbells Creek Community Centre on the evening of Monday 31 August 2015.   Guest presenter at this event will be Katie Finlay, an orchardist from Harcourt who was recently named as the 2015 Victorian Rural Woman of the Year.  Katie will speak about her journey towards sustainability.

Copies of the press release (CLICK HERE) and the invitation flyer (CLICK HERE)  from the CMA are available.

Feedback on these two documents is being accepted by the North Central CMA up until 14 September 2015.  To view copies of the draft documents follow these links (HERE for climate plan [8MB] and HERE for the Sustainable Agriculture strategy summary [1MB]), or visit the North Central CMA website (here and here, respectively).

14 Aug 2015 – Central Victorian Botanical Wonders

Posted on 11 August, 2015 by Connecting Country

The guest presenter for the August meeting of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club (CFNC) is Rodney Orr, a highly respected ecologist from Bendigo.  Rodney was editor and compiler of the book “The Orchids of Bendigo’, and has also contributed many articles to Whirrakee (the newsletter of the Bendigo Field Naturalists Club) over a number of years and decades.  He is one of the foremost experts on the wildflowers of this part of central Victoria.

His talk to the CFNC is titled “Bendigo’s Botanical Wonders”, and will no doubt be filled with interesting stories and a slideshow full of amazing photographs.

The presentation will be held in the Fellowship Room from 7.30pm on Friday 14 August (although you can arrive from 7pm for a cup of tea and a chat beforehand).  The Fellowship room is located behind the Uniting Church on Lyttleton St in Castlemaine (next door to the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Museum).  Everyone is welcome and there is no cost for entry.

If you are inspired by this talk, the club’s excursion on the following day (Sat 15 Aug) is to the Whipstick mallee forests to the north of Bendigo.  Details to be provided at the Friday evening meeting.

Did someone mention the f-word?

Posted on 10 August, 2015 by Connecting Country

The CFA’s Owen Gooding addressing participants; “you don’t need to be a expert or a scientist to understand the fire and the bush around you”

Fire. For many of us it conjures up a range of feelings; “confused … worried … fearful … ignorant … conflicted … overwhelmed …” . For those of us who attended Connecting Country’s Living with Fire and Wildlife workshop on Sunday the 2nd of August we now feel better informed and more confident when it comes to thinking about fire on our properties.

A brilliant team of presenters included Owen Goodings, Julie Whitfield and David Cheal gave a strong and united message that we can enhance biodiversity and manage fire risk at the same time. Andrew and Sarah’s stunning bush block in Strangways provided the perfect backdrop to our discussions.

Julie Whitford: “we have a obligation to look after ourselves but also the many other things that live on the land”.

We all gained a lot from the day – from a better understanding fire behaviour in the bush, to comprehending the complicated interactions of our flora and fauna, to having an idea of suitable plants for around the house.

More information, resources, and a excellent summary from workshop participants Helen and Ian Scott is available here. A new forum topic has also been started for those who would like to continue the conversation; click here to get involved.

Our huge thanks to our presenters, our hosts, and to Chris Johnston for her expert facilitation that made the day flow so smoothly.

Preparations are currently underway for our next workshop; “Biodiversity in the Paddock”. Here is your opportunity to learn a little more about the often hidden gems of your property – the mosses and lichens, ants, and moths and how they all fit into the bigger landscape picture. Places are filling fast, click here for more information and to reserve your spot.

The ‘Working with Nature to Improve Your Property’ 2015 Workshop Program is supported by Connecting Country through funding from the Australian government.

Magic moments of winter bird monitoring

Posted on 8 August, 2015 by Tanya Loos

One of the joys of bird monitoring is the experience of magic moments: special points of time and place that stand out in the mind as truly special. Connecting Country’s winter bird monitoring has been completed for the 2015 year, involving two surveys at each of the 54 sites, which totals 108 ‘twenty minute – two hectare’ surveys. Here are a few of the magic moments from this winter’s wet and windy efforts!

While looking for the typical, tiny bush bird shapes in the foliage on the side of a hill in Metcalfe Conservation Reserve, I was completely taken aback by the sight of a huge Wedge-tailed Eagle taking off from the ground just metres in front of me, closely followed by another, younger bird. They had been eating a dead kangaroo, and the pair perched nearby in a paddock tree watching me closely as I completed the survey.

Speckled Warblers are not often encountered; they are a small, ground-foraging woodland bird somewhat like a scrubwren, with attractive streaky plumage. One lucky afternoon I had brilliant views of two foraging in rocky grassy undergrowth at the Nuggettys, then observed another at a direct seeding site in Maldon, foraging on the ground with thornbills and Scarlet Robins.

This year I have had the fortunate opportunity to set up a number of new bird monitoring sites (eight in total) with landholders who have past or present Connecting Country revegetation projects on their properties. After surveying a direct seeding site in the Blue Hills area, myself and the landholders went for a walk and we were rewarded with a brilliant session; dozens of bird species including Hooded Robins, Jacky Winters, Brown Treecreepers and culminating in a pair of Crested Shrike-tits doing a courtship wing shivering display. Magic!

This striking male Crested Shrike-tit was photographed by Geoff Park, and featured on his blog Natural Newstead.

If you are interested in a revegetation project on your property, call Jarrod Coote at the Connecting Country office on 5472 1594 to find out more.

And for those of you who are enjoying the birds on your property; watch this space, as we will be going out on another outing in early September.

by Tanya Loos, Habitat for Bush Birds Project Coordinator.

Biodiversity in the paddock – looking beyond the grass…

Posted on 7 August, 2015 by Connecting Country

A new world seen through a land lens

If you know where and how to look, you will discover that your paddock is home to a plethora of living creatures and plants.

At our next Spring Workshop,  Biodiversity in the Paddock, our team of expert ecologists will guide you through the landscape to identify what makes up ‘biodiversity’. On a stunning property in Maldon, landscape ecologist Geoff Park, moth expert Steve Williams, botanist Karl Just and moss and lichen expert Cassia Read will take us on a hands-on foray for the obvious to the often overlooked. We will examine the big picture and right down to the small and discuss how we can improve, and monitor, the health of our landscape.

          When: Sunday 30 August 2015, 10am – 3.30pm

Where: Maldon (details provided upon registration). Transport available from Castlemaine.

Cost:  $30 per person or $20 for Concession and Connecting Country members.  Includes morning tea, lunch by C.A.K.E, session notes and handouts, and follow-up web-based resources.

Registration: Register now as limited places remain. Click here to download a registration form, or contact Jules or Krista at Connecting Country for further information.

This workshop is the second of four in the Spring series which aim to give participants skills and knowledge on working with nature to improve biodiversity. The final two workshop cover using exclusion fencing to restore habitat (13 September), and controlling weeds in restoration projects (25 October). Click here for more information on the workshop series.

Krista Patterson-Majoor, Community Engagement