Restoring landscapes across the Mount Alexander Region

All things great and small

Posted on 15 May, 2014 by Connecting Country

A gully at Baringhup, with remnant bulokes and other trees, provided us with shelter from the biting wind and a chilly autumn day for our second workshop session, “Biodiversity in the Paddock”  on Sunday May 4th 2014. The spot also provided a more permanent home to an array of flora and fauna, all contributing to local biodiversity on the property.

Thanks to property holders Jacqui and Lachlan Brown for providing their farm as an ideal location to explore concepts around biodiversity, productivity and restoration.

Guided by Lachy, Jacqui and our expert ecologists we moved between scales; from the broader landscape, down to the property and paddock level and back, to identify what makes up ‘biodiversity’ and how we can improve and monitor the health of a landscape.

Cassia Read, Karl Just, Bonnie Humphreys and Chris Timewell led us through a hands-on foray for the obvious to the often overlooked – in this case plants, birds, mosses and lichens, ants.

Jim Radford talks species, genetics, processes

Jim Radford takes us on a journey of species, genetics, processes

Karl, Bonnie, Cassia, Lachy, Jacqui and Chris

Karl, Bonnie, Cassia, Lachy, Jacqui and Chris

More information, photos and links from the session as well as Jules Walsh’s summary of the session, can be found here.

For more information: email (janet@connectingcountry.org.au) or call Janet on 5472 1594.

 

Registrations Open for Box-Ironbark Ecology Course 2014

Posted on 15 May, 2014 by Connecting Country

We have been informed by the organisers that registrations are open for the 17th Box-Ironbark Ecology Course. This five-day residential course in Nagambie commences on Monday 6th October and concludes on Friday 10th October, 2014.

The course is for those interested in gaining a general understanding of ecological processes and principles specific to Box-Ironbark Country, as is complementary to the workshops being run locally be Connecting Country.

The course involves five absorbing days of field studies and is taught by a number of expert ecologists including: Cathy Botta (soil), Andrea Canzano (insects), Garry Cheers (birds), Paul Foreman (plants), Lindy Lumsden (wildlife), David Meagher (mosses and liverworts) and Neville Rosengren (geology).

Have a look at their course flyer for more information on the location and topics.  Note that this is not a Connecting Country event.  Contact Kate Stothers (katelance1@gmail.com) if you are interested in attending.  

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This area of Box-Ironbark Forest has a Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) and Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus tricarpa) overstorey. Not all ‘Box-Ironbark’ forest contains these two eucalypt though.

 

 

17-18 May 2014 – Swift Parrot survey weekend

Posted on 14 May, 2014 by Connecting Country

We are fortunate to live in a part of central Victoria which is a hot-spot for the threatened Swift Parrot – although the numbers of birds seen during their migrations varies dramatically from year to year.

Over the past 20 years, Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club members and other local birding enthusiasts have conducted surveys for this species on the two annual survey weekends (always the 3rd weekend in May, and first weekend in August).  Across south-eastern mainland Australia, these surveys have been coordinated by BirdLife Australia (and its predecessor Birds Australia).  The surveys also focus on the Regent Honeyeater, although this species is now highly unlikely to be found in the Mount Alexander Shire.  The last confirmed local Regent Honeyeater sighting was about ten years ago of a single bird near Newstead.  A powerpoint presentation on the surveys and these species is available on the BirdLife website (click here).

A copy of the datasheet is available here (click here).   Across the official survey weekend – and the weekends on either side – BirdLife Australia are interested in the results of all bird-watching surveys – irrespective of whether Swift Parrots are seen or not.  Even unsuccessful surveys are of interest to the scientists studying this species.  The datasheet can also be used to document observations of the Swift Parrot made at other times of the year.

There was a recent article published about the impact of Sugar Gliders in killing Swift Parrots and their fledglings and eggs at their nesting sites in Tasmania (click here).

 

New edition of ‘chat’

Posted on 14 May, 2014 by Connecting Country

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The April edition of the North Central CMA publication, chatis now available and can be viewed by clicking on the banner above. As well as news about awards, local events, courses and resources, this issue includes interesting night photos of a fox and a wallaby taken on Mount Alexander using a camera trap set up by Regional Landcare Facilitator, Max Schlachter.  It also contains a beautiful image of Grey-crowned Babblers by Chris Tzaros.

 

Hawkweed Alert

Posted on 14 May, 2014 by Connecting Country

Screen-Shot-2014-04-16-at-4.06People who have recently purchased plants or flowers at markets in the region are being asked to check their purchases after a State Prohibited Weed, Orange Hawkweed, was being offered for sale.

This pretty looking flower has demonstrated itself to be a highly invasive species that thrives in cooler climates. It can be identified by its hairy leaves and stems. The flower has vibrant golden petals with orange tips.

It is illegal to trade, display, transport, or propagate any State Prohibited Weed.

If you do find this weed, do not dispose of it yourself, officers from the Department of Environment and Primary Industries must be contacted to conduct the removal.

This article first appeared in Macedon Ranges Environmental eNews.

 

10 May 2014 – A Focus on Waterbirds

Posted on 29 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

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  The North Central CMA is holding a free environmental knowledge event, A Focus on Waterbirds, on 10 May in Koondrook (between Echuca and Swan Hill). Click on the image above to see the flyer.

 

April/June 2014 – FOBIF Photographers at TOGS

Posted on 25 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests is holding a photo exhibition at TOGS Cafe and Gallery, Castlemaine over the next 6 weeks. The title of the show, Small Wonders, reflects the surprising discoveries people often make when they take a close look at nature. All photos are taken in our local area.

Twelve photographers will take part. The photos in the box below gives an indication of the diversity and quality of the images.

8-photosThe show will begin on 25 April and run until 5 June. Togs is open daily between 9 am and 5 pm. Photos are for sale.

 

4 May 2014 – Talk on Aboriginal Guides

Posted on 25 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

Dr Fred Cahir will be giving a talk on Aboriginal Guides during the Victorian goldrush period between 2 and 4.30 pm on Sunday 4 May. Dr Cahir is a Senior Lecturer at Ballarat University. The event is presented by the Mount Alexander Branch of the National Trust and will be held at the Chewton Community Centre. Afternoon tea will be served.

Click here to view flyer. (Please note that the flyer refers to the period relating to Aboriginal guides as the 1880s when it should be the 1850s.)

 

Mount Alexander Region Landcare E-news – April 2014

Posted on 24 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

The April 2014 edition of the Mount Alexander Landcare E-news is available. Click on the banner below to download the newsletter.

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The Landcare E-news is short monthly update on  Landcare-related news, information and events for the Mount Alexander Shire and surrounds.  Previous editions of E-news are available from the Landcare page of the Connecting Country website (click here).

The newsletter is sent out by Connecting Country’s Local Landcare Facilitator, Max Schlachter. If you would like to be put on the recipient list, send Max an email: max@connectingcountry.org.au.

 

17 May 2014 – Training in Castlemaine for Landcare Volunteers

Posted on 24 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

Access to free training is one of the perks of being a volunteer.

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White-breasted Woodswallows are very successful at forming groups – what’s their secret?

On Saturday 17th May the Mount Alexander Volunteer Network and Victorian Farm Tree & Landcare Association (FTLA) will be running ‘Secrets to Successful Groups‘ training in Castlemaine.

The training is free for Landcare (or ‘Friends of’) group members and $20 for non-members.

Topics covered by the training will include:
• How to recruit and retain volunteers
• Future proof your group by planning for succession
• Know the legal issues in managing volunteers
• Tips and techniques for effective decision making

To attend the training RSVP by 9th May: by email to ftla@vff.org.au, or phone
03 9207 5527

Date: Saturday 17th May 2014, 10am–4pm
Location: Continuing Education, Templeton Street, Castlemaine

Registrations and morning tea from 9.30a.m.
Lunch and Refreshments provided.

Click Here to download a flyer.

 

Helping to Farewell the Shorebirds

Posted on 22 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

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The Red-necked Stint is the smallest and most abundant of the shorebirds that migrate to Australia. They can be found in large numbers in most costal areas. Considering its size, this species performs one of the most amazing migrations of all.

Every year from late March onwards, thousands of birds leave the shores of Australia to embark on their arduous 10,000km journey northwards to their breeding grounds in Siberia and the Arctic. To celebrate this incredible journey, BirdLife Australia is launching an exciting nationwide event, Farewell Shorebirds, focusing on the fascinating lives of some of the 35 species of shorebirds.

Farewell Shorebirds will run from mid-April until mid-May 2014, concluding on World Migratory Bird Day (10 May). BirdLife Australia has invited people to register online at farewellshorebirds.org.au to follow up-to-date news of this year’s migration, receive weekly webcasts, find out about local birding activities and enter a draw for amazing prizes.

For readers interested in waterbirds, Geoff Park’s site has had several  posts on the abundant waders he has observed recently at Cairn Curran.

 

Taking the Big Picture

Posted on 16 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

The past informs the future. The natural and social history – and their interconnections – of this region have had an important, and often negative, impact on our natural environment.

Understanding where you and your property fit within these contexts means you can be more informed to make positive decisions and actions to address declining biodiversity. This was the background to our first workshop session, “The Big Picture” (Sunday April 6th), held at Welshmans Reef.

Thanks to property holders Brian and Robin Rebbechi for providing an ideal location to interpret and discuss the history and potential future for this site.

Guided by Deirdre Slattery and Ian Higgins, we moved between scales; from the broader landscape, down to the property level, and back, exploring the landuse history and vegetation changes over time at Welshmans Reef.

More information, photos and links from the session as well as Jules Walsh’s summary of the session can be found here

Ian Higgins discusses vegetation classes for the property

Ian Higgins discusses vegetation classes for the property

Deirdre Slattery guides participants through the complex history of the property

Deirdre Slattery guides participants through the complex history of the property

For more information: janet@connectingcountry.or.au or 5472 1594.

 

Searching for the elusive Cymatoplex moth

Posted on 13 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

Recently a small group of us went out looking over two nights for the rare Cymatoplex sp. moth in a Walmer bushland reserve which has plenty of Drooping Cassinia (Cassinia arcuata). We were hopeful of seeing this moth because previously sightings of adults have only been in late March and early April, and as reported in a previous post, Cymatoplex lavae are known to exclusively feed on Drooping Cassinia.

Unfortunately, even with the aid of a mercury vapour light shining on a suspended white sheet, we didn’t find any examples of this moth. However we did find plenty of other moths.

And here’s some photos of what we found (click on image to enlarge). Can you can help us identify any of them? If so, add a note to the comments section below.  We suspect the top middle one is from the Hednota genus, and that the top right one is from the Emerald group of moths (the Geometrinae sub-family).

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Moths found in Walmer South Nature Conservations Reserve, 30 March & 4 April 2014

 

 

13 April 2014 – FISH TALES, Cultural Sharing Family Day

Posted on 10 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

Electro fishing and fyke netting, making traditional stone tools and weaving with traditional materials will the topics covered as part of a cultural sharing day to be held in Cohuna on Barapa Barapa Country on 13 April. The Living Murray Program through the North Central CMA is organising the event. To find out more about the day and for RSVP details, download this flyer.

 

Unraveling the Mysterious Tuan

Posted on 10 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

Between mid-2009 and mid-2013, Connecting Country implemented a major project across the Mount Alexander Shire to increase the population of the endangered Brush-tailed Phascogale – also known as the Tuan.  This was partially achieved through working with landholders to enhance the depleted Yellow Box Woodland habitat preferred by Tuans.

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Four Sugar Gliders cosy and warm inside a nest box. This box was located in Sandon along a creek line (therefore a gully) and installed upon a very mature Yellow Box.

More than 400 nest boxes were also installed across the region (in clusters of three) to both provide additional Tuan nesting habitat, and to also allow long-term monitoring of their populations.  These specially designed nest boxes were installed with landholders’ permission in both public and private land, and within large and small patches of native woodland and forest habitat.

In April and May of 2011 and 2012, Connecting Country staff undertook monitoring of a large sample of these boxes.  April and May is the time of year that has the least disturbance upon the Tuan.  We were supported in 2012 by an Honours student from Deakin University, Amy Monagle, who also analyzed the habitat features around each nest box location. Her findings were of considerable interest (click here for a summary).  Connecting Country also prepared its own summary of the monitoring findings, which was published on its website (click here) and posted to the relevant landholders.  Many Sugar Gliders were also found, in addition to the Tuans Continue Reading »

 

TCCG at Easter Fair & first 2014 Cactus Killing day

Posted on 10 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

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The 2013 Easter Parade where TCCG members dressed in ‘warrior’ uniforms and marched as a united army against the ‘opposition’ weed.

The Tarrangower Cactus Control Group (TCCG) is entering the Maldon Easter Fair procession this year on Easter Monday, 21 April 2014.  The theme will be “Pests of our Neighbourhood”.

They would like to invite everyone to come along.  You can come along dressed as your favourite (or least favourite) pest, e.g. rabbit, feral cat or fox.  Otherwise come in your “Cactus Killing” gear.

The group will meet in Hospital Street near the corner with Chapel Street North, (near the swimming pool) from 9.15 am.  Entry will be judged from 10 am.

They hope to see you there.  It will be a bit of fun.

 

Also the first of the 2014 TCCG Community Field Days will be on the last Sunday of this month, 27 April.  These regular events focus on killing wheel cactus at a particular location. The site for the opening of the new season is a property in Watersons Road near the Tarrengower School Road corner. As usual the mornings activities will start at 10.30am.

 

11 April – Stories (and pictures) of Ice and Fire

Posted on 6 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

It seems like only a couple of weeks ago we were boiling through long arduous central Victorian heatwaves. When considering moving to cool places to escape the swelter, a country made of ice and snow seemed enticing.  And now you can start considering that next trip in more detail, for the topic of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club’s April talk is Vikings, Volcanoes & Ice – the making of Iceland.

Carol Hall is the guest speaker at the general meeting of the CFNC on Friday 11 April 2014 (Uniting Church Hall, Lyttleton St, Castlemaine – from 7.30pm.  No charge.  All welcome.).  After studying Geography at the University of Sheffield, UK, a sense of adventure brought Carol to Australia, teaching Field Studies to secondary students in the Snowy Mountains, and eventually moving to Ballarat Grammar School where she taught for 14 years. Her own photographs were always an integral part of her teaching material, and an interest in the glaciated regions of the world has been maintained since studying a specialist course as an undergraduate.

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Carol writes, “In 2010 I was able to tour Iceland, much of it off the beaten track thanks to the adventurous driver of the mini-bus! We saw many of the special geological features in this young (only 20 million years old) country and gained an insight into its Viking heritage, as well as seeing how the population lives today. So the talk will be a mix of physical and human geography.

Carol is a member of Ballarat Camera Club, The Field Naturalists’ Club of Ballarat and is currently President of The Victorian Nature Photography Group.  She has given many illustrated talks to community groups.

 

April 2014: Going with the flow: Ecological photography by Damien Cook

Posted on 1 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

damian-cookThere will be an exhibition of Damien Cook’s photographs from 5 April till the end of the month at the CASPA art space in Castlemaine.

Damien is a local ecologist whose work includes monitoring environment health and the revegetation and restoration of degraded landscapes. He is also on Connecting Country’s Expert Advisory Panel.  He writes that his series of photographs ‘celebrates the thread that draws the Australian landscape, its flora, fauna and people and the preciousness of water together’.

You can find out more about the Damien’s thoughts on ecology, gallery opening hours and the location of CASPA in this flyer.

 

Lowland Wetland Ecology Course 2014

Posted on 1 April, 2014 by Connecting Country


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This five day course is being run by Rakali Ecological Consulting and will be held in Kilcunda, South Gippsland from Monday 17th to Friday 21st November 2014.

The course is aimed at people working in the conservation and natural resource management industry and will include presentations and field trips. Three of the seven course presenters, Damien Cook, Chris Tzaros and Elaine Baynes, are on Connecting Country’s Expert Advisory Group. If you would like more information on the course, download this flyer.

 

New edition of ‘chat’

Posted on 1 April, 2014 by Connecting Country

Screen-Shot-2014-04-01-at-2.40The March 2014 edition of the North Central CMA publication ‘North Central chat‘ is now available and can be downloaded here. This issue has an interesting article on a new free app from the Museum Victoria,  Field Guide to Victorian Fauna. The app lets you explore information about a vast array of Victorian animal species including information on their identification, biology, distribution, diet, habitat, scientific classification and conservation status. The issue of the North Central chat also has information on events, courses and funding opportunities in the region.