“NATURE IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF OUR SOCIETY, IF WE SIMPLY DESTROY IT WHEN IT GETS IN OUR WAY, WE WILL PAY THE PRICE.”

David Attenborough

Welcome to the Spring issue of our ENews. Spring is always the busiest time for our Landcare community. I hope you enjoy reading this issue, or just getting an idea of the activities in our area by looking at the photos.

• PLATYPUS PROJECT BEGINS
• UCLN WINS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AWARD
• ENDANGERED BASALT PEPPERCRESS PLANTING
• SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIES UPDATE
• DJA DJA WURRUNG STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT UCLN PROJECTS
• VEAC FINDINGS
• UCLN AGM
• EVENTS, RESOURCES AND GRANTS

PLATYPUS PROJECT BEGINS.

As a result of successful funding from a Biodiversity On Ground Action grant, the UCLN is embarking on a year long project to detect Platypus and Blackfish in the Coliban and Campaspe Rivers using cutting edge DNA technology, with the help of Citizen Scientists.The project was launched on the banks of the Campaspe River on Friday 26th October with over 130 people attending.

With the delightful sound of poddlebonk frogs calling from the river around them, people learned  how they could contribute to the project. Representatives from Coliban Water, DEWLP, MRSC, HSC, NCCMA, Councillors, MRSC Mayor and our MP Mary-Anne Thomas all showed their support for the project by attending.

We will be working with EnviroDNA’s Senior Wildlife Ecologist and platypus expert Josh Griffiths. EnviroDNA pioneered the development of the eDNA technique for detecting platypus.They are the only scientists worldwide who have successfully detected platypus in the wild using this technology. They have tested over 1000 sites nationwide testing positive for hundreds.

Senior wildlife ecologist and platypus expert Josh Griffiths takes one of the first water samples for the project with Lana Hughes from Kyneton Secondary College.©Scheltema

“This project will allow local citizen scientists to collect comprehensive data across the UCLN region and contribute to a national assessment of platypuses, the largest platypus survey ever undertaken.” said Josh.

All resulting data will be logged into the Australian Biodiversity Atlas. At the end of the year long project, a planning blueprint will be produced highlighting where platypus and blackfish are living along the Coliban and Campaspe Rivers.This will be provided to land managers to assist with platypus conservation efforts.

Kyneton Secondary College students, who are already working with two of our member groups -the CRLMG and FOBH, will be involved in the water sampling, as well as two Primary Schools.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com and the Platypus Project page on our website  /the-platypus-project/ for details on when we will be conducting the Citizen Science water sampling events next year.You can also learn more on EnviroDNA’s facebook site https://www.facebook.com/platypusSPOT/ 

You can read some media  about the project here: https://www.hepburnadvocate.com.au/story/

UCLN WINS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

I am very pleased to announce that the UCLN was the winner of the 2018 Victorian Regional Achievement and Community Awards.We won the Parks Victoria Environmental Sustainability Award.This is great recognition for our 900 volunteers who work tirelessly to protect our beautiful part of the world.Well done everyone! Click here  Video of awards.to see a video of the award being announced on the night.

ENDANGERED BASALT PEPPERCRESS PLANTING

A Trentham Primary School Student with the nationally endangered Basalt Peppercress plant.
©Scheltema

Fifty excited enthusiastic students at Trentham Primary school helped plant, fence, tag and monitor 32 nationally endangered Basalt Peppercress (Lepidium hyssopifolium) plants in a new native garden at the school. Known as the Rock and Roll stars of the plant kingdom, because they are short lived and party hard, the plants can be difficult to grow.

The students will be taking stewardship of these special plants to be part of state-wide efforts to prevent them from becoming extinct. There are thought to be only about 500 Basalt Peppercress plants left in Victoria.

Trentham Landcare member Gael Elliott found one growing on the steps of the old lolly shop on the main street of Trentham, and seeds were propagated from that plant. Trentham District Primary School, in conjunction with Friends of Trentham Creeks and Reserves, Upper Campaspe Landcare Network and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will be growing the plants at the school to try and increase their population.

Students from Trentham and District Primary School prepare to plant the Nationally Endangered Basalt Peppercress.The students will be taking stewartship of these special plants so as to be part of State-wide efforts to prevent them from becoming extinct.©Scheltema

Said 10-year-old Coen, one of the students involved in the planting “The human race has done a pretty good job of stifling the biodiversity on Planet Earth. So many species have gone extinct, and hundreds are classified as endangered. We can’t let any more get the extinction treatment, even if the species in question is a non-descript weed like plant.”

SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIES UPDATE

 

A Powerful Owl holding its prey of possum.Pic Gayle Osborne.

The UCLN’s Spotlight on Species Project, underway for a year now  is a great success, with many people seeing Powerful Owls, Greater Gliders and Phascogales for the first time and lots of important data being uploaded to the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas.So far there have been:

• 61 Surveys for Greater Gliders and Powerful Owls, with twenty of these including the public
• 47 camera traps deployed across 22 properties
• 24 phascogales recorded
• 19 greater gliders recorded
• 9 Powerful Owls recorded
• 350 sightings from remote sensing cameras added to the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas
• 160 observations made during spotlights added to the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas

If your groups would like DL brochures on the three species for members please contact me and I can provide them to you.

The next two spotlights are on  the 10th November at Camels Hump, near Mt Macedon (book here /spotlight-at-camels-hump-mount… ) or on the 17th November at Spring Hill (book here spotlight-at-mudlark-road-womb…) 

Keep an eye on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ or on our Spotlight on Species Page on the website /spotlight-on-species/  to see the calendar of dates and booking links for future spotlights (next three months coming soon!)

Like to know what animals are in your patch? Contact the UCLN Threatened Species Officer Brad Blake to have a remote camera installed. ©Scheltema

 

As a result of another successful grant application from the Macedon Ranges Shire Council we have now added five more remote sensing cameras to our collection.If your group or members are interested in having our threatened species officer Brad Blake set up the cameras on your patch, please contact him on brad@proconpest.com or 0421823998.

We hope to train interested groups in the use of the cameras so they can be rotated amongst our member groups in the future.

 

DJA DJA WURRUNG STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT UCLN PROJECTS

Trentham Landcare member Gael Elliott points out to Dja Dja Wurrung youth Annalise Varker hollows in trees during the Aboriginal Youth Culture Strengthening Program. UCLN was invited to explain the Spotlight on Species Project to the students as part of their program to increase the students’s conservation and land management skills. ©Scheltema

 

The UCLN was thrilled to be invited to talk about their Citizen Science Projects –Spotlight on Species and The Platypus Project to  Dja Dja Wurrung Youth as part of the Aboriginal Youth Culture Strengthening Program.The on country field trips, run by Bendigo Tafe in partnership with Dja Dja Wurrung elders and Parks Victoria, were conducted at culturally significant sites (such as Trentham Falls) and community legacy projects to teach the students about traditional knowledge, cultural leadership and conservation and land management skills.

The students learnt about the three focal endangered species that are part of the Spotlight on Species Project -Powerful Owls, Phasocgales and Greater Gliders, their habitat requirements, threats and actions that can be undertaken to protect them. They also learnt about the work being undertaken by the Network in conjunction with scientists to conduct DNA testing for platypus along the Coliban and Campaspe Rivers.

 

Dja Dja Wurrung Youth Tahrina learnt about UCLN’s Spotlight On Species project as part of the Aboriginal Youth Culture Strengthening Program,a partnership with Bendigo Tafe, Dja Dja Wurrung Elders and Parks Victoria. ©Scheltema

 

 

VEAC FINDINGS

 

Many of you will remember UCLN wrote a submission to the VEAC Central West investigation recommending that the Wombat and Cobaw State Forests be reclassified as State Parks to protect the high conservation values within them. The investigation includes the Wombat and Cobaw State Forests and recommends that the Wombat State Forest be reclassifies as a combination of regional, national and conservation parks. The Cobaw State Forest is recommended to become a conservation park.

The VEAC report noted “Good numbers of greater glider are being recorded in the wetter forests of the central Wombat ranges;this constitutes the only population of this threatened species west of the Hume Highway. The presence of breeding Powerful Owls is significant, as this species requires very extensive areas of forest to provide an adequate food source of possums and gliders…”

We are proud our data from the Spotlight on Species Project, which is entered into the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas is contributing to a greater understanding of these species. As Wombat Forest Care states “A primary purpose of a National Park is to protect biodiversity and act as a refuge for threatened species and we have long known that the Wombat, which forms a significant part of the only intact native vegetation in central Victoria fulfills this role.It is gratifying to see this acknowledged by VEAC.”

Support is shown for the VEAC recommendations for a combination of national, regional, and conservation parks for the Wombat State Forest in a gully on the outskirts of Trentham.©Scheltema

In 2017 , Vic Forests intended to recommence saw log harvesting in the Wombat Forest.This is on hold until the VEAC inquiry is completed, but without the protection of a park structure, the Wombat will again be logged potentially threatening the many endangered species within.

The draft report is open for public comment until 10th December, with final recommendations due in March 2019.

The draft proposal paper can be downloaded from

http://www.veac.vic.gov.au/investigation/central-west-investigation

If you or your group make a submission you may want to consider the points below:

Protection of very high biodiversity conservation values including

• threatened fauna species such as Greater Gliders, Powerful Owls and Brush-tailed Phascogales
• threatened flora species such as the Wombat Leafless Bossiaea
• a remarkable fungal diversity with over 400 fungus species
• habitat of migratory birds that come to the Wombat to breed in spring
• the Wombat Forest is and will be a important climate change refuge for many species
• Protection from sawlog harvesting and mining.Protection of water production and supply – headwaters of six rivers

You can make a submission here: http://www.veac.vic.gov.au/submit . 

If you are interested in making a submission and need help you may like to attend the workshop below.

 

 

 

 

UCLN AGM

 

WHEN: Thursday 22 November 2018 6-7 pm meal. AGM 7.00 pm sharp

WHERE:Albion Hotel, Mollison Street, Kyneton

Cass Davis who runs the WaterWatch program will be speaking on the night.

Please RSVP to Hanne secretary@uppercampaspelandcare.org.au by close of business Monday, 19 November.

Nominations for Office Bearers and Committee Members

Members are invited to submit nominations for Office Bearers and Ordinary Committee Members of the Association for the forthcoming term. Nominations must be for a specific office or for a position of ordinary committee member. At the meeting, the Chairperson will call for nominations prior to the election for each position. Eligible members may nominate themselves or, with the member’s consent, be nominated by another member. Nominations may be submitted in writing and must reach the Secretary prior to the commencement of the meeting. Each nomination must include the consent of the nominee to stand for election to office.

Please note that an Authorised Representative may be any member from their Member Group as long as their membership is current. They do not have to be one of their Group’s Committee Office Bearers or Ordinary Committee members.

 

 

ARTICLE BY CENTRAL VICTORIA BIOLINKS ALLIANCE RE ANIMALS AT RISK OF EXTINCTION IN CENTRAL VICTORIA .

You may wish to read this interesting article in the Bendigo paper re animals at risk of extinction in Central Victoria.

Data shows 180 animals at risk in central Victoria as groups call for urgent action on ‘extinction crisis’ central-victoria-to-curb-extinction-crisis/

 

 

LIVING WITH FIRE AND BIODIVERSITY

 

How do you protect your property from bushfire but still provide habitat for plants and animals?Come along to a special workshop hosted by Woodend Landcare and MRSC on fire and biodiversity. The Victorian CFA Vegetation Team Leader will provide information on:

• Fire behavior and house blocks
• Landscaping for bushfire
• Creating a fire protection zone

Wednesday 14 November, 7.30pm
Woodend Neighbourhood House
47 Forest Street, Woodend

Supper provided.
Bookings required to woodendlandcare@gmail.com

 

HEPBURN SHIRE COUNCIL DRAFT BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY

Some of our groups who fall within the Hepburn Shire have been involved in the draft Hepburn Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2018-2021.The latest draft is available here should you wish to read it.Click here to download a copy

The strategy includes an action plan with 13 strategic focus areas and 31 actions intended to provide on ground protection and enhancement of biodiversity, support well informed decision making, increase community awareness and support partnerships to improve biodiversity for future generations.

For more information contact Brian Bainbridge, Biodiversity Officer, on 5321 6488 or email bbainbridge@hepburn.vic.gov.au

 

 

MASC Roadside weeds funding

Mount Alexander Shire Council has recently received funding for roadside weeds. If your group would like to apply for funding to manage roadside weeds in your area, please contact Jarrod at j.coote@mountalexander.vic.gov.au. or  5471 1806  Applications are due by 30 November 2018.

 

Environmental Volunteering Plan

 

On Sunday 14 October, the Hon Lily D’Ambrosio, Minister for Energy, Environment, and Climate Change launched the Victorians Volunteering for Nature: Environmental Volunteering Plan.

Malmsbury Landcare volunteers tackle gorse©Scheltema

The Plan aims to reduce barriers to volunteering in Victoria, and to get more Victorians connecting with nature and acting to protect and enhance the natural environment. It provides a new, coordinated and revitalised approach to environmental volunteering through four focus areas (i.e. sustain, expand, value, & understand) that seek to address the challenges, issues and the changing needs facing the environmental volunteering sector.Read the Plan: to download or read the Environmental Volunteering Plan (and the Plan summary) go to https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/home/victorians-volunteering-for-nature

For further information: on the Environmental Volunteering Plan please email environmental.volunteering@delwp.vic.gov.au

 

MORE LANDCARE NEWS

Click on the following links to download or view other relevant newsletters:
Feral Flyer – Issue #352
October Catchment Connection
Victorian Landcare Magazine –Issue 73

 

NORTH CENTRAL CHAT

Click here for the November issue of the  North Central Chat – NC Chat

 

 

MANAGEMENT OF SERRATED TUSSOCK

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES WORKSHOP.

 

 

” NO ONE WILL PROTECT WHAT THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT, AND NO ONE WILL CARE ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED.”

David Attenborough

President of Malmsbury Landcare John Walters and Rob Burdett at Kangaroo Creek,  where their group has conducted extensive gorse control. “It’s a travesty to have this beautiful forest invaded by a rampant weed. It’s displacing native plants which degrades the biodiversity that has existed here for thousands of years.”said Rob, a long term member of Malmsbury and District Landcare                                                                                                                                                              ©Scheltema

Welcome to the Winter issue of our ENews. At the UCLN General meeting last week, it was fantastic to see so many groups present and hear about the wonderful work they are doing to protect the natural environment in their area. I hope you enjoy reading about our Citizen Science project to look for threatened species, and the inspiring work some of our member groups are doing.

• SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIES UPDATE
• MALMSBURY’S WAR ON GORSE
• PRISONERS HELP PHASCOGALES
• TARADALE LANDCARE JOINS THE UCLN
• NATIONAL TREE PLANTING DAY
• RIVER GUARDIANS
• EVENTS, RESOURCES AND GRANTS

SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIES UPDATE

A juvenile Greater Glider found recently on a spotlighting event, part of the UCLN Spotlight on Species Project. Pic Elizabeth Parsons

The UCLN Spotlight on Species Project is now six months underway and is getting great results. As a result of the remote camera trapping and evening spotlights we have now recorded 24 Phascogales, four Powerful Owls and thirteen Greater Gliders. This valuable data has been entered into the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas and will help protect the habitat of these precious species. 37 cameras have been deployed at 17 properties over 777 camera trap days with 33 species recorded.

Students from Candlebark school help UCLN Threatened Species Officer Brad Blake mark out a 1 km transect in preparation for a evening spotlight to look for greater gliders and powerful owls.                                                                         ©Scheltema

25 – 1 km transects have been surveyed (based on existing VBA records) with 33 Spotlighting events conducted along them resulting in 25 species recorded in the VBA. Many people have attended the spotlights and got great joy out of seeing the iconic greater gliders for the first time.

If your Landcare group or members would like the UCLN Threatened Species Officer Brad Blake to install remote cameras to look for species such as phascogales please contact him on  0421823998 or brad@proconpest.com. You can see the dates of upcoming Spotlighting Events by clicking on Spotlight on Species and scrolling down to the monthly calender’s.

Young Rowan learns about remote sensing cameras with UCLN Threatened Species Officer Brad Blake.  ©Scheltema

If you would like to learn more about this project click here to read an article in the latest Victorian Landcare Magazine.

UCLN Citizen Science Project

MALMBURY AND DISTRICT  LANDCARE’S  WAR ON GORSE

Malmsbury and District Landcare group is continuing its tenacious War on Gorse.The Coliban River flats at Lauriston are badly overgrown by gorse, blackberry and willow which is  negatively impacting upon the stream banks and water quality.

Malmsbury Landcare member Jan Taylor and President John Walters on the Coliban River. The group will be conducting extensive weed control to improve the health of the river.                                                                                             ©Scheltema

The Malmsbury group’s project RIVER RECOVERY – LINKING LAURISTON TO THE RESERVOIR aims to address the problem by removing the weeds -“for the benefit of all residents, whether human or wildlife.It is viewed by Malmsbury Landcare as a long term project” said President John Walters. The group  received a Upper Coliban Landcare support grant of $30,000 from the NCCMA – designed to support the UCLN Coliban Connections Biolink Project- to undertake the important work. Tylden Landcare and the Friends Of Trentham Creeks and Reserves also received funds as part of this project to continue improving river health on the Coliban River and it’s  tributaries.

President of Malmsbury and District Landcare John Walters (with members Jan Taylor, Sue Walter and Rob Burdett) said “We have been aware of this weed problem for many years, and wanted to address it as part of the  Coliban Connections  which is one of the UCLN biolink projects. It’s part of our long term vision to improve the health of the Coliban River between the Malmsbury Reservoir and Lauriston Reserve.” ©Scheltema

The group has also undertaken extensive weed control at Kangaroo Creek.“What we have here is a ecological vegetation class (EVC) creek line herb rich woodland classified as vulnerable.One of the things we are trying to protect in Biodiversity terms is the EVC .Weeds like gorse choke out the vegetation and create a fire risk.We have records of powerful owls and greater gliders here, we need to remove the gorse to remove threat of fire.Whatever we do to improve the biodiversity here will improve the habitat of the powerful owls and greater gliders.”

President of Malmsbury and District Landcare  John Walter with Rob Burdett at Kangaroo Creek, which is a EVC herb rich woodland listed as vulnerable. The group is undertaking gorse control in the area to protect it.  ©Scheltema

PRISONERS HELP PHASCOGALES

Phascogales in the Barfold area will soon be getting new homes thanks to inmates at Middleton Prison, Castlemaine. The inmates have been hard at work constructing 20 nest boxes for the Campaspe Valley Landcare group suitable for the phascogales, a threatened species found in Central Victoria.
The distinctive small creatures, known as ‘Duan’ by the Dja Dja Wurrung people tap their feet when alarmed, and wag their tails when excited. They were found recently near Barfold as a result of the UCLN Spotlight on Species Project.

President of Campaspe Valley Landcare Jan Elder finds a suitable spot to install a remote sensing camera with UCLN Threatened Species Officer Brad Blake.   ©Scheltema

President of Campaspe Valley Landcare Jan Elder said “We were thrilled to find images of phascogales on the remote sensing cameras that the UCLN Threatened Species Officer Brad Blake installed. The woodlands and dry forests of Central Victoria were once a stronghold for these threatened species, but their numbers have declined over the last century mainly due to land clearing and cats and foxes.” 
“Our group hopes that by installing these nest boxes, kindly built for us by the Middleton Prison inmates, we will be helping to increase their chances of survival in our area.”  

Acting Vocational Services Manager at  Middleton Prison Peter Foti said “By building these boxes, as part of our recycling and environment program, inmates are being given a chance to contribute to society in a meaningful way,  whilst being able to utilize existing or learn new skills. It is great to know that these boxes they have constructed will be helping local threatened species survive.”                                                                                                                                              ©Scheltema

A recent genetic analysis of 435 phascogale tissue samples, four from the Kyneton area, concludes that fragmentation of populations is probably causing limited gene flow.This illustrates the  need for better connections in the landscape which is why biolink projects such as those undertaken by the UCLN and its member groups are so important.

TARADALE LANDCARE JOINS THE UCLN

We are  very pleased to welcome Taradale Landcare as the latest group to join the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network.

The UCLN is thrilled to have Taradale Landcare join the Network. Some of the group members are seen here at Back Creek, a tributary of the Coliban River, in an area they have been restoring. L -R Colleen Jones, Lyn Shill, Christine Henderson and Brian Bainbridge.                                                                                                                        ©Scheltema

The group is working along Back Creek, a tributary of the Coliban River. “Our primary goal has been to revisit Back Creek, which runs through the town, and rejuvenate the work of the earlier Landcare volunteers. We are removing woody weed regrowth and extending and diversifying planting. I just noticed we had a white-throated tree creeper feeding on a tree planted ten years ago. It takes that long for the tree to grow tall and wide enough to become suitable habitat for these birds.”

The group is hoping that by clearing and removing willows and other weeds the creek should flow again, and once again be a place for swimming and platypus as it  was previously. Taradale Primary School is also regularly involved in planting days and uses the creek as an open classroom.

Taradale Landcare secretary  Colleen Jones, seen here with member Brian Bainbridge, said “As well as restoring the health of the creek we’d like to inspire visitors and residents with the beauty and diversity of our local flora and fauna.”                                                                  ©Scheltema

In addition the group is working on roadside weed removal with funds provided by Mt Alexander Shire Council. This work is being undertaken at three sites of high biodiversity values that are leading into the forest along the edges of Fryers Ridge Conservation Reserve.

Taradale Landcare members on the look out for weeds encroaching into the Fryers Ridge Conservation Reserve.    ©Scheltema

NATIONAL TREE PLANTING DAY WITH CAMPASPE RIVER AND LAND MANAGEMENT GROUP

Why not join in with the CRLM group along the Campaspe River in Kyneton on National Tree Day Sunday 29th July to help revegetate the river?

Like to be involved in National Tree Day Sunday 29th July? Why not help CRLM group plant trees and shrubs such as the River Bottle Brush.

National Tree Day is Australia’s largest tree planting day. It started in 1996 and since then more than four million people have planted over 24 million trees and plants with the aim of caring for our land.

WHERE: The River end of Jennings St Kyneton (look for the CRLM trailer)

WHEN: 10 am  – 12 pm Sunday 29th July 

WHY: To help the CRLM group plant out trees and shrubs such as the River Bottle Brush.

Morning tea is provided.Wear gumboots, gloves and warm clothes. Tools and a delicious morning tea provided.

RIVER GUARDIANS

River Guardians on the Campaspe River at Carlsruhe                                                ©Scheltema

Wild and windy weather didn’t deter prospective River Guardians from walking along the Campaspe River at Carlsruhe  at a UCLN River Restoration Field Day in May. 32  people braved the elements to learn from 6 experts in the field how to restore river health. They were inspired by award winning river ecologists such as Damien Cook to protect the rivers and wetlands in their area and learnt some of the skills that would help them do so.

GRANTS

A preschooler learns about the endangered Hairy Anchor plant in Kyneton.                                 ©Scheltema

EVENTS

2018 NATIONAL LANDCARE CONFERENCE AND AWARDS

RESOURCES

Among the stories in issue 72 are stories on: vegetation quality assessment by smart phone, citizen science, the social return on investment in Landcare projects, alternative fertiliser trials, and gorse and cactus bio control.

To read this issue of the magazine online (via Victorian Landcare Gateway) go to https://www.landcarevic.org.au/landcare-magazine/winter-2018/

To download the PDF version of this issue (and back issues) of the magazine and to access the magazine’s index go to https://www.landcarevic.org.au/resources/magazine-library/
This issue features our Networks Spotlight on Species Project and is mentioned by the Minister in the introduction. Direct link to story here:

NORTH CENTRAL CHAT July 2018

Click here to read the North Central Chat: North Central Chat July 18

WOMBAT FORESTCARE NEWSLETTER JUNE 18

If you are interested in fungi you must read the latest beautiful newsletter from  Wombat Forest Care.

WFCNewsletterJune18

SERRATED TUSSOCK SIGNS AVAILABLE FOR FREE

The VSTWP have a number of Serrated Tussock Landowner Signs available for ‘Community Champions’ of Serrated Tussock management in Victoria. The signs are designed to be attached to landowner fences that face a roadside, and help the community deliver key messages on controlling this noxious weed.

If you would like to order a number of the these signs, please email  Executive Officer Martin Deering and he can post them out to you for free:

Martin.Deering@ecodev.vic.gov.au

AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE HELP SHEET ON SHELTER BELTS.

ATO help sheet: Establishing shelterbelts on land used in a primary production business

https://www.ato.gov.au/law/view/view.htm?docid=AFS/ShelterBelts&PiT=99991231235958

“WE DON’T HAVE TO ENGAGE IN GRAND, HEROIC ACTIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGE. SMALL ACTS, WHEN MULTIPLIED BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, CAN TRANSFORM THE WORLD.”

    Howard Zinn

Help re-vegetate the Campape River by planting a tree for your mum this Mothers Day on 13th May at the Kyneton Botanic Gardens. Pic Scheltema

• SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIES PROJECT UPDATE
• GLENLYON UPPER LODDON LANDCARE GROUP JOINS UCLN
• MOTHERS DAY PLANTING WITH CAMPASPE RIVER AND LAND MANAGEMENT GROUP
• TYLDEN LANDCARE
• UCLN NOW ON FACEBOOK
• EVENTS, RESOURCES AND GRANTS

SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIES PROJECT UPDATE

Spotlighting for Threatened Species in the Wombat Forest with UCLN Threatened Species officer Brad Blake © Scheltema

A Forum in Newham in March, attended by over 100 people, launched the UCLN Spotlight on Species Project. Three expert speakers, Dr Todd Soderquist, Dr Ross Goldingay and Jess Lawton shared their wealth of knowledge about the three iconic species we are looking for -powerful owls, greater gliders and phascogales.

“The distant call of an owl is often faint, and so as you stand in the darkness reaching out to hear it the world falls away in an almost Zen-like moment.” said Dr Soderquist at the Forum, who has over twenty years experience working with phascogales and Powerful Owls.

UCLN is working with the Macedon  Ranges Shire Council and more than 15 community groups and schools to conduct the surveys looking for the three species and is entering the resultant data into the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas. UCLN Threatened Species officer Brad Blake has been leading the spotlighting events and installing remote sensing cameras on public and private land.

UCLN Threatened Species Officer Brad Blake explains to Michael Nott, President of Metcalfe Landcare, how to use the remote sensing cameras.© Scheltema

In the last two months 12 phascogales, 2 powerful owls and 5 greater gliders have been recorded.

We hope that at the end of this two year project our community will have the capacity to find and identify these species and enter this important data into the scientific record.Knowing the species and feeling connected to them is the first step to protecting the habitat that will ensure their survival.

A phascogale attempting to get at the delicious peanut butter bait is photographed by one of the the remote sensing cameras purchased recently by UCLN as part of their Spotlight on Species project.

If you would like to join in a Spotlighting survey please go to our website at /about-us/spotlight-on-species/ where you can see the dates and register to attend.

We have also produced DL brochures on the three species, so if your group doesn’t have these yet and would like some for their members please contact me. See Powerful Owl brochure below.

If your group would like to get involved in the remote camera project and discover what critters are around at night,  please contact UCLN Threatened Species Officer Brad Blake on brad@proconpest.com or 0421823998 to have cameras installed.

 GLENLYON UPPER LODDON LANDCARE GROUP JOINS UCLN

I am delighted to welcome a new group to our Landcare Network – the Glenlyon Upper Loddon Landcare Group.This hard working group has the Loddon River running through their boundaries and shares many of the UCLN goals.

The group formed in 1996  focusing  on weed control and re-vegetation, funded mainly by drought recovery money.Member Margret Lockwood said “In recent years the main focus has been the development of a 2 1/2 km walking trail from the Glenlyon Reserve to the Glenlyon Store with interpretative signage describing flora and fauna and environmental issues.We are hoping to include the Dja Dja Wurrung history of the area also.It’s our vision to continue the walking trail down to Loddon Falls, an extra 4 km.The falls are very special with great natural beauty.”

Member of Glenlyon Upper Loddon Landcare group Margret Lockwood on the newly opened biolink walking trail. © Scheltema

The walking track also functions as a biolink of native flora and fauna.It’s a little upland river valley.Said Margret “We wanted to join the UCLN because we felt we had similar goals.Geographically we are more aligned with the Landcare groups in the Central Victorian Uplands.”

In November the group  will have an artist in residence running workshops on weaving and sculpture from found materials from the biolink.They have just finished a successful series of “Whats in Our Backyard” workshops, looking at issues such as flora and fauna, water quality, raptors and invertebrates.

MOTHERS DAY PLANTING WITH CAMPASPE RIVER AND LAND MANAGEMENT GROUP

Commemorate your mum by planting a tree this Mothers Day along the Campaspe River with the Campaspe River and Land Management Group. © Scheltema

Why not come along to the Kyneton Botanic Gardens on the 13th May, enjoy the beautiful autumn colours and plant a tree for your mum.

Campaspe River and Land Management Group will be providing River Bottle Brushes for planting along the Campaspe River . “Why not pay tribute to your Mum and help in our regeneration of the Campaspe River. Trees For Mums is a National Celebration of all Mothers. Its a beautiful gesture and a great experience to share with family and friends. Bring along gardening gloves, a trowel and sturdy shoes and enjoy the autumn colours of our beautiful Botanic Gardens and Campaspe River environment and create a living legacy for your mum. Morning tea will be provided.” said Peter Harding, President of the Campaspe Valley Land Management Group.

Trees For Mum first started in Sydney in 2002 by friends and colleagues, Deena Raphael and Lauren Adlam, as a way of paying tribute to their Mums, who they had both lost to cancer. It has grown since then to become a National Event with over 30, 000 sons and daughters planting trees for their Mothers.

For further information contact Per Harding on psharding77@gmail.com or 0419625600

WHERE: Pig Pens, Kyneton Botanic Gardens (via McKenna Drive, or if on foot via Campaspe River Walk)

WHEN: 10.00 am 13th May 2018

WHY: Commemorate your mum by planting a tree this Mothers Day

TYLDEN LANDCARE

Towards a Healthy Little Coliban River

James Stewart with Sarah, Alfie and Layla of Tylden School propagating seedlings for the Little Coliban River. Pic Brendan Smith

Students at Tylden Primary School have been hard at work “pricking out” small plants from seedling trays for further growing and hardening off before planting along the Little Coliban River later this year.

James Stewart of Tylden Landcare said “The students have enthusiastically embraced the program and have propagated indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses. Seed has been collected from local indigenous plants because these are most suited to local environmental conditions. The students are very aware that indigenous vegetation offers food and homes for native animals, prevents soil erosion and keeps the air clean. These plants will be planted along the Little Coliban River with Tylden Landcare  as part of the Coliban system Integrated Catchment Management program.”

Tylden Landcare is working with landholders along the Little Coliban River and the North Central CMA to protect and rehabilitate the Little Coliban to ensure a healthy water supply for farms and all users of the Coliban water storage system. 

Along with parents, school staff assisted students on the day and said, “The senior students did a great job of passing on their plant propagation skills to the younger students!”

Tylden Landcare is working with landholders along the Little Coliban River and the North Central CMA to protect and rehabilitate the Little Coliban River . © Scheltema

UCLN NOW ON FACEBOOK

If you use Facebook and want to be kept informed of UCLN events and activities we now have a Facebook Page.  Click here to see more. –UCLN Facebook.

Please like and share to promote to a broader audience. Dont forget you can also see events at our Calender on our website https://www.uppercampaspelandcare.org.au/calendar/ 

EVENTS

BEE KEEPING WORKSHOP IN MAY AT BALD HILL RESERVE

Would you like to learn more about bees? An introductory workshop for backyard bee keeping – Bee Happy – will be held in May (date to be confirmed) at Bald Hill reserve and is being run by Pipers Creek Landcare in May.For more details contact Peter Sporle at piperscreeklandcare@gmail.com

Learn about Bees with Pipers Creek Landcare at Bald Hill on May 26th

RIVER RESTORATION FIELD DAY 12TH May

The UCLN River Restoration Field Day in March was cancelled due to high fire danger and very high winds and is now rescheduled for 12th May.Please contact me on uclandcare@gmail.com soon if you would like to attend.Only a few places left!

Learn from wetland ecologist Damien Cook and other experts how to restore wetlands at the UCLN River Restoration Field Day on 12th May at Carlsruhe.© Scheltema

SERRATED TUSSOCK FIELD DAY

Worried you might have serrated tussock on your property and dont know how to manage it?

Come along to this workshop to have all your questions answered.

LANDCARE VICTORIA  FORUM QUEENSCLIFFE 25TH -26TH MAY 2018

Like to learn from fellow Landcarers in the Corangamite area? Why not attend the next Landcare Victoria Forum at Queenscliffe.

Register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VKYRZ2W and the promotional flier and the draft programme are available here.

PLATYPUS – ‘ASK THE EXPERT’ VIRTUAL SESSION WITH TIANA PRESTON June 5th

A great resource for any schools involved with your Landcare group – a virtual session on platypus being hosted on World Environment Day.

NATIONAL LANDCARE CONFERENCE 10-12TH OCTOBER BRISBANE

NORTH CENTRAL CHAT MAY 2018

Click here to read the North Central Chat: May edition  and if you missed it here is the April edition  North Central Chat

LANDCARE AUSTRALIA LANDLINK APRIL ISSUE

To read the latest Landlink click here: Landcare Australia Landlink

YOUNG FARMERS WANTED!

Expressions of Interest are now open to join the Young Farmers Advisory Council from young farmers and those involved in the food and fibre supply chain.

Council membership: the Council consists of eight members with a balance of representation by gender, industry and region. Collectively, Council members will have a broad range of skills and experience, including farm management, agribusiness, finance, education, international markets and regional development.
Council’s role: council members provide advice to the Victorian Government about practical actions and opportunities to attract and retain young people in agriculture. The council also assists government to better understand the needs of young people in agriculture and helps to develop solutions and shape support for young people on the land. In 2018, the Council will focus on implementation of its Recommendations Report.
Council members also act as young ambassadors to attract new entrants to the state’s agriculture sector and help to shape future support for young people on the land.
EOIs close: Expressions of Interest to join the Council close on 11 May 2018.
More information: visit http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/food-and-fibre-industries/young-farmers/advisory-council 

YOUNG FARMERS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Young farmers in Victoria can access scholarships of up to $10,000 to help boost skills and implement new on-farm initiatives.Up to $10,000 is available for farmers and farm workers aged 35 years or under to help them with professional development and career progression.
This includes $5,000 for study, backed by a further $5,000 to invest on-farm or in professional development activities to help put new skills into practice.
The Victorian Government’s Young FarmersScholarship Program aims to support young farmers to build productive and profitable careers
in agriculture. The Program recognises that in the future, young farmers will need a broad range of skills so they can embrace new technologies, respond to a range of challenges and capitalise on emerging opportunities.
Applications close: 24 April 2018
For more information and to apply visit:Young Farmers Scholarships

PREMIERS SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS

Entries in the 2018 Victorian Premier’s Sustainability Awards – which recognise individuals, communities, organisations and businesses that are leading the way to a sustainable future – have been officially opened.

The 2018 Premier’s Sustainability Awards categories are:

• Built Environment
• Community
• Education
• Environmental Justice
• Environmental Protection
• Government
• Health
• Innovative Products or Services
• Small and Medium Enterprises
• Large Business

Entries are open now. For more information go to sustainabilityawards.vic.gov.au

GRANTS AVAILABLE

Looking for funding for your group to undertake projects? See grants available below.© Scheltem

 WETTENHALL ENVIRONMENT TRUST SMALL ENVIRONMENT GRANTS SCHEME

The  Wettenhall environment trust are looking for projects around :

• flora and fauna conservation (Australia-wide)
• threatened mammal conservation (Australia-wide)
• landscape restoration and education (Victoria only)

These projects should involve any of the following:

• monitoring, recording and sharing data
• delivering community education
• providing community capacity building (e.g. training)
• research and science

Application Process Diagram – these are the questions that will appear in the on-line application.

Can you Apply page – more details on eligibility. Please don’t waste your time filling in the EOI – see if you are eligible first.

Frequently Asked Questions – your question might get answered here.

Dates for applying – we have four rounds every year.

Apply here – here is the online application form, which only appears live when a grant round is open.

Come up with an idea, vote for your favorites and make your community an even better place to live.New fund for Locals,voted for by locals –Pick your Project. © Scheltema                                                             

PICK YOUR PROJECT: New Fund For Locals, Decided By Locals

Pick My Project is a new community grants initiative, with $30M available to fund local projects. Come up with an idea, vote for your favorites and make your community an even better place to live.

Project ideas: Victorian residents are encouraged to submit ideas for projects that could benefit their community. Ideas could include sporting/recreation infrastructure/activities, community arts or culture projects, improvements to community facilities, and improvements to the local environment etc etc.
Choosing projects: eligible ideas will be put forward for community voting. During voting, applicants will work with their networks and encourage their community to vote for their project. Local projects will be chosen by local residents. Communities will get to vote for the projects they think are most important.
Sponsor organisation: as part of the application process, Victorians will need to identify an eligible organisation to sponsor, or support, their idea and to administer funds through a registered ABN.
Eligible organisations could include a local community organisation or school, local council, or other eligible group.  More information on eligible organisations will be made available in May 2018. able to help deliver the project.
Guidelines: there will be no restrictive guidelines – meaning many local priorities that fall-between the cracks of other grant programs will be eligible for funding.
Who can be involved: all Victorian residents aged 16 and over will be able to submit their idea for consideration under the program. For participants under 18, parent or guardian approval will be required.
Funding for projects: projects can cost $20,000 and $200,000. Funding will be spread across the state, giving every community the chance to benefit.
When: the initiative will start in May. Winning projects will be announced in September 2018.
Register your interest: register via pickmyproject.vic.gov.au
More information: email contact@engage.vic.gov.au call 1800 797 818 or connect on Facebook www.facebook.com/pickmyproject