Meeting

Meeting:

Tuesday 1^st June 2010

Ray wood Hall

7.30 pm

Guest Speakers:

Jodie Odgers, Landcare Funding

Regional Landcare Co-ordinator

Dale Boyd, Locusts,

DPI Echuca

Supper provided

Supported by the Loddon Plains Landcare Network

Loddon Plains Landcare Network (LPLN)

It seems that landcare continues to experience cuts to funding from Government. The Federal Government recently announced cuts to the Federal Government Caring for Our Country program. One of the reasons for the formation of the LPLN is to explore and seek funding for landcare in the Loddon region from funding sources other than government. Currently the LPLN is made up of an Executive of 4 volunteers – Mal Brown (Chair), Penny Wall (Deputy Chair), Jean McClymont (Treasurer) and Michael Moore (Secretary), and 13 landcare groups who have joined the network. We plan to form a Committee of Management in the near future. We are hopeful of securing funding from the Norman Wettenhall Foundation (a non-government funding body) soon and have submitted a submission to Federal Government for a Landcare Facilitator in the Loddon area. We will continue to work towards bringing resources to our area to continue landcare work.

Article by Penny Wall, Landcare Coordinator and Deputy Chair LPLN

Bush Stone Curlew – Bush Thick-knee sighting

One of the great rewards of protecting our natural environment and planting trees is seeing the return of birdlife that we remember from our childhood. On our farm last week my husband saw a bush thick-knee and 2 chicks. Unfortunately they are no longer as commonly seen as they were years ago. They are a large bird that stands on long, gangly legs. They live in open woodlands and like lots of fallen branches and litter on the ground for foraging, shelter and camouflage. They are most active at night and I recall in my childhood hearing their characteristic wailing ‘weer-lo’ at night time. Foxes are one of the main predators of the chicks and eggs.

Enquiries call Penny Wall 54361262

Landcare Grants available

Landcare grants of up to $40,000 will be available in April-May this year. If you have an idea for a tree planting, protection of remnant vegetation, streamside planting, weed or rabbit control project it would be great to see some funds coming to our local area and I am very willing to assist groups and individuals develop a project. My contact details are Penny Wall ph 54361262.

Junior Landcare

An area of land behind the Lions Den is being developed as an environmental education tool for the students at East Loddon. A Management Plan has been prepared by a past student, Wendy Last and in collaboration with staff we hope to develop landcare and environment as part of the school curriculum, giving the students an opportunity to actively learn about landcare and the natural environment. To date students in P-4 have participated in planting days and we plan to continue this in 2010 as well as establishing some monitoring sites and wildlife habitat.

Article by Penny Wall, Landcare Coordinator and Deputy Chair LPLN

Farming for Sustainable Soils

A project funded by the Federal Government, being run by NCCMA is addressing soil health locally. The project is centred around the Loddon Cropping Group at Serpentine, with 15 farmers receiving grants totally $140,000 this growing season to do a variety of works on their farms from sowing new pasture species, to adapting farm machinery, soil testing, and gaining technical assistance from Birchip Cropping Group through the Yield Prophet program. A soils forum was held in Bendigo on 31 March where speakers including Dr Christine Jones and Andrew Campbell talked about soil health and that popular topic carbon. The project focuses on assisting farmers to implement practices to improve organic carbon levels in their soils. It is hoped that the project may be expanded over 3 to 5 years, if funding is secured.

Article by Penny Wall, Landcare Coordinator and Deputy Chair LPLN

City comes to the Country 4th – 5th September 2010

The LPLN has been successful in gaining funding to bring 40 melbourne dwellers to visit our landcare groups and get their hands dirty planting some trees. The group will arrive on Saturday 4^th September and we will bus them out to 4 locations to plant trees for the afternoon (2000 trees in total). In the evening we are having a function at the Powlett Plains Hall (real country setting) with a dinner and entertainment. All landcare groups are invited and it will be FREE. The aim of the event is to help close the gap between city and country, by giving Melbourne people a hands on experience on local farms. It is also a great way for them to do something positive for the environment. As part of the experience we want to accommodate them with locally on Saturday night. So if you would be willing to put up a person for the night please let me know. On Sunday, we will be having a cruise on the Serpentine Creek at Maxteds and a luncheon, before sending them home having had a memorable weekend with us.

Article by Penny Wall, Landcare Coordinator and Deputy Chair LPLN

National Landcare Forum, Adelaide 2010.

I was fortunate to attend the National Landcare Forum in Adelaide in March this year. I was able to attend due to sponsorship from the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA) and the North Central Landcare Group. The theme of the Forum was celebrate, communicate and invigorate – and I can confidently say I did a bit of the first two and came away with some of the third! Landcare in Australia is at a crossroad. It has come through a very prosperous first 20 years and now is the opportunity for communities to positively look forward and take sustainable farming and caring for our environment (they go hand in hand) forward through landcare.

Part of the Landcare Forum was to give the 650 strong attendees an opportunity to focus on the future of landcare and the challenges ahead. Tony Burke, Federal Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister addressed the Forum, and I certainly was impressed with his knowledge and first hand experience of landcare efforts of farmers across Australia. I’m sure everyone present would have liked him to tell us the Government were committing big dollars to Landcare. Unfortunately he didn’t do that. But he did make the point that landcare co-ordinators play an important role in local communities in supporting landcare groups and should be funded (the Government is re-instating Federal Government support for 56 landcare facilitators across Australia). He also said that food, climate, environment, provide the three pillars for Landcare into the next 20 years.

I heard many speakers over the 2 days who spoke optimistically about the role that landcare can play in our future. Some of the popular topics were carbon and the opportunities that can bring us and the issues the world faces in regard to food security. We heard from farmers who have seen the benefits of landcare on their farms through improved sustainability of their farms over many years. It was inspiring to hear their passion and motivation for protecting and enhancing their farms through tree planting, soil health, and improved biodiversity.

I have come away from the Forum with ideas and enthusiasm for the future of Landcare and plan to support the East Loddon Community to seek funding and to implement landcare projects in our area.

Article by Penny Wall, Landcare Coordinator and Deputy Chair LPLN