Landscape Restoration Project – Project Officer Position

Project Officer Position – Part-time (2-3 days/wk) Short term contract (6 months)

The Norman Wettenhall Foundation has provided a grant to the Loddon Plains Landcare Network Inc. for a landscape restoration project across the network’s area in North Central Victoria. Applications are sought from suitably experienced persons for the role of Project Officer to work with the Landcare and Conservation Groups in the network to develop an area-wide biodiversity plan. The plan will identify existing natural assets, threatening processes, priorities for protection, enhancement and restoration including potential landscape-scale biolinks. Importantly, the blueprint will include a social/cultural overlay that captures community interest and builds on work the community has already done.

Organisational skills and the ability to engage with the community is a vital part of the role. Community ownership of the project is critical to its success. The Project Officer will work closely with the Network’s Committee of Management.

The position description can be downloaded from www.nrmjobs.com.au

Applications in writing close 5.00 pm 27 August 2010

Loddon Plains Landcare Network Planting Day and Evening Dinner

Loddon Plains Landcare Network is a collective of farmer, Landcare and other environmental groups located northwest of Bendigo working to improve the natural environment.

As part of Naturally Loddon – a month long series of environmental events across the Loddon Shire – the network has organised a tree planting day at four sites, from Wedderburn to Durham Ox , for Saturday , 4 September. Urban volunteers are needed to join with network members and share this enjoyable and rewarding day.

A dinner (with entertainment by Kinja ) will be held in the Serpentine Hall to celebrate the day’s landcare work. Volunteer tree planters and network members are welcome to attend.

The day’s timetable

11 am Arrive at sites, briefing, lunch (provided)

12 pm Planting, guarding, watering trees and shrubs

5 pm Arrive Serpentine Hall (Drinks and nibbles)

6.30 pm Dinner and Entertainment

9 pm Close

What to bring

Volunteers should bring with them a hat, sunscreen, gloves, water bottle, waterproof boots and a change of clothes for the dinner. All planting equipment will be provided.

Who to contact

All volunteers and network members participating on the day must register with Penny Wall by Wednesday 25 August.

(Ph: 54361262; M: 048836126

E: apwall@aussiebroadband.com.au).

Please advise Penny of any dietary special requirements

KINJA TO ENTERTAIN LANDCARERS

Made possible by the generous support of the Inglewood and Districts Community Branch of the Bendigo Bank

Ron Murray and Sarah James (pictured above) celebrate the cultural heritage of their ancestors in a blend of indigenous Australian and Celtic music. In many ways Ron and Sarah that playing together is their special contribution to reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous people in this country.

LPLN Committee of Management Elected

Loddon Plains Landcare Network held its AGM in Serpentine on Tuesday 20 July. The newly elected members of the Committee of Management are shown in the photograph attached.

Front, left to right:

Mal Brown (Northern United Forestry Group) - President

Michael Moore (Wedderburn CMN) - Secretary

Wendy Murphy (Wedderburn CMN & Friends of Kooyoora & Inglewood Landcare) - Committee member

Back, left to right:

Jean McClymont (Salisbury West Landcare) - Treasurer

Bill Twigg (Salisbury West Landcare & East Loddon Landcare) - Committee member

Laurie Maxted (Loddon Vale Landcare) - Committee member

Penny Wall (North Central Landcare & Northern United Forestry Group) - Vice President

Dennis Demeo (North Central Landcare) - Committee member

All members of the committee are volunteers with a strong commitment to sound Natural Resource Management. The committee will meet monthly at the Loddon Shire Council Offices, Serpentine, to discuss the ongoing business of the network.

Wedderburn CMN and Box Gum Grassy Woodlands / Buloke Woodlands

The White Box, Yellow Box and Blakelys Red Gum grassy woodlands and Buloke woodlands are nationally endangered ecological communities and are listed under the EPBC act. These woodlands occur as scattered remnants across the Wedderburn area (see map for indication of locations - Wedderburn CMN blog August) Population isolation has increased the probability that environmental fluctuations will indeed lead to increasing local extinction of certain species. For this reason alone it is necessary to act.

The overall goal of this current WCMN project is to increase the area of White Box, Yellow Box and Blakelys Red Gum grassy Woodlands and Buloke woodlands and to provide long term protection and connectivity of these existing woodlands within the region. This project aims to reduce the threat of fragmentation, especially in the face of climate change, by protecting existing remnants, wherever possible by providing buffers with revegetation and the connection of remnants through linkages with new vegetation. Other threats this project aims to address are overgrazing of these woodlands through stock control fencing, landholder agreements to exclude stock and the management of rabbit and weed infestations.
The Buloke woodlands are at particular risk from grazing as all natural regeneration is immediately eaten by stock, rabbits and kangaroos/wallabies. Ongoing Kangaroo/wallaby and rabbit monitoring and management will alleviate the impacts of overgrazing on woodland remnants allowing natural regeneration to improve species diversity and recruitment of new Buloke seedlings.
In all this project will involve 200 hectares of remnant White Box, Yellow Box and Blakelys Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Buloke Woodland communities protected by June 30, 2013. Also 120 Hectares of Box Gum Grassy Woodland and Buloke Woodland communities enhanced with understorey and grass species to improve quality of remnants by June 30, 2013. Landholders and land managers within the Wedderburn CMN’s area of interest who wish to apply for assistance in the protection of these species on their land are invited to apply to the Wedderburn CMN, contact details are supplied below.

Contacts: WCMN Ranger, Wendy Murphy - 0438384053

WCMN’s DSE Facilitator, Alison Jeavons - 54304567

Loddon Nature Tourism Festival

The Loddon Shire, in collaboration with local partner agencies, is driving the inaugural Loddon Nature Tourism Festival entitled Naturally Loddon: A Wonderland in Spring, to be held throughout September-October this year.

The festival is an objective of the Nature Tourism Advisory Team with the aim to bring more people to the area, and to pull together new and existing key environmental events to market under the one umbrella.

“We essentially wanted to promote our beautiful environment and to highlight the biodiversity, natural assets and cultural heritage of the Loddon Shire – and in doing so it will enable all of our partner agencies within the area to get greater exposure by marketing their individual activities as part of a festival, rather than simply running incidental events during this time,” said Mrs. Vella.

“Many local events occur during the spring, so the timing seemed right to get everyone on board to come together, working as with a “whole-of” approach, and each event would benefit from the additional publicity,” she said.

These thoughts are echoed by Loddon Shire Councilor, Christine Brooke, who helped instigate and encourage the establishment of the festival.

“We formed a working group early this year, bringing together agencies such as the North Central Catchment Management Authority, Parks Victoria, local Landcare groups and environmental networks, various government departments, and community organisations such as the YMCA,” explained Cr Brooke.

“The group has worked tirelessly in pulling together events to add to the festival calendar. Each organisation still organises and runs their own events, although now with much greater support and subsequent exposure.”

The festival is aimed at all age groups and incorporates the popular annual Kooyoora Wildflower show, along with a variety of fun, interactive and educational events such as bushwalking, tree planting, bird watching, photography, canoeing and bike riding – as well as highlighting areas of Indigenous and European cultural significance – all showcasing the great Loddon outdoors.

“We have just released a brochure outlining of festival schedule, and a calendar of events is available from the Loddon Shire website, along with contact information relevant to each event,” said Mrs. Vella.

“We would like to encourage everyone to have a look at what is on offer and come along to one or several events. Many activities are being held during the school holiday period and the majority are free for the whole family to enjoy.

The festival will be held from 4 September to 3 October this year, with the official inaugural launch to be held on Friday 10 September at the Loddon Visitor Information Centre. For a brochure or further information, including a full program of events, visit www.loddon.vic.gov.au or telephone the Loddon Visitor Information Centre on 03 5494 3489.

For further information please contact:

Robyn Vella - Loddon Shire Tourism Manager

(03) 54941200, mobile 0428448390 email rvella@loddon.vic.gov.au

www.loddon.vic.gov.au

Or
Christine Taylor – Marketing and Events Coordinator

North Central Catchment Management Authority

t: 03 5440 1870,

m: 0448 103 266

e: christine.taylor@nccma.vic.gov.au

w: www.nccma.vic.gov.au