Update on wheel cactus at Buckrabanyule

Injecting of Wheel Cactus continues on private land and roadsides around Buckrabanyule. Regular Tuesday workdays have resumed, meeting at my shed, Mount Buckra, 1307 Borung-Charlton Road, Buckrabanyule at 8.15 am. Any one interested in helping would be most welcome. We provide equipment and instruction; wear suitable clothes and boots and bring eye protection: sunglasses are fine. It is best to ring me on 5492 7567 or Beth Crutch on 5492 7541 before setting out to join us.

The battle against invasive cacti nationwide has moved a big step forward with Biosecurity SA sending a submission to Canberra last week for Wheel Cactus, as the frontrunner of all invasive cacti in Australia, to be declared a weed of National significance [WONS}. I was very happy to help with some data on distribution and cost of controlling the pest weed here in Victoria.

Janet Richardson

Secretary, Wychitella and District Landcare Group

LPLN Project Officer Progress

Leah Cripps has completed her first month with the LPLN and has met with North Central Landcare, East Loddon landholders who were at the Silver Leaf Nightshade workshop, Northern United Forestry Group and the Wedderburn Conservation Management Network. More meetings are coming up during November with other groups where she will talk about the Biodiversity Blueprint and how it will be an important document to attract funding for Landcare and associated works.

Leah understands that this is a busy time for landholders to be meeting and appreciates the time taken to speak with her. Groups that have documented their project work will be mapped over the coming months. Information sheets have also been mailed out to people that may wish to participate in the blueprint but are unable to meet with Leah at the moment.

Leah Cripps can be contacted via email leah.cripps@aanet.com.au

Korong Bushland Reserve Planting Day

Six members of the Wedderburn CMN braved the wet weather conditions to take part in the rescheduled Loddon Plains Landcare Network planting day at the Korong Bushland Reserve on October 13^th. Approximately 600 shrubs and grasses were planted on the day.

The Wedderburn CMN planning day

The Wedderburn CMN planning day was held this year at Parks Victoria Inglewood on the 15^th of October with seventeen people attending. Alison Jeavons chaired the meeting as we first went through highlights of the year followed by a discussion of our annual review document and our DSE Service Agreement. The main topics under consideration were those associated with:

Environmental Threats /Issues and the WCMN’s Responses to these perceived threats such as pest animals and plants, the fragmentation of habitat, the degradation of habitat, protection of threatened species and monitoring of changes. Responses to threats included such aspects as habitat building, habitat expansion, creation of biolinks, fox control, spraying of weeds etc

Education and Involvement of the General Community such as presentations, bustrips, newsletters, newspaper articles and websites etc

Administration Aspects of the CMN such as networking, funding and governance etc.

High on the priority list was the management of the $577,000 which the WCMN has obtained over a three year period from the Federal Government’s Caring for our Country scheme for use in our Box – Gum Grassy Woodlands Project which was mentioned in the last newsletter. After much discussion we all headed off for a pub lunch at one of the local pubs before returning to more discussion which was periodically interrupted by water leaking through the roof of the Parks Vic building onto the table – hence the assortment of buckets and various other containers seen in the photograph. Overall, the day was a productive one.

Michael Moore

Loddon Plains Landcare Network appoints Project Officer

The Loddon Plains Landcare Network has appointed a new Project Officer to work with member groups to develop a biodiversity blueprint for the Network’s area.The Loddon Plains Landcare Network comprises thirteen Landcare and other Environmental Groups (including the Wedderburn CMN) across the northern part of the Loddon Shire. The area stretches from Bridgewater and Wedderburn in the south, to Pyramid Hill in the north.

Formed in late 2009 the Network has secured funding from the Norman Wettenhall Foundation – a Philanthropic Trust – to employ a Project Officer to help develop a biodiversity blueprint for the Network’s area.

Mal Brown, Network President, said he was pleased to advise that Leah Cripps, from Bendigo, has been employed to lead this important project.

According to Mal, Leah will work with member groups within the Network to identify the important areas of native plants and habitat for native animals, map the work that member groups have already achieved, and document the member group’s aspirations for future works.

Mal says. “the preparation of the blueprint will be overseen by a Committee of Management and all member groups will have input to the plan.”

“One of the strengths of Network is that collaborative voice. We need a strategic plan to take to government, the corporate sector and philanthropic trusts, so that we can secure the kind of funding needed for groups to do the works they want to do, and to achieve the landscape change all groups envision for our part of the world.”

“The biodiversity blueprint will be a foundation working document. Though considerable natural resource information is available from various sources, the information as yet is dispersed and uncoordinated. Part of the purpose of the blueprint is to organise and present this information in an accessible and practical form, based on a map format workable in GIS.”

“Leah has extensive experience in working with farmer groups as well as great mapping skills. Her main role is to work with member groups and to help develop the strategic plan for the Network’s area”, says Mal.

The Network’s Committee of Management members are Mal Brown (Leichardt), Penny Wall (Raywood), Michael Moore (Wedderburn), Jean McClymont (Salisbury West), Laurie Maxted (Boort), Bill Twigg (Bears Lagoon), Wendy Murphy (Inglewood/Wedderburn) and Dennis Demeo (Raywood).

Photograph – Leah Cripps, newly appointed Project Officer of the LPLN

Article and Photograph by Mal Brown