Seasons Greetings from the LPLN

Seasons Greetings from the LPLN! Group Christmas break ups and BBQs are on in earnest. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. All the best for the rest of 2012 (and the rest of harvest season). See you all in 2013.

Mt Buckrabanyule - Opuntioid Cacti National Coordinator visit

The National Coordinator for Opuntioid Cacti, Shauna Potter visited Mt Buckrabanyule on Friday 16th November. Ms Potter is undertaking a tour of areas in Victoria to gather information on Wheel Cactus and other Opuntioid Cacti, and the works being undertaken to control these invasive weeds.

 

Along with representatives of the local Wychitella District Landcare Group, Parks Victoria, the North Central Catchment Management Authority and the Loddon Plains Landcare Network, the gathering enabled a broad ranging discussion on the Wheel Cactus infestation at Mt Buckrabanyule from a National through to local perspective.

 

The group visited some of the core infestations on the mountain and heard from locals as to some of the issues arising from the weed and it's control

The LPLN is developing a project proposal to help control the Wheel Cactus on the mountain, which is a main infestation and source in the district. The most effective treatment for Wheel Cactus control is stem and pad injection with glyphosate.

Photos (click to enlarge) by Anthony Gallacher: Core infestation of Wheel Cactus (top), locals and representatives (middle), a large Wheel Cactus specimen (bottom).

November Issue LPLN News

The November issue of the LPLN News has been released!

The newsletter can be downloaded from the Loddon Plains Landcare Network gateway portal. Follow this link.

Northern Plains CMN joins the LPLN

The Northern Plains Conservation Management Network (NPCMN) is the newest group to become a member of the Loddon Plains Landcare Network.

The NPCMN works with communities, government agencies and non-government organisations within the regional landscape to protect, enhance and promote grassland and woodland ecosystems. This is done through recognising and supporting a workable balance between biodiversity conservation and sustainable farming. The network administers and promotes the implementation of land management techniques such as pest plant and animal control, fencing and revegetation with the aim of increasing habitat quality and extent.

The NPCMN focal ecological communities are the nationally critically endangered Natural Grasslands of the Murray Valley Plains and the nationally endangered Buloke Woodland of the Riverina and Murray-Darling Depression Bioregions.

 

"We are very much looking forward to forging a strong and inspired partnership with the LPLN into the future to help secure and manage our remaining native flora and fauna." Beau Kent, NPCMN Facilitator.

Communities for Nature Small Grants - Open

The Communities for Nature Grants 2012 Small Grants Opportunity round has been released by the Department of Sustainability and Environment.

The grants are targeted towards community groups tackling local environmental issues, with funds available up to $10,000 per project. Applications close on the 19th of December 2012.

More information is available on the DSE website here.

Aerial flight - Farming for Sustainable Soils

The Salisbury West and Mt Korong Landcare Farming for Sustainable Soils group undertook aerial monitoring of their area on the 19th of October.  There were 3 flights, enabling 30 people from the group to view the Landcare efforts across the landscape. The flight departed from Bendigo and included a sweep down to Laanecoorie, then followed the Loddon River north past Bridgewater up to the Serpentine Creek and a circle out around the Fernihurst Weir. The flight concluded with a sweep past Mt Korong.

The monitoring flight looked at the initiatives of the group including the works on planting trees, putting in corridors across the agricultural landscape and widening the riparian area of the Loddon River. Also under observation was the effect of increasing ground cover between crops. The vantage point from above enabled a clear view of any exposed soils in paddocks. The importance of roadside conservation reserves and riparian vegetation corridors in the Loddon Plains landscape was also very pronounced from above.

The ideal flying conditions made for an insightful and enjoyable flight.

Photos: Plane at Bendigo airport (top), Loddon River and Serpentine Creek (bottom).

Friends of Terrick Terrick National Park Open Weekend

The Friends of Terrick Terrick National Park held their annual Open Weekend of the park on the 5th-7th of October. The weekend was part of the 2012 Naturally Loddon Festival.

Over 40 people attended the weekend at various stages, with some new memberships among the members renewing theirs again for 2012-2013. 

Based at the historic Davies Homestead, attendees were treated to various talks on the Friday evening, including Helen Stevens local history presentation.

Weekend activities included the removal of old animal exclusion plots and fallen fences, weeding around the meeting complex, preparing tree guards to be installed later this month, and seedlings planted last year were checked for their progress.

A total of 27mm of rain fell over the weekend, which resulted in the program being slightly modified from expected and may have kept attendance down. However the weekend was still a success despite the damp weather!

Congratulations to the Friends of Terrick Terrick National Park committee and volunteers who put a tremendous amount of effort into organising the event each year.

Photos by Jill Millsom: Retrieving animal exclusion plots (top), Helen Stevens local history talk (middle), wildflower display (bottom).

FTLA Secrets to Successful Groups Training - Bendigo

The Farm Tree & Landcare Association are running a "Secrets to Successful Groups" training session in Bendigo on Thursday 29th of November 2012.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment is supporting ten sessions across Victoria to assist Landcarers to improve the capacity and health of their groups and networks.

Each session will cover several topics out from the following:

• Legal duties and governance
• Employment and employer responsibilities
• Effective decision-making
• Health and Safety
• Manageing the books
• Volunteer recruitment and succession

Sessions are open to all Landcare groups, Friends of groups and anyone else in the community involved in Landcare. The session is free with lunch and refreshments provided!

The flyer can be found here.

To RSVP email ftla@vff.org.au or call 03 9207 5527 and include your top 3 preferred topics.

Field Trip to Salisbury West and the Loddon Foothills

15 boarded the bus at Bridgewater for the tour of Salisbury West and the Loddon Foothills as part of the Naturally Loddon Festival on 30 September. The tour showed the works of the Salisbury West Landcare Group fitting with the festival aims to promote the natural environment, biodiversity and cultural heritage in the Loddon Shire. The group heard commentary from local knowledge brokers Jean McClymont, Phil Dyson and John Penny.

Tourers were treated to beautiful sites around the area including the Loddon River, Serpentine Weir, and Salisbury West, as well as the significant Indigenous Cultural Heritage Site at Powlett Swamp.

The remarkable achievements of the Landcare group were plain to see (in shelterbelts, green haystacks and in fencing of the Loddon River) but also more nuanced in the works done in regards to soil sustainability, farm works, crop and pasture rotations.

At one point a snappy snake gave the group a fright, reminding us that spring has arrived in our natural wonderland.

Many thanks to Jean McClymont for organising the trip and to the State Government Victorian Landcare Grants and the North Central Catchment Management Authority for funds to run a most enjoyable day. 

Thanks also to the Loddon Shire for promotion and running of the Naturally Loddon Festival.

Photos (click to enlarge): Salisbury West stop (top left), Paddock talk with John Penny (top right), Serpentine Weir (bottom left), Loddon River (bottom centre), Powlett Swamp (bottom right).

Goldfields Bridal Creeper Bash

The Loddon Plains Landcare Network has been successful in its application for a Project Grant in the 2012/2013 Victorian Landcare Grants Program. The grant allows the Network to develop a Bridal Creeper control and community awareness project, targeting two infested sites in Bridgewater and Inglewood.

Part of the project includes a Chemical Users Training Course run in early 2013, available for members of the LPLN. Members who are happy to volunteer in the spraying of Bridal Creeper at the two sites will receive a subsidised spot in the Chemical Users Training Course thanks to the grant. 

Please get in touch with Anthony Gallacher if you want more information on the project, or to register your interest in doing the training.

Email: anthony.gallacher@gmail.com
Phone: 03 5446 9249
Mobile: 0447 095 501

Photo of Bridal Creeper

September Issue LPLN News

The September issue of the LPLN News has been released!

The newsletter can be downloaded from the Loddon Plains Landcare Network gateway portal. Visit the following link:

http://northcentral.landcarevic.net.au/lpln/newsletter

Loddon Vale Landcare Fishing Platform Opening

A gathering of people enjoyed ideal weather on Fathers Day for the opening of the Loddon Vale Landcare Fishing Platform on Serpentine Creek at Durham Ox.

Attendees were greeted with the sounds of country music provided by Peter Sheahan and wife Evelyn, with the fishing platform acting as an ideal stage.

The gathering heard from Laurie Maxted and guests including Loddon Shire Mayor Geoff Curnow and North Central Catchment Management Authority CEO Damien Wells, before the Hon Peter Walsh MP officially opened the Platform, casting a line into the Serpentine Creek.

After the plaque unveiling and some tree planting, the group relocated down the road to the Durham Ox Hall, where they enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by the Maxted family.

The platform is a culmination of a large effort by the Loddon Vale Landcare group and many others.

Loddon Vale Landcare President Laurie Maxted emphasised the extensive community involvement in the Fishing Platform project. “Grateful thanks to the North Central CMA, Loddon Shire, Morsons for the monument, Alan Gerard Stringer and Paul Henderson for constructing the Shed, Minister Walsh for opening the platform and Loddon Plains Landcare for their contribution” Mr Maxted said. “This is the Victorian Government’s fishing licence revenue at work,” Mr Maxted said.

“A special thanks to all the Loddon Vale members who helped out at the working bees and to Averil Harris for all the behind the scenes work. It’s certainly pleasing to see it already being used” Laurie Maxted said.

Photos by Anthony Gallacher.

Top: Sheahans provide some country music entertainment.

Middle: Minister Walsh casts the first line into the Serpentine Creek

Below (left to right): Tree planting, Crowd watches the launch proceedings, Signage in the Fishing Platform shed

Farming for Sustainable Soils

The combined Salisbury West and Mt Korong Landcare Groups Farming for Sustainable Soils project is in its second year of trials funded through the Federal Governments Caring for Our Country funding.

The groups have been busy with the project, addressing a variety of issues with ground cover maintenance, stubble retention, shelterbelts and soil tests.

Two paddock walks have been held to examine the pasture varietal site at Salisbury West, one of half a dozen paddock scale demonstration sites. Late in August a crop walk was conducted from Powlett to Korong Vale, discussing yield prediction, crop nutrient requirements, stubble retention and moisture retention in trial paddocks.

"Green Haystacks" are managed for grazing while providing shelter and biodiversity across the landscape. These salt bushes, acacias and trees are planted in fenced blocks turning unproductive land into grazing opportunities for sheep.

Ongoing independent soil tests have identified the need for remediation techniques trials in 2013 on all soil types in order to address hard panning and anaerobic soils.

For more information on the Farming for Sustainable Soils project, contact the Facilitator Jean McClymont, ph: 03 5437 3281 or email: bjmccly@activ8.net.au.

Photos: Jean McClymont

East Loddon Landcare Meeting

East Loddon Landcare had it's first gathering on Wednesday 15th August at the Four Posts Hotel, Jarklin. There was a great turn out with 20 people attending. The meeting was chaired by Bill Twigg. Anthony Gallacher from the Loddon Plains Landcare Network also helped out with proceedings and talked about the network, fielding answers for questions about Landcare.

The interim start up committee will meet on the 5th of September, with the Inaugural General Meeting for the group on the 12th of September at the Jarklin Pub.

Thanks to Bill Twigg for organising the evening and to all who came along!

Photos by Anthony Gallacher: Left - Bill Twigg; Right - Attendees.

Annual General Meeting

The Loddon Plains Landcare Network Annual General Meeting is being held at the Shire Offices in Serpentine on the 4^th of September, 7pm-9.30pm.

The AGM is a chance to mingle with members from other groups and get up to speed with the progress of the network. The President, Treasurer and Landcare Facilitator will present their annual reports.

Light supper provided. Please attend if you are able!

Ministerial visit to the LPLN

The State Minister for Environment The Hon Ryan Smith MP visited the Loddon Plains Landcare Network (LPLN) area on Wednesday the 25^th July. Arriving aboard a coach with the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA) Board, the Minister paid a visit to the Loddon Vale Landcare Fishing Platform project on Serpentine Creek at Durham Ox.

NCCMA Board member and LPLN President Laurie Maxted spoke about the Fishing Platform project and this was followed by lunch up the road at the Maxted family homestead.

Over lunch the LPLN Facilitator, Anthony Gallacher spoke about the progress of the network to date, including the success of the workshops run in May and the advancement of the GOANNA project with the support of The Norman Wettenhall Foundation.

The LPLN Committee of Management would like to thank the State Government for its support of the network through the Victorian Local Landcare Facilitator Initiative and the Victorian Landcare Grants Program.

A special thanks to the Maxted family for their hospitality and a delicious lunch.

From left to right: James Williams (NCCMA Board), Anthony Gallacher (LPLN Facilitator), The Hon. Ryan Smith MP (Minister for Environment), Sarah Meredith (Ministerial Advisor). Photo: Mal Brown

East Loddon Landcare Pub Night

 

East Loddon Landcare is reforming, starting with a pub night at the Jarklin Four Posts Hotel. 

Get involved in Landcare and hear news from the Loddon Plains Landcare Network.

Pub meal provided. 

Come along and help create a new local Landcare community.

 

7pm Wednesday 15^th August

Four Posts Hotel,

Cnr Loddon Valley Hwy & Jarklin East Rd, Jarklin

 

For more information contact Anthony Gallacher on 0447 095 501, 5446 9249 or by email at anthony.gallacher@gmail.com.

 

NCCMA Box-Gum Grassy Woodlands Project Grants Open

Box-Gum Grassy Woodlands grants supported by the North Central Catchment Management Authority are now open.  Funded from the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country program, the project is seeking landholders who are wanting to do on-ground works of fencing and revegetation to protect or enhance eligible grassy woodland remnants. 

Applications for the grants close 5pm Tuesday 11th September. Successful projects must be completed by 30th April 2013. In-kind contribution is not required and landholders may undertake the works themselves or engage a contractor.

There are specific requirements for the project, including a defined geographic area. For more information visit:

http://www.nccma.vic.gov.au/Biodiversity/Conservation_and_Habitat/index.aspx

LPLN News: Newsletter

The Loddon Plains Landcare Network has just published the first edition of it's new newsletter, the LPLN News.

The LPLN News is a new initiative of the network to increase sharing, communication and to generate enthusiasm around upcoming projects and events in the network. 

The newsletter contains news coming from the network and its groups. You’ll find upcoming events and articles of interest relating to natural resource management and Landcare. You’ll also find any news coming directly from the LPLN Landcare Facilitator, Anthony Gallacher.

The newsletter will be a great way to share the collective stories of the Loddon Plains Landcare Network, both amongst groups and with the wider community.

The release schedule has yet to be finalised, but a notice of each edition release will be posted on this blog. Groups will receive an email version and a hard copy.

The network would like to start an e-list for people interested in receiving the newsletter by email. People can be added to the e-list by contacting Anthony Gallacher with their email address.

Contact:

Ph: (03) 5446 9249

M: 0447 095 501

Email: anthony.gallacher@gmail.com

Call for photos...

The Loddon Plains Landcare Network is close to finalising our biodiversity blueprint booklet for the network area. In order to make the booklet colourful and representative of  group activities within the network, we are putting out a request for photos from all our groups. The photos need to be high quality files. They can be of group activities, group members, key sites, plants, animals, landscapes etc. Anything that will show off the Loddon Plains Landcare Networks area, from the foothills to the plains.

If you have any photos that are suitable please email them to Anthony Gallacher. This can be done in installments. Alternatively, if you have a bunch of photos you think would be suitable, send Anthony your postal address and he will post out a usb stick, which the photos can be loaded onto and returned.

It would be great to get as many photos as possible. Please alert other members who may be able to assist. Contact Anthony on the details below if you have any questions.

Ph: (03) 5446 9249
M: 0447 095 501
Email: anthony.gallacher@gmail.com

Draft Victorian Landcare Program Strategic Plan: Feedback Opportunity

The Victorian Government has recently released its draft Victorian Landcare Program Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is intended to provide a strategic framework to guide government support for Landcare through the Department of Sustainability and Environment.

The draft is open for comment until 30 June. This provides an opportunity for Landcare groups, individuals and networks to have input into how the state government supports Landcare across Victoria.

Submissions can include any key areas or issues that may have been overlooked, or sections in the draft that may require further detail or explanation.

To obtain a copy of the draft visit:
http://www.landcarevic.net.au/resources/landcare-policy/victorian-landcare-program-strategic-plan

Submissions close soon, so get cracking if you'd like to have your input!

Facilitator Consultation

• Discuss Landcare issues 

• Explore project ideas and discuss funding options

• Receive assistance for your group for grant applications, media, planning and more 

Feel free to drop by! Please ring Anthony to make an appointment. 

9am-1pm Thursdays 

Dingee Bush Nursing Centre, 

21 King St, Dingee 

M: 0447 095 501 

Ph: (03) 5446 9249 

Email: anthony.gallacher@gmail.com

 

NUFG Kamarooka Project Education Centre opening

The Hon Peter Walsh MP (right), Mr Paul Weller MP (left) and NUFG Chairman Ian Rankin (centre) during plaque unveiling

Kamarooka Project Education Centre opened 3rd June 2012

NUFG member Phil Dyson speaks during the opening

Official proceedings were followed by tree planting at the site

Attendees enjoyed a BBQ lunch and a site tour

2 Million Trees grant opportunity

The Victorian Government and the Department of Sustainability and Environment are running an initiative to plant 2 million trees by 2014. Groups can apply for funds to purchase tree seedlings, tree guards, stakes, weed control etc for tree planting projects that provide public environmental benefit along waterways in regional Victoria. Applications for round 1 close 5pm 2 July 2012.

See the website for more details: http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/conservation-and-environment/biodiversity/2-million-trees

Workshops deliver ideas

Participants enjoy a meal together at the Serpentine Workshop

The Loddon Plains Landcare Network (LPLN) workshop series in May was a great success. 36 participants from the local area attended the workshops across Wedderburn, Serpentine and Dingee. 

Mal Brown presents on the NCCMA Regional Catchment Strategy

Attendees enjoyed supper before hearing presentations from the LPLN and the North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA). Attendees were keen to discuss priority areas and projects in their local area, using large maps to draw out their ideas. Small and large scale projects for the Loddon Plains were canvassed. The list of project ideas obtained will be collated for input into the LPLN blueprint strategy document.

The LPLN would like to thank everyone who participated and thanks to Jodie Odgers and Malcolm Brown from the NCCMA for assisting in the organisation of the workshops.

NUFG Kamarooka Education Centre Opening

The Northern United Forestry Group (NUFG) would like to announce the official opening of the Kamarooka Project Education Centre, by the Hon. Peter Walsh M.P. on Sunday 3 June 2012 at 11.30am.

The NUFG began revegetating 50ha of salt affected land at the Kamarooka site in 2004. Since that time a remarkable transformation has taken place on previously unproductive farm land. Native hardwood plantations comprising interspersed eucalypts and acacias now grow tall along the margins of the most saline lands, and large stands of Old Man Saltbush thrive on the most degraded soils. Equally large biodiversity plantings flourish in land that was once thought lost forever.

NUFG's dedication to monitoring and community education has seen the site arguably become the key learning facility for dryland salinity reclamation in South East Australia, providing first-hand knowledge to a diverse range of schools, Universities, land managers and scientists each year. NUFG have responded to the increasing visitor demand by building an Education Centre.

LPLN members are invited to join NUFG to celebrate the opening of the new centre, followed by a BBQ lunch, site tours and biodiversity planting.

Click on attached flyer for more information. RSVP to the following address if you are intending to participate:  nufg@nufg.org.au

Dingee Workshop next Wednesday

REMINDER: The final of the Loddon Plains Landcare Network Workshops is being held next Wednesday 16th May from 7pm-9pm at the East Loddon P-12 College, Dingee.

The workshop aims to encourage members of the community to come and share their knowledge of local environmental assets that they value and would want to see conserved or managed into the future. At the workshop individuals will be encouraged to add such information, in the form of notes, map references, word of mouth etc, to information already gathered by the LPLN. The night will run as follows:

7.00 pm
Supper provided

7.30 pm
Welcome
Laurie Maxted, President, Loddon Plains Landcare Network

7.35 pm
GOANNA Project
Local groups and the blueprint for landscape restoration across the Loddon Plains
Anthony Gallacher, Landcare Facilitator, Loddon Plains Landcare Network

8.10 pm
Victorian 2012 Landcare Grants
A funding opportunity
Jodie Odgers, Regional Landcare Coordinator, North Central CMA

8.35 pm
2012-18 Regional Catchment Strategy
Regional priorities and your local patch
North Central CMA representative

9.00 pm
Close

For catering purposes please RSVP to Anthony Gallacher by the Monday before the event, by phone 5446 9249, mobile 0447 095 501 or email anthony.gallacher@gmail.com.