Victorian Landcare Magazine - Winter 2019, Issue 75
The Moorabool Catchment Landcare Group (MCLG) hosted a Cultural Awareness Educational Workshop in late May. The event was the result of a partnership between MCLG, DELWP’s Victorian Landcare Program, Corangamite CMA and the Wadawurrung Aboriginal Corporation.
Workshop participants heard the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners speak on history, connection to Country and Aboriginal cultural heritage. The Corangamite CMA presented on their Aboriginal water projects and cultural burning activities. There were also workshops on bush tucker, native plants and their uses, and opportunities through the Yarns on Farms Program.
The workshop helped break down many barriers and debunk myths while building shared knowledge and trust between the Landcare community and the Wadawurrung People. The collaborative approach used to organise the event was a great example of how partnerships can deliver important outcomes for the community and the environment.
For more information and to enquire about hosting a cultural awareness event email Jackson.Chatfield@delwp.vic.gov.au or call Jackson on 0419 504 451.
The team has welcomed Sarah Holland Clift as the new Regional Landcare and Volunteer Coordinator. The recently completed Corangamite Landcare Review is shaping Sarah’s work plan in partnership with Landcare and the CMA.
The Corangamite Rural Women’s Network achieved a major milestone in March when more than 120 women from across the region came together at a forum to connect, share, learn and inspire. Discussion topics included Traditional Owner conversations, ethical farming, social change and influence, mental and physical health, and refugees in rural communities.
In April the Otway Food and Fibre Showcase shone the spotlight on the skilled, passionate and diverse growers of the Otways region.
A Corangamite Regional Regenerative Farming Conference will be held in September. National and regional practitioners will discuss key technical, economic and social practices in improving soil health, biodiversity and other environmental outcomes.
For more information visit www.ccma.vic.gov.au (What we do/Community Landcare) or contact Sarah Holland Clift on 0428 343 728.
The East Gippsland Women in Agriculture Network was launched in July 2017 and has now held nine events attracting more than 200 participants across multiple agricultural industries. The network aims to connect women through leadership and mentor-training. Events have ranged from shared learning experiences, succession planning and guest speakers.
Landcare facilitators from across the region undertook conflict and negotiation training with Maryanne Martin from People Pathways in March. The Landcare facilitators completed an assessment of how they manage conflict and then learnt about different methods of negotiation. Landcare facilitators also practiced using the different methods in a range of situations.
Landcare groups have been busy battling drought conditions. A significant amount of time has been spent watering seedlings to ensure their survival. Volunteers are to be commended for their commitment to watering while balancing their own personal challenges with the drought.
For more information visit www.egcma.com.au (What we do/Landcare) or contact Carolyn Cameron on 5150 3682.
Welcome to the new Upper Glenelg Landcare Facilitator Mirinda Thorpe. Mirinda has already attended a number of regional shows and field days to meet the local Landcare community and get to know the issues.
Spring has been the traditional planting time for most of the south west. Changing weather patterns are seeing an increasing number of autumn plantings. It will be interesting to see the outcome of this change over the next few years.
The Southwest Environment Alliance hosted a training session conducted by The Atlas of Living Australia at Portland.
Attendees at the Landcare Victoria Inc. forum at Halls Gap were treated to a bus tour of projects in the Upper Hopkins area. The tour features included Tucker farm’s predator proof enclosure and discussion of their sustainable farming methods, Peter and Christine Forster’s success in rehabilitating a difficult site, and the work of the Jallukar Landcare Group.
For more information visit www.ghcma.vic.gov.au (Get involved/Landcare) or contact Tony Lithgow on 5571 2526.
Community natural resource management is strong and active in the region. Networks have been busy working with the CMA on the delivery of National Landcare Program Phase Two projects. There are also lots of smaller projects underway via programs, such as the 2018/19 Victorian Landcare Grants.
The region’s 2017/18 Community Natural Resource Management Action Plan is now up on the CMA website. It highlights the great work of our groups and their ability to perform despite reducing budgets.
Landcare staff joined North Central and North East CMA regions at the Northern Rivers Roundup for joint training and peer learning. The workshops covered strategic planning, how to access corporate funding and how to write press releases. Peer learning sessions demonstrated the pitfalls that some Landcare facilitators have encountered in the delivery of projects. Feedback has been positive and we are planning a 2020 event in the North East region.
For more information visit www.gbcma.vic.gov.au (Community natural resource management) or contact Tony Kubeil on 5761 1619.
Mallee CMA is pleased to announce James Walker as the new Regional Landcare Coordinator. James works out of the CMA’s Irymple office.
Landcare facilitators in the Mallee have been working collaboratively to increase their knowledge of computer mapping skills in recent months. This work follows a training workshop held earlier in the year, and increases the capacity of Landcare facilitators to communicate visually with the CMA and external partners on their projects.
For more information visit www.malleecma.vic.gov.au (Get involved/Landcare) or contact James Walker on 5051 4559.
Participants at the 2019 Northern Rivers Roundup event held in March enjoyed interactive, training-based workshops that focused on revitalising groups, building strong and effective partnerships, and better telling Landcare’s story through the media.
The very dry conditions across the region have seen extension activities focused on managing farms in dry conditions and drought support services. Landcare action over the summer concentrated on strategic planning and creating action plans for the coming year, as groups waited for suitable conditions to kick off on ground activity and community events.
Grant writing workshops were held throughout the region in April and May. Nominations for the 2019 Victorian Landcare Awards are being drafted. The CMA is preparing to host the region’s first Intrepid Landcare Leadership Retreat over the weekend of August 9-11 in partnership with Connecting Country.
For more information visit www.nccma.vic.gov.au (Landcare) or contact Tess Grieves on 5440 1893.
The impact of localised floods in December and the continuing dry season conditions affected the activities of many groups in the region.
Kiewa Catchment Landcare Groups have completed their expression of interest for the three-year Victorian Government Biodiversity Response Planning project in their area and are now developing management plans and agreements with landholders. This project will assist landholders to protect and enhance native vegetation.
Landcare facilitators from the region joined with others from Goulburn Broken and North Central regions for the Northern Rivers Roundup. As well as training sessions the participants benefited from additional peer learning sessions led by Landcare facilitators on partnerships with local government and Traditional Owners, reviving Landcare, and nest box projects.
For more information visit www.necma.vic.gov.au (Landcare and community projects) or contact Tom Croft on 02 6043 7648.
Threatening fires and dry and hot weather challenged the region over summer. At least one Victorian Landcare Grant recipient was unable to access their project site due to fire damage, while other events and activities were put aside as blazes such as the Bunyip fire prompted emergency warnings.
Closed roads and advice to stay at home due to bushfires limited attendees at former Yarra Ranges Landcare Facilitator Kimberley Boswell’s innovative training workshop for Landcare facilitators on starting and revitalising groups. Those that made it participated enthusiastically. Further Landcare facilitator training on cultural awareness was provided by the Wurundjeri in April.
The CMA was able to support 19 Landcarers to attend the Celebrating Women in Conservation Breakfast, hosted by Trust for Nature and Bush Heritage Australia, in February.
The CMA is partnering with Intrepid Landcare and Yarra Ranges Landcare Network to run an Intrepid Landcare Leadership Retreat from May 31–June 2 in the Yarra Ranges. The retreat is targeting 16 to 35 year olds wanting to do their part for the environment. Search Intrepid Landcare on Facebook to find out more.
The CMA signed a partnership agreement with Mornington Peninsula Landcare Network at its February board meeting, the third Landcare network to co-sign such a commitment with our CMA.
For more information visit ppwcma.vic.gov.au (Landcare and Sustainable Agriculture) or contact Barry Kennedy on 9971 6506.
West Gippsland
Landcare Networks in West Gippsland spent the summer months supporting their Landcare volunteers and landholders through very dry conditions. Landcarers have been working tirelessly to water tube stock that was planted last season in order to keep plants alive.
Yarram Yarram Landcare Network has secured $50,000 funding from the Victorian Government’s 2018 Community and Volunteer Action Grants for a project to restore seagrass meadows in Nooramunga Marine Reserve. This project will allow for the collection and planting of seagrass fruit and seeds in restoration areas within Corner Inlet.
South Gippsland Landcare Network co-hosted a Prom Country picnic event in Meeniyan late last year. The event was a great success with approximately 200 people attending.
Bass Coast Landcare Network recently met with Melina Bath, member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Eastern Victoria, and South Gippsland Water representatives to look at a Powlett Project site. The site was planted with 15,000 plants in 2015 and has seen outstanding growth and transformation since then.
Maffra and Districts and Latrobe Catchment Landcare Networks have been busy rolling out Landcare volunteer training including GIS training, governance training and water quality monitoring.
For more information visit wgcma.vic.gov.au (Getting involved/Landcare) or contact Kathleen Brack on 5613 5966.
Wimmera
A special thank you to all who helped recognise and celebrate the rich Landcare stories of the Grampians Gariwerd and surrounding areas at the Landcare Victoria Inc. Grampians Landcare Forum held in late March at Halls Gap. The event was supported by Wimmera and Glenelg Hopkins CMAs and local Landcare facilitators. Many connections were made at the event that are sure to produce some great outcomes for Landcare.
Congratulations to the finalists in this year’s Wimmera Regional Landcare Awards. The awards ceremony was held at Horsham Town Hall on 18 May 2019.
Preparations are underway for this year’s program of Wimmera Landcare community plant outs. A new HeartLand Horsham plant out concept is being trialled this year in partnership with the Centre for Participation, aimed at carrying on the tradition of Yarrilinks in building bridges and pathways to rural life, and employment for urban-based new migrant families through Landcare activities.
For more information visit www.wcma.vic.gov.au (Get involved/Landcare) or contact Joel Boyd on 5382 9919.