Victorian Landcare Magazine - Winter 2020, Issue 78
Members of the Mt Toolebewong & District Landcare Group (MT&DLG) and the Wurundjeri Narrap Team were reconnected after an on-Country meeting in January. Karen Garth from the Landcare group hosted the meeting. Narrap Team manager Sean Hunter then led a tour of a Healesville property that was recently returned to its Wurundjeri Traditional Owners.
Representatives from Yarra Ranges Landcare Network and the Port Phillip and Westernport CMA also attended. The meeting was a great way to find common ground and discuss future projects. I encourage more groups and networks to take the initiative and talk Landcare on Country.
Wurundjeri are now members of MT&DLG and have committed to working together to care for Country.
For more information email jackson.chatfield@delwp.vic.gov.au or call Jackson on 0419 504 451.
The Corangamite Rural Women’s Network gathered together at Mount Elephant on 12 March to share their stories and celebrate International Women’s Day. The network is supported by the Regional Agricultural Landcare Facilitator and the National Landcare Program.
The Upper Barwon Landcare Network held a facilitated workshop with its members to collaborate on their shared vision for the future and develop a new strategic action plan.
The CMA has developed a sustainable agriculture future directions paper to inform planning for future investment in sustainable agriculture in the region. Friends of the Barwon was established recently with the aim of restoring and protecting the health of the Barwon River and its tributaries.
For more information visit www.ccma.vic.gov.au (Get involved/Landcare) or contact Elisia Dowling on 0418 397 521.
Above: Here I am doing some Landcare at home! My family has been working for the past seven years to restore the landscape of our Fernbank property to create a sustainable farm – Carolyn Cameron.
For more information visit www.egcma.com.au (What we do/Landcare) or contact Carolyn Cameron on 5150 3682.
Landcare has been turned upside down over the past few months with drought, fire and now COVID-19. It is amazing to see how local communities continue to evolve and demonstrate resilience.
Landcare has always been about face to face social interactions and community gatherings but now we have had to find another way. The CMA is using Microsoft Teams to hold meetings, deliver training and share information. Much of our Victorian Landcare Grant delivery has been put on hold. Family priorities and the age of many of our members has driven this decision.
We are all learning to deal with this new socially distanced environment and many of us are gaining new skills. Electronic meeting might be the way of the future, although personally I’m looking forward to the time we can all get together again over a cup of tea.
For more information visit www.gbcma.vic.gov.au (Community natural resource management) or contact Tony Kubeil on 0408 597 213.
Above: It’s been great to see our Landcare facilitators and members improving their IT skills to keep the communication channels open as we work from home – the animals love it too! – Tony Lithgow.
For more information visit www.ghcma.vic.gov.au (Get involved/Landcare) or contact Tony Lithgow on 0418 180 996.
Landcare in the Victorian Mallee is taking the opportunity to do things a little differently.
Mallee Landcare facilitators have recently completed a successful training program on written communication and project management. The program was delivered by video conferencing. This has broadened the IT skills of our Landcare facilitators and helped us to better articulate the value of our projects when applying for grants.
Online governance training was undertaken in May 2020 and was available for executive members of the broader Landcare community.
For more information visit www.malleecma.vic.gov.au or contact Nelson Burand-Hicks on 0427 540 468.
It’s been a very challenging time for Landcare. Groups have respected social distancing but still managed to remain active in the region through coordinating bulk tubestock purchases, private property plant outs, online planning sessions, camera monitoring and data entry and mapping their previous project work. It’s a good time to think of innovative ways we can keep our communities, wildlife and environment healthy during this time.
Above: Landcare at home involved propagating some native plants for my garden – Tess Grieves.
For more information visit www.nccma.vic.gov.au (Landcare) or contact Tess Grieves on 0438 357 874.
In spite of the interruptions from COVID-19 some Landcare activity continues in the region. The Upper Murray Landcare Network has been assessing the needs of landholders affected by fire in their area and applying for a range of funding programs to deliver recovery works.
Landcare facilitators have been training for and testing a major update to the Landcare Work Health and Safety system developed by the CMA. The CMA also hosted a series of Mental Health First Aid Virtual Training sessions for Landcare employees and committees.
The region farewells coordinator Tom Croft in early July when he retires from the CMA after 18 years (see page 23). Richard Dalkin has commenced as Tom’s replacement.
For more information visit www.necma.vic.gov.au (Landcare & community groups) or contact Richard Dalkin on 0409 683 467.
Above: The Campaspe River – close to my new home office at Kyneton – Barry Kennedy.
The Nillumbik Landcare Network signed a partnership agreement with the CMA in February. The agreement is a shared commitment to further the work of achieving environmental outcomes in their region. The CMA is seeking to enter into partnership agreements with all networks in the region.
A new look Landcare Report Card for the region for 2018/19 has been produced. The report card highlights the work of Landcare groups, networks, environmental friends and other non-Landcare groups, as well as documenting Indigenous engagement and return on investment figures for Landcare in the region.
The use of case studies draws a more detailed picture of the real impact of environmental volunteering in the region. Thanks to DELWP for its work mapping non-Landcare groups in the region through its Victorians Volunteering for Nature process.
The CMA hopes to reschedule several cancelled events due to COVID-19 and variations are being put in place for the delivery of Victorian Landcare Grants projects.
For more information visit www.ppwcma.vic.gov.au (What we do/Landcare support) or contact Barry Kennedy on 0447 821 559.
As all the normal rhythms of Landcare have been disrupted our groups and networks are adapting to new ways to do Landcare in the region. Several groups have moved their community meetings to online forums, utilising Zoom and Google hangouts. It’s been a good way to check up and see if anyone needs a hand. Many have also been busy on social media.
Bass Coast Landcare Network created short videos capturing stories of what their staff were up to during the working from home period. Many events have been cancelled, but several networks such as the South Gippsland Landcare Network moved their events online using webinars and training videos.
Above: A Zoom meeting with Landcare staff assisted by my daughter Maggie – Kathleen Brack.
For more information visit wgcma.vic.gov.au (Getting involved/Landcare) or contact Kathleen Brack on 0428 619 671.
Junior Landcarers in the Wimmera enjoyed getting close to Chris Humfrey’s wild action zoo during the annual Horsham Fishing Competition on 8 March. A photography competition with local kids submitting a picture of themselves in the environment was popular in the lead up to the day, with the winning family getting a private meet and greet with Chris and his animals.
All scheduled community events have been cancelled or postponed until further notice, but we are looking at ways of using technology to keep working and share information and ideas.
Ray Zippel is retiring in June after many years working in Landcare in the region. Most recently Ray was the Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator. He is well known in the Landcare movement right across the state. We thank Ray for his immense contribution and wish him well relaxing on his beautiful northern Grampians farm.
For more information visit www.wcma.vic.gov.au (Get involved/Landcare) or contact Joel Boyd on 0429 949 196.