Sunday 23 April – Working Bee @ Lake Earnshaw

April 10, 2017 / Woodend Landcare / Leave a comment

Our next Sunday working bee is aimed at final preparation for this years Trees For Mum planting day. Trees For Mum is held on mothers day (the 14th of May) and this years site is near Lake Earnshaw. We will be spreading some wood chips and laying out and pegging down some rolls of slotted jute matting. There is also some cutting and poisoning of woody weeds nearby.

When: Sunday 23 April 2017
Time: 9am till 12 noon
Where: Lake Earnshaw near Gilbert Gordon Oval
Parking: creek side of the grandstand at Gilbert Gordon oval
Bring: gloves, gumboots, secateurs, suitable old clothing. Tool trailer on site.
Morning tea provided!

Newcomers are most welcome – there will be engaging jobs for all ages at this working bee. Contact woodendlandcare@gmail.com or call 5427 2312 for further details and to RSVP.

Hopefully there will be no snow on the 23rd of April – but Lake Earnshaw looks stunning in all weather conditions. Thanks to Pene Rice for the photo.

Land management information session

Date: Saturday 22 April 2017

Time: 9:00am – 1:30pm (registration 9am – 9:30am, lunch 1pm)

Where: Romsey Community Hub, 96–100 Main Street, Romsey

Cost: Free, with a light lunch provided

What: This FREE information session will provide new, absentee and small-acreage land owners with an introduction to better management of small rural properties. It aims to ensure that natural resource management issues are a core consideration of landholders when making decisions about their property. Taking timely land management action now will save money, time and effort later.

What topics will be covered?: this information session covers a range of land management issues, including:

Land use & land capability
Soils
Livestock management & animal welfare
Grazing management & pastures
Controlling weeds & pest animals
Revegetation & biodiversity
Landholder responsibilities
Waterway health & farm water supplies
Landcare

Learn how to design a low-input (in terms of labour and capital) rural property while improving its environmental, biodiversity and aesthetic values.

Presenters:

Patrick Francis (‘Moffitts Farm’, Romsey), has a wealth of experience in agriculture and runs a highly successful small farming enterprise near Romsey.
Michelle Patrick (Environmental Planner, Macedon Ranges Shire), has a wide knowledge of weeds, pests, and biodiversity in the Macedon Ranges.
Tori Vincent (Rural Land Program, Melbourne Water), has a thorough knowledge of waterway management and farm water supplies.
Grant Godden (Landcare Facilitator), has a history working with Landcare groups and experience in land management.
Melissa Connors (This Farm Needs a Farmer), recently launched a farmer mentoring program for new landholders and has a hobby farm at Kyneton.
Bob Nixon (Gisborne Peak Winery), will share his knowledge on running a ‘boutique’ farming enterprise.
John Robinson (Chair, Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network), has a 40 hectare property at Bylands and has been involved in Landcare for almost 30 years.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions during the panel discussion at the end of the information session.

RSVP: register online by Wednesday 19 April via https://land_management_information_session.eventbrite.com.au

More information: email upper.deep.creek.landcare@gmail.com or phone 5782 0184 (John Robinson)

Woodend Landcare: February 2017 News

February 8, 2017February 8, 2017 / Woodend Landcare / Leave a comment

Sunday 26 February Working Bee: Willow Attack

This important tidy up is to tackle the willow regrowth after our funded willow blitz last year. Controlling the spread of this weed of national significance is crucial for healthy waterways. We hope to target Five Mile Creek from Romsey Road downstream to the new Shirley Park bridge. There are some larger multi stemmed willow clumps requiring cutting off, poisoning and carting away which will need quite a few hands. We will also do the same to any small willows starting at the Romsey Rd end of the creek and working downstream. Other tasks include plant guard removal and maintenance, and whipper snipping in plantings.

When: Sunday 26 February 2017
Time: 9am till 12 noon
Where: Meet at the weir on the North East edge of Ruby McKenzie Park in Tennyson street.
Parking: Tennyson St or Ruby McKenzie Park
Bring: secateurs, gloves, whipper snippers, sun protection, water bottle and durable clothing and boots
Morning tea is provided and the tool trailer will be onsite

All welcome. The working bee will be cancelled if the day is total fire ban. For further details contact woodendlandcare@gmail.com or call David on 5427 4117.

Twilight Working Bee Success

Friday evening on the 3rd of February was a ‘I love my town’ kind of night in Woodend. Delightful weather, purposeful work at the landcare working bee, and loads of friendly faces – what more could you want? David, our tireless Working Bee Coordinator, said; “I was really pleased with the turnout, the work done and the socialising afterwords so a great bee to kick off the year.”

A huge thanks to everyone who came along – and especially those who attended their first Woodend Landcare working bee. We truly appreciated having some new faces to meet and lend a hand. And we got a stack of work done – rubbish along the creek was cleaned up, blackberries removed, oak saplings eradicated from our plantings, long pasture grasses whipper-snipped, and a dangerous overhanging tree limb was cut up. A horde of happy kids helped, played, climbed and thoroughly enjoyed the BBQ lovingly prepared by our catering team. Check out the photos below from the evening… we are super impressed by how huge the poa grasses from our 2016 Trees for Mum and 2015 community plantings are now!

This is what the planting sites looked like a year ago – come and see how they have changed!

2017 – Plants establishing

Property Planning Workshop

Sun 26 March to Sun 9 April | 9:00AM to 4:00PM | Tylden Hall

Learn how to manage your property and plan for a sustainable agricultural business. This three day workshop will give you the tools to prepare a farm management plan specific to your property with ‘one-on-one’ guidance from an expert facilitator, including a visit to a local farm. CLICK HERE for more information and to book.

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“Power” Tools to Effect Change Workshop

Saturday 18 Feb | 1.30-4.30 pm | Woodend Neighbourhood House

Fellow Landcarers, Alice Aird and Helen Scott, have asked us to share the details of a community workshop coming up in February:

“As you know, last year was a busy one for many of us working for change in our Shire. Encouraged by the success of reinvigorating democracy and electing a progressive Council, there is an appetite among the community for building and maintaining momentum for social change. If you are curious or interested, diarize this first workshop of a series on the theme of boosting community campaigning and collaboration in and around Macedon Ranges: “Power” Tools to Effect Change. This workshop will outline practical and versatile tools relevant for those interested in environmental issues like climate change, sustainability, food localisation…or anyone working for social and policy change. If anyone would like information explaining more about the workshops contact Alice Aird at airda@bigpond.com and Helen Scott at orseda@bigpond.com.”

Quarry Road Wildflower Poster

For those that have not seen it, we are proud to share our new wildflower poster. CLICK HERE to download a copy.

quarry-rd-poster

AGM invite and July News

July 7, 2016July 7, 2016 / Woodend Landcare / Leave a comment

Our 2016 AGM: Saturday the 23rd July

Woodend Landcare’s restoration plan for Lake Earnshaw and the Macedon Ranges Koala Project will be the focus for our 2016 Annual General Meeting. The informative afternoon will kick off at 1.30 pm on Saturday the 23rd of July at the Woodend Neighbourhood House.

Woodend Landcare’s Thursday Crew are very passionate about the restoration of Lake Earnshaw and they have recently developed an inspiring draft plan for the area – including future revegetation sites, paths and possibly a sheltered picnic table. We will launch the draft plan at the AGM and invite your feedback and input.

Linda Healy, a local wildlife rescuer, will discuss sightings, patterns, threats and protection of our special local native – the Koala. Photo: Sam Ford

The Macedon Ranges Koala Project is an initiative of local wildlife rescuers that has been operating since 2009. The project aims to give a local picture of koala populations and better insight into their threats and guidance for management. You can submit sightings online at http://www.mrkp.org.au. What have been the findings and what can we do to help? Come along on the 23rd to find out!

RSVPs to the AGM are appreciated for catering purposes to woodendlandcare@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you there.

Woodend Landcare Memberships are Due

With our AGM coming up, this also means that our annual memberships are due for renewal. Click here for a membership form and for more information about our group.

Please show your support for our group and make sure your covered by insurance at our working bees by being a current member. Photo: Sandy Scheltema.

It’s also a good time to call out for new committee members; nominations are open for all positions, but we are especially looking for a new general committee members. We’d love to see some new faces on the committee, which works to promote and coordinate Landcare activities and keeps us all going operationally. Meetings are a friendly bi-monthly catch-up. Please contact Kate (5427 2312) or Krista (5427 2140) if you are interested.

Upper Campaspe Landcare Network Winter News

Click here to view – includes useful information on up and coming events including rabbit buster and weeds field days in Malmsbury. It also contains a link to the North Central Catchment Management Authority Monthly Landcare News; “the Chat”.

Two interesting local events

Woodend Landcare June 2016 News: celebrating our local landscape.

June 6, 2016June 6, 2016 / Woodend Landcare / Leave a comment

Cobaw Biolink Field Day

Fifty five people recently attended a field day organized by the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network with Woodend, Carlsruhe, Ashbourne and Newham Landcare Groups. They toured the Campaspe River, Five Mile Creek, important remnant grassland sites, and ended the day overlooking the landscape at the top of the Jim Jims, near Hanging Rock.

Ecologists and Landcare members discuss workshops being planned to give participants an insight into the landscape and vegetation communities of the local region.They will provide a forum for the discussion of ecological restoration techniques and priorities. Pic by Sandy Scheltema

Workshop participants gained an insight into the landscape and vegetation communities of the local region. Pic by Sandy Scheltema

The field day, presented by Uncle Larry and ecologists Damien Cook and Paul Foreman, gave participants an insight into the landscape and vegetation communities of the local region. It provided a fascinating forum for the discussion of ecological restoration techniques and priorities.

Of particular interest to Woodend Landcare was how thrilled Paul Foreman was to discover the Woodend Grassland Reserve – which he said was one of best examples of remnant grasslands in the region, if not the state. Who knew we had something so special right in our own town!

Participants were also delighted to hear Taungurung Elder and knowledge holder, Uncle Larry Walsh, tell stories about local indigenous plants and animals and how they related to the lifestyle of Central Victoria oldest inhabitants.

Taungurung Elder and story teller Uncle Larry Walsh speaks of the importance of looking after the land from an indigenous perspective at a recent Field Day organized by the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network.Pic by Sandy Scheltema

Uncle Larry spoke of the importance of looking after the land from an indigenous perspective. Pic by Sandy Scheltema

Ecologist Damien Cook, said “Indigenous knowledge is a critical part of understanding how to restore our damaged landscapes.”

Landcare members were also present to tell their stories of successful revegetation and biolink projects and spoke of a vision for future conservation works in the area.

President of Upper Campaspe Landcare Network Barry Elliott felt “the day was successful because it was a lovely combination of being able to see sites that were in good and bad condition. The presenters were excellent.”

The field day was part of a series of workshops designed to feed into planning for regional landscape scale revegetation projects. The projects will tackle issues relating to biodiversity loss and climate change. Woodend Landcare looks forward to being involved in the development of this exciting biolink project.

Save the Date: Woodend Landcare AGM – Saturday 23rd July.

We will send out more information about our AGM and membership renewals very soon, but in the meantime, please mark the afternoon of Saturday the 23rd of July in your diaries as Woodend Landcare’s not-to-be-missed AGM (including a special guest speaker).

June 2016 edition of North Central CMA chat

The June 2016 North Central Chat is available for viewing (click here – 5MB). Regional Landcare Coordinator, Tess Grieves, notes that the highlights this month include an invitation to the North Central Waterwatch 4th Annual Water Science Forum on June 4, an array of fishy news stories and an introduction to Gorse Project officer Jenny Johnson.

May News and Field Day Invite

May 9, 2016May 9, 2016 / Woodend Landcare / Leave a comment

Cobaw to Campaspe Connections Field Day

Woodend Landcare is thrilled to be involved in a exciting new project, in conjunction with the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network.

‘Cobaw to Campaspe Connections’ is about working together, in a strategic way, to restore the landscape to provide more habitat for native plants and animals – and allow them to move freely again – to feed, escape fire, to take refuge in drought times and breed successfully.

Small patches of isolated bush are not good for our native plants and animals. Especially important is access to the Campaspe River and its tributaries, as it is a lifeline for many species. This project is about increasing quality habitat and creating connections to the Campaspe.

It is a big goal we have set – but it can be done. We want to start by learning more about the area and how to most effectively restore it. And we especially want this project to be inclusive – provide ways for everyone in the area to tell us what they value in the landscape and find ways for us all to play a part.

We are holding a field day to explore the region’s ecology and to discuss what needs to be done to fix it. We would be very pleased if you were able to come along. Details are in the poster below – RSVPs are essential. Note: this event is being held in lieu of our normal May working bee.

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Trees for Mum 2016 success!

A brilliant team effort saw 900 native trees, shrubs and grasses planted to rehabilitate what was once a dense blackberry thicket on a bend on the Five Mile Creek. We were thrilled to have 140 passionate participants brave the drizzle and plant with great spirit for our 2016 Trees For Mum event.

Thank-you to everyone who came along and planted with their mum or for their mum. We hope you will enjoy watching your living legacy grow over the years. Thank-you to our wonderful Landcare stalwarts – David, Kate, Chris, Doug, Peter, Krista and Dave – for doing so much behind the scenes and on the day. Thank-you to our exceptional catering team – Jo, Susan and Sam – for keeping us going through the morning. A huge thank-you to Angela and family for being such passionate advocates for, and organises of, Trees For Mum in Woodend. And finally, thank-you to the North Central Catchment Management Authority for the Landcare Grant that made the day possible.

Click here to see more of the gorgeous photos from the day.

Alice, Angela and Jason planting a tree for granny.

More landcare news

Please click on the links below to read more regional and national landcare news.

North Central Chat May 2016. This link will take you to the North Cental page where you can download the latest landcare newsletter. Of special interest to Woodend Landcare is a report on page 8 about our waterwatch volunteer – Emma McKenzie – who is monitoring water quality along the Five Mile Creek . Thanks Emma!

Landcare Australia’s Landlink