Hello to all of our Landcare Members, Partners, Sponsors and Friends throughout the Bass Coast Landcare Network and welcome to the November edition of our E-news.

November has been a pivotal month, with the easing of restrictions we can  now see our families and friends again, and more of us are getting out and about to safely socialise in small groups. With our planting season now finished we are transitioning into AGM time for our groups and hay season for many of our farms. Our Works Crew are busy tackling invasive weeds to enable our indigenous flora and fauna to bloom again, our Nursery Volunteers are back and and the River Garden is getting ready to welcome back volunteers too. 

Now our social calendars are filling up for the first time in months, with possibilities increasing for indoor and outdoor events, gatherings and celebrations. Coming up soon, is the BCLN AGM  - on Saturday the 5th of December - a time to celebrate all that has been achieved for the Bass Coast and our community. Well done to each and every one of us for getting through this challenging year.

We have a stellar line up of educational events, network news and opportunities for you to check out this month. In between the social frenzy and action leading up to Christmas and New Year, we hope you find a few minutes to read our newsletter...  enjoy!

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UPCOMING EVENTS 

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each year to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC 2020 Always Was Always Will Be - runs from 8-15th November.

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of Bass Coast, the Boonwurrung/Bunurong people and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. They cared for and managed this country for thousands of years and still continue to do so. 

Here in the Bass Coast, Artspace Wonthaggi is celebrating by exhibiting indigenous artwork over NAIDOC week, until 13th of December, head over and check it out!

Click here for more information.

The National Landcare Conference webinar series continued this month with one more left for November.

On November 19th at 2pm (AEDT) hear from Kylie Durant from Holbrook Landcare Group in New South Wales and and Phillip Moran from Queensland’s Noosa & District Landcare Group. This will be a discussion about the evolution of Holbrook Landcare Group and the benefits of skills training, mental and physical health, and how Landcare contributes to a regional economy and community resilience during difficult times, like bushfires and drought.

Click here to register for these events.

Rick Coleman is leading an in person workshop at Phillip Island Community Orchard on Pest Control and compost. Rick, a master in horticulture and permaculture, brings international standing and is currently also involved with re-invigorating the PICAL Community Garden, in Cowes. This event will be great for new gardeners, orchard growers, and also for the more experienced.

Event Date: Sunday 22nd November. 2 Sessions 3:00 - 4:00PM and 4:15 – 5:15PM. Numbers are limited therefore you will need to book your place by emailing direct to: [email protected]

Yarra Ranges Intrepid Landcare have launched November Nature Nerd out , a Citizen Science competition to encourage the use of app iNatuaralist. 

Wherever you are in Australia, you can join Intrepid Landcare and the huge science community on iNaturalist, recording observations for citizen science. Prizes to give away for most observations, and a best snap based on a poll at the end. Prizes include: Noogar Bush Medicine, Guide to Urban Wildlife, $50 Bunnings Voucher, Woodland Birds of South East Australia and a Biome 'On the Go' Bundle. Even though it is  the middle of November, it is not too late to join the fun and to win!!

To join the online event, click here.

To see a 'How to Guide for Using iNaturalist' -  click here! 

Are you interested in learning about the negative impacts of Gorse on your property? The Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT) is taking on Gorse - with great efficacy.

On Tuesday the 24th of November at 10:30am VGT will be hosting a short, live Zoom presentation, ‘An Introduction to Gorse' to educate landowners on more than just the management of gorse. The most efficient and effective management of gorse requires a holistic understanding of the impacts, the biology, and the timeline of the plant. This allows for targeted management and a greater ability to manage gorse long term.

Register by emailing VGT's Extension officer Brydie for the Zoom link at [email protected] or call 0428 335 705.

There is a new social gardening group for women, being run at Phillip Island Community and Learning Centre (PICAL), with materials and gardening tools provided, as well as a light morning tea. This will be a great opportunity to chat with new people in a welcoming and friendly environment. The events run fortnightly on Wednesdays from 10am, commencing from 4th of November.

Bookings are encouraged to help with Covid-19 safety precautions. You can book by calling 0416 970 687 or emailing [email protected]. 

The 2020 Annual General Meeting  will be held on Saturday 5th December. We can now confirm our guest speaker will be the new CEO of Landcare Victoria, Andrew Maclean. Andrew brings more than 20 years' experience in natural resource management in Victoria and Queensland to his new role. Please save the date for now, the location and booking details are soon to be confirmed and further notices will be sent to all group members. 

Photo taken at Last Year's AGM

Click here to find out more about our Network.

GROUP AND NETWORK NEWS

3 Creeks Landcare plant tens of thousands of indigenous plants each year. Our members are active in the Landcare plant nursery and on the BCLN board. To help promote Landcare and our group, we commissioned this sign.
A great present to a loved one or yourself. For every sign purchased, 3 Creeks Landcare will plant a tree.

As well as providing food and shelter for wildlife, capturing carbon and improving the local environment, you will be supporting the work of 3 Creeks Landcare, the Bass Landcare Indigenous Nursery Group (BLING) and BCLN. Oh and the signs were made locally too.

That’s eight good reasons for getting one of these 120mm x 80mm x 3mm, aluminium composite signs. They will look good on the letterbox, shed, gate, vehicle, fridge or business. Signs have adhesive backing for easy fixing.

$5 each via [email protected] or Ray Kirk 0491 136 487

Tribute to Dr Tim Ealey

BCLN pays tribute to Dr Eric Herbert Mitchell "Tim" Ealey, who had an extraordinary career in science and education before retirement to Coronet Bay, Bass Coast, where he kick-started a community mangrove seedling propagating and planting program in 2008 to try to stop the coastal erosion along the waterline communities. His death notice was in the Age on the 31st of October 2020. He celebrated his 90th birthday in the Coronet Bay hall in 2017, after which he and his wife Laura moved to South Australia to be near family. Tim worked through the Western Port Seagrass Partnership, of which he was a director with Professor John Swan and satirist John Clarke. In his mangrove program he worked especially with Bass Valley Primary School and various other schools such as Koo Wee Rup Secondary College. Their mangrove plantings were frequently sabotaged by people and by rough weather, but Tim knew that the removal of mangroves by humans had been a grave error which we must work to redress if we are to save many parts of our coastline. He was many years ahead with this thinking. A brief outline of his remarkable career in science and work in the Antarctic can be accessed online - click here! 

Photo of Tim Ealey, known as Dr. Mangrove. This Tribute was shared on facebook by BCLN and Phillip Island Conservation Society on the 31st October 2020. BCLN had a long relationship with Tim helping to establish mangroves in Western Port Bay and conducting many trials over the years.

Zooming into Amber Creek - online farm tour now available!

Last month a zoom farm tour was held at Amber Creek Farm and Sawmill, showcasing how they integrate waste streams in their business and work collaboratively with Prom Coast Food Collective to lessen impacts on food distribution. It was the perfect day for it, stormy, rainy and wild winds.

This was part of the Waste and Energy Workshop for the Growing Southern Gippsland Project of the Bass Coast and South Gippsland Landcare Networks. 

If you would like to watch the tour click here!

Lucky local Schools share in Landcare funding

Congratulations to two of our local Schools for their success in the 2020 Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grants!

Bass Valley Children’s Centre’s ‘Bass Valley Biodiversity Projects’ received $1,299 and Newhaven College received $5000 for their Wetlands regeneration project. A much-needed boost for our local schools returning to learning on site this term, we can’t wait to see these projects in action.
These grants delivered by the Victorian Government in partnership with Landcare Australia support the next generation of Landcarer's to protect Victoria's biodiversity through on-ground action and education on actively caring for our natural environment.

For the full list of 113 grant recipients in a total of $409,500 of funding please visit the Junior Landcare website by clicking here.​

To find out more about BCLN's Environmental Detectives Schools program click here.

GRANTS, TRAINING, INFORMATION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LANDHOLDERS

West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) want to hear from you! What training or assistance do you or your Landcare group need? Do you need some help with member management? Succession planning? Running events? Or engaging young people? WGCMA is asking for your views and feedback.

Thorough an anonymous survey, you can help guide training in 2021 by the WGCMA and Bass Coast, Latrobe, Maffra, South Gippsland and Yarram Yarram Landcare Networks. Please complete this 5-minute survey by COB 25th of November 2020.

Click here to help your region by completing the su rvey.

November 9th-15th is National Recycling Week 2020, led by Australian not-for-profit, Planet Ark. This year's theme is 'Recovery - A future beyond the bin'. Your group and community may wish to download a poster with Golden Rules of Recycling Near You and The 6 Steps to Recovery Mini Guide.

The Online Reuse Hub has a plethora of resources - available for work, school and community groups. There are also online events held until December 13th, across Australia supporting learning and action to recycle reduce and reuse, such as: How To Sew, Repair, And Upcycle Textiles, Worm Farming and Composting Workshop, Online Meal Planning & Food Waste Avoidance Workshop, plus a Sustainable Gifting Workshop and Make a Beeswax Wrap.

See all of the online Australia-wide events here.

Bass Coast Shire Council Community Grants Round 1 2021, is now open, until 5.00pm Friday, 5 March 2021. The Community Grants Program supports not-for-profit organisations based in Bass Coast, and funds projects and activities which meet the Grant Program eligibility and criteria. You can find out more about the Grant Requirements here. 

​Click  here to access a list of grant resources for community groups provided by Bass Coast Shire Council.

We mentioned this last edition, but just in case you missed it, there is a new Governance Handbook provided by West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority. It is a complete governance manual for Landcare Groups with information and editable forms. This is a useful resource for all of our Landcare groups and committees.

Click here to access the Handbook.

The Growing Southern Gippsland project recently hosted another successful online webinar, ‘Disruptive technology and its uses in agriculture’.  What is disruptive technology?  This question was answered very early on. “A disruptive technology is one that displaces an established technology and shakes up the industry, or a ground-breaking product that creates a completely new industry”.

Michael Green from Drift Media was our guest speaker for the day and enthusiastically spoke on the new technologies available for farmers that are accessible.  Specifically, Michael spoke on the use of drones and google earth applications in aerial mapping, infrastructure and stock monitoring, vegetation and pasture monitoring, 3D modelling, flood monitoring and elevation mapping. 

Michael also spoke about the rules and regulations farmers need to be aware of when considering the use of drones in the management of their agricultural enterprise.  This was a very important webinar message that all those who are thinking of using this technology need to be aware of.  The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is always a good place to start if you are planning of using drones.

Click here for more information about the use of drones.

The webinar has been recorded and edited. If you want to view the webinar session click on this link.

The Bass Coast Rail Trail is one of the most important Biolinks (wildlife corridors) in the Bass Coast region. It provides connectivity for wildlife through multiple vegetation types, from Swamp Scrub to Grassy Woodland.

A few weeks ago, Jye Andersen and Paul Speirs from Bass Coast Landcare Network rode the length of the Rail Trail from Woolamai to Wonthaggi to survey the condition of vegetation and to assess the threat of weed invasion. It's great to see that the Bass Coast Shire Council has done such a terrific job revegetating the Rail Trail over the years.

We will continue to work with BCSC to fill in the remaining vegetation gaps and control weeds to ensure this Biolink remains high quality habitat for wildlife and a fantastic recreational resource for the people of Bass Coast. 

Click here to read more about out BCLN's Biodiversity Response Projects.

Welcome to our November update for the River Garden, our flagship community gathering and education site for BCLN in Bass. Our Working for Victoria Crew have been busy renovating our swale and large trials beds in preparation for planting this summer's crops and the first in our crop of garlic has been harvested! 

Next week, we welcome Horticulture students from Bass Coast Adult Education Centre who are building garden beds as part of their coursework. The beds will allow us to demonstrate rotational planting and show how much can be achieved in the equivalent of a small urban backyard planting area. Hands on workshops and volunteer days from the end of this year and into 2021 will focus on this area.

We are also planting corn, our first crop in the Three Sisters Guild Trial! This clever plant stacking growing method uses corn as a support crop. Beans climb up the corn, pumpkins, squash, melons or cucumbers scramble along the ground underneath, shading the soil and keeping out the weeds. A more diverse yield in a smaller space sounds great, doesn't it!? We will need to careful with our spacing to avoid overcrowding this year though, as a wet La Niña spring and summer may see some fungal problems emerge, something for us all to look out for. 

Stay tuned while we wait for further easing of restrictions. We are excited to see the return of volunteers and workshops at the River Garden. Soon we will be announcing a 'Welcome back' event and tour. We have missed you all and can’t wait to see you down at the River Garden before this year is out!

For more information and to register your interest in the River Garden please click here.

Offset your Car Emissions in Local Planting Projects!

If you feel passionate about the environment and want to do your bit for our beautiful native flora and fauna, why not consider offsetting your car emissions with Bass Coast Landcare Network? Just click on your car's size to make a donation, which will cover the planting of enough indigenous plants to offset your car’s emissions for a year and contribute to restoring your own local landscape. 

All your friends and family will also see your complimentary car sticker showing your commitment to the Bass Coast environment. 

Photo of Paul Micallef from our Work's Crew planting near the Bass River.

To offset your car emissions with BCLN click here.​​

Landcare Public Fund - Bass Coast Arc is making projects a reality. Contribute today to make a difference!

The Bass Coast Landcare Public Fund is a regional non-profit organisation focusing on conserving biodiversity throughout Bass Coast.​ The Bass Coast Arc – “Community Access to Public Space” concept supports community groups to work with public land managers to improve the environment of our public spaces and create appropriate access to these unique areas.

Your contribution, no matter how small, helps to protect native plants and animals in Bass Coast’s most ecologically important landscapes.

Photo of Cocoon of Emperor Gum Moth, taken by Geoff Trease.

Click here to find out more about how you can assist this important work.​

What's your story?

We would love to hear from you and your Landcare group with stories and photos of what's been happening in your area and any suggestions of things that you would like to see in your E-news.

We look forward to meeting and catching up with you at upcoming events and activities around Bass Coast.

Until next edition, 

Happy reading, from the Bass Coast Landcare Network.