Hello to all of our Landcare Members, Partners, Sponsors, and Friends throughout the Bass Coast Landcare Network and welcome to the August edition of the BCLN Enews.

This month's Enews is absolutely massive, and contains a range of events, planting days, articles on recent events, general news, grants and more! We hope you enjoy this edition.

For all the latest updates, follow us on Facebook and Instagram... just click the links above!

We have had so many great plantings already, but there are still plenty on the calendar. Check the dates and locations below to see if you're available to help and be part of the on-ground action.
August 19th Archies Creek - 1,500 plants
August 19th Inverloch - 3,000 plants
August 20th Bena - 3,000 plants 
August 27th Outtrim - 500 plants
September 2nd Ryanston - 5,000
September 2nd Bena - 3,500
September 9th Bena - 2,500

Click here to view the full planting calendar, including site addresses, and RSVP information.

The Nerrena Tarwin Valley Landcare Group and Remember the Wild are presenting a workshop on community engagement strategies. The workshop will empower Landcare groups to share their stories with others. Participants will learn about social media, narrative persuasion, behaviour change, how to create an engagement strategy and how to identify and tell your stories. This event will be held on Wednesday, 23 August 10am to 3pm at the Koonwarra Hall. To RSVP, please text 0419382379 or email [email protected].

Click here for further information.​

The Bass Coast Landcare Network and project partners invite you along to this exciting Giant Gippsland Earthworm community information and field day. This community workshop will cover:
- Giant Gippsland Earthworm distribution and biology
- Habitat identification and management requirements
- Landforms and associated Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs)
- Modified revegetation planting lists and densities
- Habitat sensitive management guidelines
- A nearby farm walk to known Giant Gippsland Earthworm colonies

Click here for more information and to RSVP.​

Come along to an enlightening talk about the latest invasive species threats, including feral deer, fire ants and introduced fungus affecting native plants and habitat, Presented by Graeme Hamilton from the Invasive Species Council. August 26th, 10am-12pm at the Bunurong Environment Centre in Inverloch 

Click here to book your place.

The Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group would like to invite you to a planting day at the Outtrim Cemetery Nature Conservation Reserve on Sunday August 27th. Following the control of invasive Sweet Pittosporum in the Reserve, 500 indigenous plant species from the Damp Heathy Woodland EVC will be planted and guarded. 

Click here for all the info and planting day flyer​

Are you interested in revegetating your property while taking advantage of carbon schemes available? Then join South Gippsland Landcare Network at their Carbon Farming Forum! There are multiple programs and agencies working in South Gippsland, doing large-scale revegetation projects on private land, and funding this work by selling carbon credits.
This forum is a chance for landholders to learn about the work being done by three organisations, Greening Australia, Greenfleet, and Cassinia Environmental (Bushbank). The forum will provide presentations on how each organisation's programs work, the opportunities for landholders in South Gippsland and how landholders can get involved.

Click here for further information and to book your place.​

The Bass Coast Landcare Network through the Farmers Digging Deeper project are hosting this exciting field day focusing on ‘Establishing successful multi species pasture crops in Bass Coast- How and why’.  
Featuring expert guest speaker, Jade Killoran from Healthy Farming Systems, this field day will include:
- an overview of the benefits of incorporating multi species pasture crops into your farming system
- an analysis of why Bass Coast farming enterprises should consider multi species pasture cropping
- an overview of the dos and don’ts when integrating multi species pasture crops into your farming system
- an in depth look at species mixes suitable for Bass Coast landscapes
- a farm walk to a local paddock that was sowed with a multi species pasture cropping mix

Click here for more information and to RSVP.

You are invited to a farm walk at the Phillip Island property of Bill and Amanda Cleeland. Joining us on this farm walk will be Fiona Baker from Agriculture Victoria who will be talking about what practical on-farm decisions farmers can make to ensure productivity and resilience are maintained during a predicted dry Spring and Summer in Bass Coast. We will start off in Bill and Amanda's iconic farm shed and end up with an informative walk around the farm. This will be a fantastic interactive farm walk and we hope to see you all on the day.

Click here for further information and to RSVP.​

You're invited to participate in this fantastic 7-week Regenerative Agriculture training program for farmers. Over 100 farmers have completed this program, delivered by leaders in regenerative agriculture giving you unique insights and tailored advice for implementing these practices on your farm! Only 20 places available. Registrations close on Friday 25th August.

Click here for further details including event flyer, and to register.  

GROUP AND NETWORK NEWS

August 7-13th was Landcare Week, and we shared a few things that our volunteers had to say about volunteering for various aspects of Landcare. Phillip Island Landcare Group Chair David said, “I find people who care for the land also care for others. This is the best part of the role.”
Nursery volunteer Linda said, "the best part about being involved is knowing we are assisting in regenerating native bush and habitat, and also the camaraderie amongst the group."
Tree planting volunteer, Peter, said, "I find participating in tree plantings lots of fun and very rewarding, especially knowing you are helping to contribute in a meaningful way to enhance and protect the natural habitat for wildlife and the future."

Check out our Facebook page for more Landcare Week posts​

San Remo Primary celebrated National tree day recently with every one of their 180 students getting the chance to get their hands dirty and help us plant 3,000 plants around the wetland at the Bass Coast Shire Council Gap Road site in Ventnor. The students had a great time, helped out by our Revegetation team and Works Crew. The younger students also got a further glimpse into the diversity of life in the water of the wetland by doing some water bug sampling on what turned out to be a beautiful sunny day. In future years, the students can go back and show their families and friends the plants that they helped to establish. This project will protect and enhance habitat, while increasing biodiversity for the range of waterbirds and other native species that use the wetland and surrounding areas. Funding for the planting is thanks to the Bass Coast Shire Council, Biolinks program, and the busses to get the students there came from both the Victorian Landcare Grants and Victorian Government Distinctive areas and Landscapes Capital Grants programs. 
​Pictured L to R are: Audrey Manning, Siyansa Polwattage Perera, Corey Green from our Works Crew, Indi Alexander and Rosinda Charlton.

For more information about getting your school involved with Landcare activities such as these, click here. ​

In late June, our Works Crew helped run a volunteer planting with the Nerrena/Tarwin Valley Landcare Group. The project is called Apple Tree Wetlands, and is focusing on rehabilitating this area, removing a large stand of old pittosporums and planting the area with 4,000 native indigenous species. Our Nursery at Bass grew the seedlings, with seed collected by the group from the planting site.
The project is funded through the Regional Roads Victoria program.

Click here to view a video about the project.​

Korumburra Landcare Group have jumped on board with a shout out from Stevie, the BCLN Nursery Manager and Luke, their BCLN Facilitator in a
Campaign to Recycle the Hiko Seedling Trays.
Apart from the most important environmental principles of Recycling, all our BCLN Groups can make a positive contribution to reducing operating costs to BCLN with the return of the Hiko Trays. Stevie and her crew at the nursery will carefully wash and disinfect the trays in a big bath prior to their reuse for next season's plants! KLG would like to think that together across the network, we can aim for a 100% return rate from all our BCLN Board allocation of plants this year.​ Trays can be returned direct to the nursery at Bass, or there's also a drop off location at Korumburra. Does your group already have a local collection point? If not, consider starting the Recycling Hikos conversation in your Landcare Group.

Now is the time to control Broom. We have three types in the Bass Coast area, Montpellier/Cape (pictured), Flax-Leaved and English. Infestations can be controlled through chemical application using Metsulfuron or Triclopyr-based herbicides or hand-removal. These invasive plants develop hard seeds which can be ejected several metres, and are then spread further by animals and machinery. Let's tackle them before they have the chance to spread.

Click here to learn more about weeds of Bass Coast

Junior Landcare is celebrating 25 years of opening children’s hearts and hands to landcare. To help celebrate, Landcare Australia is teaming up with Junior Landcare ambassador, Costa Georgiadis, for a special letter-writing campaign. They are calling on kids to share what they love most about the environment and the steps they’re taking to protect it. "The more you engage with nature, the more you appreciate it; and the more you appreciate it, the more likely you are to want to protect it," shares Costa.
​Visit the Junior Landcare Learning Centre for more information and to submit your letters throughout Biodiversity Month (Sept) for a chance to win a visit from Costa! Whether you write your letters as a class, school or sustainability team; individual, learning centre or family, Landcare Australia wants to hear from YOU! 

Click here for more information at the Junior Landare Learning Centre. 

The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action is developing a new Victorian Waterway Management Strategy, which will guide how Victorian waterways are managed into the future.
They want to hear from you and are inviting feedback to help shape the development of a draft Strategy. The final Strategy is expected to be released in 2025.

Click here for more information or to complete the survey.​

GRANTS, TRAINING, INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LANDHOLDERS

We have uploaded two new videos to our website about Carbon on Farms. These videos feature Bob Davie from Bimbadeen on Phillip Island, and Joby Graves from Mount Pleasant Farm in Woodleigh, both speaking about their own soil carbon demonstrations on very different properties. 
This project is supported by Melbourne Water through funding from the Australian Government in partnership with Bass Coast Landcare Network.

Click here to check them out.

The WELA Giving Circle Small Grants Program is now open. They are looking for impactful, cutting edge and inspiring environmental and climate advocacy, campaigns and projects that are led by women and/or gender-diverse people.

For more information and to apply, click here to visit the WELA website. ​​

Are you a small agribusiness or farm? Bass Coast Shire Council, along with ION Group and Agriculture Victoria are running a FREE Small Agribusiness and Farming Diversity and Resilience Program to empower your farm or agribusiness! Seize this opportunity to enhance business planning, succession planning, risk management, improve mental health and well-being, and explore innovative diversification strategies with other like-minded participants.

Register your interest here.

There is certainly a spring feel to the air at the moment, and the grass and weeds are starting to respond with strong growth! We took a break in June and July for our Monthly Volunteer Blitz sessions and returned this month, holding our August session last weekend. We looked at the theory of the seven different layers involved in creating a food forest, then looked at how we are slowly turning our own River Garden swales into this type of lower maintenance, largely perennial based planting. We also discussed rotational planting of vegetables, participants learnt about propagation methods for different plants, seed collection and saving, then our fantastic volunteers got stuck into some weeding and helped transplant some of our self-sown leeks, getting to take some of these and some seed home as well. All participants always get to take something home from these sessions, they are a great way to learn from experienced presenters, meet other like minded people and get some plants or seed to get started at your own garden. Plans are also afoot for spring/summer school activities, and stay tuned for notices on our soon to be launched, ‘River Garden Little kids days’ sessions. This will be a playgroup type series of 8 sessions for young families, each with a different topic, activity and craft, with a free morning tea for families involved. 

Click here for all things River Garden, and to get involved in our Blitz sessions in this great community space. ​

Capturing Carbon for a Biodiverse Bass Coast - In local planting projects!

If you feel passionate about the environment and want to contribute to action on climate change by reducing the impact of your car on our planet, why not consider becoming a part of our ‘Capturing Carbon for a biodiverse Bass Coast’ program? Head to our web page at the link below and simply click on your car's size to make a tax-deductible donation, so we can plant indigenous plants in biodiverse plantings across Bass coast on your behalf. These plantings will increase habitat and important wildlife corridor connections while capturing carbon from the atmosphere. All your friends and family will also see your complimentary car sticker showing your commitment to the Bass Coast environment and climate action.

Landcare Public Fund making projects a reality – Donate today to make a difference!

The Bass Coast Landcare Public Fund is a regional non-profit organisation focusing on conserving biodiversity throughout Bass Coast.​ We do this by supporting community groups to work in their local area to add value to their conservation efforts, encourage broader community ownership and participation and by working in partnership with other land managers. We work to help protect native plants and animals in Bass Coast’s most ecologically important landscapes. Your tax-deductible contribution, no matter how small, helps to protect native plants and animals in Bass Coast’s most ecologically important landscapes. ​

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.

The Bass Coast Landcare Network would like to acknowledge and pay our respects to the Traditional Land Owners within the Network area, The Bunurong and Boon Wurrung people. We also recognise the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations in Land and Natural Resource Management.