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

Is it really only a week until Summer? Feels like mid-winter! Hopefully you have remained safe and warm through these unseasonably cold, blustery wet days. Although it's been unpleasant, we have been lucky in Bass Coast to only experience very minor flooding, and our thoughts are with those who are struggling with the immense loss and devastation that the floods are causing further north.

In this edition, we have a few remaining events for the year, lots of news on past events, and more. We hope you enjoy this month's edition of the Enews.

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Carbon farming and sequestration: the most talked about technologies in the battle against climate change. But what is it, and how can you use it to work towards agricultural industry emission targets? Landcare Farming, together with the webinar’s five notable speakers, brings you the next episode of the Landcare Webinar Series, ‘Maximising Ecosystem Opportunities to fit your business: Carbon’ at 2pm on Thursday Dec 1st. After a synopsis of Australia’s current carbon landscape by Richard Eckard, Professor and Director of the Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre, hear diverse perspectives on key questions informing farm carbon accounting, sequestering soil carbon in working lands, and the critical stages in planning and implementing carbon projects on your land.

Click here for more information and to register your place.​

Come along with your friends, neighbours and family to the Kongwak Hall on Saturday 3rd of December at 7.30 pm for a Bush Dance (and a bit of rock’n’roll!) All you need to bring is some supper to share, a gold coin donation - kids free – plus your enthusiasm for having a good, fun time. If you need any more details ring Helen on 0408428270. The Kongwak Hall is in the Kongwak main street—you can’t miss it. Don’t miss seeing some great local musicians!

The Phillip Island Landcare Group AGM will be held at 5.00pm on Wednesday December 7th at the Phillip Island Winery, with their annual Bunny Boiler event following from 6.00pm. At the AGM they will present the Chair and Treasurer’s report for the year, listen to any general feedback and appoint the new Committee. If you’re interested in getting involved in the committee or as a non-committee helper, please come along. If you’d
like further information prior to the AGM, please contact David Rooks – Chair at [email protected]​ or 0418 115 935.

Tickets are now on sale for The Phillip Island Landcare Group's 2022 Bunny Boiler, held on Wednesday December 7th at the Phillip Island Winery, following their AGM. The Bunny Boiler is an annual dinner the group hosts, where guests enjoy a scrumptious dinner (option of a rabbit or vegetarian dish) and learn about the environmental impact of these pests. This year, Tim Bloomfield and Bass Coast Landcare Network will return to update the community on the Phillip Island ‘Teaming Up to Tackle Rabbits’ project that is in its second year of a three-year period. If you’re sick of rabbits on the Island, come along and learn what’s going on and the opportunities for you to get involved. 

Click here to book your spot!​

The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority is running a free session on propagation, designed to build a Landcarer's skills on growing their own native plants. Click the workshop links below to head to the Eventbrite listing, where you can read further information and book. If the event is booked out, please email Tash at [email protected], to be added to the cancellation list. There is a possibility that new events may be added!

Click here for more information and to book.​

GROUP AND NETWORK NEWS

Upward of 60 people attended the Bass Coast Landcare Network Annual General Meeting, which was held on Saturday 19th of November at the Gurdies Winery. First up, Bass Valley Landcare and Three Creeks Landcare Groups held their own AGMs, then after a delicious morning tea we settled in for the big one. Dave Bateman thanked Ric Oldham for three years of service on the Board as Chair and one as Vice Chair, and Jeannie Coffey for three years of valuable service to the Board and the People, Culture and Capability Committee. We also thanked Roger Lee for 5 years as Treasurer and welcomed him into his new position as Vice Chair. Don Creed took over as Treasurer, Helen Norman as the new Bass Valley representative, Dave Sutton as the Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group representative and Melynda Dawson as the Korumburra Group representative. After the meeting closed, we listened to Carolyn Hall from the Mulloon Institute talking about rehydrating the land, which was very interesting. The day wrapped up with a delicious lunch and a chat over a glass of wine. Thank you to all who attended this great event.

Click here for the BCLN 2021-22 Annual report.​

Happy 10th Anniversary to Kongwak HIlls Landcare Group! Kongwak Hills Landcare Group has been regenerating properties since 2012; helping people resource plants, fencing and weed control, and being willing volunteers for planting anywhere from backyards to farming properties.  It’s been a great way to meet people, find a tribe of like-minded environmentalists, and bring the community together. But it’s also a great way to give climate change a kick in the butt by supporting sustainable land practices, restoring the balance of soil, boosting plant life and animal/insect life, and sinking carbon back into the ground.  Not only that but channeling our concerns into real action helps to modulate climate change anxiety.  Land regeneration can get messy and people new to it or to the district can find it hard to imagine what can be achieved.  So proper funding as well as advice and tips are great, and this is where the Bass Coast Landcare network really shines.

We celebrated with bubbles, cake, music and shared food.  But mostly we celebrate every day by looking out our windows at the beauty of the forests we create and the wildlife that returns- a sort of theatre from your lounge room. Happy birthday Kongwak Hills Landcare Group. ABC Gippsland interviewed Group President Grace Couchman about the milestone. Grace talks about the history and benefits of Landcare, as well as community and personal benefits from being involved. Click the link below to listen and fast forward to about 1hr43mins to 1hr50mins.

Click here to listen!

Congratulations to our Landcare and Coastcare groups across Bass Coast who were successful in the latest round of the Victorian Landcare grants for projects and group support including: 

• 3 Creeks Landcare Group - Biodiversity Plantings to Improve Sustainability on Farms - $18,500
• Anderson Inlet Landcare Group - Restoring Core Habitat in the Anderson Inlet Woodlands - $19,950
• Bass Valley Landcare Group - Expand and Restore our Foreshore Corridor - $19,880                         
• French Island Landcare Group – Group support grant - $500
• Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group - Enhancing habitat at Outtrim for a critically endangered endemic species: Bog Gum (Eucalyptus kitsoniana) - $19,521
• Kongwak Hills Landcare Group - Community-Driven Waterway Restoration in The Foster Creek Catchment - $18,420
• Korumburra Landcare Group Inc - Restoring Habitat in the Upper Powlett & Tarwin Catchments - $19,502
• Phillip Island Landcare Group - Reducing Plant Predation Pressures on Phillip Island – Community training, revegetation and fencing exclusion trials - $20,000
• Powlett Project Landcare Group - Community Action - Waterways and Wetlands-$18,500
• Surf Beach Sunderland Bay Coastcare Group - Habitat Heroes connect, understand and act for Sunderland Bay, Surf Beach to Forrest Caves biolink - $20,000
• Wonthaggi Urban Landcare Group - Blitz on bushland weeds - helping Wonthaggi’s unique reserves-$16,396

We look forward to seeing the difference that these projects will be making across our landscapes. 
For more information on our Landcare groups in Bass Coast click here. ​

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and Landcare Australia have partnered for a fifth year to deliver the 2022 Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grants program. $381,288 in funding has been granted to support 110 projects across the state, to primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, pre-schools, childcare centers, Scouts and Girl Guides, and youth groups. Congratulations to those successful in Bass Coast including:

• Bass Coast Specialist School - Biodiversity Boardwalk in Wonthaggi - $4,000
• Our Lady Star of the Sea - Walk on the Wild Side in Cowes - $4,285

Well done to the successful applicants, we love to see young people doing awesome things for our environment!

Click here to find out more about our local education program for schools, Environmental Detectives.

As part of the Kugerungmome Partnerships Project, the Natural Resource Management team joined project partners Parks Victoria, Trust for Nature, and West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority (WGCMA) for a wetland restoration and creation training day hosted by WGCMA. The importance of wetlands cannot be understated, especially with the unusually wet spring we have been experiencing. Water retention and slowing the rate of water movement can benefit local wildlife and the productivity of farms while improving water quality and establishing important habitat. This project is supported by BCLN and WGCMA through funding from the Victorian Government’s Our Catchments, Our Communities Program.

Click here to learn more about our Natural Resource Mangagment team.

Phillip Island Nature Parks is coordinating an audit of vegetation coops that fence out browsing animals (wallabies/possums/rabbits/other) across Phillip Island (Millowl). This includes exclosure coops on Crown Land and private property. This audit aims to: 

• Understand what fenced exclosure coops exist on Phillip Island 

• Record the size, design, intended purpose and monitoring regime (if any) of each exclosure coop 

• Identify coops that could be included in a future study that monitors vegetation restoration 

They would like to hear from you if: 

• You know of existing coops on private property 

• You would like to help work out how to effectively restore vegetation habitat here on Phillip Island 

Please contact Aimee Beck - Technical Project Officer Phillip Island Nature Park at [email protected] or BH: 0434219340. 

During a recent walk at Pioneer Bay the Trad Smut release sites were checked. BCLN released the Trad biocontrol last year, and we were very pleased to see the yellow blotches and dead tissue indicating it has established, as there is a lot of work for it to do! Like all biocontrol, it only slows the weed down and chemical or hand weeding programs still need to take place. For more information on Trad biocontrol, please contact [email protected]

The Victorian Farmers Federation’s Making our Family Farms Safer – Child Safety On Farms program recently launched a fantastic video for National Grandparents Day (October 30^th) with interviews from local Bass Coast farmers on how they keep children safe on the farm. Growing up on a farm, grandparents are often the leaders of the family and the ones we look up to. They’ve been around and seen it all and because of that, they’ve got firm rules on what children should and shouldn’t be doing on the farm.

Click here to watch the video and learn more about the program.​

GRANTS, TRAINING, INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LANDHOLDERS

Springtime sees more weeds emerging on our properties, roadsides and gardens, and with so much rainfall this year, the growth is prolific.
Head over to our website to download the Bass Coast Shire Weed Control booklet, where you can use the pictures and information to identify emerging weeds at your place and learn the control methods that will work best on them.

Click here to download your copy of the booklet.

This program aims to support innovative work that addresses the root causes of the environmental crisis and seeks to protect both the environment and affected communities. The typical grant size varies from program to program, but generally ranges between USD5,000 and USD20,000 (approx. AU$7,500-$30,000) Applications close 1 December 2022.

Click here for more information.

Our latest River Garden Blitz was run by our own Lisa Wangman, who showed attendees how to build their own no-dig garden. We started with some raised garden beds which desperately needed a top-up, and some seedlings grown by Bass Coast Specialist School students which were ready to go in the ground after just 3 weeks! Using layers of pea straw, lucerne hay, green waste, manure and sugar cane mulch, we quickly filled the beds and got the plants in. After morning tea, Lisa taught us how to make frames for fruit tree netting using some pipe and steel posts, and we got some time to check on the fruit trees in the orchard and espaliers. With lots of stone fruit and apples growing, those new frames for our nets will be coming in handy!

Click here for all things River Garden. 

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.