WHAT'S NEW IN FEBRUARY- Welcome to 2018! BCLN E-News Lots in store for you in 2018... After a well earned Christmas and New Year break we would like to welcome all of our Members, Partners and Friends to 2018 with our February Enews from the Bass Coast Landcare Network. We have funds to assist you with planting projects across Bass Coast, some great Field days, Group training sessions, Farmer Discussion Group days and more for you this year, read on and watch this space for details! You can stay informed either at our website www.basscoastlandcare.org.au or on our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BassCoastLandcareNetwork/ and if you haven't already, give us a like! UPCOMING EVENTS Click on the links for event information and booking details. Birds on Farms workshop BirdLife Australia’s Birds on Farms Project invite you to a FREE day-long workshop on Wednesday 21st February at Mirboo North Town Hall! Learn about the Birds on Farms Project, as well as other Woodland Birds programs, and how to get involved. Gain skills in woodland bird ID and how to monitor them. Put these skills into action during an afternoon outdoor session at a local reserve or farm. Please note: Numbers are limited so please RSVP as soon as possible. RSVP to Caroline Wilson, 0408668070 or email
[email protected] Organic Horticulture Demonstration day at Phillip Island Community Orchard Save the date for March 17th to learn how much space is required to grow enough food to feed yourself at the Phillip Island Community Orchard. Details to be finalised, notifications to be posted through our website and facebook page, click on the link below to take you to our news and events page to stay updated. Click here to check all current event details on our News and Events page Need inspiration for the new year? Short film festival this March from Intrepid Landcare Need a bit of inspiration for the new year? Come along to Gippsland Intrepid Landcare’s Short Film Festival on 3rd of March at Mirboo North. We’ll be showcasing some of the best, most inspiring, most interesting environmental films around to inspire you to act and lead for 2018. Come along and meet the Intrepid gang, see what they are up to and check out the link below for more info on times and movies to be announced in the coming weeks. (Gippsland Intrepid Landcare is a volunteer group for passionate, creative and energetic 18-35 year olds connecting young people to their region through environmental projects and epic adventures) Click here to go to the event page for more details New funding for ''Growing Community, Growing Food - River Garden Field Day Series" March-June 2018. Save the dates! BCLN recently received a grant for $29,554 from the Port Phillip and Westernport Community Grants program for a series of four workshops and on ground works at the River Garden in Bass between now and July this year. We have been busy planning for the 'Growing Community, Growing Food - River Garden Field day Series' which will see the return of expert horticulturalist Jarrod Ruch leading these practical hands on days and sharing his wealth of knowledge on sustainably growing food. These days are designed around the 'learn by doing' concept and will feature opportunities for hands on participation to help establish this space with topics such as; property planning, natural soil improvement, non-chemical weed control, crop diversification and stacking, alternative crop production, water management and incorporating bush foods into a food forest system. Save the dates: March 24th, April 28th, May 28th, June 30th. More details to come on each day in a flyer to be released soon. We can't wait to get you involved in this exciting new space! Click here to go to our News and Events page for the latest information to be released Day on the Farm series continues... Save the date for the 6th of April and join us for a fun school holiday activity at Bimbadeen Farm on Phillip Island. Chickens, cowes, bees, shop, farm stay and more, there's a lot to see and do for all ages. More details to come on each day in a flyer to be released soon. Click here to go to our News and Events page for the latest information to be released Spa Country Landcare Tour Come visit innovative paddock to plate farmers. Explore the beautiful Spa country in its autumnal beauty. Visit leading farmers who embrace sustainable systems to produce quality food and wine. The tour will visit the spa country of Victoria, visiting innovative properties in the Hepburn Springs and Daylesford area from the 8th to the 10th of May. The tour will fill quickly so please RSVP by March 30th with payment of $330. (Shared accommodation, breakfasts and dinner and 3 lunches included in price) Ring Jenny O’Sullivan for more details on 0419 153 377 or email to
[email protected] Click here for full details on the event flyer GROUP AND NETWORK NEWS Call out for Revegetation and Remnant vegetation protection projects - Funding available! Do you have a gully or creek line you would like to fence from stock and revegetate? Or remnant vegetation (fenced or unfenced) that our Works Crew could help you do some weed control on? If so please click the link below to fill out our Expression Of Interest Form. Once we receive this, our Landcare Staff will give you a call to arrange a site visit. We then will do our best to find or allocate funding to help turn your project plans into reality. BCLN and it's member groups currently have funding for a number of projects and support for works on your properties. We also anticipate further funding coming out through the State Governments Biodiversity 2037 program. If we already have firm project plans from you, we can be prepared to go for this funding as it is released. Feel free to give Dave Bateman, BCLN Natural Resource Managment Coordinator a call on 0488399151 if you have any questions or would like to book in a site visit. Click here for more information on the process of conducting a Landcare project Click here to take you to the Expression of interest form TRAINING, INFORMATION & LANDHOLDER OPPORTUNITIES Tax benefits for establishing Shelter Belts There are plenty of potential productivity and biodiversity benefits for landholders who establish shelterbelts on their property. Did you also know there could also be tax advantages? Basalt to Bay Landcare Network in Victoria have liaised with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to produce an easy-to understand fact sheet about the tax incentives. Click on this link to take you to the fact sheet Quad bike safety rebates still available The Victorian Government is offering a $6m quad bike safety rebate scheme through the Victorian Farmers Federation. This is for either up to $1200 (GST exempt) to buy a side-by-side vehicle or a small utility vehicle (see conditions) or up to $600 (GST exempt) for approved protection devices. Both deals are for purchases post-22 July 2016. The rebate is available to farmers who are owner-operators with no employees, farmers who have no more than 19 full-time employees, who live and operate a business in Victoria, who own a quad bike for work purposes and have farming as their main source of income. Click here to go to the Be Quad safe page on the Victorian Farmers Federation Website for more information BCLN Website Resources - Fact Sheet Series Our website has a range of resources, from fact sheets to case studies to videos and documents. Each month we try to feature something different that you may not have found yet. The 'Common ground' series features topics such as: Carrying capacity for pastures, Equine management, small sheep and beef enterprises, soils, water and property management and are particularly useful for small rural landholders. Click on this link to take you to our fact sheets page, scroll down to see each series of sheets River Garden - Swales video available on the BCLN Facebook page Over 60 people had an amazing day officially launching the River Garden site in Bass in early December. Participants learnt how they could get involved, how to create no dig gardens, swales and espalier fruit trees. Watch expert horticulturalist Jarrod Ruch explaining how swales help utilize more rainwater on your property. Click on this link to take you to the video on the BCLN Facebook page NEW PROJECTS & PROJECT UPDATES Bass Coast Arc – Public Fund making projects a reality - Donate today to make a difference The Bass Coast Landcare Network Public Fund is a regional non-profit organisation focusing on conserving biodiversity in Bass Coast. We need your donations to help fund small projects by local community groups working with the relevant Land Managers to improve public spaces and create community access. Under the banner of “Bass Coast Arc – Community Access to Public Space” the Public Fund aims to support local community groups doing things like: Managing pest plants and animals, surveying vegetation, repairing and upgrading infrastructure, including public tracks and fences. Be a part of this important work - Click here to donate today! STAFF UPDATES Welcome to Cameron Butcher, BCLN's new Works Crew Coordinator BCLN is very pleased to announce we have appointed the New Works Crew Coordinator, Cameron Butcher. Cameron has hit the ground running and will be focussing on building up the team, training and development and expanding the business. Cameron has a degree in Environmental Science and Management and has worked with Melbourne Water and in Forestry in NSW more recently. Please make Cameron feel welcome next time you see him out and about. (L-R Works Crew member Mark Rowe, New Works Crew Coordinator Cameron Butcher and BCLN Ecosystem Services Coordinator Robbie Gray) For more information on the BCLN Staff Team click here. Tell us your stories.... We would love to hear from you and your groups with stories and photos of what's been happening
