Hello to all of our Landcare Members, Partners, Sponsors and Friends throughout the Bass Coast Landcare Network and welcome to the June edition of our E-news! Winter is officially here, and although we are off to a slower start than usual, that means it's planting season! Phillip Island have released their Community planting dates (socially distant of course), with dates from our other Landcare Groups to come. Community planting dates will be updated on our News and Events page, as well as via Facebook and email, so keep a look out for a planting day near you. 

It's not all about planting, however, so read on and see what else has been happening, and what other events are coming your way!

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UPCOMING EVENTS 

Phillip Island Landcare Group have just sent out their 2020 planting day flyer, with 4 planting dates between June and August.
What better way to break the isolation blues, than to get out in the fresh air and plant trees?!  These events will still follow appropriate social distancing guidelines and food handling for that delicious BBQ at the end!

Click here for the full-size flyer!​

If you’re wanting to understand more about the climate change information that’s available for Victoria or even where you’d start looking for this information, DELWP is running two climate science webinars in late June that are just for you! Learn how our climate has already changed and see what Victoria’s climate might be like in 2050 and beyond.

These webinars will be held on the 24th and 26th of June, with both events covering different topics.

Click here for all the info!​

What is the science and evidence? What are the most successful farmers doing? How can it help your business? What are the barriers to successfully adopting?

If you are interested in learning all about Regenerative Agriculture, this webinar held by Ovens Landcare Network will be a great event to join!

Click here for further information and to register​.

Birdlife Australia's seasonal Winter survey has kicked off, and they are keen to hear what birds you are seeing in your backyard! If you are interested in getting involved in these surveys, there are some informative webinars coming up to help get you started.
Each webinar will cover:

• Who they are 
• Why surveys are important
• What your surveys are telling them
• How to do a Birds in Backyards survey

 These webinars will be held on the 1st & 5th of July.
Click here for more info, and to register!

This online 4 part Soil Skills Webinar Series will go over the basics of making and using compost on farm. If you want to understand how to make high-quality compost on your farm using simple, low labour methods and how to use compost to build soil health, then this course is for you!

Dates - 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th July, 8.30-10am
Cost - $160
Spaces are limited.

Click here for full details, and to reserve your spot!

GROUP AND NETWORK NEWS

After attending a 2-day All Terrain Vehicle course, our Works Crew and Pest Animal team are now skilled up and ready to use our new ATV to safely and efficiently deliver our contract and revegetation work to hard to reach parts of our Landcare Network area. Paul our trainer, has had many years of experience in driver training and gave our crew a great all-round knowledge of safe operations when driving side by side vehicles. 
A big thank you to Bruce and Anna Spiden, who allowed us to run the course at their beautiful farm in the Woolamai hills. 

Click here to read the full story!​

The Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, the Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio, has announced a 6-month extension (until 31 December 2020) of the existing Landcare facilitator positions funded through the Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program (VLFP). The 6-month extension will enable the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning’s (DELWP) Victorian Landcare Program staff to run an Expression of Interest process later this year for Landcare and environmental volunteer groups and networks who would like to employ a VLFP-funded Landcare facilitator from 1 January 2021.

Click here for the full story.​

One of the state’s most endangered native animals has been brought back from the brink of extinction thanks to a conservation program backed by the Victorian Government.

The re-establishment of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot on Phillip Island is the first time in Victorian history that a species declared extinct in the wild has had its decline successfully reversed. The Eastern Barred Bandicoot Recovery Team released 67 bandicoots on to Phillip Island in 2017 – that number has now grown to approximately 300 animals.

This article is an excerpt from the Victorian Premier's website. ​Click here to read the full media release.

While we are all spending extra time at home, we can still experience and enjoy nature every day. 

The Victorian National Parks Association are compiling activities, ideas and resources to help you connect with and care for nature at home.. check out their website for podcasts, videos, reading material, and activities to keep you inspired by nature!

Click here to see what they have on offer​.

South Gippsland Landcare Network have a wonderful resource available in the following two websites, which have recently been updated. They are full of interesting photos, facts and videos of these cryptic animals (and there’s even a David Attenborough video!).
www.giantearthworm.org.au
www.burrowingcrayfish.com.au
If you are wondering whether you might have these species on your property, have a look at the Expression of interest form which is available on both websites. By answering the questions and referring to the map you can see whether your property may provide suitable habitat. If it does, you can complete the form online and a Project Officer will get in touch to chat about it further.

Click here for the full article!​

GRANTS, RESOURCES, TRAINING, INFORMATION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LANDHOLDERS

The attached 19 May update of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from the Victorian Landcare Program and Community Programs teams at the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has been updated to reflect the changes to COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria on 11 May 2020.
The FAQs provides an update on the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the grants programs that we help deliver and it also includes a list of ideas for staying involved in Landcare and environmental volunteering while staying at home and following government COVID-19 measures.

Click here to view the document​

The Weeds and Rabbits Project is seeking support from private and public land managers to help combat pests and weeds which cost Victoria more than $1 billion a year. Landholders are being invited to take part in a state-wide survey about how they manage weeds and rabbits on their property.

The results will provide a better understanding of the barriers people face with implementing weed and rabbit management practices. Agriculture Victoria is the lead agency in the delivery of programs to combat established invasive species, which is underpinned by the Commonwealth Government-funded Weeds and Rabbits Project. Survey closes 24th of June.

Click here to complete the survey.

2018 Bob Hawke Landcare Award winner Charlie Arnott has just launched his new nine-episode podcast series 'The Regenerative Journey'. Charlie will present some exciting stories, with special guests including Damon Gameau, Lorraine Gordan, Joel Salatin to name but a few … and not forgetting the series opener which is Charlie’s very own regenerative journey.

Topics include the regenerative agriculture definition, natural capital, the psychology of transitioning to regenerative farming practices and principles, and partnering with Nature.

Click here to listen!​

NatureKit have just announced the introduction of the first lot of online tutorials. Whether you regularly use NatureKit, or this is the first you have heard of it, these new videos are an exciting addition to a fantastic resource.

In case you are unaware, NatureKit is an online tool full of information on Victoria’s flora and fauna distribution, native vegetation, marine bathymetry and land classification. One of the most commonly used tools is the Ecological Vegetation Class (EVC) overlay, which you can view over your own property...  this is a really important tool commonly used in Natural Resource Management, particularly when planning a revegetation project. 

To view the tutorials, just click on the 'help and about' tab at the top.

Click here to go straight to NatureKit!

Agriculture Victoria has announced the launch of a new soil moisture monitoring website, which shows data from the 36 Agriculture Victoria soil moisture probe sites (17 crop and 19 pasture) across various locations and agricultural industries. This project is delivered by Agriculture Victoria and funded by the Victorian Government 2019–20 Drought Support Package.

The Agriculture Victoria Soil Moisture Monitoring program has been running since 2011 and is highly valued by users, with:

• 90% of survey participants agreeing that the program has improved their knowledge and understanding of deep stored soil moisture, and

• 86% agreeing that the program has improved their ability to make decisions to manage seasonal risk.

Click here for more info, and to visit the site.

Our Works Crew have been active removing huge stands of African Box Thorn in the Kilcunda-Harmers Haven Coastal Reserve to enhance the Coast Banksia Woodland. Using a mixed approach of chemical spraying and Cut ‘n’ Paint methods, they have made a significant impact on the local environment and will follow-up with more weed control next year.

This site is one of our Biodiversity Response Planning sites, where we have been actively controlling pest plant and animal species over the past 2 years. This project was funded with the support of the Victorian State Government.

Check out the project page for more information

As part of our Biodiversity Response Planning (BRP) project, we have been completing rabbit control on Reef Island. This is a Park’s Victoria site in Westernport Bay, which is accessible at low tide on foot. There is a small population of rabbits that persist on this island, which continue to do damage to native vegetation through their grazing and diggings.

We recently completed a Pindone baiting program, where we set up several bait trails in areas where rabbit sign was present. Check out the photo of a rabbit captured by one of our camera traps that was set up to monitor bait uptake.

For more information about our Rabbit Control program click here. 

River Garden Update

Even though we haven't been able to welcome back volunteers just yet, there are still things happening slowly at the River Garden with input from our Works Crew and Staff. This month has seen the last of the tomatoes removed from our 5 bed demonstration site, followed up with a fresh layer of compost and broad bean seeds planted to put nitrogen back into the soil ready for spring crops. Our swale beds have had some staged plantings of garlic and winter veg including various brassicas, lettuce and beetroot, plus the pumpkins are nearly ready in our large demonstration bed with the last of the vines dying off from the burst of cold weather and a few frosts. 

We have some new buyers for our produce, including The Island Grocer and IGA in Cowes, which helps us cover some of the costs of inputs to the River Garden. We love working with our community to get the produce out as locally as we can. If you have a restaurant, store or other location that could use some of our fresh produce and want to be on our contacts list for notification of what is available, please email [email protected] with your details. 

We have applied for funding and are working on creating some fantastic workshops for you with Colleen from Coll's plants, who runs her seedling business from the River Garden as well. Stay tuned for details of this and our revamped weekend, monthly volunteer program to be announced soon. Can't wait to see you down at the River Garden!

Please click here for more information about the River garden.

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. 

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

Bass Coast Arc – 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.​ 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.

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.