WHAT'S NEW IN JUNE BCLN E-News Its time for action - Planting season is here! Many landholders are busy preparing their project sites now that the Autumn rain has softened the ground ready for planting. Plants are slowly leaving ours and other local nurseries, destined for their new homes across the Bass Coast Landcare Network. You too can get involved in planting some of the 130,000 plants going in the ground across the network this year by checking out our planting calendar below for a Community Tree planting day near you! UPCOMING EVENTS Click on the links for event information and booking details. Community Tree Planting Dates announced Bring your family and friends along and be a part of a Community Planting day near you, from Korumburra to the Islands and many sites in between, there are over 20 days organised between now and Spring to choose from. Landholders appreciate all the help they can get to undertake the mammoth task of restoring our landscapes and are happy to provide a BBQ lunch as part of the day on their property. What a great chance to get out and meet others on the land, check out other properties in Bass Coast and get fit and healthy all at the same time. Click here for the full calendar with all registration details. Treeplanter Amnesty - Help us to help you! If you have a Hamilton Tree planter that you have borrowed from the Network or Landcare Groups, or even if one has been left behind on your property after a planting day, now is the time to return it to the Landcare Office in Bass ASAP! We had over 50 tree planters owned between our 10 Landcare groups and the Network and are now down to FIVE only. These planters cost over $100 each and are desperately needed for all of the Community Planting days being held this year. Help us to help you get plants in the ground this year. Contact the Bass Coast Landcare Network office on (03) 5678 2335 to organise returning tree planters today. Waterways Tour around Bass Coast You are invited to join Westernport Water for a waterways tour hosted by Melbourne Water on Monday 19 June 2017 . This is a great opportunity to learn how the Melbourne Waterways and Drainage Charge is used to improve and maintain our local area. The tour will include stops at the Bass Valley Arboretum, Bass River, Candowie Reservoir and Grantville. There will be talks from representatives of Bass Coast Landcare Network, Melbourne Water and Westernport Water. To RSVP by 9th of June and for more details contact Katie Cichowski on (03) 5956 4101 or
[email protected] Southern Gippsland Local Food Event On Tuesday June 20th from 9am-4pm in Korumburra, The Southern Gippsland Local Food Event invites anyone who is interested in local food system change and anyone who grows, produces, or sells, or wants to access local food in Southern Gippsland to: Celebrate successful and innovative local food enterprises in Southern Gippsland, through a series of vibrant presentations; Connect with fellow growers, makers, eaters, and sellers in the local area over a delicious seasonal and local lunch; and Explore new ideas, partnerships, and opportunities for the future of local food in Southern Gippsland For more details and to book your place please click here. Nominate a Landcare Champion in the Landcare Australia 2017 State and Territory Awards Do you know a deserving Landcare community leader who should be recognised? The 2017 State & Territory Landcare Awards have opened up nominations in each state, but deadlines are fast approaching! The closing date for Victorian Nominations is on 23rd June and Awards events will be held in each state and territory later this year. There are nine diverse categories of which winners in each category will go on as finalists in the 2018 National Landcare Awards. For more information on putting in a nomination please click here to go to the Landcare Australia 2017 State and Territory Landcare Awards webpage. GROUP AND NETWORK NEWS Memorandum of understanding signed between the BCLN and Bass Coast Shire Council We are very happy to announce that the Memorandum Of Understanding between BCLN and Bass Coast Shire Council has now been signed. This agreement is for four years and solidifies the already strong partnership we have with Bass Coast Shire Council. The support Council will give us through the MOU will enable the Network to work with our member groups to develop new community based projects in both environmental and sustainable agricultural projects, it will also enable us to continue the coordination of the successful roadside spraying program. Well done to all those involved in supporting this vital partnership. Best of the Powlett – From the top to the bottom – a Catchment Tour On Friday the 19th of May Bass Coast Landcare Network hosted a tour of the best Landcare revegetation project sites throughout the Powlett River Catchment area. A group of 37 farmers came from all over Victoria to join us to have a look at the great work that Bass Coast Landcare Network have been undertaking with its volunteers over the past 20 years. Click here for the full story on our website News and Events Page Phillip Island - Walk the Island Days In Autumn 2017 Phillip Island Landcare Group President David Rooks organised and led a series of 4 weekend walks which saw participants complete a circumnavigation of the Phillip Island coast. “Walk the Island was a great success. We were blessed with beautiful weather. Over the 4 walks around 80 people enjoyed circumnavigating different sections of the Island" said David. He also highlighted that, "We witnessed first hand a whole range of coastal revegetation areas and had personal discussions from the Rhyll Coast Action and Ventnor Coastcare volunteer groups. You can clearly see the revegetation work that has been undertaken over the years. The coastal groups of Phillip Island should be proud of their work. Walk the Island will happen again in May 2018. We are also looking at nights walks this Summer”. Click here for more information on the Phillip Island Landcare Group and their activities. Diversification and Innovation Bus Tour A great day was had by 18 people on the 22nd of May on the Diversification and Innovation Bus tour, a part of the Demonstrating Sustainable Practices Project, with French Island Landcare Group members helping organise the day. The morning visit was to the Peppermint Ridge Native Food Farm in Tynong North with owner Julie Weatherhead who conducted an informative session on growing, harvesting and using Bush Foods. The afternoon visit was to the property of Chris Alenson in Macclesfield. Chris is an experienced Soil Scientist and Teacher who is passionate about sustainable agriculture and it was great to see where his inspiration comes from, his own home, garden and orchard. Thanks to both property owners who shared their time and knowledge with the group on the day. Click here to view the Sustainable Agriculture page on our website. The Bunny has boiled!! On Friday the 2nd of June the Phillip Island Landcare Group staged the 7 th annual Bunny Boiler Event at the Cape Kitchen. The event was a sell-out, with over 100 people in attendance at what has become one of Phillip Islands favorite local community events. Contestants prepared a range of mouth-watering rabbit dishes that were enjoyed and voted on for the Chef and Home Cook categories. The evening also included music from Peter and Nicky Baird, a Landcare/ bunny themed quiz and of course a poem from Mike Cleeland. The Chef’s category was taken out by Neil Douglas of the Phillip Island RSL while Pat Kissane took out the Home Cooks category for the third successive year. The Phillip Island Landcare Group extends thanks to all event sponsors and the Cape Kitchen for their ongoing support. Click here to check out the Phillip Island Landcare Group page on the BCLN website. An Intrepid success Environmentally-minded young people from across Gippsland congregated at Wilsons Prom on the 13 th and 14 th of May as part of Victoria’s first Intrepid Landcare Retreat. The retreat brought together 20 young people to hike, work with the ‘Friends of the Prom’ and participate in activities to inspire and empower them to take further work in the Landcare space. Attendees came from all of Gippsland including Yarram, Sale, the Latrobe Valley, Phillip Island, Inverloch, Mirboo North, Moe and Leongatha, as well as several people from outside Gippsland and members of our very own Works Crew Team. To read the whole article on the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority Website please click here TRAINING & LANDHOLDER OPPORTUNITIES Fact sheet resources available on our website Did you know that you have access to a range of resources on our website? Each month we will introduce you to a different resource on our website including fact sheets, case studies and videos from various landholders sharing their experiences on how they have successfully tackled land management issues on their own properties. To access these resources yourself please click here NEW PROJECTS & PROJECT UPDATES Environmental Detectives - Landcare Connecting Kids with Nature Happy World Environment Day from the Bass Coast Landcare Network! Our Environmental Detectives Schools Education Program has worked with thousands of students across Bass Coast and the Latrobe Valley over the last six years, connecting them with their local environment through fun activities designed to activate a sense of wonder and care for the natural world. We are continuing to host our curriculum linked facilitated activities throughout 2017 and are now taking bookings from schools and organisations for incursions and excursions. We can also help with designing school vegie, sensory or bush-tucker gardens too. Click here to read the rest of this article. Click here for more information on all of our activities on offer. Coots,
