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

This month's Enews is full to the brim with upcoming events (hello AGM season!) as well as some final planting days and our new Landcare Tour series, some great feel-good stories from the community, project updates and grants. 

We hope you enjoy this month's edition of the Enews!

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

We are super excited to announce our new Tour Series ‘Looking at the Landscape with Landcare’! Starting very soon we will be bringing you a series of tours, some by bus, some walking and some via podcast. We will be working with our Landcare, Coastcare and other environmental groups and organisations to bring you some experiences designed to connect you with the unique and valued landscapes of Bass Coast, giving insights into their history, and the people who care for them, protect and conserve them.
We aim to highlight the importance of native vegetation, wildlife corridors, revegetation, wetlands, significant marine environments and more. We can’t wait to share with you some of the many layers of history, activism and people that have worked towards restoring and conserving our local landscapes. These tours will be subsidised with funding from our ‘Experience and Place based Education Project’ funded by the Victorian Government’s Distinctive Areas and Landscapes Capital Grants Program.

Stay tuned to our BCLN socials for more details to come and see below for our very first tour!

Phillip Island Landcare Group are holding a planting session on Saturday October 22nd at Helen Henderson's. Come along and help add 1,400 tubes to this fantastic property, with many previous years of revegetation to admire! The address is 117 Rhyll-Newhaven Road, meet at 9.30am for morning tea, with a 10.00am start. For catering, please RSVP to [email protected] or 0418 115 935.

Click here to learn more about Phillip Island Landcare Group.

Come and help the Phillip Island Scout Group plant 3,000 plants to contribute to a 'green fence' in Blue Gum Reserve in Cowes. This planting will create greater biodiversity in the Reserve, and also separate the dogs off-leash area of the main part of the Reserve from the dogs on-leash area around the Phillip Island Scout Hall.  Meet at the Scout Hall (128 Dunsmore Rd) at 10am, and please bring a hat, water bottle and sturdy shoes. A BBQ lunch will be provided by the Scouts on both days... we hope to see you there!

Email [email protected] or call 0403 887 682 for enquiries.

A new tour series, ‘Looking at the Landscape with Landcare’ is about to begin, designed to explore and connect us with the unique and valued landscapes of Bass Coast, giving insights into their history, the people who care for them, protect, and conserve them. BCLN will be working with our Landcare, Coastcare, and other Environmental groups to bring you a series of bus, walking and podcast tours to inspire our community to care for and protect our special landscapes. The first tour on Friday 29th of October has been planned by Phillip Island Landcare group and includes a look over the fence at Jim McFee and Kym Plant’s farms, the new Council sites, Scenic Estate, the Surf Beach / Sunderland Bay Coastcare's rabbit-proof fence project and the plantings at Our Lady Star of the Sea School. At some sites we will get out and walk around and talk to the people involved with them, others we will see from the bus. Bookings are now open, $20 gets you the bus ride for the day, a delicious lunch at the Wild Food farm in Rhyll, great company, lots of info and a new appreciation for your own local landscapes. These tours will be subsidised with funding from our ‘Experience and Place based Education Project’ funded by the Victorian Government’s Distinctive Areas and Landscapes Capital Grants Program. 

Click here to book online.

All are welcome to attend an online presentation with the entertaining and clever presenter Susie Burke, an environmental psychologist, therapist, and climate activist. Susie will be presenting to the Kongwak Hills Landcare Group on how to coax people to overcome their anxiety and resistance in order to think clearly about environmental change. This online event will be held on Wednesday 2nd of November from 2-2.45pm via Zoom. Susie spoke at the Bass Coast Sustainability Festival and was a real hit.  The Kongwak Hills Landcare group AGM will follow (15 mins) for paid members of KHLG only.  Click on the blue link below five minutes before the start of the presentation
KHLG Dr Susi Burke on changing people's minds and brief AGM, Nov 2, 2022 02:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85107235037
​Meeting ID: 851 0723 5037

Celebrate 10 years of Landcare plantings around Kongwak with an evening of food, company and live music. All are welcome at the R.N. Scott Pioneer Reserve, Kongwak on Saturday 12 November from 5-8 pm. There will be a free BBQ with local gourmet sausages, vegetarian options, tea, coffee & juice provided, as well as local music by Jenny Taylor and Burke Brandon.
BYO alcohol, salad or dessert to share, as well as a chair and a glass. No need to be a farmer to join Landcare, just come along to some plantings and meet your neighbours! RSVP for catering purposes only.

Click here to RSVP.​

Come and join Korumburra Landcare Group for a pub meal, AGM, and guest speaker (Paul Haar) on November 18th at the Middle Pub. Paul Haar is an architect with a unique take on using timber, and he will be speaking about Farm Enterprises with Trees and Wood. Following the meal and presentation they will hold their AGM and then there will be a quick update from Luke on what is happening in the Network. KLG ask that you pay for your own drinks and meal.
Please RSVP to Jim Ahon - [email protected] or SMS 0482 595 045
by Friday 11th November to reserve your spot, as there is a cap of 40 people.

Click here to watch a video about guest speaker, Paul Haar.

The date for the BCLN AGM has been set for 19th of November 2022. The AGM will again be held at the Gurdies Winery leading into a delicious catered lunch. Please save the date, with further details including guest speaker and links for bookings to be announced in the coming weeks. We hope to see you there.

Keep an eye on our social media and emails for further details​

The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority are running a  range of free  sessions, designed to build a Landcarer's skills from identifying native plants, collecting their seeds then propagating them. Click the workshop links below to head to the Eventbrite listings, where you can read further information about each event, and book in. If the event you are interested in 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!

• Native Seed Collection workshop - November 23rd
• Plant Propagation workshop (SOLD OUT - Click to join waiting list) - December 8th

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.

The Phillip Island Landcare Group 2022 Bunny Boiler will be held at 6.00pm 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. Tickets for the Bunny Boiler will be available soon.

Click here for more information, and to see some pictures from last year's event

GROUP AND NETWORK NEWS

A fantastic opportunity exists for a proactive Philanthropy Manager with an interest in environmental causes to join BCLN, based in Bass. As the key contact for the Public Fund, the Philanthropy Manager will strategically and proactively seek to identify, pursue and inspire a new wave of donations from philanthropic sources, grants, corporate and private entities to part or fully fund projects on public land that support BCLN’s environmental purposes. These purposes focus on remnant protection, re-vegetation and building community assets. This role will initially be a 6-month fixed term 0.2 EFT to establish the position, with flexible/remote working supported.

Click here for the full position description and application details.

The Bass Coast Landcare Network (BCLN) Public Fund is a regional non-profit organisation focusing on conserving biodiversity throughout the Bass Coast. Our Board plays a governance role for the organisation, selecting projects to fund, seeking funding, and creating partnerships. We are currently seeking expressions of interest to nominate in our 2022 Election of Directors. If you are a BCLN member with skills that might complement the existing Board and have a passion to help shape the future of Bass Coast’s environment and community then please consider this opportunity.

Click here for further information on this opportunity.​​

Bass Coast Landcare Network is the chosen charity for fundraising at Newhaven College this year, with a massive $7,150 raised through dress-up days and gold coin donations at the school. From a selection of our projects and programs, the Year 12 Cabinet chose to donate to the Biolinks project to support planting projects throughout Bass Coast. This money will fund an additional 3,500 plants for the project. The aim of the Biolinks project is to increase indigenous vegetation cover and form wildlife corridors for native fauna to safely travel throughout the region. With only around 10% of original vegetation remaining in Bass Coast, it’s so fantastic to see that students and families from Newhaven College are contributing to this important work.
"I am absolutely amazed and thrilled with the size of the donation and look forward to getting the Newhaven College kids out and about planting. The donation will have a lasting impact on our landscape through creating Biodiverse corridors for our native wildlife. Well done to the all the kids, parents and teachers involved in their fundraising efforts!” said Dave Bateman, BCLN Executive General Manager.

Pictured - Newhaven College School Captains presenting cheque to Bass Coast Landcare.    Left-Right: Harry Arceo, Kadek Humphris, Laura Vivian, David Bateman (Bass Coast Landcare), Jack Papas, Tony Corr (Principal), Coco Hosken, Flynn Doig (front), Addison O’Connor, Matilda Feehan, Holly Martelli

What an absolute pleasure it’s been to work with this team of legends from Bass Valley Primary School! BCLN has been the community partner for an Environment Team of students as part of the Kids as Catalysts program over the past few months. Our plan was to help our community to encourage local butterflies to breed by showing how to incorporate indigenous food plants for caterpillars into local gardens. The ‘Flutterby Savers’ team got creative and came up with some cool cards with a plant list and sample garden designs to help attract butterflies into gardens. A few weeks ago, they presented their designs to our Nursery Volunteers who loved their concepts! We are now going to work with more school groups to start growing packs of these plants to sell at our Nursery in Bass and at the River Garden, which will hopefully be available for you to use in your gardens next year, stay tuned!! For more information on this and to express your interest in purchasing a Butterfly Garden plant pack for yourself, please email [email protected]

Big thanks to the awesome volunteers who came out to Three Creeks Landcare Group's last planting of the season in Ryanston over the weekend. This final planting has taken the total number of plants in the ground this season to over 65,000 in the Three Creeks area!! What an effort!! Well done to all volunteers who have come along and contributed to these planting days, and to all of the landholders doing great things for our local landscape and fauna.

Click here to learn more about Three Creeks Landcare Group.

In autumn BCLN released sea spurge biocontrol with a number of community groups, Bass Coast Shire Council, and Parks Victoria, from Ventnor to Inverloch. In September a number of sites were checked to see if the biocontrol established. Results were positive, with CSIRO staff saying "This is great news and we're really happy to see this as it has been a bit hit-and-miss at other locations." The telltale sign that a sea spurge plant is infected are red and black lesions on the stems – not dead stems that happen naturally on a seasonal basis. However, biocontrol it isn’t a silver bullet and weed control programs still need to be implemented.

For more information on sea spurge biocontrol, please contact [email protected] ​

Do you know a young budding photographer? Costa Georgiadis and Junior Landcare are calling on Aussie kids, schools and youth groups to take photos of the biodiversity in their backyard, and to share with Costa why their picture is special to them. “Your backyard might be a garden. If you live in an apartment, it could be plants on your balcony. You may live near a park or bushland area, or a river or wetland. You may live on the coast, or on a farm – these could all be your backyard,” said Costa. Just in time for National Biodiversity Month and the school holidays, the competition runs until 31 October, with great prizes up for grabs, including a visit from Costa for the winning school or youth group! 

Click here for more info, and terms and conditions​

GRANTS, TRAINING, INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LANDHOLDERS

Projects supported through the Nature Fund will need to demonstrate their ability to make a high impact contribution to improving Victoria’s biodiversity and supporting the conservation of Victoria’s threatened species. The Nature Fund will also support projects that advance the self-determination of Victoria’s First Peoples. The minimum funding a project can request from the Nature Fund is $20,000. The Nature Fund will operate as a rolling fund, with grants assessed as they are received (no specific closing date). Early applications are encouraged.

Click here for more information​

Volunteer Grants are being offered by the Australian Government Department of Social Services. Funding of between $1,000 and $5,000 is available to help not-for-profit organisations to: purchase small equipment, assist with fuel and transport costs, contribute to training costs and more (click the link below for further details). Expressions of Interest (EOIs) should be made via your local Federal Member of Parliament (MP), so please reach out to your federal MP as soon as possible if your group is interested in applying. Only invited organisations that have consulted with their MP ahead of time will have the opportunity to submit an application from 15 November.

Click here for further details.​

The Responsible Wood Community Grants Program is currently open. The aim of the program is to support local communities develop, design and implement small community-based projects in their local area in conjunction with their local Responsible Wood certified company.
The key benefits of this program are; supporting Australian communities to better access and enjoy their local sustainably managed and certified forests; and providing an opportunity to build community connection through planning, completing and benefiting from community projects. 
The funding available per project is between $2,000 and $15,000. Applications close on Monday, 31 October. 

Click here for more info and to apply​

Sustainable Farms' brand new management guide 'Managing Natural Assets on Farms: Shelterbelts' explains the science behind shelterbelts and the many benefits of diverse, well-managed native shelterbelts. The 12-page booklet outlines science-based recommendations to optimise shelterbelt management for livestock productivity, crop and pasture growth, carbon storage and biodiversity. The guide can be viewed online, or you can order a hardcopy to be sent to you.

Click here to learn more ​

Looking for activities to inspire curious Junior Landcare minds? The Junior Landcare Learning Centre’s Just for Fun section is packed with activity sheets developed to help children at home and at school explore Junior Landcare and create their own ideas. The activity sheets are based on the activities in the Junior Landcare Learning Centre, and focus on four key areas: food production, biodiversity, waste management and First Nations perspectives. You can also explore the Junior Landcare YouTube Channel – featuring fun educational environmental activities with Junior Landcare Ambassador Costa Georgiadis. From going on a bug hunt to creating your own bee hotel or wicking bed, the videos correspond with Junior Landcare Learning Activities, and can be viewed at any time here.

Landcare is one of Victoria’s best inventions, as relevant today as it has ever been. As the November 2022 State election approaches, Landcare Victoria has prepared policy recommendations in support of landcare for consideration by our political leaders. They need your help to promote these policy recommendations, along with your local needs, by emailing our local member of Parliament, Jordan Crugnale at
[email protected] to make clear the importance of landcare and request increased support and investment for community landcare in Victoria.

Click here for the policy recommendations from Landcare Victoria to help prepare your email.  

The ground is absolutely saturated with the dams fuller than we have ever seen them since we started developing the site in 2017. We found some photos from 2016 when the Bass River broke its banks and flooded the lower sections, so were bracing for that again last week, but thankfully no flooding this time. We have been fighting the weeds with the flush of spring growth to get the higher ground areas of the swales and garden bed boxes ready for planting spring/summer veggie seeds and seedlings in coming weeks.
Our groups from Interchange and Bass Valley Specialist school have been getting their hands dirty at their weekly sessions, and the YMCA Holiday program students loved their sessions on water and land bugs during the school holidays too. Our October River Garden Blitz Day on the 8th was a big hit, with 20 enthusiastic attendees coming to learn about propagating - collecting and storing seeds, dividing plants, taking cuttings, and more, with guest presenter Ric Coleman. Everybody went home with some potted cuttings and lots of enthusiasm to get out in their own gardens! We also managed to get a very weedy swale tidied up, many hands make light work! We hope you can join us at the next Saturday 12^th of November Blitz with our topic and guest speaker to be announced soon. Sign up at the web link below on our River Garden page for updates on this. See you down at the River Garden!

Click here for more information on the River Garden and sign up on this page to join our growing River Garden Community!

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.