What's New in December 2021 BCLN E-news Hello to all of our Landcare Members, Partners, Sponsors and Friends throughout the Bass Coast Landcare Network and welcome to the December edition of the BCLN Enews, our final Enews for 2021! 2021 has been a tough year for so many people, and we want to take this opportunity to thank you for getting involved in Landcare in any way at all, whether it was attending one of our few community plantings, a field day, group activities, or online events. We hope you have a fantastic summer catching up with family and friends and we look forward to bringing you an exciting year of Landcare events and activities to connect again in 2022. From all of the Bass Coast Landcare Network Staff and Board, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year! For all the latest updates, follow us on Facebook and Instagram... just click the links above! UPCOMING EVENTS Bass Coast Edible Gardens Open Food Gardens Weekend - February 19th and 20th Visit 20 Bass Coast Gardens this summer over the weekend of February 19 th and 20 th , including the River Garden! This inspiring weekend of open gardens features a selection of some of the most interesting and productive edible gardens across Bass Coast. You will be able to visit a diverse selection of gardens including community, backyard and acreage properties all producing a range of foods and using a variety of approaches. Tickets are available for a single garden visit or multiple and if you commit to doing a 3 hour volunteer shift at one of the gardens over that weekend, you can get a free ticket. Contact Bass Coast Edible Gardens Volunteer Coordinator Leslie Adams if you are interested in volunteering
[email protected] or call 0491 217 584. Click here to check out the website and read about all the gardens on display, and to book your tickets. GROUP AND NETWORK NEWS Office Closed Over Christmas Please note that the Bass Coast Landcare Network office will be closed from December 25th, reopening on January 3rd. Feel free to send us an email anytime to
[email protected] however this email address wont be attended to between December 24th and January 10th, when we will reply to all emails. Bunny Boiler a Big Success The 2021 Bunny Boiler, held on 1st December, was a fabulous night. 70 attendees loved the slow cooked rabbit dishes prepared by Mario from Mario's restaurant in San Remo and the Head Chef at Phillip Island Winery. Tim Bloomfield's presentation on rabbits was inspiring and Doc played music outside, suited to the quiet, warm Summer evening. Big thanks to Phillip Island Winery for hosting the event and supporting the occasion as a fundraiser for the Phillip Island Landcare Group. Click here to check out some pictures from the night Sustainability festival resources to help continue your sustainability journey The final event in six weeks of our Sustainability Festival 'Reimagined', was held on Sunday 5th of December. Our produce and sustainability Market, held at the River Garden in Bass, attracted around 500 people who enjoyed a day filled with talking to local groups and organisations about their projects and programs, checking out electric vehicles, buying local goodies and eating delicious food from our vendors. We hope you were able to attend some of the 60 events held during the festival this year, we have had excellent feedback from all involved. This year's festival events might be finished but it doesn't stop there, we have a page up on our website with recordings of events and a whole host of resources to help you continue on your sustainability journey. Click on the link below to take you to the 'Available anytime' page to check them out. Recordings of events will be loaded up onto this page as they become available so keep checking back in, enjoy! Click here to view recordings from the festival events and useful sustainability links and resources on a range of topics. Local Groups Win Coastcare Award The 2021 Victorian Landcare Awards were held recently with one group acknowledged for their contribution to the significant improvement of a coastal or marine environment. The Cape Paterson Residents and Ratepayers Association (CPRRA) and Harmers Haven Residents and Ratepayers Group: Friends of Harmers Haven (HHRRG—FoHH) have worked together since 2009 to care for coastal foreshore habitat from Coal Point in the west through to the eastern end of Undertow Bay, respecting the culture, rights and aspirations of the Bunurong and Boonwurrung people. The group’s work on Harmers Haven Flora and Fauna Reserve, the Bunurong Marine Park, Harmers Haven Coastal Reserve, Cape Paterson Foreshore Reserve, and the Yallock-Bulluk Marine and Coastal Park has helped to protect unique intertidal rock platforms, sub-tidal reef areas, threatened beach-nesting shore birds, and rare remnant heath. Click here to read more about their great work Local Knowledge at Coastcare Site Visits On Saturday 27 November, Phillip Island Landcare organised a field day as part of their Coastcare grant. 30 attendees visited 5 coastal sites on Phillip Island including Ventnor, Saltwater Creek, Silverleaves, Surf Beach and Cape Woolamai. The day was a great success with each Coastcare group providing local knowledge about their group and activities they undertake to support the land. Expert advice and further local and historical knowledge was shared by John Eddy. John also provided suggested visionary ideas for the groups to consider into the future. A rewarding day with plenty of shared learnings amongst all who attended. Click here to visit the Phillip Island Landcare website Victorian Landcare Grants 2021 - Local Recipients The Victorian Government provides funding to support Landcare and environmental volunteering groups and networks for on-ground works, education, and capacity building projects that protect, enhance, and restore our land and natural environment. Through the Victorian Landcare Grants, a total of $4.09 million has been provided for 206 project grants and 282 support grants across Victoria in 2021. Congratulations to these five BCLN groups who were successful in their applications: Bass Valley Landcare Group - Connecting the Bass Valley: Corridors and Community Phillip Island Landcare Group - Phillip Island Wildlife Corridor Community revegetation and connection to cultural heritage Powlett Project Landcare Group - Community led Biodiversity action in the Powlett River Catchment 3 Creeks Landcare Group - Targeting the Tributaries: Riparian Revegetation in the Lower Powlett Catchment Korumburra Landcare Group Inc - Community support for the environmental enhancement of South Gippsland Click here for the full list of recipients New MOU signed with Westernport Water BCLN works closely with Westernport Water through their MoU where Landcare assists Westernport Water to manage its land with tree planting, pest and weed control and activities that enhance biodiversity outcomes. The relationship between Westernport Water and Bass Coast Landcare Network has been going strong for over two decades and the signing of the updated MoU in 2021 provides both organisations certainty for planning over the next five years to 2026. The partnership first began back in 1999, when the world was nervous about the Y2K meltdown. Over the years, the partnership has gone from strength to strength as we have worked together for shared environment and community outcomes. To learn more about Westernport Water and the partnership with Bass Coast Landcare Network click here Boost in the Fight Against Sea Spurge Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, initiated research to develop a biocontrol solution for sea spurge in 2009 and an agent was found in the Mediterranean region. Following host-specificity testing, the foliar blight fungus Venturia paralias was identified as having most potential based on test results and damage it caused on sea spurge in the field. Large-scale releases of the biocontrol agent in many sea spurge infestations in Victoria and Tasmania will be coordinated in partnership with local community members, State/Local Government land managers and Landcare groups. Effective biocontrol of sea spurge will reduce the requirement for labour-intensive weeding. For more information or to register your groups interest in participating in community-led releases of the sea spurge biocontrol agent in Victoria, please contact Dr. Gavin Hunter (
[email protected] ) and BCLN's Robbie Gray (
[email protected] ). New Dung Beetle Monitoring Project Across Southern Gippsland In Partnership with South Gippsland Landcare Network, BCLN has received funding for a dung beetle monitoring program. Summer active dung beetles are well established in most parts of Australia including South Gippsland. However, winter-active and spring-active dung beetles are not, meaning at these times of the year the dung is not buried and causes pollution. This 12-month citizen science dung beetle monitoring project will train local farmers to monitor dung beetles, to determine what species are currently established in the region and when they are active. It will identify the gaps in dung beetle distribution and activity and start filling those gaps by releasing dung beetles (bred in SGLN and BCLN’s current dung beetle nurseries) onto local farms. Contact Robbie Gray for further information, at
[email protected] Innovative Invention Helps Wildlife Cope in the Heat Basalt to Bay Landcare Network Facilitator, Lisette Mill, has invented an innovative 'Pop-up-Puddle' gadget that helps wildlife get a drink in places where there is no accessible water. The design uses a 20-litre water container, a battery-operated low flow tap timer, a few bits of plumbing hardware and a shallow ceramic dish. Lisette has even provided step-by-step instructions in this YouTube video so that anybody can make them. By using
