Hello to all of our Landcare Members, Partners, Sponsors, and Friends throughout the Bass Coast Landcare Network, and welcome to the April 2024 edition of the BCLN Enews.

We have had a great autumn break and it's good to see our landscape greening up.  We are busily preparing for the upcoming tree planting season and look forward to seeing you getting involved in a few of the numerous community tree planting days that will be organised.  There are lots of events coming up next month however, while we wait for better tree planting weather!

As well as upcoming events, this month's Enews contains general news, grants and more. Grab a beverage, sit back, relax and enjoy the read. 

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

We are delighted to again be running the very popular River Garden Little Kids program this May, with another 8 sessions of fun, themed environmental activities for 3-5 year old's and their adults. There is still room left in some sessions, and if you are interested, please add your name to a waiting list or contact us, as there may always be a last minute spot open up. For those of us with young children or grandchildren, we all know how plans can change.  Each session has a different theme, and consists of story time, an activity in the River Garden, then morning tea and a craft activity in the Bass Hall. This is a free program thanks to funding from VicHealth's  Reimagining health program. We look forward to seeing our families down at the River Garden!

Click here to find out more about activities at the River Garden.

Join us for a field day to see images from the camera traps people have borrowed. Finding out about the amazing fauna present on people’s properties has raised the importance of protecting them from the impacts of pest animals. We will hear from Aaron Stephens from the BCLN Invasive Species Team on options for fox and rabbit control, including a demonstration on fox baiting methods. Richard Francis is an ecologist with on ground deer control expertise, he’ll cover lethal and non-lethal deer control options.

For further information and to register click here.

Did you know that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has recently changed the requirements for not-for-profits that self-assess as income tax exempt? Until now, not-for-profit organisations that self-assess have not been required to report annually to the ATO. Register for this webinar session to understand if these changes apply to your organisation and the potential impacts and next steps that should be taken.

To register for this event, click here.

The Mulloon Rehydration Conference will showcase the United Nations recognized work of Mulloon Institute and its partners driving nature repair by harnessing that most crucial part of our planet's life-support system, water.  Panel discussions will dive into landholder experiences, whole-of-system solutions, the puzzle of financing landscape-scale restoration and their work across Australia. Discover the real-world returns that can be achieved when partners collaborate to transform our landscapes with Nature-based Solutions.

For further information and to register click here. 

The Bass Coast Landcare Network, supported by VicForests and Gippsland Agroforestry Network, are hosting this exciting field day on ‘Agroforestry, Harvesting and marketing your product’.  The field day will be visiting the Glen Alvie property of Jon and Margaret Hauser who have been growing and managing timber plantations of their property for 20 years, commencing in 2003. They have recently commenced harvesting and have invested in their own portable mill. 

For further information and to register click here. 

The Farm Business Resilience Program is supporting farmers to develop the knowledge and skills they need to improve their farm business and be better equipped to manage the impacts of drought and a changing climate. Agriculture Victoria, in partnership with the ION Group, is inviting you to join other farmers in a free short course facilitated by specialists. 

For further information and to register click here. 

Date: Thursday, 9 May and Friday, 10 May Location: Bendigo Exhibition Centre. Details: The 2024 Victorian Landcare Forum provides an engagement opportunity for the landcare community to promote best practice and share stories, to grow landcare across the state. 

For program details and to register click here. 

Join us at the River Garden on Saturday 11th of May at a workshop not to be missed with the very knowledgeable Rick Coleman from Southern Cross Permaculture Institute. Understand the basics about permaculture concepts and design strategies and how you can apply permaculture principles and turn your garden into a low maintenance, highly productive gem. This workshop is proudly presented as a part of the Garden Gems project; a partnership between Bass Coast Shire Council, Bass Coast Adult Learning and community gardens across the region.

Kongwak Hills Landcare Group are pleased to invite you to "Homes for Wildlife", a nesting box education session presented by award-winning naturalist Gio Fitzpatrick. Learn about using nesting boxes to support wildlife where habitat is degraded or trees are too young to provide nesting hollows, and enjoy a delicious lunch. There will be a lucky door prize that could see you take home a nest box for your feathered friends.

For further information and to register click here.

There are still spaces available for this fantastic event.  Bass Coast Landcare Network presents 'Restoring landscape function on your farm'.  Learn how to apply simple strategies to improve productivity and drought resilience. Optimise water cycling and landscape function. 

Day 1: Introduction to restoring landscape function. Learn how to read water processes to interpret landscape health. Day 1 only registrations are available. 

Days 2&3: A skills-based course about harnessing the water cycle to improve landscape function on your property. See first-hand how these solutions can work with your goals. 

This event will prioritise Bass Coast and Southern Gippsland farmers. If your farm is not in this geographic area please email [email protected]

If you're interested in being a part of this exciting event, click here. 

The Landcare Victoria AGM will be held online, on Wednesday, 22 May. 
Nominations for the Landcare Victoria Inc Board are now open. In the lead-up to the 2024 AGM, they are calling for nominations to join their Board. Nominations are open until Wednesday, 10 April.

For more information and to download a Nomination Form click here. 

Learn about cultural safety to create inclusive, safe and welcoming spaces. Cultural safety is about providing an environment that considers and respects the cultural identity, values and norms of the peoples attending your activities. These cultural values and standards may often differ from your own and majority of society.  For Australia’s First Peoples, culturally safe practices and attitudes demonstrate an understanding, acceptance, and respect for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural identities, cultural ways, and our ongoing connection to culture, Community and Country.

For further information and to register click here. 

GROUP, NETWORK AND GENERAL NEWS

The French Island Landcare Nursery and Community Garden was officially opened on the 27th January 2024 by the French Island Landcare Group and the Western Port Biosphere.  The nursery will continue to grow tubestock for revegetation projects as well as more advanced plants for the home gardener.  Congratulations to French Island Landcare!

For more information click here.

The Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group (GTSAG) are in the process of developing a website and are in need of some photos of our precious and unique local environment and flora and fauna which we wish to conserve. If you have any high quality photos of our local flora and fauna, landscape or ecosystems and would be willing to share them with us, we would love to hear from you.  In particular, any photos of locally threatened species (the photos don't have to be taken locally), to help us shine a light on our species which we are actively working to protect in the local landscape. For further advice or to email photos through email us directly at [email protected]

Hi there! We’re three final year Environmental Science students from RMIT University. We are excited to invite you to take part in our survey which is a collaboration between us and BuildFit P/L, a social enterprise. Your insights will help inform the design of the ‘Carbon Thermostat’, a new and innovative carbon accounting tool. The results will contribute to our report on the unique challenges and opportunities carbon accounting presents to members of the Bass Coast Landcare Network, from primary producers, land management stakeholders and rural businesses, to hobby farmers and the broader community. We are looking forward to hearing from you and to share our final report.

Our BCLN Works Crew has the ability to help out on your property with contract works. Weed control, tree planting, smaller scale tree lopping and general chainsaw work are all part of the many services offered by our crew, as well as general fencing repairs and site preparation for upcoming tree planting. Any profit generated by the Works Crew is used to support BCLN's activities.  Contact us at Bass Coast Landcare Network on 0437 000 990 to discuss your assistance needs.

For further information on our services click here. 

Project Grants of up to $20,000 are open for applications for on-ground works, capability building activities, community education and engagement that protects or improves our natural environment such as native vegetation, native fauna, waterways, wetlands, and soils.  Applications close 5pm Tuesday 30th April.  Please reach out to your Landcare facilitator if you would like assistance with preparing an application.

For further information and to apply, click here. 

The NAB Foundation Community Grants program provides funding of up to $25,000 for local projects that help communities withstand and recover from natural disasters.  NAB Foundation Community Grants support community-led projects that relate to Training and Planning, Community Recovery, Environment and Wildlife and Equipment and Infrastructure.  Applications close: 30th April 2024.

For more information and to apply click here.

We host a range of very informative video resources on our website covering a range of topics including future homes, soils, landowner case studies and regenerative agriculture.  These videos are available for you to access freely, and we encourage you to have a look.  

To access our video resources, click here. 

Thank goodness for a bit of rain, the River garden summer vegetables are nearly finished for the season, and like a lot of others its been a strange season for tomatoes again with a lot of growth recently but not so much ripening.  We are getting ready for our 8x River Garden Kids days in May and the first this year in our Free Garden Gems Workshop series funded by Bass Coast Shire Council in partnership with Bass Coast Adult Learning Centre. On Saturday 11th of May, we will host Introduction to permaculture with the very knowledgeable Rick Coleman from Southern Cross Permaculture Institute. You can click on the link below to book your place. This month we will also have some students from Bass Coast College joining us in activities, and clear some space to plant some Autumn/Winter vegetables before it gets too cold. We look forward to seeing you down at the River Garden!

For more information on the River Garden and to sign up as a volunteer to get notifications of upcoming events and happenings, click here.

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, or by leaving a bequest in your will, 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.

The Bass Coast Landcare Network would like to acknowledge and pay our respects to the Traditional Land Owners within the Network area, The Bunurong and Boon Wurrung people. We also recognise the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations in Land and Natural Resource Management.