Hello to all of our Landcare Members, Partners, Sponsors, and Friends throughout the Bass Coast Landcare Network and welcome to the June edition of the BCLN E-news.

Grab a beverage and find a comfy spot to have a read through this month's E-news, including upcoming events, news, training opportunities and grants. We hope you enjoy this June edition and please forward us on your stories and information to include in future E-news publications. 

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Join the Victorian Farmers Federation for these online workshops on a variety of sheep farming topics.
Series 1: Sheep Essentials
Part 1 - Ended
Part 2 – Tuesday 18th June - Parasite management, vaccinations, and the value of strong vet–client relationships.
Register here
Series 2: Lambing Essentials
Part 1 – Monday 24th June - Lambing essentials to help improve animal health and productivity.
Part 2 – Tuesday 25th June - Techniques to prevent lambing problems and manage common risks.
Register here 

Join us for this online Firewise webinar event where you will hear from keynote speaker, Owen Gooding, about bushfire myths. The webinar will also launch and showcase the recently developed online ‘Fire Wise Learning Hub’. Owen has been involved in biodiversity conservation and bushfire management for over 23 years working with state and local government and the CFA. He was a member of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Task Force which undertook research into house loss on Black Saturday.

Click here for further information and registration.

You're invited to come and learn about Bioferts at the Grantville property of John Carney. John joined the Bass Valley Landcare Group in 2021 and quickly became actively involved in Landcare projects. Since joining the Bioferts mentoring program in 2024 John has commenced making his own Bioferts and is actively encouraging others in the Bass Coast farming community to look at this as a viable option for their farm.
Joining us on the day will be Bioferts expert, Daniel Hodges from Soil, Water and Plants who will present on ‘Introduction to Bioferts’.

Click here for more information and to book your place.

Friends of Churchill Island Society Inc have arranged for Dr Greg Moore to do a presentation and Q&A at Newhaven Hall on Sunday June 22nd. Greg is a Senior Research Associate of Burnley College, University of Melbourne. With a general interest in horticultural plant science, revegetation and ecology, Greg is particularly interested in arboriculture. He was inaugural president of the International Society of Arboriculture, Australian Chapter, and has been a member of the National Trust of Victoria’s Significant Trees Committee since 1988 and chair since 1996. He has served the Board of Greening Australia (Victoria) 1988-2012 and was a trustee of Trust for Nature 2009-17. He serves on the Treenet Advisory Board and Management Committee and was Chair from 2005 to 2019. Greg has written two books, contributed to five others and has published over 165 scientific papers and articles. He was awarded the Order of Australia medal 2017 for services to the environment, particularly arboriculture. If you'd like to hear Greg speak, please register by emailing Christine at  [email protected] or phone/text 0400 900 612

Join us to learn about the threatened Giant Gippsland Earthworm (GGE), actions being taken to protect it, and an innovative research study. Hear from Dr Beverley Van Praagh on where GGE's occur, how landholders can find colonies on their property, and what we can do to protect this threatened species. Dr Michael Alberton (Principal Ecologist at Water Technology) is measuring the soil moisture, temperature and oxygen below the ground, in and around GGE colonies on a farm at Arawata. 

Click here to learn more and to book your place.

Farmers, chefs, grocers, and food innovators get ready to gather, learn, and be inspired. This one-day event will explore the future of food through the lens of regenerative and ecological farming, farm-to-fork dining, and the people transforming the way we grow and consume our food. Renowned journalist and food advocate Dani Valent will MC the event and will be joined by esteemed agroecologist Dr Tammi Jonas as well as other dynamic industry voices. This is the fourth iteration of this much-loved event, previously known as the Food Forum.

Click here for the full program and to purchase your tickets.

Carbon EDGE is a new training program for the red meat industry. Understand the opportunities for emissions reduction and carbon storage in your livestock grazing business, using your own information to develop an action plan for your business. This program is for red meat producers who are looking to build on their understanding of carbon and aims to take participants from understanding to action planning. Carbon EDGE has been developed by Meat and Livestock Australia, with this day supported by BCLN and the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries through funding from the Climate Smart Agriculture program. 

Click here to learn more about this workshop.

Trees do a lot more than just take root. Trees on farms improve biodiversity, enhance soils and sequester carbon, all while improving farm productivity and health. Join Landcare Victoria's next webinar to learn how trees can benefit your farm, while being used to generate additional revenue through agroforestry, carbon farming, or biodiversity markets. This webinar will bring together farmers and experts from the Otway Agroforestry Network and Agriculture Victoria, to talk about their experience planting and protecting trees on farm. This is your opportunity to learn more about different species and have your questions answered by experts.

Click here to learn more and to book your place.

The Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group and Bass Coast Landcare Network would like to invite you to a planting day along the VicTrack disused railway line at Lang Lang on Monday July 7th. Following recent weed control in the area, 1000 indigenous plants will be planted and guarded. Lunch will be provided. 

Click here to view the event flyer and to RSVP for catering purposes.

Our next River Garden Blitz session is also part of the Council's Living Lightly workshop program. Join this session to discover the impact of food waste on the environment and household budgets, while learning ways to use leftovers and reduce household food waste. An information plus hands on working bee session, to help weed and harvest produce in the River Garden, then create a pickle and a meal with us. This workshop is proudly presented as a part of the Living Lightly project as a partnership between Bass Coast Shire Council, Bass Coast Adult Learning and community gardens across the region.

In the Living Lightly series a range of workshops cover a variety of topics including Energy Evolution, Future Foods, Garden Gems, and Circular Solutions. 

Click here for the full list of workshops and dates.

Click here to go directly to the River Garden page for info on our sessions. ​

GROUP AND NETWORK NEWS

Are you passionate about the environment? We currently have a full time trainee position available.
Working with the Bass Coast Landcare Network you will become part of a team responsible for educational, advice and implementation of sustainable land and farm management. Passionate Trainees are needed to undertake bush regeneration, nursery work, revegetation, weed control and mapping works. As well as enthusiasm and communications skills you will need skills, or a strong interest, in natural resource management and working with farming communities and volunteer groups.

Click here for all the details and to apply!

Phillip Island Landcare Group and the Penguin Foundation hosted the popular ‘Rewilding the Island’ dinner on May 15th at Phillip Island Winery. With over 110 guests, the dinner was a celebration of progress in restoring biodiversity on Milawul, through the collective efforts of Landcare and conservation projects managed by Phillip Island Nature Parks. The guests heard from Lily Christopher, presenting on behalf of her grandmother Anne Davie, with insights into the challenges and successes of sustainable farming and regenerating their land, as well as Dr Duncan Sutherland, Phillip Island Nature Parks and self-confessed "bird nerd" and PHD candidate, Paula Wasiak, on introducing Eastern-barred bandicoots and re-introducing bush stone-curlews on the island.

Read the full article here.

At the BCLN AGM on May 3rd, members were treated to an engaging and eye-opening talk by Gio Fitzpatrick, a self-taught naturalist from Melbourne with a passion for native ecology. Gio’s presentation focused on the surprising ecological benefits of mistletoe, a plant often misunderstood as a pest. Contrary to its parasitic reputation, mistletoe plays a vital role in supporting biodiversity. It provides nesting sites and food for a wide range of wildlife, including birds like the mistletoebird and insects critical to healthy ecosystems. In fact, studies show that environments with mistletoe support greater species richness than those without.
Gio captivated the audience not only with his deep knowledge but also with a hands-on demonstration. Participants had the opportunity to help plant mistletoe seeds on suitable tree branches—specifically on smooth-barked species where the seeds can more easily take hold. This simple act contributes to ecosystem resilience by encouraging native flora and fauna to thrive. Mistletoe, it turns out, is not a villain but a quiet hero in our bushland story.

GRANTS, TRAINING, INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LANDHOLDERS

Last month the Victorian government announced  further practical support to farmers across Victoria impacted by drought and difficult seasonal conditions, which now includes Bass Coast and French Island. The funding includes: Statewide mental health and wellbeing support through ‘Look Over the Farm Gate’ and Statewide technical decision-making support both in one-on-one and group formats. For the On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Grants, eligible LGAs now include Bass Coast, South Gippsland, and French Island. Eligible infrastructure improvements are those that will improve drought preparedness. 

For further information on the Drought Support Package, click here.

Round 4 of the Partnerships Against Pests grants program will be accepting Stream 2 applications from 14 May to 4 July 2025. A webinar at 11am on Friday 23 May 2025 introduced Round 4 of the grants program, detailing the objectives and criteria for the new round. The grants help community groups to deliver workshops, resources and community engagement initiatives, build community capacity, and promote collaboration between neighbours and communities. Applications close July 4th. 

Click here for the grant details and information webinar. 

The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal's Strengthening Rural Communities program has a range of grants available. 

• FRRR Strengthening Rural Communities - Small and Vital Round 25, up to $50k, closes 24 June. Small and Vital Round 26, up to $50k, opens 25 June. Click here for more information. 
• FRRR Strengthening Rural Communities - Prepare and Recover Round 25, Up to $25k, closes 24 June. Prepare and Recover Round 26, Up to $25k, opens 25 June. Click here for more information. 
  

The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal's Community Led Climate Solutions Grants Program supports not-for-profit organisations across remote, rural and regional Australia to drive local climate solutions that reduce emissions through education, engagement and action.
Stream 1 Engage & Deliver Small Grants – up to $20,000
Stream 2 Scaling Grants – from $20,001 up to $75,000 Applications close: 26 June

Click here for information.

This program aims to support the cost of planting native trees and shrubs for bees. 20 grants of $500 are available in 2025. Eligible plantings are those that use indigenous species, provide nectar and/or pollen rewards that support pollinator health and encourage a diversity of pollinators. Applications close 18th of July.

Click here for more information and to apply.

Now the colder weather has arrived we have moved into maintenance mode at the River Garden. We are waiting for more rain to increase the soil moisture before we redo our sheet mulching on the swale garden beds and around the espalier trees. Weeding continues and site preparation in our conservation zone/seed orchard border and wetlands this year is about to start for more planting of indigenous plants this winter/spring. Unfortunately, some pesky rabbits are getting in, so we are also fixing up our fences and gates too. 

Our June River Garden Blitz session was a very hands-on Fruit Tree pruning session where our eager volunteers learned tips and tricks on making good decisions on where and what to cut, practicing their newfound skills on our espalier trees. We got all of the espalier trees pruned, something that hasn't happened in years, so a big thanks to all of our volunteers (pictured above) at this session. We now look forward to being able to net the trees for a bumper crop next fruiting season. Our next River Garden Blitz will be on the second Saturday in July, there is an article on this above, and the bookings will soon be open for this session with a link to be found below on our River Garden web page. Hope to see you down at the River Garden!

Click here for all things River Garden. 

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 or bequest, 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.

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.