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

It's been a big year for BCLN and all of our groups, and we are so thrilled with our combined achievements. On behalf of all the staff at BCLN we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year!

This month's Enews contains a range of events, lots of articles on recent events, general news, heaps of grants and more! We hope you enjoy this edition.

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

Bunurong Education Centre have a wide range of educational and fun programs for kids and adults over the holiday period commencing December 22nd. There is something for everyone including Dinosaur Discovery, Wildlife at Night, Rockpool Ramble, Dancing with the Stars and First Nation Culture.

Click here to book.

Each Summer holidays, Coastcare Victoria and the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action (DEECA), coordinate the delivery of free 'Summer by the Sea' activities on Victorian coastlines. These activities give you a chance for people of all ages to learn more about our amazing coastlines. Just a few of the local events include Rockpool Rambles, Sea Slug Census, Native Plants and Animals, Beach Cleanup, Dinosaur Discovery, Geology, and Astronomy... there really is something for everyone.

Click here to see what's on near you!

The Bass Coast Edible Gardens Event is back on for 2025!
Discover the joy of edible gardening and connect with the vibrant community of growers, enthusiasts, and nature lovers in the Bass Coast area. Explore 16 gardens showcasing beautiful and productive edible landscapes, find inspiration for sustainable gardening and growing your own food. This annual event is a fundraiser for the Bass Coast Adult Learning Centre and celebrates the beauty of community gardening. 

Click here for more information and to get your tickets.

The Victorian Biosecurity Conference is a scientific conference aiming to showcase projects involving institutions related to biodiversity, strengthen networks between these institutions, and to highlight the exceptional work of early career researchers and professionals in the industry. The conference is open to anybody to attend, and will be held at Monash University Clayton.

Click here for further details and to get your tickets.

Join farmers, scientists, innovators, agribusinesses and local food producers as we explore how we can best look after the land, improve farm profitability, grow good food and reconnect farmers and consumers. The jam-packed one-day program includes more than 20 food and farming speakers from Australia and around the world, plus lively panel discussions, walk-and-talk practical demonstrations, exhibitor displays and workshops, plenty of regeneratively grown local food to purchase and the opportunity to socialise and network on the beautiful lawns of Kyneton Racecourse.  

Click here to get your ticket.

The 2025 National Landcare Conference will be hosted at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from Sunday, 21 September to Wednesday, 24 September 2025. If you are interested in speaking at the 2025 National Landcare Conference, the abstract program will open in December. Early Bird registrations will also open in December, offering you a chance to secure your ticket at a discounted rate.  Please contact [email protected]

GROUP AND NETWORK NEWS

3 Creeks Landcare Group held their final gathering at Harman Wines to celebrate the completion of yet another successful planting season. They were able to get approximately 20,000 trees in the ground this year. A fantastic effort! The night was a great success with perfect weather, delicious food and wonderful company. 

Click here to learn more about the 3 Creeks Landcare Group.

On Thursday, December 5th, the Bass Coast Landcare Network (BCLN), in partnership with the Kongwak Ellipak Beef-Cheque farmer group, hosted a Partnerships Against Pests field day at the property of Marie and David Triggs in Woodleigh. More than 25 local landholders attended the event, which focused on educating farmers about managing weeds and pest animals such as foxes, rabbits, and deer on their properties. The day included a farm walk where participants received expert advice from Emanuel Vlamis of Skyline Management on deer management.

Click here to read more about this event.

Over 30 people gathered on Friday December 6th to celebrate the opening of the new Screw Creek Trail. The new trail is a 2km natural surface track which provides public access to the Screw Creek Nature Conservation Reserve with minimal impact to the vegetation and wildlife. Learn all about the area, with 14 QR codes along the track which link to short videos about the history, environment and wildlife, as well as an interactive map to check your location. Screw Creek Trail is a project of South Gippsland Conservation Society coordinated by long-term member and volunteer John Cuttriss.

Click here to learn more about this great new track.

BCLN are very proud to be awarded a 2024 West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority Landcare Network Lyrebird Award.
Other deserving recipients include Bryan Watterson (Corner Inlet Landcare), Gippsland Intrepid Landcare, Pete Neaves and Kate Mirams, and John Topp - Gippsland Indigenous Plants. Congratulations to all of the winners, and big thanks to the WGCMA for their support!

You can learn more about each of the winners by checking out the WGCMA Facebook page.

GRANTS, TRAINING, INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LANDHOLDERS

Natoora Melbourne's Farm Fund grants are closing on December 30th. Grants of $8,000 to $30,000 are available to farmers aged 35 and under, to support projects enhancing resilient, productive, and nutritious food systems. Focus areas include soil health, cultural identity, biodiversity, education, accessibility and innovation, with aims to create case studies for future farming practices. Applications close December 30th, 2024.

​​For details and applications, click here. 

The Bob Hawke Landcare Award is a prestigious national award that publicly recognises an individual, group or organisation that has been involved in championing landcare and inspiring others to take action on their property or in their community. The award acknowledges the remarkable commitment to improving land and natural asset management, and promotional efforts to share their knowledge and support others.
Applications close December 30th 2024.

Nominate your Landcare champion here.

Expressions of Interest are now open for Australian Government’s 2024-25 Volunteer Grants, which recognise the valuable role volunteers play in building more resilient and cohesive communities. Grants of between $1000 and $5000 are available to help community organisations to support their volunteers. EOIs close 15 January 2025 - submit your expression of interest to your Federal Member of Parliament. 

Click here for more information.

The Victorian Government is funding the annual Coastcare Victoria Community Grants. The grants fund community-led environmental groups and organisations that deliver projects to support the community in caring for and acting for the marine and coastal environment. Up to $10,000 ex GST of grant funding is available for projects focusing on one of three streams: Coastcare Victoria Stewardship and Education, Strengthening the Coastcare Victoria Community or Caring for Country. Applications close 16 February 2025.

Click here for more information.

The Foundation of Rural Regional Renewal's (FRRR) Strengthening Rural Communities Small & Vital grants stream provides small remote, rural and regional communities with an opportunity to access funds for a broad range of initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities. Grants up to $10,000 are available for grassroots, community-led initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities that strengthen local people, places and climate solutions, with a preference for smaller communities (i.e. populations under 15,000). Applications close Thursday, 27 March 2025.

Click here for more information.

The Small Environmental Grants Scheme provides support for people undertaking projects that will make a positive difference to the natural living environment, in land, sea or air, rural or urban.  Projects must be directly making positive changes to biodiversity conservation in Australia and should have some short-term outputs but also have long term objectives and values. Grants can be anywhere between $2,000 and $15,000 but larger grants will also be considered. 

Click here to learn more and to apply.​

The Fast Break newsletter sends out regular updates on soil moisture, seasonal climate drivers and outlooks. 

• Oceans have warmed to Australia’s north, offering a better moisture source.

• Weather systems capable of getting a connection to this moisture could cause conditions to be wetter.

• A possible La Niña’s formation has backed off again this month.

• The Indian Ocean is behaving in a partly negative Indian Ocean Dipole fashion, but this could be due to the Madden Julian Oscillation phase.

• Models are split between a wetter or neutral next 3 months.

Click here to read Victoria's outlook.
Click here to subscribe.

With the weather warming up we are seeing slower growth of the grass and weeds thank goodness! Our summer veggies are taking off, the fruit has set on our espalier and orchard trees, and even the nuttery trees are showing some fruits this year for the first time. We have had our last school visits from the Village High School Students and thank them for their work over the past two terms, helping grow our veggies from seed, planting and weeding, with the last session a special one, including a guest speaker, Jess Moulynox from Backyard botany (pictured above). Jess showed the students a range of Australian food plants she has sourced for us, for our River Garden Bushfood area, which we will be working on finishing next year. These visits and speakers have been funded by the Department of Education's Secondary Schools in Agriculture project. 

The large dam has had its earthworks now finished too, with a liner installed and edges finished, so now it should hold water and act as a filter for any water running off the River Garden, and also as an educational space for future Environmental Detectives Water bugs and Water Quality testing activities. These works have been funded by a Westernport Water community grant to improve the River Garden Wetlands. Things will slow down now over the summer months, and we hope to be bringing back the River Garden Blitz sessions next year, at least once every two months, with interesting speakers and hands on sessions, learning how to grow healthy, nutrient rich food. See you down at the River Garden!

Click here for all things River Garden and to sign up as a volunteer for this great community space. 

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.

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.