From classroom to conservation: Monaro school students leave their mark on endangered dragons 29 May 2026 – NSW Government Department of Environment and Heritage School students across Monaro are helping track one of NSW’s rarest reptiles through a school program that’s turning classrooms into conservation hubs. As part of the ‘Discovering Dragons’ program led by the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program, local students have been learning about the native Monaro Grassland Earless Dragon while contributing directly to monitoring work in the field. A key feature of the program has been inviting students to suggest names for newly recorded dragons detected during monitoring surveys. Students submitted 96 names, with 39 already adopted by field teams this season, including ‘DJ 67’, ‘Baby Godzilla’, ‘Bartholemu’, ‘Toby’, ‘Clover’ and ‘Larry’. The program builds on a 2024 pilot that introduced students to the species through a presentation and a creative activity involving painting a […]
Magdalene Lemcke
Friends of the Earth have published an extensive recount of the two-day Snow Gum Summit held at Jindabyne in March which was attended by an extensive range of people all working to respond to changing ecosystems. Long standing USLN member, Margaret Mackinnon gave a great presentation on USLNs work across the Monaro in response to E.Viminalis dieback. Have a read on their website for an overview of the many inspiring, confronting and fascinating presentations from the summit Snow Gum Summit 2026: The Next Ascent – Friends of the Earth Melbourne
Is carbon farming possible on your property? Join us in collaboration with Landcare Australia for an in depth workshop on the process of deciding if carbon is a viable commodity for your farm business. Full details HERE
Join Upper Snowy Landcare Network for our first catch up of 2026. This will be a combined social gathering and working bee at our East Jindabyne planting site where we will first and work to collect old tree guards from the site, then head to a cafe for a catch up after the new year. Time: 9am – 12 noon Location: Top of Heysen Drive, East Jindabyne Bring: Hat, water, gloves, suitable clothing / shoes
Come and join us under the snow gums at Gegedzerick TSR to celebrate the year and all things Landcare contained within! This year we are thrilled to be partnered with Snowy Monaro Birds who we will be hosting in the morning for a birding walk and talk about our Hollow Homes project. Full details in the below flyer. RSVP to [email protected] When: Saturday 13th December – 8am Birding – 10:30am Picnic Where: Gegedzerick TSR Berridale Catering: Bring a plate to share
For all information regarding the bioblitz including Facebook groups and iNaturalist pages, follow THIS LINK
Please RSVP to [email protected]
Where People, Projects and Purpose Meet: Landcare Muster 2025 Celebrates RegionalConnections & Collaboration The 2025 South East Landcare Muster is set to bring together Landcarers, community leaders, researchers, farmers and environmental practitioners for a full day of collaboration, connection and practical learning. Event Details:Date: Thursday, 29 May 2025Location: Carrington Inn, Bungendore NSWTime: 9:00 – 15:30Cost: Free – Registrations essential and places limited. Register HERE Media Release Held on Thursday, 29 May, this year’s Muster carries the theme: “Celebrating Opportunities for Collaboration – Landcare’s Projects, Partners, People & Skills.”Hosted by South East Landcare, the event will showcase the many ways that collaborative partnerships, community passion and practical tools are shaping thriving, resilientlandscapes across south-east NSW in projects and activities happening now across the South East Landcare Network.The Muster will feature keynote speaker Professor Andrew Campbell, a global leader in sustainable agriculture and Australia’s first National Landcare Facilitator. Professor Campbell brings decades […]
Upper Snowy Landcare Network (USLN) and Snowy Hydro (SH) have joined forces to initiate two novel conservation projects in the Snowy Monaro region. Jannaya Ashelford, Senior Environmental Advisor from Snowy Hydro states, “We are delighted that our grant funds can assist in these two projects described below. They are unique in the fact they are both using the latest technology in conservation. We look forward to the results”. Project Understorey has funded the Wagtail Natives Nursery, Berridale, to grow 900 local but less common native plants (mainly mid- and ground-storey species) to be planted into advanced USLN tree/shrub plots scattered across the dieback-affected areas on the Monaro. The idea is to increase biodiversity based on the site’s original Plant Community Type (PCT). Using pre-clearing information, the NSW government has mapped and defined all plant community types (vegetation communities) across NSW. This means we know what plant assemblages are relevant to […]
We will be hosting an update on Ben Gooden’s Mycorrhizae research in December. This will be a great opportunity to hear the latest findings of this important research project which has been investigating the associations of ribbon gum dieback and soil microbes across the Monaro region. This project is coming to a close; we will have a cup of tea with cake after presentations to celebrate and discuss the project. Please RSVP to [email protected]
South East Landcare will host a biodiversity muster to celebrate the Private Land Conservation Matters program as it comes to an end. Come and hear stories from a range of people working in the conservation field including researchers, Landcare networks, and landholders. Follow THIS LINK for more information and to book.
Join Upper Murrumbidgee Landcare Network on their threatened species bus tour in November. This is a great opportunity to visit a number of ecologically important conservation areas across the region and hear from experts on the work being done to protect and enhance our threatened species. Spots are limited, follow THIS LINK to book, or contact [email protected] for more information.
Join us for our final event of the Great Southern Bioblitz in the Murrumbidgee Reserve, Mittagang Road Binjura. We will be set up with lights and reflective surfaces to attract and document as many bugs as possible for this exciting citizen science event. RSVP your interest to [email protected]
Come along to our morning event at the North Ridge Reserve in Cooma as part of the Great Southern Bioblitz and document as many living things as you can for this huge citizen science event. Meet at Minawa Street gate. RSVP your interest to [email protected]
Come along to the Jindabyne Claypits for a moth night as part of the Great Southern Bioblitz. We will be set up with lights and reflective surfaces to attract and document as many bugs as possible for this exciting citizen science event. RSVP your interest to [email protected]
Come along to our afternoon event of the Great Southern Bioblitz in East Jindabyne to document as many living species as possible in this area. Meet at the water tank at the top of Heysen Drive. RSVP your interest to [email protected]
Come along to Gegedzerick on the 21st of September for our first day time event of the Great Southern Bioblitz. RSVP your interest to [email protected]
Come along to Gegedzerick on the 20th of September for our first night of the Great Southern Bioblitz. We will be set up with lights and reflective surfaces to attract and document as many bugs as possible for this exciting citizen science event. RSVP your interest to [email protected]
Join us for the biggest citizen science event across the southern hemisphere. The Great Southern Bioblitz is happening this month, calling all citizen scientists to get out amongst our living world and document what they see. Come along to our introductory webinar by booking in on THIS LINK, or see the below flyer for information on events you can get involved in.
You are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of Upper Snowy Landcare Network on Friday 30th August at 11a.m. at Cooma Hotel, 79 Massie Street, Cooma. Please confirm your attendance via [email protected] The AGM will be preceded by an Ordinary General Meeting at 9 a.m. Please confirm your attendance so that meeting papers can be sent out ahead of time.
Come along to this webinar to learn about the various factors impacting our waterways and how landholders can protect and better manage these areas. Register Here
Land – Tuesday 27 February 12.00pm – 1.30pm, presented by Matt Barton Operating a grazing operation is such a pleasure when we have more grass than mouths. The same can be said for the opposite as running out of feed creates high levels of stress for the country, animals, people and business. This webinar will look at the strategies and tools we can use to put ourselves in control and ultimately be Grazing for Profit. Topics include: Production – Monday 25 March 12.00pm – 1.30pm, presented by David McLean To be an effective primary producer, we need to be doing just that – Producing. Our production systems need to be performing optimally for our agribusiness to work. This webinar will take a look at: Business – Wednesday 17 April 12.00pm – 1.30pm, presented by Matt Barton The final webinar in this series will dig into the numbers. Whether you’re running a commercial operation or a lifestyle block, the […]
ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING, 21 Nov 2023AGENDA Date: Tuesday, 21 Nov 2023Time: 10.30 AMVenue: Berridale Tennis Club Chair: Lynda Summers Acknowledgment of countryAdopt AgendaApologies Minutes of the Aug 29 2023 meeting Business arising Landcare Coordinator’s report Dieback Project Officer’s report Chair’s reportTreasurer’s report Business: Any Other BusinessNext MeetingMeeting CloseThe Berridale Tennis Club is on Bent St in Berridale. Please arrive a little early for a cuppa.The meeting is likely to go for two hours or so.
Renewal of Membership of Upper Snowy Landcare Network Three years ago, in January 2020, we conducted a membership drive for Upper Snowy Landcare Network. Many of you signed up and paid the fee via our website. In recent years, we have not been actively chasing annual membership renewals and most of the 3-year memberships have recently expired. Furthermore, it has come to our attention that our Constitution requires us to renew at the beginning of the financial year, not the calendar year. The Constitution also requires that only paid-up members are allowed to vote at meetings. Given all of the above, at our recent Ordinary General Meeting (August 29) we agreed to revise our membership procedures and conduct a membership renewal drive. There are other reasons, too, why we need to maintain a solid base of paid-up members. First, it attracts funding. For example, our portion of the new round of government money for the Landcare Coordinator position will partly be decided on the number […]
Dates include Tues12, Wed13, Tues 19th, Wed 20, Tues 26, Wed 27 September. From 10.am. – 1.00 p.m. Please RSVP to Lauren on [email protected]
Please contact Lauren on 0411 402 978 or [email protected] if you are interested in this.
Upper Snowy Landcare Network invites you to this showcase of research, rehabilitation, and regeneration in Berridale. Come along and see the impressive progress. Arrive at 10.00 a.m. for a Welcome to Country and then hear about the captivating science around landscape repair. There will be bird walks, presentations, and a free BBQ picnic. Check out the flyer via Facebook Check out the flyer via this website Map of Information Stations for Self-Guided Tour Download the information sheets for each Information Station
Quite often old trees no longer exist on private land, and allowing for the natural development of hollows can be a slow process. Therefore, installing artificial hollows in the form of nest boxes, salvaged fallen hollows, stag relocation or chainsaw hollows can provide additional habitat for threatened species that depend on hollows for nesting or roosting. We will discuss the benefits of artificial hollows and the principles of installing the mostappropriate kind for different hollow-dependant species and different site conditions. Information will also be provided on circumstances where funding of artificial hollows is supported by the BCT. brasil-libido.com/ A Q&A session will conclude the event It is this Wednesday, the 15th February. You can register online here: https://artificial-hollows.eventbrite.com.au.
After our meeting we would love to corral a few of you. We feel we need one more short session erecting tree guards to finish off the job up at Gegedzerick TSR. When: Tuesday, 7th Feb 2023Time: 1.00 p .m. – 3.00 p.m.Meet: Park at Gegedzerick Cemetery and make your way to us on the front slope. Please bring your hammer, sun hat and your water bottle (we will also have sparkling). Also remember to wear your GAITERS. We will have some refreshments. RSVP to Lauren on [email protected] or text, call 0411 402 978 A special thanks to those wonderful volunteers who have already helped put guards on. It is one of those jobs that will make a world of difference to the seedlings.
The Reflections on Nature exhibition showcases artwork and photography produced in a unique artists-in-residence online program inspired by nature during one of the most challenging periods of Canberra’s history. Reflections on Nature was born into an environment that had been ravaged by fire and drought, memorable hail storm, and then news that the world was closed with the COVID19 pandemic. A group of local artists, naturalists, writers and ecologists decided to form an online community devoted to exploring nature and our responses to it. Artists, journalers, naturalists, ecologists, people from all walks of life who shared a love of the natural world – more than 600 of them – joined the Reflections on Nature Facebook site, and together created a body of work consisting of shared experiences, hope and appreciation. This exhibition presents the photography, nature journaling, artwork, stories and responses which demonstrated first-hand the role of the natural environment in ensuring […]
Good afternoon Regional Community of Practice friends, I am honoured to call for Expressions of Interest to the 2023 South East Local Leaders Program. This program has successfully graduated over 120 leaders working across agriculture, Landcare, the environment, recovery and resilience in South East NSW. Most recently delivered in 2021, the South East Local Leaders Program is a rural leadership development program building community, industry and government leadership capacity for resilience and sustainability. The program includes 9 days of residential workshops and online learning between 8 February and 5 May 2023. Please see the attached flyer for more information about the 2021 South East Local Leaders Program. The Expression of Interest Form can be accessed here. Applications close COB 27 January 2023. Many thanks, Marien Stark The South East Local Leaders Program is delivered by South East Local Land Services, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program. Here is the FLYER for more info.
Please come to Gegedzerick TSR (end of Gegedzerick Road) to help us peg down the final batch of guards on our climate-tested seedlings. Many guards had come off over the break and we need to pop them back on to give the plant the best chance of survival. Arrive anytime on Wednesday, 25 January, 2023 between 8.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
You are all welcome to join our final meeting for the year this coming Thursday November 25 in Berridale. Agenda is below. PLEASE RSVP. Meeting papers will be sent to those confirming attendance เลวิตร้า ซื้อที่ไหน. Please bring something to eat or drink. Looking forward to seeing you all. Margaret MackinnonChair, Upper Snowy Landcare Network ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING, 25 November 2021AGENDA Date: 25 November 2021Time: 3.30 PMVenue: Berridale Tennis ClubChair: Margaret Mackinnon Acknowledgment of countryAdopt AgendaApologies Minutes of the September 24 meetingBusiness arisingLandcare Coordinator’s reportDieback Project Officer’s reportChair’s reportTreasurer’s report Business: Landcare Coordinator’s SalaryStrategic Planning WorkshopTemplate for Project summaries Any Other BusinessNext Meeting Meeting Close
Dear Upper Snowy Landcarers We need your help. 1. Opportunity to participate in dieback research projectAs part of our Environmental Trust project to test methods for regeneration post-dieback, we are carrying out vegetation surveys every 3 months in 12 trial plots on Gegedzerick TSR. We are looking for volunteers willing to get involved and commit to this process over the next 2 years. This would suit people who are numerate, methodical, love data and interested in science. To begin this process, we are meeting up with Cris Brack (the scientist who first documented Monaro dieback) to flesh out the methods on Tuesday November 16. Please contact Margaret Mackinnon on [email protected]) if you are interested in helping. 2. Help with spot spraying African Lovegrass We would also like to hear from experienced weed chemical users to do a blitz spot spray for African Lovegrass on Gegedzerick TSR within the next few weeks. […]
To book your free place click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustainable-lands-project-local-native-seed-collection-and-propagation-tickets-164239064463
To book your free place click here : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-soils-tickets-202754322637
Upper Snowy Landcare Network is delighted to host this webinar on Environmental Markets by Regen Farmers Mutual on November 2nd at 1 p.m. See below for the invitation. To join, click on the zoom registration link below. To find out more about what Regen Farmers Mutual are doing, scroll to below the webinar information and look at the article in the Guardian here. Understanding Environmental Markets Topics covered will include: ∙ What are Environmental Markets?∙ Costs and risks associated with EG&S∙ Where did these EG&S markets emerge from & where are they going?∙ How do EG&S relate to farming practices?∙ Why you may want to be involved Region Farmers Mutual∙ The benefits of joining and/or facilitating a group in your local regionDate: 2nd November 2021Time: 1pmTime zone: sydney zoom registration link : https://zoom.us/webinar/register/3816341863992/WN_5vjzdlyIQcuJKaMHYWF-cgFor more information on this Webinar, see the flyer below.
Dear Tree planters on the Monaro Now is the perfect time to get your hands dirty and feel thoroughly satsified. Narelle and John are looking forward to welcoming you all to their amazing Crookshanks conservation property. They will have a great roll-up of very interesting people to meet and food to enjoy. Main planting day is: Saturday, 30 October 2021Address: 1227 Dry Plains Road, COOMA. Otherwise, please take a look at the wonderful advert below stran . You can RSVP to me, Lauren Van DykeUpper Snowy Landcare [email protected] 402 978
The Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) is calling for expressions of interest (EOI) from landholders interested in earning annual management payments for conserving native grassland and snow gum woodland on their property. The EOI form must be received by 8th October 2021. The Snow Gum Woodlands and Grasslands (south) conservation tender focuses on conserving remnant patches of the following critically endangered ecological communities within the Snowy Monaro local government area: Monaro Tableland Cool Temperate Grassy Woodland (snow gum woodland)Natural Temperate Grassland of the South Eastern Highlands (grassland) This tender gives eligible landholders the opportunity to set their own price to protect and manage good condition patches of snow gum woodland and grasslands on their land. Bids will be ranked on a best value for money basis. Successful bidders will receive annual payments for implementing an agreed management plan under a conservation agreement which is registered on the title of the property.Eligibility criteriaTo be eligible for this tender, […]
The Habitat and Wildlife Recovery Project is aimed at supporting the recovery of threatened species across the Monaro following the devastating 2019/20 black summer bushfires. cheska-lekarna.com Delivered by South East Local Land Services in partnership with the Australian Government’s Regional Fund for Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery, funding is being offered to eligible landholders for a range of on-ground works (tree planting, weed & pest animal control, fencing and erosion control works,) that address processes that threaten the habitat of threatened species.Registrations of Interest for projects on the Monaro are due no later than Wednesday 8 September 2021. WORKS CONSIDERED INCLUDE: TREE PLANTING AND WEED CONTROL Weeds have proliferated on fire-grounds following favourable seasons post fire, degrading habitat for threatened wildlife. Funding is available to assist landholders with weed control and revegetation works to promote competition against invading weeds and provide habitat and refugia for threatened species such as the Glossy Black Cockatoo. Projects may […]
Dear contacts across the South East, Canberra Region Joint Organisation (CRJO) is currently advertising a first group of bushfire-funded positions and is seeking exceptional collaborators to join the team. CRJO is willing to facilitate secondment into these positions if that is preferred. Get in touch with Kalina Koloff at CRJO if this is of interest: [email protected]/ The positions are: The Data and Engagement specialist, who will be working on both the SimTable Community Engagement for disaster preparedness project and the Contaminated Lands project. The position is offered on a full-time basis until December 2022 and attracts an annual commencement salary of $86,070 per annum plus superannuation. Closes 16th August web. The Program Coordinator and the Communications and Engagement Specialist, who will both be working on the Blueprint for a Resilient SE NSW project. These positions are offered on a full-time basis until June 2023 and attract an annual commencement salary of $104,348 per annum plus superannuation. This partnership project […]
HABITAT AND WILDLIFE RECOVERY PROJECT The Habitat and Wildlife Recovery Project is aimed at supporting the recovery of threatened species across the Southern Highlands and the Monaro following the devastating 2019/20 black summer bushfires. Delivered by South East Local Land Services in partnership with the Australian Government’s Regional Fund for Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery, funding is being offered to eligible landholders for a range of on-ground works (tree planting, weed & pest animal control, fencing and erosion control works,) that address processes that threaten the habitat of threatened species. Registrations of Interest for projects on the Southern Highlands are due no later than Friday 13 August 2021. You can register your interest here. Registrations of Interest for projects on the Monaro are due no later than Wednesday 8 September 2021. You can register your interest here. WORKS CONSIDERED INCLUDE: TREE PLANTING AND WEED CONTROL Weeds have proliferated on fire-grounds following favourable seasons post fire, degrading habitat for threatened wildlife. Funding […]
By the end of Spring 2021, Upper Snowy Landcare and an ever expanding list of financial backers, on-ground partners and local volunteers will have invested a huge amount of environmental, financial and social capital into the dieback region of the Monaro. We write this piece in a slightly quieter time and with the satisfaction that all the plants are receiving this amazing moisture. Here is a snapshot of what has happened to date. Between 2016 and 2020 we established 27 plots of locally selected native tree and shrubs (orange dots in left-hand map). Most plots received 1000 plants. We are madly monitoring these plots and will provide you all with a summary of the capacity of these plants to grow in this harsh landscape and which ones do best. Speaking of this harsh but special landscape, all our plantings are effectively infilling previously cleared or dieback-affected woodland and never go […]
We will look forward to seeing you all at our next meeting on Monday, May 17 at 4 p.m. in the Berridale Tennis Club. (Rug up warm!) Please RSVP to Lauren at [email protected] and minutes will be sent to you. We will repeat the format of previous meetings: bring a plate or something to drink.
Upper Snowy Landcare are champing at the bit to get to the Dalgety Show this year. We feel it is going to be particularly spectaclular what with the new pavillion and the season we have had. We will have our usual gift giveaway of a local tree or shrub lovingly grown by the Monaro Tree Nursery. We are keen to chat to anyone about anything Landcare and we will be signing up new members or you can do it here. If there are any members or even non members who would like to help out on the stall this would be greatly appreciated. Time slots available – Set up 7.30 – 9.30 a.m., 9.30 – 11.30, 11.30 – 1.30, 1.30 to pack up. Please email or text Lauren on [email protected] or 0411 402 978. And pick up your free 2021 calendar.
Monday, 1st March @ 5 p.m. Berridale Tennis Club Preceded by discussion with Donna Hazell from Biodiversity Conservation Trust at 4 p.m. Bring food for pot-luck supper. ALL WELCOMEJust drop Lauren a text or email0411 402 978 or [email protected]
SPRING 2020 Upper Snowy Landcare Network made the most of the season from heaven and planted 4500 mixed local plants into moist soil for a change. USLN are not the only mob putting back some of this much needed biodiversity, since the tree dieback wipeout. Greening Australia is doing large scale planting with a big effort recently at Severn Park and their research on E. viminalis (Ribbon Gum) provenance plots will soon start to tell a story on these usually robust and massive trees. We have also seen the introduction of Keep it Cool, a new and younger tribe of planters on the Monaro scene. For USLN, now that this seasons plants have gone in it is time to start planning for Autumn 2021. USLN have a huge amount of planting work lined up including: Revegetate and trial new technology around planting and weeding at the Gegedzerick TSR woodland […]
The Upper Snowy Landcare Network Committee would like to wish all the Snowy Monaro folk a happy, safe and fun xmas and New Year. เลวิตร้า ซื้อที่ไหน If you haven’t already done so, please collect your free 2021 local primary school children’s art calendar at the Cooma Info Centre, Cooma or Berridale Council, Cooma Library, Jindabyne Info Centre or Snowy Hydro cafe. Please spend a moment to look at the Landcare NSW xmas Connection edition
Thanks to grunt and true grit shown by hard working contractors and volunteers This Autumn another 3000 native seedlings made it deep into the bare soil in response to tree dieback on the Monaro. This biodiversity boost brings the tally up to approx. 17,000 seedlings planted (over 17 sites) since 2016 and under committed grant agreements, another 11,000 seedlings to go in by 2022. All this effort, while it seems considerable, is just a drop in the ocean to the long term loss of habitat, shelter, food and nesting resources for wildlife, not to mention the denuding of our productive farmlands, from the mysterious dieback spanning 2000 sq km (size of ACT). Shane Trengove, Chair of the Upper Snowy Landcare Network (USLN) said, “we would like to thank the contractors and their crews; Stone Bros from Bombala, Greening Australia Bush Crew and Sam Dryden and his team and our long […]
Greening Australia, in partnership with Upper Snowy Landcare Network and funding from the NSW Environmental Trust and Officeworks, undertook two more Monaro revegetation by direct seeding trials this past fortnight. Harry and Enid Bentley, long-time Landcare supporters on a dieback-affected property on Rocky Plains Road near Berridale, became the proud owner of 2.5km of contour lines planted with mixed Eucalyptus and Acacia, by Greening Australia’s direct seeding machine. Ben Hanrahan, one of Greening Australia’s most experienced operators, demonstrated the finer points of the direct-seeding machine to the interested onlookers. This machine, custom built in South Australia, consists of a disc plough which opens up a furrow 5cm deep, followed by a blade that cuts 1cm deep into which Acacia seed drops. The smaller Eucalyptus seed is dropped behind and covered lightly in loose soil by a pair of tickler prongs, and finally, a presser wheel behind tamps the soil down. […]
Media Release – 18 April 2018 Plans to Plant Upper Snowy Landcare & Greening Australia continue to tackle tree dieback Many landholders know all too well, the truth is – you can ‘plan’ all you like …. BUT… in the case of planting en masse, it is innocent rain drops that will flick plans into action. So while we wait to for a decent rain event to plant another three biodiversity plots in the dieback area this Autumn, we can update you on what we have done to date. Furthermore, Upper Snowy Landcare Network along with its many on-ground partners and collaborators such as Greening Australia, Monaro Native Tree Nursery, University scientists and Local Land Services have not given up on the need to put our green thumbs on the cause of tree dieback on the Monaro. We hope to inform you of our research ideas when we receive a reply […]
Rushes Creek Progress Report – February 2015 Following the timber cleanup and follow-up weed control work in the upper Rushes Creek catchment, 90 tubestock trees were planted in early November 2014. A survey on 30 January showed only 3.5 mortalities (1 borderline), a remarkable result. We were lucky that sufficient rain fell at regular intervals over the summer to prevent high mortalities and we didn’t have to put much effort into watering. There are another 100 tubestock trees to plant in Autumn. Weeds sprayed were willow, poplar and blackberry regrowth and response has been variable. This will be monitored to evaluate any further work needed. This is a long term project and we need to maintain the success of our project by monitoring regrowth and having a plan for management. Project Background The remnant vegetation of Rushes Creek, near Jindabyne, which includes E.stellulata, E. pauciflora and Leptospermum species, has […]
Snowy River Landcare Group have won a grant of $128,000 under the Commonwealth Governments Caring for our Country program. This is great news for our local Landcarers, with the aim to control core infestations of serrated tussock in the immediate area of Dalgety, on the Snowy River. These infestations threaten to invade the natural temperate grasslands that dominate the area covered by Snowy River Landcare group. The funding will also be used to focus on the control of outlier light and scattered populations downwind of the core areas. The project will comprise of three main components: If you live in the Snowy River Landcare area and are interested in the project please contact your local Landcare Group to find out more information.
The last Stepping Stone to a Resilient River The Maclaughlin River was previously considered a “blue ribbon” fishing stream however stresses imposed on the river by invasion of willows & blackberry have progressively degraded the river. Willows have reduced flows and lowered water quality; and the invasion of the riparian zone by blackberries has had critical impacts on native flora & fauna in and around the river. Maclaughlin River Landcare group members are working together to undertake a long term project to restore their river. This project involves removal of willows, blackberry control and reduction of the flow of sediment into the river. Remnant vegetation is being managed by creating fenced out “stepping stones” for natural revegetation and wildlife migration along the river corridor. Fencing “islands” of remnant vegetation gives you many of the benefits of biodiversity conservation and connectivity without having to fence out the whole river channel. These […]
This project aims to protect the agricultural asset and the environmental values of the Natural Temperate Grasslands of the MacLaughlin River landscape by reducing the critical threat of Serrated Tussock invasion. A targeted spray program will strengthen established containment zones and reduce core infestation of serrated tussock, a perennial grassy weed, that has the capacity to outcompete perennial native grasses. As the tussock causes a loss of species over the long term, it will dominate the landscape and reduce biodiversity in plant species. Additionally the Landcare group will benchmark the condition of the High Conservation Value Natural Temperate Grasslands (NTG) in the project area and study the impact of comparative grazing systems. The individual land managers will develop property plans that include specific management considerations for HCV grasslands. Through peer learning activities such as paddock walks the different methods of control will be evaluated. In this way the MacLaughlin River Landcare group […]
Rain didn’t help Landcare CSO Mark Robertson when recently working on erosion control at Jimenbuen. As part of the Upper Snowy Landcare Integrated Erosion Control project a flume is being built to decrease erosion at Crisps Creek near Jimenbuen. Six inches of rain just as they were starting work gave Mark a perfect opportunity to see where the problem was! The whole crossing flooded and the project was made all the more difficult due to the downpour. But they battled on and have made great improvements to the site. This is an integral part of the project and will be an ideal way to both showcase and test different erosion control methods. This erosion control project which has been funded through the Federal Governments Caring for our Country initiative is promoting an integrated approach to the causes and impacts of erosion in two ways. Firstly by promoting awareness of the need […]