Mid Lachlan Landcare
supporting sustainable agriculture and restoring the environment
Mid Lachlan Landcare and the Age of Fishes Museum: a great partnership in the development of young people
Mid Lachlan Landcare (MLL) and the Age of Fishes museum (AOF) recognised and celebrated a partnership with teacher Steve Lans, the young people he works with, and Bede Polding College by holding a small presentation ceremony during his visit to Canowindra recently.
In May 2002, Steve Lans brought a group of 12 students from Bede Polding College (near Windsor NSW) to Canowindra to visit the AOF and to do MLL’s Salinity and Erosion Tour. Since that first visit, Steve has brought 15 groups made up of 371 participants. We also know that at least five other school groups have visited the district on his recommendation.
Over this time, Steve has gained the respect and admiration of AOF and MLL staff. He is a very skilled, professional educator, and groups he has brought have always showed open, inquiring minds, and demonstrate a high level of engagement and communication. Steve is a great advocate of practical applied scientific learning. He has managed to overcome many obstacles to make these visits happen and has always exhibited positive energy. Steve is also committed to getting the best for his students and from his students. He shows everyone respect and he certainly has ours.
Andrew Wooldridge, a key driver in MLL’s education program said “We have noticed Steve has had a very positive influence on many lives. I have met several of Steve’s former Bede Polding students when they were attending the University of Canberra or the Australian National University. They all go out of their way to tell me how Steve and the course he runs has impacted on them, their study choices, their career choices and their life choices”.
“MLL had the unique opportunity to host one of Steve’s former Bede Polding students Ashleigh Zarlengha, for professional development as part of her university course last year. Ashleigh did many different tasks with MLL and the Department of Primary Industries during that time but she was very keen to be able to be a presenter on the Bede Polding Earth and Environmental Science Landcare Tour – a tour she had done herself as a HSC student with Steve several years before. Mid Lachlan Landcare staff shared the great experience with Steve of standing in a paddock and watching Ashleigh deliver high quality scientific content to Bede Polding College students“.
It has been a busy time over the last two months for MLL with visits and field-based study tours from St Andrews Cathedral School, Scots College Sydney, Shellharbour Anglican School, Bede Polding College and MacKillop College ACT. Our staff and representatives from partner organisations deliver tailored content that may include sustainable and regenerative farming systems, food processing businesses, climate change and adaptation, soil and water management, biodiversity, geology, soil influence on land use, and sustainable living.
New Local Landcare Coordinator joins our team
Mid Lachlan Landcare was recently successful in obtaining funding for a 3.5 year part time position for a Local Landcare Coordinator. Our committee has appointed Tracee Burke in this position and she’s currently transitioning into the job. Welcome Tracee!
Tracee is from Gooloogong and has been involved with Kangarooby Catchment Landcare for a number of years. She is passionate about farming and conservation, and holistically manages a small beef cattle property. She is also specialised in local native plants, seed collection and propagation, and has a good understanding of local Landcare issues.
Tracee hopes to increase support for the smaller Landcare groups in our area, and will work with them to increase their knowledge, activities and membership, and will also assist our Grazing Project Officer Scott Hickman with our successful local project Growing the Grazing Revolution.
Stay tuned for information about upcoming projects and events. Our aim over the coming months and years will continue to be focussed on delivering positive environmental change through education and on-ground works. If you have any questions about Landcare activities in the district, please feel free to contact us via email, you can also subscribe to our mailing list, blog post via our website, or Like us on Facebook.
Driving Sustainable Land Use
In partnership with Central Tablelands Local Land Services, Mid Lachlan Landcare is undertaking a new project to encourage and support sustainable land use across our district.
The project aims to assist farmers by providing personal support that will enable them to engage in improved grazing management practices. It will also provide technical and personal support to help farmers understand ecosystem repair priorities on their farm, and will include a number of paddock tree projects.
It is increasingly understood that biodiversity and productivity on farms can be managed in a sustainable way and the long-term viability of our farming land to produce economic goods and deliver ecosystem services depends our ability to successfully work with the land and the climate to build sustainability into farming businesses.
If you would like more information or to become involved please contact Mid Lachlan Landcare by emailing midlachlanlandcare@gmail.com
Wrap up of seed collection project
Our seed collected in partnership with John Holland Country Regional Network has been collated and handed over to Tom North, National Seed Bank Curator at the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
Work will begin on the woodland species Creamy Candles (Stackhousia monogyna), Black-anthered Flax Lily (Dianella revoluta) and Smooth Flax Lily (Dianella longifolia) to better understand their seed storage behaviour and germination biology. The research will be conducted by Honours student Gabrielle Vening from Charles Sturt University, who’s project aims to develop improved germination protocols that will assist conservation seed banking and make the species more viable for use in restoration activities.
Field Day highlights importance of Grazing Management Principles
Almost 70 landholders attended a recent Grazing Management Field Day held in partnership with South East Local Land Services at Boorowa. Dr. Terry McCosker and David Marsh were our guest speakers at “Allendale”, the Marsh’s family farm.
David spoke passionately about how he changed his management practices towards regenerative agriculture in order to improve on-farm ecosystem health that supports a profitable business and maintains a healthy, stress-free lifestyle. Over many years he has developed his farming techniques by constantly questioning conventional farming practices through observation and critical thinking.
Dr. Terry McCosker, an internationally acclaimed teacher and co-founder of RCS Australia raised a number of topics with the audience but stressed the importance of understanding and implementing Grazing Management Principles including:
- Planning, monitoring and managing
- Providing adequate rest for plants and pastures
- Matching stocking rate to carrying capacity
- Managing livestock effectively
Both Terry and David stressed the importance of planning and in particular the use of grazing charts which provide a management tool that assist landholders to make good decisions, remain in control, maintain profitability and manage livestock and ecology.
If you would like more information about the field day or to become involved please email us at midlachlanlandcare@gmail.com
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- David Marsh
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- Dr. Terry McCosker
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- MLL’s Scott Hickman, Terry McCosker and David Marsh during the paddock walk
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- Discussing water quality
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- Plant diversity in the paddock includes shrubs
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- A great turn out
Wrap up of Local Area Meetings in South East Local Land Services Region
Grazing Project Officer Scott Hickman, recently held the final round of local area meetings for the South East Local Land Services Grazing Management Project. Planning for spring grazing management was the key topic discussed, in particular grass management, and animal production and health. Thoughts were also shared about planning for variable conditions during the upcoming summer.
Still to come is a field day to be held on 5th November with Dr. Terry McCosker and David Marsh at “Allendale” Boorowa. Everyone is welcome.
Thanks to everyone for coming along to the meetings and our previous field day with Dick Richardson. For more information about this project, please contact South East Local Land Services.
Yass-Bookham Local Area Meeting
Crookwell Local Area Meeting
Boorowa Local Area Meeting
Woodland plants targeted for seed collection
Mid Lachlan Landcare is pleased to announce our new project with John Holland Pty Ltd Country Regional Network. Over the next few months, in partnership with Young District Landcare, we will be locating and collecting seed from three woodland plant species considered to be significant components of White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely’s Red Gum Woodland, one of Australia’s most threatened vegetation communities and local to our area.
Creamy Candles (Stackhousia monogyna), Black-anthered Flax Lily (Dianella revoluta) and Smooth Flax Lily (Dianella longifolia) are being targeted because they have shown to have a poor response to germination. Collected seed will be tested for germination and dormancy at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. It is hoped that the tests will inform on ways to improve germination so that these plants can be included in planting and direct seeding activities in future restoration projects.
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- Bulbine Lily (left) and Creamy Candles (right)
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- Black-anthered Flax Lily flower buds
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- Roadside woodland with Creamy Candles in foreground
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- Smooth Flax Lily
Native orchids and wildflowers on spring display
The amazing diversity of our local woodland environment was on display for our field day near Cowra yesterday. In partnership with Young District Landcare, the field day was held at “Kooragindi”, a 100 acre bushland property in the Ilunie range. “Kooragindi” is under a conservation agreement with the Nature Conservation Trust and is protected in perpetuity. Owners John and Fiona, a photographer and artist respectively, kindly opened their property for over 30 people who were able to see and learn about a range of flowering orchids as well as other native plants and woodland birds. The weather was beautiful and the location was fantastic – a good day was had by all.
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- Yam daisy
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- Wax lip orchids
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- Dusky fingers
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- Diuris
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- Rustyhood
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- Scarlet sundew
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- Some of the group wandering down to the creek
Field Trip to the Mid Lachlan Landcare district
Mid Lachlan Landcare had the pleasure of hosting a field trip for delegates at the recent NSW Landcare and Local Land Services Conference held in Orange. The conference theme was “From the Ground Up” and was celebrating the International Year of Soil. MLL’s field trip visited productive farms where solutions to a number of NRM issues are being applied. Our farmers were able to showcase how we can design farms to have multiple on and off site NRM benefits while also producing healthy food and maintaining viable businesses, and how specific techniques and actions are being used to restore ecological function. The field trip also described how MLL is undertaking real capacity building with a range of partners and clients, and included a visit to the internationally renowned Age of Fishes Museum to get up close and personal with local fossils which showed how changes in climate can affect the progress of species.
Huge thanks to our speakers and helpers on the day – Ian Packer, Andrew Wooldridge, Ian Cooley, Scott Hickman, Wendy Bowman, Warren Keedle, Shaley Allen, Casey Proctor and Vanessa Cain.
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- Wooly discussing soil and the effects of salinity
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- Vanessa talks about on-farm biodiversity
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- Ian Packer discusses no-till farming
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- Scott talks about the move Oatleigh has made towards HM practices
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- Warren Keedle explains about the fossils at the Age of Fishes Museum
Planting completed for the John Holland Squirrel Glider Conservation Project
Almost 2,500 mid-storey and shrub species of plants have been installed for the John Holland Squirrel Glider Conservation Project at Bendick Murrell and Crowther along the Blayney to Demondrille non-operational rail line. The seed was collected from local provenance and will provide habitat and foraging opportunities not only for Squirrel Gliders but also for a range of woodland birds including the beautiful but threatened Superb Parrot. Chris from John Holland Pty Ltd rolled up his sleeves and joined in the planting activities with the crew from Oz Plants in Cowra during a week of very cold temperatures. Forecast rain later this week and warming temperatures at the onset of spring should ensure a good start for all the plants.
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- Tube stock ready for planting
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- Mikla Lewis from Young District Landcare
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- Silver wattle is a major source of food for Squirrel Gliders
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- Vanessa Cain from Mid Lachlan Landcare
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- Chris Weston, Environmental Coordinator with John Holland Country Regional Network
Mid Lachlan Landcare 