Dear <<First Name>>,
Unfortunately due to the reintroduction of COVID-19 restrictions and the Melbourne lockdown, many of our upcoming events have been affected. Always register early for activities you are planning on attending so you don't miss out on any updates and so our Landcare groups can manage numbers at public gatherings. Never attend a Landcare activity if you have any symptoms and always remember to provide correct details in case of contact tracing.
If you or a loved one is struggling, here is some important and helpful advice to help you cope with isolation and restrictions. There are also many support services available if you or a loved one are feeling anxious or uncertain:
- Lifeline Australia Phone 13 11 14 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
A crisis support service offering immediate short-term support at any time for people who are having difficulty coping or staying safe.
- Beyond Blue Phone 1800 512 348 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service.
- eheadspace 1800 650 890 (9am -1am, 7 days a week)
Online and webchat support and counselling for 12-25 year olds, their family and friends.
Hopefully this outbreak is brought quickly under control, for more details head to coronovirus.vic.gov.au.
- Penny Raleigh, Victorian Landcare Facilitator
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2021 Victorian Landcare Awards now open
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Nominations are now open for the 2021 Victorian Landcare Awards.
The awards are an opportunity to acknowledge the achievements of Victorians from urban and rural communities excelling in environmental volunteering, sustainable agricultural practices, environmental protection, conservation of land and waterways, coastlines, and biodiversity.
Nominees can be from groups, networks, organisations, and individuals involved in protecting and improving their local environment. Anyone can nominate, so if you know an individual or group that you think should be recognised, please nominate them for an award.
There are 15 categories open to Victorians this year. Seven of these are Victorian-only and eight are national categories.
Nominations close on 30 June. For more information go to www.landcarevic.org.au.
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Notice: all events are currently being affected by COVID-19 restrictions. You must register before attending so organisers can manage numbers. Some events may also have to change location or to an online format, so register early to be kept in the loop and not miss out.
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Understanding and Using GPS
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Saturday 12th June | 9.30am
Regional Study Centre, 218 Tone Road Wangaratta
Join Swamps Rivers Ranges to learn how and why we use GPS. The presenters CSU will look at what GPS is and how we can use and understand it on a range of devices.
This is a great practical workshop if you’d like to get involved in monitoring programs, bushwalkers or anyone interested in finding remote areas.
We encourage participants to bring their own GPS device if they have one, please arrive for a prompt start. Bookings are essential but all are welcome, please book here.
If you have any questions please get in contact with Sophie via swampsriversranges@gmail.com
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Environmentally Sustainable Design
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Wednesday 16th June | 7.30pm
Zoom webinar - register to receive the link
Join Wangaratta Landcare & Sustainability and the Ovens Landcare Network for a webinar on building homes suitable for a future affected by climate change. We have a great handful of speakers including a local builder and a developer who will be discussing what building for the future means for them, and tips on how to do it.
For more information and to register click here.
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Platypus Talk: Beechworth
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Friday 18th June | 6.30pm
Beechworth Senior Citizens Hall
3 Harper Avenue, Beechworth
Join Beechworth Urban Landcare & Sustainability to learn more about platypus. Geoff Williams of the Australian Platypus Conservancy will highlight the features that make the platypus so special, explain its conservation needs and how to spot platypus in the wild. He will explain how to become involved in ‘citizen science’ programs to monitor local populations.
Limit to 20 people due to restrictions. Registration required here.
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Southern Pygmy Perch in Farm Dams
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Monday 28th June | 7.00pm - 9.00pm
Glenrowan Recreation Reserve Hall
Join Greta Valley Landcare to hear from Dr Scott Raymond from the Arthur Rylah Institute on the research work being done to protect these small native fish in our Landcare group area. We will soon be translocating fish from our populations at Myrhree, Edi and Moyhu to an additional six farm dams and Fosters Lake. Please RSVP online here.
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2021 Victorian Landcare Grants | Victorian Landcare Program
Applications close 5pm 16th June 2021
The Victorian Government is providing $2.55 million funding for project and support grants across the state.
Project grants
Up to $30,000 is available for on-ground works, capacity building activities, community education and engagement that protects, or improves natural assets such as native vegetation, native fauna, waterways, wetlands, and soils.
Support grants
Up to $500 is available for assistance with costs such as insurance, incorporation and operational needs, or meetings and events or newsletters, websites, and other communication.
Grants are open to all Victorian Landcare and environmental volunteering groups and networks that have a focus on on-ground land and natural environment improvement work. This includes Landcare groups and networks, 'Friends of' groups, Conservation Management Networks, Committees of Management, Coastcare groups and Aboriginal groups and organisations working on Country. For more details and to read the guidelines go here.
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Future Drought Fund’s Networks to Build Drought Resilience | FRRR
Applications close Monday 5th July 2021
The Australian Government's Future Drought Fund provides a sustainable source of funding to help remote, rural and regional communities, and farmers, become more prepared for, and resilient to, the impacts of drought. The Fund is part of the Government's Drought Response, Resilience and Preparedness Plan.
The Networks to Build Drought Resilience Program is one of the Fund's foundation programs. It is designed to build community capacity by strengthening social and community network, support, engagement and wellbeing.
The aim is to build an enduring resilience to the impacts of climate change, drought, and enhance the public good in agriculture-dependent communities. Learn more and apply here.
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Tackling Tough Times Together | FRRR
Applications close Tuesday 24th August 2021
The Tackling Tough Times Together grant program helps communities access the resources they need to support one another through the ongoing effects of the drought.
Grants are available for a broad range of grassroots, community-led initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and assessed quarterly. For more information click here.
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Strengthening Rural Communities | FRRR
Applications close Tuesday 24th August 2021
The Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program aims to give the thousands of small rural, regional and remote communities across Australia an opportunity to access funding to support broad community needs. Given the events of summer 2019/20, it has also been expanded to offer funding to support recovery in bushfire-affected communities.
Grants are available for a broad range of grassroots, community-led initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and assessed quarterly. For more information click here. For more information click here.
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Small Environmental Grant Scheme | Norman Wettenhall Environment Trust
Expressions of Interest open regularly
Providing support for people undertaking projects that will make a positive difference to the natural living environment, in land, sea or air, rural or urban. The Norman Wettenhall Environment Trust supports grassroots organisations and individuals, and academics who are working with on-ground community groups. The expression of interest process opens regularly throughout the year. For more information click here.
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Natural Capital Workshop with Landcare Australia
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Expression of interest close 18 June 2021
Natural Capital Accounting provides a way to measure all the positive outcomes that you may have created on your property over the years in your native vegetation and soils.
Our Landcare Group has been offered to host an online workshop to explore this for members. There is no pre-requisite or data needed for the workshop which is run by Accounting for Nature via Zoom (due to COVID19). It generally takes a 4 to 5-hour time investment, but depends on the group and numbers.
 After the workshop there is additional support available, based on what the group decides is required. There is also an opportunity to become Accredited Auditors and by participating access to training is free. You can read more about the AfN Native Vegetation Method and the Soil Assessment Method online.
Opportunity for involvement closes on 18th June 2021. Please get in touch with Sally Day on 0437 136 162 or email sally.day@gretalandcare.org.au to register for this workshop.
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Aboriginal Cultural Safety Training
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Monday 28th June, 10am - 3pm | Online Webinar
What is Aboriginal Cultural Safety?
At its core, Aboriginal cultural safety is about recognising the ongoing impacts of colonisation, systemic discrimination and sociocultural power imbalances which contribute to unsafe environments for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and Communities.
Who should attend?
Anyone interested in gaining the necessary knowledge and understandings to effectively communicate, engage, and work with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
What will be covered?
- The historical and intergenerational impacts of colonisation and policies and how they have shaped Aboriginal culture, peoples and Communities
- Aspects of Aboriginal identities, culture and protocols
- Fostering respectful relationships with Aboriginal peoples and Communities
- Foundational skills and strategies for implementing cultural safety into practice
This training is being provided through the North East CMA in partnership with Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VAACHO).
To register: Please complete the on-line registration form here.
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Agricultural Chemical User Permit Training (ACUP)
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Hosted by Rural City of Wangaratta, open to everyone. Cost of the course - $50
Course participants limited to 10 people
Training Dates:
• 15 June 2021 - Everton (registration closes 10 June)
• 18 June 2021 - Springhurst (registration closes 14 June)
• 29 July 2021 - Killawarra (registration closes 19 July)
For more information, or to register for the ACUP Training, please contact Alandi Durling
on a.durling@wangaratta.vic.gov.au, or 0438 828 660.
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National Landcare Conference Sponsorship 2021
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Closing date for EOI is 14 June 2021
The North East CMA has funding available from the Victorian Landcare Program to sponsor 10 community members, up to $1000, to attend the National Landcare Conference in Sydney on 4-6 August 2021.
Sponsorship available may include the community rate for the Full Conference Package which includes the Welcome reception on Wednesday and the Gala dinner on Thursday. Optional field trips on Wednesday may also be paid for with sponsorship funds. Sponsorship may also be available to assist travel and accommodation costs.
If successful, you will need to arrange your conference registration, travel and accommodation, and cover costs beyond the available sponsorship.
Expressions of Interest must be completed before 11.59pm Monday 14 June to access sponsorship. To complete the EOI please complete this form here.
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Recorded Webinar on Erosion Management: Gullies
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The Edi Black Range Catchment Group hosted this webinar to learn more about gully formation and management. This one hour webinar with guest presenter Sally Day will help you understand how to observe the different types of erosion on your property and different options for treatment. Watch the webinar here.
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Rivers of Carbon Webinar: Managing erosion for multiple benefits
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In this webinar, erosion expert Lori Gould and animal health expert Kyeelee Driver discuss how to manage erosion to improve productivity, river and animal health on your place. They discuss practical ways you can address erosion using hay, rock and other ‘soft’ engineering approaches, as well as talking about the situations where you might need soil conservation and engineering advice.
The webinar shows lots of photos helping you to identify the processes causing erosion and the treatments you can use to address it. Kyeelee provides compelling information about the impacts of sediment and runoff on water quality, and the negative consequences this can have for stock productivity and health.
The Rivers of Carbon website also has a number of other great resources available for landholders.
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