Hi everyone,
I hope you are all doing well... Welcome 2021! This year has got off to a great start, with Landcare being as busy as ever... planting trees, engaging the community, planning for the year ahead and building upon ideas dreamt up in 2020.
Creating Canopies has started a workshop series with 'All things trees' and 'Ecosystems in our city' coming up tomorrow and later this month. We are still planning sites and trees to go into the ground - but always looking for more opportunities. If you know a site that could do with a minimum of 100 trees, please feel free to email trees@greatersydneylandcare.org
Streamwatch needs your help. The money is running out and, we are putting in the hard yards to bring Streamwatch into the present with current and efficient tests. We are looking for skilled up people to help advise up on how to do this. For more information about this see the Streamwatch article below.
Saving Our Species and the Cumberland Plain Restoration Program (CPRP) has been carrying out vegetation plots for a couple of months now and is starting some more events on our project sites.
Get your hands dirty also has a handful of events coming up in the next few months.
In this newsletter i have highlighted the findings of the Landcare and Bushcare survey results that Greater Sydney Local Land Services researches every second year. More information below.
Xuela Sledge
Local Landcare Coordinator
Greater Sydney Landcare Network
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LANDCARE IN
GREATER
SYDNEY...
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The state of Landcare & Bushcare in Greater Sydney 2019/20
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The results of the bi-annual survey carried out by Greater Sydney Local Land Services are back!
They paint a picture of a healthy community of environmental volunteers in our region. It is impressive to read that between July 2019 and June 2020 more than 13,000 volunteers contributed around 150,500 hours of work protecting and restoring Greater Sydney’s bushland and biodiversity.
Volunteer numbers and hours increased from the previous survey in 2017/18, which is pleasing given the reduction in activity due to COVID-19 in the second half of the survey reporting period.
The survey results indicated that funding security, workload management and volunteer recruitment continue to be important issues for our environmental groups.
To access the two page report, please visit here.
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Landcare Awards 2021
The 2021 Greater Sydney Regional Landcare Awards are open. Nominate yourself, someone else or a team for their outstanding work protecting biodiversity and the environment. Nominations close 15 March 2021.
The winners will be announced at the Greater Sydney Landcare and Bushcare Forum on 21 May 2021. The winners from each category will be nominated up to the NSW Landcare and Local Land Services Awards taking place in Tweed Heads in March 2022.
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The award categories include:
- Coastcare
- Indigenous land management
- Individual Landcarer
- Junior Landcare Team
- Landcare community group
- Landcare farming
- Partnerships for Landcare
- Young Landcare leadership
Access the nomination form here.
View selection criteria for each category here.
Any questions contact Madeleine Florin, Regional Landcare Coordinator on 0427197860 or madeleine.florin@lls.nsw.gov.au.
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Cultural Immersion Day - 26th March
Registrations are now open for an Aboriginal cultural immersion and awareness day. Den Barber (Yarrabin Cultural Connections) is facilitating a day around Glenbrook and Blue Mountains National Park for Landcare coordinators, volunteers and professionals.
The day will involve visiting a few different sites, a smoking ceremony, site interpretation and discussion, a cultural performance and a bush lunch.
The event is free but registration is essential. We have about 25 spots and these will probably fill up fast so if you are keen let me know and make sure you register as soon as possible.
Besides registering yourself, please consider sharing this information amongst your Landcare network.
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Register here: https://gslls.wufoo.com/forms/cultural-immersion-day-for-landcare/
Any questions contact Madeleine Florin, Regional Landcare Coordinator on 0427197860 or madeleine.florin@lls.nsw.gov.au
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More events coming soon...
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Group in the loop
NPWS, Popes Glen Bushcare, Swampcare & Allendale Landcare post fire GORSE/ BROOM event - Sat April 10
NPWS Ranger Grant Purcell, together with Swampcare, Popes Glen Bushcare and Allendale Landcare will be joining forces for a big effort to weed 1km of gorse and broom, which has come back in force following the 2019/20 fires in Blackheath, upper Blue Mountains.
For anyone who has been a part of Landcare or Bushcare in the upper Mountains, it is an area that was once free of Gorse due to the 20 year long volunteer driven Great Grose Weed Walk.
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The area has already been rehabilitated somewhat from the waterfall upstream. 50 volunteers will be expected on the day, so come along and help restore this precious creek line and hand pull Gorse and Broom seedlings back to a controllable level...
For more information on the event, please contact NPWS Ranger Grant Purcell at grant.purcell@environment.nsw.gov.au
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Creating Canopies in Greater Sydney
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Creating Canopies workshops...
All things trees - Fairfield nursery workshop and tour
TOMORROW! FEB 12TH 8:30-11:30AM Free event
Greater Sydney Landcare Network is offering a series of FREE workshops to help our community learn how to create habitat and cool our city through planting.
For our second workshop, we’re partnering up with Fairfield Community Native Nursery to teach the basics on propagating and planting indigenous Cumberland Plain species.
During the morning, you will learn all about native species and tips on how you can help the environment in your local area.
We’ll be joined by Nursery Coordinator, Reiner Davies, who will take us on a guided tour of the nursery and workshop sessions on planting and propagation.
RSVPS are essential. Due to COVID-19 the number of participants for this event is restricted, so to avoid disappointment register here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/all-things-trees-fairfield-nursery-workshop-and-tour-tickets-133633291773
Photo credit: Fairfield City Council.
FEB 28TH 8:30-12:00pm Free event
Greater Sydney Landcare Network is offering a series of FREE workshops to help our community learn how to create habitat and cool our city through planting.
For our third workshop, we’re heading down to Gallery Gardens to learn how we can be better neighbours and improve urban ecosystems in our city. Urban areas are often seen a devoid of nature, however, cities can host diverse species by taking actions to create habitat for native species. Come learn what steps you can take to help our urban ecosystems!
During the morning, you will learn all about bushland in our city and a project along Toongabie Creek that’s creating habitat for small birds.
We’ll be joined by Landcare Coordinator, Elisha Duxbury, who will give a short talk on urban ecology, and Bushcare Legend Simon Alexander who will tell us about the work they’re doing to restore habitat in the local area.
RSVPS are essential. Due to COVID-19 the number of participants for this event is restricted, so to avoid disappointment register ASAP HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ecosystems-in-our-city-tickets-133636888531
For more information on these workshops contact Elisha on 4724 2147 or elisha.duxbury@greatersydneylandcare.org
To hear about future Creating Canopies events, sign up HERE.
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this event will take place, the Cabrogal people of the Dharug Nation.
This event is part of the Creating Canopies in Greater Sydney tree planting project. Funding has been provided to Greater Sydney Landcare Network and Landcare NSW as part of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) Premier’s Project, Greening our City, One Million Trees by 2022. We will be will be planting thousands of trees for habitat and shade over the next two years.
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STREAMWATCH NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Streamwatch is the prime citizen science program monitoring Sydney waterways by volunteers for over 30 years. We have a history of detecting pollution and biosecurity threats and have 30 years of water quality measurements. It is a part of Waterwatch across Australia and there are similar community groups across the world.
Up until now Streamwatch has been funded by Sydney Water, but with deep disappointment the money runs out this year and closure is looming. In recent years our hosts, firstly Australian Museum and now Greater Sydney Landcare Network, have been unsuccessful in getting continued funding...
Can you help us change this?
Recently we have enlisted a group of volunteer technical experts to help us expand Streamwatch and make it open to more community groups and kids. Landcare NSW have obtained a grant for us to review and improve Streamwatch.
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WHAT WE NEED NOW...
Now we need to set up a similar panel of volunteers focused on marketing Streamwatch to governments and corporates to elicit funds to secure a future for Streamwatch.
Do you or anyone you know have any of the following skills to help us:
- Success in getting funds for programs, not just projects, with governments
- Know what will make potential funders interested
- Experience navigating relevant organisations and systems
- Success in getting funds from corporations
- Contacts with key people
- Enthusiastic, knowledgeable and engaging when contacting people
- Passionate and dedicated Streamwatch advocate, or interested in the community having the tools available to carry on water quality monitoring in the Greater Sydney area.
For more information, please contact Chris Noon: 0498 267 429 02 9653 3870 christophernoon50@gmail.com
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Sugar Gliders out and about in Hammondville, loving old growth trees
On Friday 29th January 2021, a small group of interested Landcarers went for a twilight walk in a small reserve near Liverpool, NSW. Previously known for Green and Golden Bell Frogs, the reserve is well connected to the Georges River and its natural corridors, but is little known or frequented.
The highlight of the walk was the numbers of Sugar Gliders spotted on and around the oldest tree on the site. It seemed the large Blue Box (Eucalyptus baeuriana) was home to a family who had a healthy litter this season. The sight was a lovely one, and almost coincidental considering the group had just been introduced to the importance of old growth trees for habitat on the Cumberland Plain, and elsewhere.
Sugar Gliders ran up and down the tree, its branches and flew around the canopy in close proximity to the mother tree. Atleast 6-8 of them. This was a great site for those on the walk, as it was for some of the participants an event that they had never done before, and dodging the spider webs and drizzle was well worth it!
Lt Cantello Reserve is part of a Saving our Species project coordinated by Greater Sydney Landcare Network and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. The spotlighting event last week is part of an awareness raising campaign for the site, educating the community about the importance of the habitat at remnant reserves.
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If you would like to be a part of another spotlighting event at this or other Cumberland Plain/ western Sydney sites please email Local Landcare Coordinator xuela.sledge@greatersydneylandcare.org
Likewise, please contact Xuela if you would be able to spare a few hours a month to help restore such important places, for animals like the Sugar Glider to thrive.
Thanks to Liverpool City Council for supporting and being a part of this event and the Cumberland Plain Restoration Program, and the Environmental Trust for its financial support of it.
NEXT SPOTLIGHTING EVENT AT LT CANTELLO RESERVE, HAMMONDVILLE
Friday 12th March from 7pm
Please email xuela to register your interest.
Eastern Banjo Frog - photo thanks to Mary Erian, Liverpool City Council
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WEED BLITZ at LONDONDERRY
FEB 17 & MAR 17, 9AM TO 12PM
Londonderry Woodland Reserve is a vital remnant of the critically endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland and it needs your help! It’s significant as one of the last remaining examples of mature grassy woodland vegetation on the Cumberland Plain, with grand old trees providing habitat for local wildlife and a diverse understorey of rare herbs, orchids and grasses. Rickaby’s Creek also runs through the reserve which provides a migration corridor for wildlife and connects other patches of Cumberland Plain Woodland from the north-east to its termination at the Wianamatta Nature Reserve in the south-east.
Conservation Volunteers Australia are conducting weed maintenance to improve the values of the reserve and ensure its protection in perpetuity. Volunteers will be able to assist with a variety of bush regeneration activities including weed removal, watering newly planted endangered plant species, flora and fauna surveys, habitat improvements, bird watching and water quality monitoring.
This project is made possible with support from the Australian Government’s Communities Environment Program. It is also a site of the Cumberland Plain Restoration Program, sponsored by the Saving our Species Program and the Environmental Trust of NSW.
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Podcasts, APPs and other resources...
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Webinar series: Landcare Australia webinars
2020 could be renamed the Year of the Webinar, and we’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who joined us for a Landcare webinar!
There is a wealth of knowledge in the Landcare community, and we’ve had some brilliant sessions. You can view the recordings of our previous webinars further down this page.
The program for the 2021 Landcare Webinar Series will be announced in February, and you can register below to be sure you’re kept up to date.
Our Landcare webinars are hosted on online community platform, Landcarer. You can register for Landcarer by visiting www.landcarer.com.au, however you can still access the webinars without registering.
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PODCASTs: Cultural burning x 6!
Tread Lightly are proud be offering ‘djamanj djamaga ganj’ a free and informative webinar series about traditional Aboriginal cultural burning, proudly sponsored and brought to you by the National Indigenous Fire Network & Treading Lightly Inc.
To register in advance for this free webinar series, click on the button below. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
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PODCASTs: Sustainable Farms podcasts x 9!
Sustainable Farms, based at the Australian National University, are doing an awesome job of bringing some great Podcasts to us on the topic of sustainable agriculture.
Suitable for farmers, land managers, students, Landcarers and natural resource management professionals, there are currently nine informative podcasts available on the Sustainable Farms website, including information on revegetation, Squirrel Glider conservation, biodiversity recovery after fire and enhancing farm dams.
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PODCASTs: BIG SHIFT for SMALL FARMS
The Big Shift for Small Farms podcast is a 10-part series produced by the Grow Love Project, dedicated to helping small scale farmers and covering a range of topics from soil health to mental health and everything in between.
“Each episode features a variety of farmers and industry experts with direct experience and real-life stories on the topic in question.
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Online platform for Landcarers: Landcarer
Landcarer is the place where you can collaborate, connect and learn with like-minded people who care for our natural environment – anywhere, anytime
Consider downloading Landcarer
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APP: iNaturalist
The iNaturalist app is freely available for recording observations of flora, fauna and fungi. Observations made in Australia are harvested regularly to the Atlas of Living Australia.
Explore plants and animal species from across the world.
Start a project with iNaturalist and start combining the data you collect with other people.
iNaturalist is a great platform to start a citizen science project.
Blog your journal or join in to the discussion and, other resources.
Consider downloading iNaturalist
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APP: FrogID
What's that sound?
Croaks, whistles, bleats and barks - every frog species makes a different sound! By recording a frog call with our app, FrogID, you can discover which frogs live around you and help us count Australia's frogs!
Consider downloading FrogID
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APP: Feral Scan
Providing a community pest animal recording and management tool!
Record pest animal activity in your local area to protect farms, biodiversity and communities.
Consider downloading Feral scan
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Landcare newsletters across Greater Sydney
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Keen to conduct your own citizen science? We've just purchased a Titley Active Anabat Detector, meaning you can visualise the frequencies in real time. Available to loan for members. Contact Xuela for more information, and to book out the detector for your own site research!
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Rural Stewardship Funding Project at Uni of New England
Landcare NSW, the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative, Gondwana Links, and The Nature Conservancy have partnered with the Australian Centre for Agriculture & Law at the University of New England, to investigate better models for funding the protection or restoration of rural environments. As funding is a constant challenge for rural environmental work, this is an important issue for our organisation.
Professor Paul Martin and Dr Andrew Lawson lead the team from the Australian Centre for Agriculture & Law. Part of the project is to get reliable frontline intelligence from community-based groups, and from landholders who are involved conservation or restoration work. Professor Martin and Dr Lawson are using 2 surveys to obtain this important information.
It would help a lot if any of you reading this article have a few spare minutes, and could take the time to take the survey on the links to follow. You have to be a community group or a landholders associated to restoration and conservation works, especially on rural land.
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The surveys are completely voluntary and responses to the survey questions will be confidential.
People who agree to participate can complete the whole survey online, or (if they prefer) by phone, Skype or Zoom. The deadline for completion is Sunday, 28 February 2021.
This project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of New England (Approvals No HE20-176, Valid to 30/11/2021, and No. HE20-175, Valid to 9/12/2021).
For more information, please email Professor Paul Martin at Pmartin9@une.edu.au, or phone 0416 015 161; email Dr Andrew Lawson at andrew.lawson@une.edu.au or phone (02) 6773 3551. |
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Membership to Greater Sydney Landcare gives you access to a number of great incentives, including:
- Access to Landcare support and resources
- Access to networking events and the facilitation of people and project linkages
- Access to Landcare related tools and equipment
- Advice on funding opportunities, restoring your land, environmental issues and concerns – and, more
- Representation to strengthen Landcare NSW in seeking NRM funds for our region and NSW
- Free or discounted training workshops
- Free trees through the Creating Canopies project (conditions apply)
- Promotion of your events through GSLNs 1000+ Facebook following, Instagram, Twitter, website and eNewsletter
- Representation to strengthen Landcare NSW in seeking NRM funds for our region and NSW
- Sponsorship and administration of grants for unincorporated groups
- Support in bringing new volunteers to your group via our Local Landcare Coordinators and funded projects
- Support with publishing your community driven publications.
Help support the environmental volunteering community in Greater Sydney,
and join us here.
If you think you have missed the invoice in your inbox, please check your spam folder.
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Members, please send us your events!
We would love to promote any events your groups have planned in our newsletter, and on our website, and Facebook and Twitter pages.
Please email events to LLCs Elisha or Xuela.
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GSLN is getting social!
Join the filter brigade and follow us on Instagram to stay (visually) up to date. Prefer Twitter? We've joined the flock here.
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