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    woodland open foregroundRESIZED

    Do you live in the Kingstown or Yarrowyck area? Are you keen to fire up your old Landcare group, or perhaps just do some Landcare type work on your own place as an individual? Have you ever thought about:

    Fencing that hard-to-access remnant of native vegetation?

    Fencing off a creek to assist with easier livestock management?

    Establishing some shelter belts/wind breaks/wildlife corridors in an open area of your farm?

    Getting some technical advice on native vegetation?

    Well, opportunities are coming your way soon with the launch of the Turning the tide on threatened species - Regent Honeyeater project and it's related field days.

    Southern New England Landcare Coordinators are keen to help landholders in your area to do some action planning, because these types of activities will be eligible for financial and technical assistance through this project. We look forward to hearing from you! Give us a call on 6772 9123 or mail@snelandcare.org.au.

    DroughtImageVinnies320UPDATE 10.3.19 - the following assistance is no longer available through Vinnies, but we urge you to try contacting The Salvation Army or Rotary (Reg Pierce for Northern and Western NSW on 0417 472 723) for the same style of assistance...

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    As this devastating drought continues, remember, you are not alone.

    St Vincent de Paul Society is working locally to roll out this support to farmers in our area. Download a detailed flier here.

    The funding is available for farmers, farm workers and farm suppliers/contractors facing hardship due to drought. It can be used to spend in local communities or to cover urgent bills such as food, petrol and utilities. The $3,000 per household can consist of up to $2,000 in cash and $1,000 in vouchers.

    St Vincent de Paul Society are distributing packages to affected people in the Armidale, Glen Innes, Gunnedah, Gwydir, Inverell, Moree, Narrabri, Tamworth, Tenterfield, Uralla, Walcha and Walgett districts.

    To access this support contact (02) 5776 0200 (Armidale) and one of their representatives will call you back to help your family.

    Volunteers needed please!

    Vinnies in Armidale are looking for volunteers to assist with the large number of incoming drought enquiries. If you can spare some regular time each week for the next few months, please contact Phil Donnan (Armidale) on 02 5776 0200.

    The Drought Communities Programme (DCP) supports communities in the most drought-affected regions of Australia and builds on the more than $5.7 billion in additional Australian Government drought support measures already announced. The Drought Community Support Initiative information page can be found at https://regional.gov.au/regional/programs/drought-communities.aspx

    Burnt tree over fence320Following recent bush fires that devastated both farms and public land around Tingha, Jennings to Sandy Hills, Drake and Tabulam in the Northern Tablelands region, many landholders are now asking how to manage native vegetation on their fire-damaged properties.

    If there is an imminent risk of injury or damage to property landholders can clear native vegetation, including trees. Clearing should be undertaken to the minimum extent necessary.

    Image - If you need to clear fire-impacted fence lines on your property, you can clear tracks to the minimum extent necessary without needing approval. In the Northern Tablelands this minimum extent is a distance of no more than 30 metres total width.

    feral pigs320A call to arms is going out across the Northern Tablelands to arrest invasive species in our landscape.

    With the economic impact of pest animals in NSW estimated to be $170 million, Northern Tablelands Local Land Services are unveiling a program to provide landowners with the tools they need to help manage feral animals.  

    Image - By working together in the Feral Fighters program, a wider knockdown of the target species, in this case feral pigs, can be achieved.

    farmer sewing in dry paddock Jennifer Ingall ABC320Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Agronomists, Georgie Oakes and Jeff Lowien note that dry sowing of winter cereal forage crops is an option that a number of producers are considering to achieve quicker feed for when it does rain.

    Obviously there are risks involved but for quite a few it may be worth a punt, at least for a portion of your planned area of cereal forage crops.

    Image - Dry sowing winter cereal forage crops is an option that some farmers are considering at the moment. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Ingall, ABC.

    UNE landcareThe third annual UNE Orientation Week planting will be held on Friday 1 March.

    The event starts at 10:30 am, and will be followed by a free BBQ lunch generously provided by Armidale Dumaresq Lions Club. A key aim of this event is to get students new to Armidale interested in Rivercare and Landcare opportunities!

    Fires Near MeLocal Land Services veterinary officers and biosecurity staff are on the ground assisting communities affected by bush fires. They are primarily dealing with animal welfare-related issues.

    Access to the fire grounds due to safety concerns is limiting the ability to assess the full extent of the damage, however the number of stock losses is expected to grow over the coming days as landowners gain access to their properties.

    Landholders who need assistance with emergency fodder, livestock or domestic animal assessment should call the Ag and Animal Services Hotline on 1800 814 647.

    Image - the Firest Near Me App for smart phones provides detailed information and updates on all firest in NSW.

    CNG Guyra flierWhat does the future hold for Chilean Needle Grass?

    Southern New England Landcare will host and guide a conversation at the Guyra Show from 3 - 4pm on Satuday 23rd February 2019.

    The main Pavilion will be the site for a discussion panel with:

    • Dr Judi Earl, a grazier, researcher and educator
    • Derek Smith, grazier, 3rd generation farmer and educator, 
    • Bec Smith, teacher, grazier and experimenter
    • Mystery farmer, sharing their experiences.

    All invited to this free event. For further information, please contact Sara Schmude.

    Cows1 320p

    Recent media stories of dry conditions affecting New South Wales and Queensland have shown the depressing conditions that seem to go hand in hand with the regular onset of dry weather in Australia, but this New England grazier and Southern New England Landcare Member, has an alternative approach to drought management...

    Ron Ehrlich Headshot 320p

    If you've ever wondered how gut health, epigenetics, ethical food choices, low-toxicity living, chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome, resilient cities and regenerative agriculture relate to holistic dentistry and human health, this is your chance to find out!

    Special guest speaker, Dr Ron Ehrlich, an Holistic Dentist from Sydney and founder of Nourishing Australia, will present “Evolution Bites Back” at the Southern New England Landcare Member Muster on Thursday evening 21st February.

    The seminar will explore key drivers of human success in evolution, how these drivers are coming back to bite us in our busy modern lives and constructive ways to manage the resulting challenges. All members and friends are welcome!

    Speckled Warbler Ian Colley planetbirds.blogspot.320

    Following our last Landcare field day at “Eastlake” an attendee, Colin Ritchie who had travelled from Inverell, was so impressed that he has formed a new birdwatching group in the area. While he lives in Inverell, he plans to organise birdwatching visits to various areas in the New England and NorthWest area and connect with the other birdwatching groups in the area.

    Baxter Detection Dog320When attempting to sniff out solutions to learn more about Australia’s biodiversity such as koala populations, what better way than to enlist man’s best friend for the job?

    Detection dogs may not spring to mind as the first thing we think about when looking for koala habitat, but Northern Tablelands Local Land Services has commissioned a team of researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast to find out more about local koalas.

    steam weederArmidale Urban Rivercare Group (AURG) have received $25,000 in funding through the NSW State Government's Community Building Partnerships Program.

    The funds will go towards the purchase of a steam weeding machine to be used for planting preparations and maintenance in the Armidale creeklands and bushlands.

    "Currently, Landcare, Rivercare, and Bushcare groups and the Armidale Tree Group (ATG) around Armidale use chemicals to eliminate invasive weeds, annual weeds and environmental weeds from areas they wish to restore or rehabilitate," said Bruce Whan, a spokesperson for AURG and the successful grant writer.

    Bush4Birds3TOSFSquareSmallSouthern New England Landcare will host a field day on Saturday 1st December targeting bird lovers and landholders who are keen to skill up on revegetation and habitat creation techniques.

    "During the morning, we will be coached by ornithologist Andrew Huggett, on habitat design and monitoring techniques for threatened woodland birds," said Struan Ferguson, Southern New England Landcare Project Officer.

    "We may even spot some rare or threatened species," she said.

    "Then, after a delicious picnic lunch, we are planning several local revegetation experts to demonstrate ground preparation, weed control and watering options for revegetation projects," said Struan.

    Read more...

    Bells Turtle hatchling captive rearing programThe ‘Turtles Forever’ project, now in its third year of the ten-year project, is providing protection for the endangered Bell’s Turtle which is only found in the Namoi, Deepwater, Gwydir and Severn River systems.

    Dry Dam 320The recent dry times have been a challenge far and wide for our region with a lot of media coverage of the struggles that people are having as a result. While these climate challenges are common for Australians on the land, there’s a fair chance with climate change that conditions like we’ve been seeing are going to become more frequent and intense. So we have an invitation for landholders in our area...

    CTGPosterA landcare project among local graziers is seeing them close a 23 km gap in habitat connectivity for threatened woodland birds and other fauna from Mount Butler and Invergowrie in the west to Gara Gorge and Dangars Falls in the east.

    “Closing this gap in habitat is helping to save from local extinction, some very precious threatened woodland birds,” said Southern New England Landcare’s Karen Zirkler.

    Vicious to virtuous cycles 2015IMAGEInterested in a regenerative agriculture that can change the future of Australia's landscapes and economies? "The underlying resource base of Australian agriculture has been gripped in a cycle of decline for decades," states Ogilvy, Kulkarni and Hurley (2015).

    The authors assert that Australian agriculture is trapped for the most part in a vicious cycle that they describe and illustrate clearly. They then envision another way: a strategic future for Australian agriculture that embraces a virtuous cycle.

    This report is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in the broader regenerative agriculture discussion: download the report here Sue Ogilvy, Dr Anand Kulkarni, Sam Hurley, 2015. "From vicious to virtuous cycles: a sustainable future for Australian agriculture", A Discussion Paper, Centre for Policy Development.

     

    Rachel Lawrence SmallThe recent rainfall has given much of the Malpas Catchment a bit of a break from the dry conditions we’ve all been experiencing. Fingers crossed the good conditions continue. Whether or not they do though, pasture monitoring and feed budgeting is an essential tool to plan into the future.

    Rachel Lawrence, Malpas Catchment Coordinator, has experience with pasture species identification (both native and exotic) and monitoring of pasture biomass and condition of the ground and litter layer. Rachel is available to provide support to small groups within the Malpas area who would like to implement pasture monitoring and feed budgeting. Rachel would work with graziers to follow the methodology put in place by Dr Judi Earl and Dr Lewis Kahn from Agricultural Information and Monitoring Services (AIMSAG). Small groups of three or so people is ideal, fewer is ok, but preferably no larger.

    If this is of interest to you, please contact Rachel via email  or at the Southern New England Landcare office on 02 6772 9123.

    SNELANDCAREadvertSmallGrass Grower's Tea Party (fondly known as GGTP), a sub-group of Southern New England Landcare Ltd, is proud to announce it's Silver Sponsorship of the 2018 Australian Biological Farming Conference & Expo to be held at Southern Cross University on the Gold Coast from 9-12 November 2018.

    Grass Grower’s Tea Party, an Armidale-based group formed in 2001, coordinated the highly successful 2005 conference ‘People in the Landscape—Produce it, Protect it, Proft’.

    More than 300 delegates experienced Allan Savory (Savory Institute), Arron Wood (2001 Young Australian of the Year), Constance Neely (USA) and Dick Richardson (South African Holistic Management educator) on:

    • education for environmental change
    • regenerative land management
    • learning from the land and more than 120 delegates visited Tim Wright’s property ‘Lana’.

    Now, GGTP is 'paying it forward' to help make this event one not to be missed!

    Download the conference flier here and the program here. Visit https://www.australianbiologicalfarmingconference.org/ for more information.

    SNELandcare Members may be able to obtain free tickets (conditions apply).

    Southern New England Landcare’s mission is to lead, connect and enable our communities to reach their sustainability goals and we continue to champion the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices.

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