Member Groups; The Lismore Land Protection Group, Weering-Eurack Landcare Group, Leslie Manor Landcare Group, Cundare Duverney Landcare Group, Weerite Landcare Group & Mount Elephant Community Management
25 Years of Changing the Leslie Manor Landscape
The Volcanic Plains In All Its Glory
Benetas Vetch Field Walk at John Steeles
Soil Condition & Stubble Incorporation Field Walk
Volunteer Platypus survey; Mount Emu Creek, Skipton
Friends of Teesdale Grassy Woodlands Inc Field Walk
Coming up
Lismore Land Protection Group monthly meeting
7:30pm Thursday 12th October 28 High St, Lismore
Mount Elephant Community Management meeting
7:30 pm Monday 9th October, Mount Elephant Centre
Mount Elephant open day
Open every Sunday from 1pm to 4pm
Leslie Manor Landcare Group Annual Meeting 8:00am Wednesday 18th October
Leslie Manor Fire Brigade Shed To be followed by visits to Milangil Stubble Incorporation Site (wheat stubble incorporated into soil & sown to beans) at James Christensons (previously David Manifolds). Paddock on East Hill Rd (3 kms west of Lismore – C’down Rd) 9:15 am Wednesday 18th October Benetas Vetch Field Walk at John Steeles
Kurweeton - Larra Rd, Larralea 10:30 am Wednesday 18th October
Meet at Johns House
John is using vetch as a break crop in the rotations, add nitrogen and add another enterprise to their operations. ALL WELCOME to attend whichever part or parts of the morning that interest you. For more information call Rod 0458 390146.
Cundare Duverney Landcare Group Soil Condition & Stubble Incorporation Field Walk Ross Alexanders 270 Cundare Duverney Rd 9.00 – 10.30am Tuesday 31st October
Now the crop is well established we are doing a follow up to inspect it across the treatments sites, and will look at a soil pit to discuss soil constraints and issues. For more info call Rod 0458 390146 or Justin 0498 388391
These events are supported through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.
25 Years of Changing the Leslie Manor Landscape
Looking over aerial photographs of the Leslie Manor area and comparing these to ones taken back in the 80’s, it’s easy to see the effect 20 to 30 years of revegetation plantings has had on the landscape. “When we came here in 1973 it was a bloody cold windswept place in winter” according to Rick Horsepole, President of Leslie Manor Landcare Group. “When the group started in the early 1990’s, there was hardly a tree to be seen, except for some sugar gum plantations and a few cypresses”. Now after about 25 years the group have established well over one hundred kilometres of shelter belts using a mix of native trees and shrubs. “We had a big burst in the early years of the group” says Rick. “At first we planted tubestock. Then we tried direct seeding for a few years, but found that with drier springs it became a bit too risky on soils that were either quite heavy clays, or fairly sandy and which dried out quickly”. Enthusiasm for plantings waned for a few years, but in recent years has shown a resurgence. The group is now planting over 12000 tubestock per year, to revegetate about 10 hectares per annum, and create 8 to 9 kilometres of shelterbelt and connecting habitat corridors. The number of tubestock planted is increasing year on year, with more landholders participating too.
While individually each planting seems small, collectively they create a significant mosaic of plantings spread across the landscape. Combined with the efforts of other landcare groups in the Corangamite Lakes Landcare area, these revegetation plantings are contributing to the establishment of important stepping stone linkages between the woodlands around Skipton and Linton, and the Enfield Forest in the north, with woodlands around Pomborneit, Jancourt Forest and Otway Ranges in south.
As the effects of climate change kick in, and make habitats in the north warmer and less conducive for particular species, our revegetation plantings will play an important role as a biolink for the movement and migration of fauna including birds, bats and other mammals, and even reptiles and amphibians southwards.
“Initially I only saw this as providing some shade and shelter on our farm” says participant Hugh Rahles Rabula, “but when you think about it in the context of the region, these few hectares of trees on our place become part of something much bigger. Now that our first plantings are 3 or 4 years old and starting to get some size about them you can start to see it”. “Having a diverse mix of trees and shrubs will encourage a wider range of bird life, and no doubt lots of other creatures onto the place, which I would like to think will give our young kids a greater appreciation of the natural environment” added Ona Rahles Rabula.
Funding for this years plantings have come from the Corangamite CMA Victorian Landcare Grants, and the Australian Government’s 20 Million Trees Program.
Volunteer Platypus survey; Mount Emu Creek, Skipton Wednesday 18th October 2017, 6pm Meet at the Skipton Mechanics Hall.
Volunteers are invited to participate in a platypus spotting survey to assist data collection for the Australian Platypus Conservancy (APC). The APC conducted a survey in Mount Emu Creek some years ago and found platypus were successfully breading within the Skipton township.
Meet at Skipton Hall for an informal chat about platypus, what to look for in the water, and allocate survey sites along Mount Emu Creek within Skipton township. Platypus are most active at dusk, so the survey will take place between 6:45pm and 7:45pm, then back to the Hall for a cupper and de-brief. Please note platypus are very shy creatures and difficult to spot. During the survey you will need to sit quietly and watch. No dogs please. Contact Shari McConachy from LLPG to register your interest. Ph 0409 070089 or email llpgsharim@westnet.com.au
The Volcanic Plains In All Its Glory
Spring is here and the remnant grasslands of the Victorian Volcanic Plains (VVP) will soon be in full bloom with an array of native lillies, orchids, daisies and other wildlflowers. However these remnants are a fraction of what was the Natural Temperate Grassland of VVP, stretching from Werribee to past Hamilton. Now less than 0.01% of the original extent remains. (That’s now 1 hectare for every 10,000 hectares that was once a sea of wildflowers and native grasses).
Temperate VVP grasslands are dominated by tussock forming grasses interspersed with a variety of wildflowers and herbs and patches of bare ground, typically on heavier, basaltic clay soils. When you see some of these remnant patches, you realise how special they are and imagine what it must have once looked like rolling across the plains.
Common Everlasting Milkmaids & Chocolate Lillies
https://victorianvolcanicplainscmn.wordpress.com/
Much of what remains of the VVP Grasslands are mostly small patches and highly fragmented, existing predominantly on wider 3 chain roadsides, unused roads, along old rail reserves or in cemeteries. Very little is in formal reserves, and relatively little remains on private land. These remnant areas have been fortunate not to be invaded by phalaris or other introduced grasses, sprayed or cropped, heavily fertilised, cut or burnt too frequently, continuously stocked, or cleared for development. Remnants on roadsides and in reserves are also fortunate to often have local landholders looking out for them, with local CFA’s helping to manage them with strategic burns.
Major threats to remnants are invasion by weeds (phalaris,), further loss due to clearing and cultivation, and inadvertent herbicide use or cultivation (eg for fire breaks). New threats are emerging, such as the highly invasive African Weed Orchid, serrated tussock and Chilean needle grass which have been found in some remnant VVP grasslands patches, so while it is tempting to walk through these areas, one needs to be very careful not to contact or spread such weeds.
The VVP Grasslands are listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999) due to their severe decline in extent, very restricted distribution, and very severe reduction in the integrity of the community. EPBC listing implies its’ long term survival is under threat, and aims to prevent further decline. These areas also often contain a number of rare and endangered plants, or provide habitat for rare or endangered fauna, which are also protected under the EPBC Act. These grasslands are also listed as “threatened”, and protected under State Government legislation as the Western Basalt Plains Grasslands.
For listing under the EPBC Act, an area needs to meet certain criteria in regard to its quality and intactness, (basically how diverse the flora is, the species present and amount of vegetation coverage).
On private land, EPBC listing does not prevent land managers from continuing to use their land in the same way as they have been before listing, providing they do not significantly change or intensify their activities, and that the activity is lawful. However any activity causing “significant disturbance” to an EPBC listed area requires special permits. Responsibility for management of remnant VVP grasslands on roadsides is under jurisdiction of State Government, in conjunction with local councils, Vicroads and CFA.
The Glenelg Hopkins and Corangamite CMA’s, and DELWP will be engaging contractors over the coming months to undertake weed control on remnant grasslands as part of their Linear Reserves Program, with funding from the Australian Government.
Friends of Teesdale Grassy Woodlands Inc - invite anyone curious to know anything at all about our native flowers, to join the annual wildflower walk on Sunday 15th October starting from the recreation reserve pavilion at 1 pm. The tour will be supervised by members of the committee who are familiar with the names and characteristics of many of the flowers.
Featherheads Running Postman
This newsletter has been funded by the Australian Federal Government’s “Victorian Volcanic Plains Small Grants” Program and the Victorian State Government “Local Landcare Facilitator Initiative”
Lismore Land Protection Group
19 High Street (PO Box 28) Lismore, Victoria 3324 Ph: 03 5596 2384 Landcare Facilitators:
Rod Eldridge: 0458 390146 email: llpgrod@westnet.com.au Shari McConachy 0409 070089 email: llpgsharim@westnet.com.au Find us on the Landcare Gateway here
