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Wodonga Urban Landcare Network

Bulletin

for September 2019

Workshops, Field Days and Courses

AWISE World Innovation Summit – Wednesday 4^th September
9am-3pm, The Cube/TAFE Space, Wodonga. Innovation isn’t just about technology. It’s the bringing together of ideas, people, and technology to delivery something special. AWISE World (or The Albury-Wodonga Innovation Summit & EXPO) is a one day event that will be held on Wednesday 4th September in Wodonga to explore, celebrate, and learn about advancements in innovation locally, nationally, and globally. It will also address how these advancements are impacting society and how we can embrace them for a positive future.
Keynote Speakers include;
-Michael Lappen, UTS Industry Advisory Board
-Michelle Mannering, Community Development Manager @ GitHub
-Lisa Ryan, Chief Technology Officer, Hume Bank
-Victor Perton, Chief Optimism Officer
The cost of the summit is $22, and includes attendance to all sessions and keynote speakers and a post summit networking event-as well as coffee, morning tea and lunch. A reduced attendance fee ($0) is available for tertiary students and association/not for profit organisations involved in education, employment and youth support. For more information or to book your ticket please see here.

AWISE World Innovation Expo – Wednesday 4^th September
10am-3pm, The Cube/TAFE Space, Wodonga.
The 3rd Annual Innovation & Technology EXPO, which is being co-hosted by Regional Business Hubs and Business Wodonga, is open to the public and will include a number of exhibitors and demonstrations from a range or local and national organisations including 3D printing, robotics, drones, AgSmart farming, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Cities, and AR/VR. Come along to;
-Hear from Industry,
-See new Technology,
-Learn new things, and
-Engage with People
Attendees of the Innovation Summit will have an opportunity to visit the EXPO and meet with exhibitors to learn about their innovation products and services. Admission to the EXPO is free. For more information please see here.

Bird Monitoring- Make it Count – Sunday 15^th September
11am, Old Murmungee Hall, Buckland Gap Road (On Corner of Rae Rd- look of signs) Murmungee. A fantastic opportunity for all those currently involved with bird monitoring or wishing to learn more the topic and become involved. Have your say and hear from experts about a range of topics including:
-The purpose of monitoring; why we do it?
-Field monitoring techniques; data recording and analysis
-Local birds of interest; threatened species
-What happens to collected data? How can we use it to help others working to   improve our environment?
-Other local programs that are benefitting our local birds.
After lunch there will be the opportunity to perform some short bird surveys in the local area so please wear appropriate footwear and clothing.
Lunch and afternoon tea will be provided. Please RSVP by Wednesday 11^th September, for catering purposes, to Sophie at swampsriversranges@gmail.com. For more information please contact the Project coordinator Sophie on 0447194399 or at swampsriversranges@gmail.com.

Wetland Plant Identification Courses – Starts 30^th October
Day 1: Wednesday          30^th October 2019 - 9am-4.30pm
Day 2: Wednesday          4^th December 2019 - 9am-4.30pm
Day 3: Wednesday         18^th March 2020 - 9am-4.30pm

Join course Facilitators Damien Cook and Elaine Bayes to observe the changing seasons and water depths of the stunning Reedy Lagoon, Gunbower Island over a 6 month period.   Each of the 3 days will focus on a different wetland habitat (wetting and drying) and associated plant community. This course is for anyone interested in wetland plant identification and ecology. The course runs over 3 separate days with each day running from 9.00am - 4.30pm.

Course content;

Participants will be provided with a colour wetland plant Identification field guide designed to assist with easy identification of the most common wetland plants.
At least 60% of the course will be run in the field identifying plants and discussing ecological drivers.
Practice using oral keys.
Examine different wetland vegetation zones, the plant types that grow within them and what influences them (hydrology, soil type, water chemistry etc).
Observe the same site as it transitions through the hydrological phases of; full, draw-down and drying.
Briefly relate how wetland plant ecology links to fauna, wetland connectivity, temporal variability (seasonal and annual) and nutrient cycling.

The cost of the 3 day program is $800 ($880 with GST), or $600 ($660) for Students or Landcare members (places strictly limited). The course will be held at Treetops, Spencer’s Bridge Road (off Cohuna-Koondrook Rd), Cohuna, Victoria which is located on the banks of Gunbower Creek. Field work will be conducted at Reedy Lagoon or nearby wetland and timed to follow environmental water delivery to ensure wetland plants are at their peak. For more information, or to book your place, please see here.

Opportunities to be Involved

Volunteers needed for Landcare Shed at Henty Field Days – 18^th & 19^th September
Set up basecamp at the HMFD Landcare Shed, mingle with Landcare volunteers from all over NSW and NE Vic for a volunteering shift, then head out to see what’s new at these amazing field days. Guaranteed an interesting day! Please let shed coordinator Paula Sheehan know if you can help paulasheehan@holbrooklandcare.org.au or 0407873396

Get involved with local Park Stewardship – Friday mornings 9-11am.
This year’s Parklands Volunteer Program is mixing it up to give people a taste of different environmental stewardship tasks. Working in a different park each week - from the urban to the wild and woolly - experience the ‘how to’ of caring for our bush parks and reserves.

Join in as Parklands Rangers take you through a variety of practical park maintenance/improvement tasks like planting, weeding and removing tree guards. At the same time, you will learn about the local environment and how our local land managers and community groups are working to protect threatened species, improve habitat and link habitat corridors across the region.

This is invaluable experience for those interested in, or studying for, an environmental career; a great chance to clear your head and get some exercise, or just a good way to give back to our community. All tools and any specific safety equipment needed is supplied. You just need to BYO drinking water. For your safety, please wear covered shoes (preferably boots), long pants, long sleeves and a hat.

Each Friday’s activity and site is listed on Ecoportal – please follow the links to register for the mornings you wish to attend. For more information contact info@parklands-alburywodonga.org.au

Join the Winton Wetlands Weekly Volunteer Days - Thursdays 9am-2pm
Winton Wetlands Reserve, Chesney Vale. Join the Friends of Winton Wetlands and Park Rangers for weekly working-bees at the Winton Wetland Reserve. Activities will include tree planting and environmental restoration projects each week. All tools and safety equipment will be supplied, A free lunch of toasties and coffee from the Hub Café will also be provided.
Get in contact with their office to register your interest or to discuss other exciting opportunities they have available! They can be contacted at info@wintonwetlands.org.au or on (03)57664462. More information on the Friends of Winton Wetlands can be found here

Waterfall Walk ‘n Talk – Wednesday 4^th September
9.30-11.30am, Klinges Hill, Wodonga. Walk the little known bush park on Klinges Hill for great views, lovely remnant vegetation and, if we are lucky with the season, a beautiful waterfall. An easy walk with some (optional) steeper sections. Parklands Albury Wodonga and Council staff manage this area and rangers will provide commentary as we walk. Please dress for the weather including hat, long pants and covered shoes. Morning tea will be provided, so leave time for a cuppa and chat after the walk. All are welcome. There is no cost for this event but please let us know you’re coming by registering here.
Directions: Turn left into Dansons Lane (dirt track) off Plunketts Rd. Look for the Landcare banner. See map here. Beware of using Google for this one – there are several different ‘Dansons’!
Organised by Parklands as part of the Wodonga Urban Landcare Network’s Walk ‘n Talk series 2019. This event is supported by the Victorian Government.

Native Pollinators Information Session – Wednesday 4^th September
6-8pm, Whorouly Recreation Reserve, Whorouly. Whorouly Landcare warmly invite everyone to come along to learn about pollinating insects, presented by Karen Retra. Karen is well known for her passion and knowledge about our local native pollinators. Karen will delve into the array of pollinating insects we encounter in our gardens and provide an insight into their lifestyle. This is an event not to be missed! This is a free event, but please register for catering here, or by calling Michaela on 0417 675 191. More information on Whorouly Landcare can be found here.

Friends of Chiltern Mt Pilot NP Field Day – Saturday 7^th September
9am-3pm, Chiltern area. Meet at the Chiltern Post Office. Join the Friends of Chiltern Mt. Pilot National Park for a day of activities in the park. Activities may include weeding, planting, maintenance of infrastructure, checking of nest boxes and more. All ages, levels of fitness and knowledge welcome. Contact Mick Webster on 0429 017 229 for more info and what to bring. More information on the Friends of Chiltern Mt Pilot National Park can be found here.

Repair Café – featuring Ski and Snowboard maintenance demo – Saturday 7^th September
10am-1pm, the Sustainable Activity Centre (Former Tourist Information Centre), Gateway Island. The Sustainable Activity Centre (SAC) Repair Café is a free meeting place to bring along broken household items such as furniture, clothing, battery-operated appliances, scratched CDs-DVDs and bikes and learn how to fix them with the help of experienced, volunteer repairers. You can also bring along small, blunt garden tools like secateurs and we’ll show you how to sharpen them. Maximum three items per person per session. As a once-off FREE special this month, Paul Oberin from Paul’s Ski Shop will demonstrate how to maintain skis and snowboards, including hot waxing and rub-on waxing, ski edge maintenance and base maintenance. People are welcome to bring their skis for advice or measuring of ski angles, but this is a demonstration only, so they won’t be worked on.
The demo will be held from11.30am-12.30pm. Numbers are strictly limited, so please book here. Please note we’re also offering costume jewellery repairs and soldering. More information on the Repair Café Albury-Wodonga can be found here. The Repair Café is proudly supported by Halve Waste.

Galore Hill Scenic Reserve with Albury Wodonga Field Naturalists – Sunday 8^th September
8.30am-4pm, Galore Hill Scenic Reserve, Fargunyah. Members are to meet at 8.30am at SS&A Car Park, Albury, before departing for Galore Hill. Located 13ks from Lockhart, Galore Hill is an impressive landmark that covers over 500 hectares of thriving bushland. A lookout tower on the summit offers panoramic views of the surrounding area, including Kengal (The Rock). Please BYO refreshments for the day. The leader for the day will be Veronica, please RSVP to her 02 6021 2120, or contact her with any enquires. For more information on the Albury Wodonga Field Naturalists Club Inc. please see here.

Dung Beetle Field Day Sunday – 8^th September
11am-2pm, 1317 Mitta Rd North, Mitta Mitta. Join Bernard Doube from Dung Beetle Solutions in South Australia as he releases the new Spring active dung beetles Onthophagus vacca and does a paddock walk and field day on the benefits, identification and care of dung beetles. All are welcome to come and learn more about these Farmers’ Best Friends at Alec and Judy Cardwell's. For more information and or to RSVP, by Friday 6th September, please contact Judy Cardwell on 040 0014 074 or Anita Reynolds on 041 9238 452 or at anitafreynolds@gmail.com

Native Grasses Field Day – Tuesday 10^th September
9.30am-2pm, Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre, Burrumbuttock. Join Corowa District Landcare and Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre to learn about the value of native grasses and participate in the planting out of our native grass trial plot.
Hear from Dr Meredith Mitchell from Agriculture Victoria on the value of native grasses in farming systems, and Darren Vincent from Native Seeds on approaches to establishing native grasses and cultivating seed. Free morning tea and lunch is also provided! Please RSVP to Courtney at info@corowalandcare.com.au

Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre Visit – Wednesday 11^th September
(8.45am)9.30am-2pm, Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre, Burrumbuttock. Wodonga Landcare members and volunteers are invited on a visit to the Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre. You will walk the native gardens with the Wirraminna volunteers, who will give everyone the inside story on the development and maintenance of the display gardens and seed production beds. Don’t forget to bring your gloves so we can pitch in with their jobs on the day! Meet at the Willow Park (Pearce St) carpark at 8.45am to carpool for the day. Please BYO picnic lunch, and gloves. Please RSVP to Anne at wodongalandcare@gmail.com so Wirraminna can know how many to expect.

The Regent Honeyeater Project Planting Weekend – Saturday 14^th- Sunday 15^th September
9am-3.30pm, Benalla. The Regent Honeyeater Project are excited to announce that they are now well funded for the next few years and that they can now advertise the dates for the planting weekends for this season. So, they need your help for another season of People Power in Action! So much great work has been done this year already, but there is still much more to do- check out their facebook page below for the latest updates.
As with last year they will be providing at no cost:
• Saturday evening meal
• Sunday lunch
• Accommodation at the Scout / Guide Halls in Benalla (mattresses supplied: BYO bedding) which will be available on Friday and Saturday nights.
• They will also conduct a tour of an established site, probably late on the Saturday.
For more information, please see the regent honeyeater facebook page here, or to RSVP please contact andie@regenthoneyeater.org.au

How to create a habitat garden – Tuesday 17^th September
6.30-7.30pm, the Sustainable Activity Centre (Former Tourist Information Centre), Gateway Island. Come along to hear Sue Brunskill, horticulturalist and co-author of Garden Guide for Albury Wodonga, share her tips on creating a wildlife-friendly garden. She’ll discuss designing for lower maintenance and water use, creating microclimates and how to attract native birds, lizards and pollinators. This free event is hosted by Gardens for Wildlife Albury-Wodonga and Seed Savers Albury-Wodonga (SSAW). Attendees will have the opportunity to access the SSAW seed bank after Sue’s presentation. For more on Seed Savers Albury-Wodonga please see here. More information on Gardens for Wildlife Albury-Wodonga can be found here

Wildflower Walk ‘n Talk – Wednesday 18^th September
9-11am, Castle Creek Conservation Reserve, Wodonga. Join members of the Wodonga Urban Landcare Network as Parklands ranger Danny Jones leads this Walk ‘n Talk into the beautiful bush reserve on Castle Creek Rd. In the springtime this is one of our most spectacular wildflower areas. Learn about the restoration work that has been done over the years to restore and improve this important habitat for threatened species.
This is an easy bush walk on earthen tracks in undulating – but not particularly steep – country. We will walk approximately 1500m in total.
Please dress for the weather including hat, long pants and covered shoes. Morning tea is provided, so leave time for a cuppa and chat after the walk.
All are welcome. There is no cost for this event. Please let us know you’re coming by registering here.
Directions: Follow Castle Creek Rd just beyond the suburban estates until you see a large Hayshed on your right and a row of mature farm trees on your left. Look for the Landcare banner.
This event is organised by Parklands as part of the Wodonga Urban Landcare Network’s Walk ‘n Talk series 2019. This event is supported by the Victorian Government.

School Strike 4 Climate – Friday 20^th September
11am-1pm, QEII Square, Albury. On September 20, three days before the UN Emergency Climate Summit, school students are inviting everyone to join them for their biggest ever global #ClimateStrike. To everyone who cares about a safe climate future, this is your invitation to join the Global #ClimateStrike - people around the world standing up to confront the climate crisis. By taking time off school and work together around the world, we’ll show our politicians that people everywhere want more done to combat climate change. For more information on the Albury event please see here, for more general information on the school strike for climate campaign please see the 350.org sponsored global climate strike website here.

Corowa Community Garden Spring Sale – Saturday 21^st September
9am-1pm, 24 Queen St, Corowa. Everyone is invited to come to the Corowa Tree of Life community garden Spring plant sale. They have a wide range of vegetable seedlings and ornamental garden plants. There will be worm juice and pulverised horse manure for sale. A bbq and devonshire tea will also be on offer as well as a Bric-a-brac stall including books. Home to some chooks, also featuring a frog pond and with a beautiful garden design including incredible mosaics, the Corowa community garden is a wonderful place to visit and relax. For more information on the Corowa Tree of Life community garden please see here.

Gordon Hartsman Park Walk ‘n Talk – Wednesday 25^th September
9.30-11.30am, Gordon Hartsman Park, Huon Creek Rd, Wodonga. Join members of the Wodonga Urban Landcare Network on an easy loop walk exploring the reclamation of House Creek in Gordon Hartsman Park. Find out what has already been done to improve the habitat values and amenity of the park, considerations in restoring habitat and plans for the future, with a ‘plain English’ guided tour. Come along for a casual walk and find out how local residents can be involved in restoring and improving habitat to this important linking corridor. Morning Tea will be provided after the walk. There is no cost for this event, and dogs are also welcome on a lead. Please dress for the weather!
Meeting place – ‘The Paddock’ in Huon Creek Rd just after the House Creek bridge. We will walk up on the paddock side of the creek and back on the paved path.

Tastes of the Garden – Friday 27^th September
12-1pm, Bhutanese Community Farm, Lemke Rd, Gateway Island. Join the Bhutanese Community Farm Catering team as they offer lunch al fresco at the farm over 4 winter Fridays. The team will be cooking fresh vegetarian curries and accompaniments featuring the vegetables and herbs grown on the farm throughout the year. Farm Rangers will also be there to answer questions about the Community Garden and show people around. Everyone is welcome, why not bring a friend or some work colleagues down to experience a unique Friday lunch at a minimal ($10.33) cost? Please book and pre pay here to let us know you’re coming. For more information on the Bhutanese Community Farm please see here.

Chiltern - Mt Pilot NP with Albury Wodonga Field Naturalists – Saturday 28^th September
9am-4pm, Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Chiltern. Members are to meet at 9am at Acacia Car Park (Woolworths High St) Wodonga, before setting off to the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park.
Please BYO refreshments for the day. The Leader will be the Club President, Neil, who always finds something different to show everyone when visiting the Park. Please RSVP to Neil on 0428 205 964, or contact him with any enquiries. For more information on the Albury Wodonga Field Naturalists Club Inc. please see here.

Our Native Garden Nursery Inc. Annual Spring Sale – Saturday 28^th September
10.30am-1 pm, Wodonga Waste Transfer Station, 29 Kane Rd, Wodonga. The Our Native Garden Nursery Inc. Annual Spring sale is on again with a lot of plants on special and some free plants to give away. Put it in your diary or planner now! If you're not already a Member of Our Native Nursery then now is the time to join, and support them as they continue to grow. Membership is free and easy. Just fill out this form, send it to them and you're in. You don't even need to renew - it's that simple. By joining, you will receive a member discount on plant purchases. Rather than pay $3.50 retail per tube, you will only pay $2.50 per tube.
The nursery is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10am - 1pm.
For more information, please see their website here (which also includes an available plants list), or call 0418 579 331.

Nail Can Hill Wildflower Walk – Sunday 29^th September
9.30am-12.30pm, Nail Can Hill, West Albury. Join local wildflower specialists at the annual Nail Can Hill Wildflower Walk. During spring, Nail Can Hill is one of the most spectacular areas for wildflowers in the Albury area. This event is a wonderful opportunity to experience the distinctive beauty of the Nail Can Hill wildflowers and this special woodland, right on our doorstep. Free guided walks with local wildflower specialists will be available for various levels of adventure – with 40 minute and 1.5 hour walks, plus children’s activities. Self-guided walks will also be available with local flowers labelled to help you learn and discover wildflowers in your own time. Discover flowers including chocolate lilies, parrot peas, rice flowers, yellow paper daisies, white milkmaids, exquisite native orchids and many more. Don’t miss your change to explore these beauties while they are out in full bloom. Booking information will be available closer to the date, keep an eye on ecoportal or the AlburyCity event page here.

Wildflower Walk ‘n Talk, Wodonga – Wednesday 2^nd October
9-11.30am, Castle Creek Conservation Reserve, Wodonga. Join members of the Wodonga Urban Landcare Network as Parklands ranger Danny Jones leads this Walk ‘n Talk into the beautiful bush reserve on Castle Creek Rd. In the springtime this is one of our most spectacular wildflower areas. Learn about the restoration work that has been done over the years to restore and improve this important habitat for threatened species. This is an easy bush walk on earthen tracks in undulating - but not particularly steep - country. We will walk approx 1500m in total. Please dress for the weather including hat, long pants and covered shoes. Morning tea is provided, so leave time for a cuppa and chat after the walk.
All are welcome. There is no cost, but please let us know you’re coming by registering here.
Directions to Meeting place: Follow Castle Creek Rd just beyond the suburban estates until you see a large Hayshed on your right and a row of mature farm trees on your left. Look for the Landcare banner.
Organised by Parklands as part of the Wodonga Urban Landcare Network’s Walk ‘n Talk series 2019. This event is supported by the Victorian Government.

Sandy Creek Rail Bridge Walk – Wednesday 9^th October
1.30pm (start time), Huon Reserve, Murray Valley Highway, Huon. Enjoy a leisurely walk from Huon Reserve on the Rail Trail along the shores of Lake Hume to the viewing platform of the iconic Sandy Creek Rail Bridge. Take in the spectacular views before returning to Huon Reserve for an indulgent afternoon tea in the company of your fellow participants. Walking distance is 6km. The cost for the event is a gold coin donation. This event is held as part of Wodonga City Council Seniors Festival, but everyone is most welcome. Please arrive a little earlier than 1.30pm to allow for registration. Enquires and booking can be made to joybayes@bigpond.com or on 0447 332 260.

Tallangatta Tall Treadle Treadle – Sunday 13^th October
8.45am-5pm, Tallangatta. Ever wanted to explore the magnificent forests of the Upper Murray on your bicycle – but thought it was too hard?? We have the answer for you!! Join with Parklands Albury Wodonga and Tallangatta Rail Trail Group to celebrate the completion of the restoration of the Dry Forest Creek Bridge and join the Tall Trestle Treadle ride. This year we plan to start the ride at Shelley Station and include a new section of the trail from Darbyshire to Dry Forest Creek. As in previous years, this ride is fully supported, includes morning and afternoon tea and lunch served along the High Country Rail Trail. Ride highlights include;
-Bused to Shelley station ride to Koetong Station: 10 kms, easy downhill riding through
magnificent native forest. Morning tea break.
-From Koetong station via Darbyshire to Dry Forest Creek. 19 kms, gentle downhill with
superb views of the historic trestle bridges. Lunch break.
-Old Tallangatta to Tallangatta: an easy 9 kms along the sealed section of the rail trail.
Afternoon tea at the Goods Shed.
Cost for the full day is $80- that includes transfers, morning and afternoon tea, and lunch! Bookings NOW open, they will close on 5^th October or sooner is buses fill up. For more information contact Kerry Love - 02 60712334 or Louise Coulston - 02 60712746
or email tallangattattt@yahoo.com.au or visit the high country rail trail website here.

Wildflower Ride ‘n Talk – Friday 18^th October
9-11.30am, High Country Rail Trail, Whytes Rd, Bandiana. Explore the remnants and revegetated bush corridor of the High Country Rail Trail out from Wodonga with native vegetation specialist Fleur Stelling. Ride an easy hour out and then back. There will be plenty of stops to identify bush features and discuss habitat highlights including the wetlands, native grasses and spring wildflowers along the way. The ride will be followed by morning tea back at the start at approx. 11am. Please BYO bike, wear closed shoes/boots, and bring a water bottle. This is a free event, but please register here as there are limited places available.
Meet on the Rail Trail at the Whytes Rd carpark and shelter, Bandiana. (Look out for our Wodonga Landcare banner).

Wise Water Ways 2019 – 28^th October – 1^st November 2019
George Kerford Hotel, Beechworth. The Wise Water Ways workshop is a five-day program with 20 professional presenters providing information, knowledge and skills to water way managers around best practice waterway management techniques. The workshop is aimed at those practitioners and community members that have a role in waterway management on the ground and through project planning to understand the complexities of undertaking water way management and assessment activities. Registrations are now open. For more information please see here,

Walk the regional bush tracks and trails with the Border Bushwalking Club

1^st September – Glen Creek Loop Walk, Glen Creek details here
16^th-17^th November – Buffalo Plateau Circuit, Mt Buffalo details here

Or, with the Murray Valley Bushwalkers

30^th August - 1^st September – Cocoparra Traverse, Cocoparra NP details here
16^th September – Back of Yack, Yackandandah details here
4^th-6^th October – Mt Bogong Backpacking, Mt Bogong details here

The Sustainable Activity Centre – Opportunities Still Available to Be Involved
Do you have some spare time, and would like to help make a difference in the Albury/Wodonga area? The Sustainable Activity Centre (SAC) still have several opportunities for people to assist with various events and activities coming up in the area. Opportunities include volunteering within the SAC during one of their many programs, or as a ‘host’ during open hours. Or, If you have a flair for small event management or a talent for motivating a team, they have a few projects that are in need of a passionate driver as a project leader. Even if you are unable to volunteer, you can still help out. The SAC is not government funded, but they still have expenses like rent and insurance to cover. Proceeds from the Replenish Store (Cleaning and Personal care products without the packaging) help to pay for some of these costs, so your patronage is helping the environment and keeping their doors open. Another way to help financially is to change to a local bank. The SAC bank is local and offers them Community Grants if any of their members open a payroll receiving account or take out a new loan or refinance a home loan. They will be using money raised in this way to kick start new projects through a mini grants program (more information to follow). Please contact them for more information. If you can help with any of these positions, please see here to take a very short survey outlining the available opportunities, or email admin@sustainableactivitycentre.com.au
More information on The Sustainable Activity Centre can be found here.

Grants and Funding

Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant – Closes Friday 6 September
Landcare Australia is proud to partner with Woolworths for a second round of Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants. These grants are now open and they are inviting Australian primary schools and early learning centres to apply for project funds of up to $1,000.
Over 500 grants will be offered to inspire kids from across the country to get hands-on with projects that focus on sustainable food production, improving waste management practices or enhancing native habitats. If your school or early learning centre is ready to grow the next generation of environmental champions, we encourage you to apply for a Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant for things like:

-a habitat restoration project
-planting a bush tucker garden
-planting a vegetable garden
-running a composting or recycling project

There are lots of different forms that the ideal project can take, and children are encouraged to be actively involved in the research and design process. Landcare Australia’s Junior Landcare Resources are a great place to find inspiration. For more information or to apply, please see here. For local contacts and ideas to develop your project please contact Anne at wodongalandcare@gmail.com or Karen wodongawaterways@gmail.com

On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Grant Package
The Victorian Government has now established the On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Support Grants. Grants of up to $5,000 (ex GST) are available to eligible farm businesses. The grants will assist farm businesses implement on-farm infrastructure that improves drought management and preparedness. Eligible farm businesses are required to provide at least a dollar for dollar matching funding co-contribution. Eligible infrastructure improvements will improve drought preparedness and better position the farm business into the future, including: - Items to construct a new or upgrade an existing Stock Containment Area

Reticulated water systems using pumps, tanks and troughs for livestock
Irrigation system upgrades
Grain and fodder storage
Farm monitoring technology
Feeding system upgrades

For more information, or the application form, please see the Rural Finance website here.

On-Farm Energy Tier-1 Grants – Closes March 2020 (or until funding is exhausted)
On-farm Energy Tier 1 Grants are now available to eligible primary producers. Tier 1 grants support projects that will improve energy efficiency, which may reduce energy costs and boost energy productivity. The grants will do this through actions including the purchase and installation of equipment that improves energy efficiency or enables own-generation capacity. The Government will provide a maximum grant of $50,000 (excluding GST). Grants will be provided on a $1 for $1 cash co-contribution basis (recipients are required to contribute at least 50 per cent of the total cash costs of the project).
To be eligible, primary producers must have had a type 1 or type 2 On-farm Energy Assessment. For full details and application details, please visit the On-Farm Energy Assessment application website here. If you're unsure about your eligibility or have a question about the application process please call the Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

On-Farm Energy Efficiency Grants
Primary producers in Victoria are invited to apply for an on-farm energy grant. The on-farm energy tier 1 grants are available to eligible primary producers until March 2020. You will need an on farm energy assessment, or an equivalent certified on-farm energy assessment conducted in the past 2 years, to access one of the grants in the Agriculture Investment Energy Plan. More information can be found here

Our Native Garden offer free native plants for schools and community groups
All you have to do is register your school or Landcare or community group with us and then whenever any teacher or parent from that school or community group member comes to the nursery to buy plants we will donate the same number of plants to their school or community group, to be picked up whenever convenient for the school or community group.

This is our special offer on ALL our plants at the nursery ALL YEAR: pay the retail price of $3.50 per tube and we donate 1 tube FREE to your revegetation or garden project. Send us an email or call or text Jill on 0419 732 390 telling us the name of your school or group and who is the contact person.

Recreational Fishing Grants
Small Grants (up to $5000) open all year round. This is the 16th year of the Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Accounts operation, which sees funds derived from the sale of recreational fishing licences collected and invested into projects that improve recreational fishing across Victoria. For more information email rec.fishinggrants@vfa.vic.gov.au Apply here.

The R E Ross Trust Grants
The grants work around 4 impact areas. For Landcare groups the most relevant area is impact area D; the protection and preservation of Australian Flora and Fauna. Organisations must first submit an expression of interest for consideration by the Trustees and may then be invited to submit a full application. Applications are considered all year round. For more information go to: http://www.rosstrust.org.au/grants/apply-for-a-grant/

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New Wodonga Council Community Forums – Starts 2^nd September
Wodonga Council is introducing community forums from next month as a way to engage and hear from the community. The community forums will be held on the first Monday of the month, five to six times a year with one to coincide with the draft budget and adjusted council plan exhibition period. The forums will provide the community with an opportunity to present to council on issues of importance to them and ask questions of councillors. It will also provide the council the opportunity to present to the community on key issues, projects or events in the city. The first forum will be held on Monday, September 2 at 6pm at The Cube Wodonga with a second forum this year to be held on November 4. The guidelines for the community forums and more information is on the council’s website here.

Review of 5 NSW Water Sharing Plans – Closes 16^th September
The Natural Resources Commission invites submissions on its review of the following five water sharing plans:
-Hunter Unregulated and Alluvial
-Lower North Coast Unregulated and Alluvial
-Peel Valley Regulated, Unregulated, Alluvial and Fractured Rock
-Greater Metropolitan Region Unregulated River
-Greater Metropolitan Region Groundwater

Submissions are to address five key questions in relation to social, environmental and economic outcomes, and opportunities for improvement. Submissions can be made by mail or email. To view one or all of the 5 water sharing plans, and the key questions, please see the NSW natural resources commission website here.

Albury City Draft Single Use Plastic Policy – Submissions Close 27^th September
Albury City are planning to phase out single use plastic and they would like your feedback on their Draft Single Use Plastic Policy. The Draft Single Use Plastic Policy aims to establish a framework for Albury City to phase out single use plastic in their operations, and at all events held on land owned or managed by them. Exemptions are also included in this draft Policy that may apply to ensure health and safety legislation are adhered to. Submission can be made by mail or email before the due date. To view the draft policy, or for more information, please see here.

Tourism North East Employer Survey
Staffing and employment issues are frequently reported as concerns for tourism businesses in North East Victoria. Tourism North East is conducting a survey of regional business to get a better understanding of issues facing the industry. If you employ staff and would like to share your experiences they would welcome your input. To take a brief, anonymous, survey (around 10mins) please see here

National Carp Control Plan – National Carp Survey
The Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC) is inviting you to take part in an important three minute survey. The National Carp Control Plan needs your help to record where you have seen carp aggregating in high numbers to plan future carp control programs. FRDC is coordinating a large program of research and consultation to identify a smart, safe, effective and integrated suite of measures to control carp impacts. A key focus of this process will be to explore the potential use of biocontrol measures. For more information or to take the short survey please see here.

Resources and Inspiration

2019 Victorian Landcare Awards
The winners of the 2019 Victorian Landcare Awards were announced at the Landcare Awards ceremony held on Friday 30 August 2019 at Government House in Melbourne. All the winners were presented with their awards by Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AC Governor of Victoria and Hon. Lily D'Ambrosio MP, Minster for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, as well as by the sponsors of the sponsored awards.
To read about each of the winners download the 2019 Victorian Landcare Awards Winners booklet via https://www.landcarevic.org.au/resources/victorian-landcare-awards-recipients/2019-victorian-landcare-awards-winners-booklet

National Landcare Week – 2^nd - 8^th September
Landcare is celebrating its 30^th year of people working together to increase biodiversity and promote the sustainable management of land. Keep an eye out for local Landcare Week events happening near you!

Biodiversity Month – 1^st - 30^th September
Biodiversity Month is held in September each year and aims to promote the importance of protecting, conserving and improving biodiversity both within Australia and across the world.
Biodiversity has been described as 'the web of life' and 'the variety of living things'. Simply put, It's all around us.
From our bushland, our waterways and oceans and our towns and cities, all the varied living things on this planet of ours fall under the umbrella of biodiversity. For more information on Biodiversity month please see here.

Regent Honeyeater Captive Release Project Update #35
2 years + on from the 2017 release, and the positive news is still coming. Another instance of a captive bred male pairing up with a wild female has been recorded. Those who receive the Regent Honeyeater project newsletter may recall a similar scenario late last year where this project was the first to document the successful breeding (two young raised) between a wild female and a captive bred male. Here’s hoping the same will happen again!

Putting Old Bikes to Good Use
As the old Community Recycle Works has shut down, Envision Australia as taken over to help stop old bikes ending up in landfill. Old bikes delivered to the Albury Recycling Centre are getting new lives to help the long-term unemployed not only gain new skills- but transport too. AlburyCity staff are collecting the bikes and providing them to environmental and humanitarian organisation, Envision Employment. Envision uses the bikes to provide valuable training in repairs and repurposing to long-term jobseekers. Some of the rebuilt bikes are donated to charities and others are given to jobseekers as transport so they can get to and from training opportunities and job interviews. Anyone who wants to donate bikes to a good cause can drop them off for free at the recycling centre at 2/321 Kiewa St, Albury. The bikes don’t have to be in full working order as part of the training process involves teaching mechanical and recycling skills to participants. Envision is a leader in recycling. Apart from bike repairs, one of its major functions is to recycle bottle tops that are used to make prosthetic hands to be donated to children. For more information on Envison please see here.

Moth feared lost rediscovered
Feared lost forever, the kauri moth Agathiphaga queenslandensis has been rediscovered near Rainbow Beach in southeast Queensland. The tiny caterpillars of this species spend their larval lives inside the seeds of mature kauri pines. Then they emerge as adults with a wingspan of just 12.5 mm. Known from locations in southeast Queensland and inland from Cairns, none had been seen since the 1980s. Working with Cooloola Coastcare, retired CSIRO scientist Don Sands recently collected around 100 kauri pine seeds near the three remaining large kauri pines at Rainbow Beach. Cutting around 20 seeds open under a microscope, he found a single caterpillar that looked like a mature larva of this long-lost moth. He sent the specimen to our Australian National Insect Collection, where staff extracted DNA and sequenced a region of the mitochondrial genome known as a DNA barcode. Comparing this new sequence to one held in in the barcode library, it was confirmed to indeed be a match for the moth Agathiphaga queenslandensis. 'The really exciting thing about this news is that moths of the genus Agathiphaga represent a very isolated and old, dinosaur-aged lineage of moths,” Dr Andreas Zwick of our insect collection said. The kauri moth is thought to rely entirely on the kauri pine for its survival. Kauri pines are a native species of conifer that was heavily logged in the past. The handful of A. queenslandensis moth specimens in our Australian National Insect Collection were collected between the 1940s and 1980s. They are from remnant populations of kauri pines in small areas in southeast Queensland and inland from Cairns. Read more about this exciting discovery on the CSIRO page here.

The (Not So) Secret Sex Lives of Files
Just what does it take to get flies in the mood? CSIRO and Goterra are trying to answer that very question, in a bid to cut down food waste. They tested everything from lighting, temperature, moisture, surface texture and diet to see what got the Black Soldier Flies more interested in each other. The research was conducted at Canberra waste management start-up, Goterra. They breed Black Soldier Fly maggots to eat through food waste, which then turns it into compost. Goterra is all about driving Australia towards a circular economy for food production. And breeding insects is critical to their vision. In essence, more eggs equals more flies. More flies means more ways to eat through food waste, reduce landfill, reduce emissions from transporting food to landfill and more ways to enrich soils with nutrient-rich fertiliser. Entomologist Dr Cate Paull said they placed cameras in the cages and changed the conditions over time. They could then see when activity increased and decreased. Goterra CEO Olympia Yarger said Australia is at risk of falling behind other countries, who are ahead of us in progressing towards a circular economy (an economy which minimises waste by making the most of resources). See more of the story on the CSIRO website here.

New learning opportunity - Grad Cert in Fish Conservation and Management
Charles Sturt University has announced a new course, the first for Australia, focusing on freshwater fish and river development. Based out of Albury and starting in 2020 it will be delivered as a Graduate Certificate and can be completed either full time over six months (four subjects) or over a year part time (2 subjects per semester). For more information please see here.

What to do with plant pots - Wodonga
Black poly tubes/pots from Our Native Garden can be returned for re-use.
Large and small black/red poly pots can be recycled in your recycling bin.
Hiko trays (40 plants) and the large rectangular trays which carry 50 tubes should be returned to your supplier – these are cleaned and re-used. Please contact wodongalandcare@gmail.com if you have any of these and would like to arrange return.

Managing Vegetation In and Around Waterways Factsheets
Large wood (snags) and native vegetation (instream, bank and riparian) play an important role in influencing the health of rivers, estuaries and wetlands. Taking wood or removing trees, shrubs and reeds from the bed and banks of waterways and from riparian land typically leads to poorer water quality, eroded riverbanks and degraded environments. In many parts of Victoria, catchment management authorities (CMAs) and Melbourne Water are working in partnership with local communities and landholders to put wood and vegetation back into our waterways and riparian areas.
Landholders are sometimes concerned about the potential for flooding which may be caused by instream wood and vegetation in and around a waterway. As a result, The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) have developed a series of fact sheets which include information for the community about managing vegetation and information about approvals that may be required in its management. The series of factsheets cover:
- Managing vegetation and large wood in and around waterways: overview and approvals required
-Large wood (snags) and flooding
-Instream vegetation and flooding
-Riparian (streamside) vegetation and flooding
They can be accessed in either pdf or docx format. To view or download any of the series please see the DELWP website here.

Local Flora and Fauna Guides Available from DELWP
If you missed out on a handy ‘Woodland birds of North East Victoria’ guide at the Gardens 4 Wildlife event held recently, they are available free of charge at the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) office at 1 McKoy St Wodonga, during office hours. There are also similar guides on wildflowers, reptiles and frogs, freshwater fish, crayfish and turtles also available.

Wodonga Regional Waterway Action Plan: The new Waterway Action Plan for Wodonga’s local waterways is now available on the WULN website at https://wodongalandcare.org.au/information/ The Waterway Action Plan contains valuable information about the current trajectory and management of our waterways and what we can do to improve them, with detailed sections for each waterway in the Wodonga LGA catchment.

Wodonga Plants Lists available: WULN now has a live plant species listing on our website. It is a simple listing of local area plants divided into plant types, with live links to relevant photos (mostly courtesy of the Friends of the Chiltern Mt Pilot National Park) and plant notes (mostly from Woolshed-Thurgoona Landcare). Thanks to volunteer Penny Wladkowski for putting these lists together for us.

Indian Myna Traps available:
Invasive Indian Myna birds have moved in to Castle Creek and West Wodonga. Once established, these birds will gather in large flocks, causing property damage by nesting in roof spaces and creating large accumulations of droppings. They carry diseases dangerous to human health, eat and contaminate livestock and poultry feed, and aggressively out-compete native birds, possums and gliders for food and nesting sites. Please check for Indian Mynas in your garden and consider borrowing our trap to assist with control.
WULN now has 2 Indian Myna traps. These are available for borrowing, with full instructions. Contact wodongalandcare@gmail.com

Welcome to WULN

The Wodonga Urban Landcare Network is very pleased to welcome our newest member group Friends of Wodonga Rail Trail - Community volunteers caring for the rail trail corridor in urban Wodonga.

We also welcome new Associate School members
St Francis of Assisi Primary,
Wodonga Senior Secondary College, and
Catholic College Wodonga.
- Providing opportunities for young people to connect with nature and make a difference in our local environment.

Our thanks to WULN volunteer Beck Humphries, Bulletin editor.