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
Lismore Land Protection Group AGM
Mount Elephant tree planting dates and AGM
Are We Bordering On The 6th Mass Extinction Event?
From the ground up: Regenerative Agriculture Conference
Lismore Land Protection Group Annual General Meeting
Thursday 8th August, Lismore Hotel
6pm Arrive and order meals 6:15pm Annual General Meeting – election of office bearers, president and financial reports
7pm Dinner, followed by Guest Speakers of Birds on Farms project – a citizen science monitoring program to learn about birds and their habitats on rural properties. Guest speakers include project coordinator Caroline Wilson and local participants Peter Chapman and Eleanor Lang.
RSVP to Shari or Rod for dinner numbers All welcome
Mount Elephant Dates
Mount Elephant Banksia, Sheoak and Bursaria
Seed Orchard Planting Day
11am – 3 pm Sunday 11th August, south side of the Mount off Heards Road.
If you would like to help, please register with Val Lang on vlang@ansonic.com.au or Geoff Henderson on 0419361390 with your name, contact details and availability for am, pm or all day to help with planning. BBQ lunch provided. All Welcome
Mount Elephant Community Management AGM
7pm Monday 12th August
Mount Elephant Centre, Mount Elephant.
All Welcome Please RSVP by 8th August for catering to Secretary Val Lang on vlang@ansonic.com.au or MECM President Geoff Henderson on 0419361390
GRDC Grains Research Update Derrinallum
Date: Thursday 22nd August
Where: Derrinallum Community Hall
Time: 9.00 am to 1.00 pm
Cost: $30 per person and $20 for subsequent people from the same business (GST inc)
Morning tea, lunch and proceedings included.
For more information or register contact Brett Symes 03 5441 6176 or visit https://www.orm.com.au/events
Are We Bordering On The 6th Mass Extinction Event?
If a 6 mile diameter asteroid was to hit the earth, most of us would probably notice it, but only for maybe a few seconds, or perhaps several hours or a few days. This last occurred about 60 million years ago, and was responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs, along with about 75% of other species present at that time.
A recent United Nations report shows we are currently experiencing a similar mass extinction, but maybe nobody will take much notice until some of the iconic species such as the elephant, lion, panda, or closer to home the koala are gone.
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services assessed changes over the past five decades, providing a comprehensive picture of the relationship between economic development pathways and their impacts on nature. It also offers a range of possible scenarios for the coming decades.
It was compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries, with inputs from another 310 contributing authors, and is based on the systematic review of about 15,000 scientific and government sources. The Report also draws (for the first time ever at this scale) on indigenous and local knowledge, particularly addressing issues relevant to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.
Based on a thorough analysis of the available evidence the Report identified and ranked the five direct drivers of change in nature with the largest relative global impacts so far, these being (1) changes in land and sea use; (2) direct exploitation of organisms; (3) climate change; (4) pollution and (5) invasive alien species. Some of the Key Statistics and Facts from the Report
The average abundance of native species in most major land-based habitats has fallen by at least 20%, mostly since 1900.
To date 75% of terrestrial environment and 66% of marine environments are “severely altered” by human actions
Global indicators of ecosystem extent and condition have declined by 47% against their estimated natural baselines, with many continuing to decline by at least 4% per decade
More than 85% of wetlands present in year 1700 had been lost by year 2000. The rate of loss of wetlands is currently three times faster, in percentage terms, than forest loss.
The current rate of global species extinction is tens to hundreds of times higher compared to the average over the last 10 million years and the rate is accelerating
From an estimated total of 8 million number of animal and plant species on Earth (including 5.5 million insect species), up to 1 million species are threatened with extinction, many within decades
More than 500,000 (+/-9%) of the world’s estimated 5.9 million terrestrial species have insufficient habitat for long term survival without habitat restoration
More than 40% of amphibian species are threatened with extinction
Almost 33% of reef forming corals, sharks and shark relatives, and more than 33% marine mammals are threatened with extinction
At least 680 vertebrate species have been driven to extinction by human actions since the 16th century
70% increase since 1970 in numbers of invasive alien species across 21 countries with detailed records
30% reduction in global terrestrial habitat integrity caused by habitat loss and deterioration
47% proportion of terrestrial flightless mammals and 23% of threatened birds whose distributions may have been negatively impacted by climate change already
more than 9% of all domesticated breeds of mammals used for food and agriculture had become extinct by 2016, with at least 1,000 more breeds still threatened.
“The overwhelming evidence of the IPBES Global Assessment, from a wide range of different fields of knowledge, presents an ominous picture,” said IPBES Chair, Sir Robert Watson. “The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.”
“The Report also tells us that it is not too late to make a difference, but only if we start now at every level from local to global,” he said. “Through ‘transformative change’, nature can still be conserved, restored and used sustainably – this is also key to meeting most other global goals. By transformative change, we mean a fundamental, system-wide reorganization across technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms, goals and values.”
“The member States of IPBES Plenary acknowledge that, by its very nature, transformative change can expect opposition from those with interests vested in the status quo, but also that such opposition can be overcome for the broader public good,” Watson said.
To read the full article or access the report visit https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report/
From Ground Up: Regenerative Agriculture Conference
Colac COPACC 18th – 20th September 2019
As the cost of inputs rise and the challenges of farming in a changing climate become more pressing, we need to find new approaches to managing our farm businesses. Regenerative agriculture can help you reduce costs by working with natural inputs and learning to work more effectively with natural processes to help improve your soil, pastures and livestock health.
Hosted by biodynamic farmer, grazier and 2018 Bob Hawke Landcare Award Winner Charlie Arnott, this 3 day conference introduces you to the fundamental principles of regenerative agriculture. The program includes presentations, panel discussions and field visits with a host of experts including Dr Christine Jones, Dianne and Ian Haggerty, Kym Kruse, Colin Seis, Grant Simms and Tammi Jonas.
18th Sept: Why do we need Regenerative Agriculture? What is the history of our landscape and what does this tell us about the future? What do we need to understand about our changing climate and how are communities coming together to respond to challenges?
19th Sept: How do we do Regenerative Agriculture? Foundational technical learning in building and maintaining healthy soils, ground cover and pastures.
20th Sept: What would my business look like? Hear about examples of successful regenerative agriculture businesses at all scales. Understand the challenges and opportunities that you might face. From the Ground Up: Growing Regenerative Agriculture in Corangamite is presented by Otway Coast Regenerative Farmers and supported by The Australian Government National Landcare Program, Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, Southern Otway Landcare Network and the Colac Otway Shire Council.
This program covers topics relevant to farms at all scales, production types and stages of business. Early bird tickets (for 3 days) are $225 and are available until 31 July. After this date, the full price will be $285. (Sorry, single day tickets are not available).
Price includes lunches, and morning and afternoon teas.
A 3 course Conference Dinnerat Otway Estate on Thursday 19 September will showcase produce from the Colac Otway district and including a guest speaker . DinnerTickets are $65.
For more details visit http://www.copacc.com.au/Events/From-the-Ground-Up-Growing-Regenerative-Agriculture-in-Corangamite
Please advise any special dietary requirements for the event and Dinner to copacc@colacotway.vic.gov.au
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
