SEASONS GREETINGS

The staff and committee at Murrumbidgee Landcare wish you all the best for Christmas and the New Year. With our ongoing and new projects we are looking forward to a great 2013 continuing to strive for a balance;  caring for land, community and sustainable and prosperous business.

Landcare resources
Funding opportunities
Competitions
Upcoming events
Landcare group meetings
Useful resources
News

LANDCARE RESOURCES

A range of practical resources are now available for Landcare community events and projects. Contact the Murrumbidgee Landcare (MLi) office or your Regional Landcare Facilitator to book items for use by your group. The items are available at NO COST. Their purchase was made possible through a joint project between MLi and the Murrumbidgee CMA with funds through the NSW government's Landcare Support Package.

Teardrop banner Teardrop banners are great for signposting your field day or meeting venue.

Landcare marquee 3m x 3m marquee with rear wall and half sides. Part of a field day kit.

A-frame sign These signs are great for displaying information about an event or arrows to provide directions to get to a venue.

Native Grasses: Identification Handbook for Temperate Australia By Meredith Mitchell. Third edition, 2002.

See the full catalogue of resources available for loan by Landcare groups.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

One Land: Many Stories.

The national biodiversity conservation prospectus, One Land – Many Stories: Prospectus of Investment (the Prospectus), presents the Australian Government's vision for conserving and managing Australia's valuable and most vulnerable environments. Read more.

---

2013 Coles Junior Landcare School Garden Grant now open

Coles are providing School Garden Grants of up to $1,000 to schools and youth groups to help create gardens in their grounds or community, such as bush tucker gardens, water wise gardens or veggie gardens. Read more

---

Grants to kickstart Indigenous Carbon Farming businesses open:

The Gillard Government’s new grants program to support Indigenous land managers in establishing carbon farming businesses has opened. Read more

---

Regional Development Australia Fund Rounds 3 and 4 open:

The Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) supports the infrastructure needs of regional Australia. Nearly $1 billion has been allocated to the program (with some funding subject to the Minerals Rent Resource Tax). The program funds capital infrastructure projects which are identified as priorities by local communities. Read more

---

COMPETITIONS

The Memory Muster:

Share your memories & WIN Recylce your old mobile with MobileMuster and let your memories live on - Read more

---

UPCOMING EVENTS

Frogs on farms.

5th February 2013. Kyeamba.

Come and hear Australia's frog expert, David Hunter talking about frogs on farms.Join us for a workshop and learn more about:

• frogs on your farm
• support frog habitat
• how a healthy frog population benefits your property

Read more

---

Hawkweed Hunt in Kosciuszko this summer -

Are you a weed warrior? Do you enjoy hiking through beautiful alpine wilderness? Want a holiday with a difference this summer? Join National Parks and Wildlife Service in the hunt for Orange Hawkweed in Kosciuszko National Park - Read more

---

1st International Controlled Traffic Farming Conference,

25 - 28 February 2013, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia REGISTRATION is now open. Read more about the provisional program and pre- and post-conference tours. Read more

---

LANDCARE GROUP MEETINGS

Upper Murrumbidgee Landcare Committee

Everyone is welcome to the Upper Murrumbidgee Landcare Committee (UMLC)meetings, held on the first Tuesday night of every second month at 6.30pm. Read more

Tarcutta Valley Landcare Group - Meeting:

Everyone is invited to attend a meeting of the Tarcutta Valley Landcare Group. Meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of the month, from 7.30 pm, at the Tarcutta RSL. Read more

Kyeamba Valley Landcare Group

Everyone is invited to attend a meeting of the Kyeamba Valley Landcare Group. Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, from 7.30 pm, at the Ladysmith Memorial Hall (Tumbarumba Road, Ladysmith). Read more

Southern ACT Catchment Group

Everyone is invited to attend a General Meeting of the Southern ACT Catchment Group (SACTCG). General meetings are open to everyone, and are usually held on the 4th Tuesday of every second month, from 4.30 to 6.30 pm. Read more

Wagga Urban Landcare Group

All Landcarers and interested people are invited to a meeting of the Wagga Wagga Urban Landcare Group. Meetings are held on the frist Wednesday of every second month, from 7.30 pm. Read more

Molongolo Catchment Group

The Molongolo Catchment Group usually meets the second Monday of every month, between 5.00 and 6.30 pm. Please feel free to come along and participate. Meetings are held at the Molongolo Catchment Group office, Unit 13, Cassidy Arcade, 72-76 Monaro Street Queanbeyan.Read more

Ginninderra Catchment Group

All are welcome to the Ginninderra Catchment Group meetings, typically held on the first Monday night of every second month at 5.30pm. Read more

---

USEFUL RESOURCES

<> Rebates and assistance easy-to-search database

Governments across Australia offer a range of rebates and other assistance to help you to live greener. This easy-to-use searchable database helps you quickly identify those you may be eligible for.

---

<> Greening Australia 2012 Revegetation guides

Greening Australia have developed a series of ‘how-to’ guides to support the successful implementation of significant revegetation and restoration programs being delivered around the country. There are several free-to-download guides, covering a range of ecosystem types.

---

<> PestSmart factsheets

The Invasive Animals CRC have developed informative factsheets for land managers on: Fencing for fox control and warren ripping for rabbit control.

---

NEWS

<> Get Bittern by biodiversity

Ricegrowers' Association & Birdlife Australia are undertaking a project to determine how the Australasian Bittern utlises rice crops and to raise awareness of the distribution of this unique and threatened species. Read more.

---

<> Erosion field day - Book Book, 11 December 2012

Around 20 people attended a hands-on field day in Book Book this week to learn about low cost methods for controlling erosion. Cam Wilson from Earth Integral demonstrated a ‘log ramp rundown’, used to prevent a gully head cut migrating further up a slope. Attendees came prepared with tools to help set up the demonstration site that will be revisited in coming years to monitor its effectiveness. Read more.

---

<> Clean Energy Regulator

The Carbon Farming Initiative allows land managers to earn carbon credits by storing carbon or reducing greenhouse gas emissions on teh land. Read more.

---

<> What does Landcare mean to you?

Delegates at the 2012 National Landcare Conference share their views on Landcare and what it means to them. Read more

---

<> Non-wetting trials confirm benefits of zero-till -

Western Australian CSIRO trial results show that zero-tillage with stubble retention can significantly boost crop yields on non-wetting soils. Read more

---

<> eFuture - Explore scenarios for Australia's electricity future.

At the click of a button you can explore future electricity scenarios and see how your choices impact Australia's electricity costs, technology mix and carbon emissions through to 2050. Read more

---

<> Water for wildlife in the Riverina rangelands -

Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc. has been successful in obtaining Caring For Our Country funding to establish trial habitat mitigation options for the Wah Wah pipeline. Waterbirds, turtles, kangaroos, bats and frogs are among the groups likely to be impacted most when the system of open channels and tanks is upgraded.Read more

---

<> 2012 National Landcare Conference videos now online

At the National Landcare Conference this year, Dr David Suzuki gave an inspirational talk to the audience, via live video feed. Dr Suzuki's speech, along with videos of the plenary sessions held throughout the conference are now available to view online. Each session has been broken into a series of shorter videos, for ease of viewing - perfect for watching while eating lunch or grabbing a quick break at work. Read more

---

<> Changes to DPI weeds training - 

Until December 2012 the Weeds Training Program is the delivery vehicle for relevant, high quality, nationally accredited training in a wide range of weed management subjects.  However, in December 2012 a number of changes to weed management training will take place. Read more

---

<> Feedback required on national silverleaf nightshade plan: 

GRDC Weed Alert - Feedback required on draft five-year national strategic plan for Silverleaf Nightshade. Read more