Murrumbidgee Landcare e-news No. 10 February 2012
Funding opportunities
- Monaro Landscape Connectivity project
- Community Action Grants now open!
- Coles Junior Landcare School Garden Grants
- Small Grants for Small Rural Communities
Upcoming events
- Binalong Landcare Group - Carbon Project meeting
- NSW Farmers Regional Forum - Wagga
- Conservation Agriculture Field Day - Parkes
- Grains Research Update - Narrandera
- Small Farm course - Southern Tablelands
- Carbon Farming Workshop - Wagga
- GRDC Grower Update - Yerong Creek
- Communities in Landscapes field day - Wellington
- Allan Savory's Holistic Management - Wagga
- Farm Innovation and Technology Expo - Deniliquin
Landcare group meetings
- Southern ACT Catchment Group - General Meeting
- Upper Murrumbidgee Landcare Committee - Meeting
- Kyeamba Valley Landcare Group - Meeting
- Tarcutta Valley Landcare Group - Meeting
- Junee Area Landcare Network - Meeting and AGM
- Ginninderra Catchment Group meeting
- Wagga Urban Landcare - Meeting
News
- MLi Annual Forum - Survey
- Proceedings of the 14th Annual Forum
- Murrumbidgee CMA - Next Generation CAP workshops
- Free weed app for Smart Phones
- NRM knowledge online digital archive
- Biochar - New report released
Funding opportunities
Monaro Landscape Connectivity project
The Monaro Landscape Connectivity project aims to work with land managers to actively manage patches of native vegetation across the Monaro region in the Murrumbidgee catchment. Interested land managers can also be involved in the application of Indigenous land management practices on their property, and participate in digital PlaceStories.
Community Action Grants now open!
Landcare and other community groups are invited to apply for a 2012 Community Action Grant, the small grants component of the Australian Government's 'Caring For our Country' initiative. These grants, of between $5,000 and $20,000, aim to help local community groups take action to conserve and protect their natural environment.
Community Action Grants are a fantastic opportunity for Landcare groups to get funding for local issues and projects. To see a list of recent recipients of these grants in our local area, and get ideas for your own project, click here!
Coles Junior Landcare School Garden Grants
The Coles Junior Landcare School Garden Grants offer of up to $1,000 to schools groups to help create gardens in their grounds or community, such as a bush tucker garden, water wise garden or veggie garden. All schools, kindergartens, daycare centers, and Scout youth groups are eligible to apply.
Small Grants for Small Rural Communities
The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) is again running the 'Small Grants for Small Rural Communities' program, offering up to $5,000 for projects and activities that offer clear public benefit for communities, with populations of 10,000 or less, living in small rural and remote locations in Australia, contributing to their development in social and community welfare, economic, environmental, health, education or cultural areas.
Upcoming events
Binalong Landcare Group - Carbon Project meeting
The Binalong Landcare Group invite members and guests to discuss the potential of the Binalong area for carbon sequestration. Using the data collected in the 1997 Binalong Land and Water Management Plan as a baseline, we can now start assessing the changes that have occurred with a view to determining the net carbon balance of the area and its potential to earn carbon credits. Farmers interested in participating in the project can identify their available data and processes needed to collect more data.
Monday 20th February, from 6.30 pm.
NSW Farmers Regional Forum - Wagga
NSW Farmers invite you to attend their Regional Forum, "Is there a future in food and fibre?" The Forum is part of their Touching Base Tour, and aims to give people a chance to have their say on what NSW Farmers do in the South West region.
Wednesday 22nd February, 2.00 to 9.00 pm (including dinner).
Conservation Agriculture Field Day - Parkes
A Conservation Agriculture Field Day is being held at Parkes Racecourse on Thursday 23rd February, from 8.30 am (demonstrations begin 9.30 am). The Field Day is supported by the Conservation Agriculture and No-Till Farming Association (CANFA), Farmlink Research, Central West Farming Systems (CWFS), and Central West Lachlan Landcare.
Grains Research Update - Narrandera
The GRDC Grains Research Advisor Update for 2012 will be held at the Narrandera Ex-Services Club, Narrandera, on Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th February.
Small Farm course - Southern Tablelands
The Mulloon Institute is holding a 4-day "Small Farm Land Planning" course to give small landholdes the tools to create a diverse, productive, re-hydrated and ecologically enhanced landscape. The course will be held across four very successful properties, where you can see and learn the design science that will integrate and enhance both production and ecology for your land and your goals.
The course will run from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm on the weekends of 10-11 March and 17-18 March. The venues will be four farms located in Braidwood, Gunning and Bungendore.
Carbon Farming Workshop - Wagga
The Carbon Farmers of Australia are running a 1-day workshop in Wagga on "An introduction to carbon farming and trading". The workshop will be presented by experts with hands-on experience, and will answer questions such as: What is carbon farming? What is the Carbon Farming Initiative? What is soil carbon, and how does it benefit agriculture? What markets are available for Australian farmers to trade farm-based offsets?
Tuesday 13th March, 8.30 am to 5.15 pm.
GRDC Grower Update - Yerong Creek
GRDC (Grains Research & Development Corporation) will be holding a Grower Update for the southern region at the Yerong Creek Bowls Club, on Wednesday 14th March 2012. The Grower Updates are about providing quality information on topical and practical issues relevant to the productivity and profitability of grain enterprises.
Read more
Communities in Landscapes field day - Wellington
Communities in Landscapes are holding a field day at Glenwood, the property of Pip and Norm Smith (2011 NSW Farmer of the Year). The day will cover what Communities in Landscapes has been doing to help local communities to work together to integrate conservation and production across Box Gum Grassy Woodlands.
Thursday 15th March, from 10.00 am.
Allan Savory's Holistic Management - Wagga
The long awaited Holistic Management program is coming to Wagga in March and April of 2012. This is the full three module program covering all aspects of land health and regeneration, ecosystem management and soil health, profitability and how to go about developing contemporary grazing management techniques for your farm. The program will be delivered by Mark Gardner, well known Holistic Management Educator, and will also include guest presentations by a number of experienced and practical landholders.
Many landholders in the Murrumbidgee CMA area will be able to attend at NO COST thanks to the sponsorship of this program by the Murrumbidgee CMA.
Farm Innovation and Technology Expo - Deniliquin
The Farm Innovation and Technology Expo will be held over two days in the Murray Valley Industry Park, Deniliquin. Come along to this showcase of innovation, knowledge and community capacity building, featuring over 50 major exhibits displaying the latest in innovative and technological advanced equipment, chemicals and information. The "Australian Year of the Farmer" roadshow will also be on display.
Friday 30th March.
Landcare group meetings
Southern ACT Catchment Group - General Meeting
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.
Upper Murrumbidgee Landcare Committee - Meeting
Everyone is welcome to the Upper Murrumbidgee Landcare Committee (UMLC)meetings, held on the first Tuesday night of the month at 6.30pm.
Kyeamba Valley Landcare Group - Meeting
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).
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.
Junee Area Landcare Network - Meeting and AGM
All Landcarers are invited to a meeting of the Junee Area Landcare Network, including the AGM.
The meeting will be held on Thursday 29th March, at the Junee Hotel. Dinner from 6.30 pm, meeting from 7.30 pm.
Ginninderra Catchment Group meeting
All are welcome to the Ginninderra Catchment Group meetings, typically held on the first Monday night of every second month at 5.30pm.
Wagga Urban Landcare - Meeting
All Landcarers and interested people are invited to a meeting of the Wagga Wagga Urban Landcare Group.
Date: Wednesday 4th April, 2012
News
MLi Annual Forum - Survey
Did you attend the 2011 Murrumbidgee Landcare Annual Forum? If so, we want to hear what you thought! Did you miss the Form? We want to know why!
We're keen to make sure that our future Forums are as relevant, useful and enjoyable as possible. But to do that, we need to know what you think. Please take 10 minutes to complete our Forum survey. There are 30 questions, and all questions are optional. We really appreciate your input, and will use it to make future events even better.
Proceedings of the 14th Annual Forum
Proceedings are now available from the 14th Murrumbidgee Landcare Annual Forum, in collaboration with the Kyeamba Valley Landcare Group, "Looking back, moving forward".
Murrumbidgee CMA - Next Generation CAP workshops
The Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) are inviting all members of the local community to get involved in developing the next generation Catchment Action Plan (CAP).
Free weed app for Smart Phones
GRDC (Grains Research & Development Coropration) has just released a free app for 'smart' mobile phones, which is designed to be used by growers in the paddock, to assist in identifying the most common weeds in southern Australia.
NRM knowledge online digital archive
The Australian Government has recently opened up a free access digital archive for publicly funded information derived from Australian Government investments in NRM.
Biochar - New report released
A new report, titled "Biochar - Implications for agricultural productivity", reveals biochar could help improve agricultural productivity and assist in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
