Greetings Christmas Hills Landcarers
This newsletter is to update you with news and events related to Christmas Hills Landcare.
Included in this newsletter:
1. Next landcare event - "Beating boneseed" - Sunday, 29th August
2. Reminder to express your interest in potential Christmas Hills Landcare projects - by Friday, 20th August
3. Course in Farm Chemical use - Expressions of Interest due by Friday, 20th August
4. Christmas Hills Landcare gets published
5. You are invited to the Port Phillip and Western Port Landcare Awards Presentation and Celebration - Saturday, 11th September
1. Next landcare event - "Beating boneseed" - Sunday, 29th August
Boneseed is regarded as one of Australia’s worst weeds and seedlings of it are currently proliferating in parts of Christmas Hills.
At this event we will focus on recognising and removing boneseed from the properties of Linda and Paul Melling who own a significant area of land with remnant vegetation along Skyline Road.
With the current damp soil conditions we expect to find that these seedlings are relatively easy to pull out by hand. Although we will focus on boneseed, we will also identify and control other woody weeds species that we encounter.
More details in the Christmas Hills Landcare Events section here.
2. Reminder to express your interest in potential Christmas Hills Landcare projects - by Friday, 20th August
With a funding opportunity currently open to us, the Christmas Hills Landcare Group needs to know if there is sufficient interest from landholders in participating in either of two potential projects being considered.
One project is looking at building on the group’s existing targeted rabbit control program, and the second is looking at improving our knowledge of native fauna that occurs in Christmas Hills. You can indicate which of these potential projects you may be interested in, and the extent to which you think you could be involved.
The way to let us know of your interest is to complete and return the Expression of Interest form you should have received in the mail (if you are in the Nillumbik shire area). Please also encourage your neighbours who may not be group members to do the same.
A copy of the letter and Expression of Interest form are also available on our website here.
To be able to meet the funding application deadline we need the responses no later than Friday, 20th August, 2010.
3. Course in Farm Chemical use - Expressions of Interest due by Friday, 20th August
The successful grant application that has provided the Christmas Hills Landcare Group with funds to purchase a lockable covered trailer, and equip it with a range of tools, also includes a component that will fund up to 10 people from Christmas Hills to get accredited training in the safe handling of farm chemicals.
This training will be delivered by the Agriculture and Animal Science department of the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT), and completion of this course will qualify the participant to register for an Agricultural Chemical Users Permit (ACUP) in the primary industries. The course is expected to require two full days of training.
We need to know who is interested in doing this training, and which options for delivery of this training will suit those who are interested.
If you are interested in doing the training, please let me know via email by Friday, 20th August, which of the following options suit you (please indicate all options that might suit you):
If you are indicating any of the last three options as being suitable, please also indicate the dates of any of the Saturdays or Sundays that do not suit during October and November.
4. Christmas Hills Landcare gets published
The Winter 2010 edition of the Victorian Landcare Magazine features bushfire recovery, and is now out. This edition includes an article on the Christmas Hills Landcare Group and the role it played in recovery after the bushfires. All financial members of the group should have received a copy in the mail by now, but it will also be available shortly in PDF format online here. I have also been provided with some extra hard copies, so if anyone would like extra copies, please let me know.
5. You are invited to the Port Phillip and Western Port Landcare Awards Presentation and Celebration - Saturday, 11th September
Come celebrate and be inspired by the 2010 Port Phillip and Western Port Landcare Award nominees and winners, and while doing so, enjoy great speakers, fabulous food, fantastic entertainment, and catch up with other landcarers.
Master of Ceremonies - Joan Kirner AM – former Premier of Victoria and co-founder of Landcare
Joan Kirner is perhaps best known as Victoria’s first female Premier, but she can also claim some significant environmental initiatives. In 1986, as Minister for Conservation, Joan and Heather Mitchell (first female president of the Victorian Farmers Federation) established Landcare, and in 1988 Joan oversaw the introduction of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, the first Australian legislation to give legal protection to threatened species. With Moira Rayner in 1999, Joan co-authored the best selling Women’s Power Handbook, and maintains a strong interest in social justice, equity for women, the arts and landcare.
Keynote Speaker - Dr Rhonda Galbally AO – Director, Rhonda Galbally Associates and former CEO of Our Community
Rhonda will share her insights into community leadership. Rhonda has spent much of her life working to strengthen non-profit, education and community organisations, applying her vast experience in organisational development and management, strategic policy and program development, capacity building, fundraising and grant-making. Rhonda’s list of achievements is impressive – she established VicHealth (using the tobacco tax for health promotion), and the Australian Commission for the Future, and has held the positions of Executive Director of the Myer Foundation and Sidney Myer Foundation, and Chair of Philanthropy Australia. To community groups however, Rhonda is probably best known as the former CEO of Our Community, a hub of resources, training and advice to help improve the operational and governance capacity of Australia's community organisations in fundraising, grant-seeking, governance, marketing and formation of partnerships with business and local, state and federal governments.
Program
9:30am Registration and morning tea
10:00am Welcome to Country and Jindi Worobak (Wurundjeri dance troupe)
10:30am Keynote Speaker: Dr Rhonda Galbally
11:15am Presentation of the 2010 Port Phillip and Western Port Landcare Award winners
12:00pm Lunch and networking
When: Saturday 11 September, 2010
Time: 9:30am morning tea for a 10am start, ending with lunch from 12noon to 1:30pm
Where: ZINC @ Federation Square, cnr Swanston & Flinders Streets, Melbourne. ZINC is on the bank of the Yarra River (Melway Map 1B Q11)
Cost: This is a free event – morning tea and lunch provided, childcare also available
RSVP: Please RSVP by Monday, August 23. You can RSVP online here, or by telephone to the PPWCMA on 8781 7900
Prefer not to drive?
Public transport:
The venue is a 5 minute walk from the Flinders St Station and tram stop.
Free buses:
If there is sufficient interest, we are happy to organise a bus to pick people up from designated locations.
Please register your interest in using this service when you RSVP and we will contact you with more details.
Driving in?
All day car parking is available at Federation Square ($10 per day), accessible from Russell Street or Batman Ave (Exhibition Street, City Link).
Got young kids?
Qualified childcarers will be arranged to supervise children (up to 12 years old) at a venue in the Federation Square precinct for those who register their interest. Please register your interest in accessing childcare when you RSVP and we will contact you with more details.
Please RSVP, preferably online here, by Monday 23 August 2010