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 - an evening with neighbours, art, chat and pizzas - Saturday, 11th December
2. CHills
Lounge and CERAP launch - Friday, 3rd December
3. Winneke Treatment Plant Open Day – Saturday, 11th December
4. CHLG Projects update
5. 2010 -
2011 CHLG membership reminder
6. Nillumbik thank you to environmental volunteers - Wednesday, 1st December
1. Next Landcare event - an evening with neighbours, art, chat and pizzas - Saturday, 11th December
The next Landcare event is the
end-of-year get together for a sociable and informal reflection on the
year, and for thinking about next year.
The group will be providing pizzas for all, and Margo Heeley (one of our many talented members) will be showcasing some of her botanical artwork.
We also expect to be able to show off the new tool trailer and all its
contents, as well as some of the new fauna monitoring equipment.
BYO drinks and salad or dessert to share, and you can also throw in the bathers and towel if you feel up for a swim.
It all happens from 3pm to about 8pm at Pip and Doug's on Saturday, 11th December - more details in the attached flier
2. CHills
Lounge and CERAP launch - Friday, 3rd December
CHills Lounge is on again from about 5:30pm this Friday, 3rd December at the Christmas Hills North Fire Station, corner Ridge and Muir Roads.
A project that offers our community a fantastic opportunity to create a
shared plan for
managing the land and local environmental values that we collectively
share and care for will be launched at 7:00pm at the CHills Lounge this
Friday, 3rd December.
The Community Environmental Recovery Action Plan (CERAP) project seeks
to involve the people of Christmas Hills in developing a land management
and bushfire recovery action plan for much of the Watsons Creek
catchment. CERAPs for each of the Strathewen and St Andrews communities
are also being developed.
This project seeks to take into account the Christmas Hills community's
views on our local environmental assets, land management and bushfire
safety, to develop a plan that provides clear guidance to landholders in
Christmas Hills for land and environmental management and fire recovery
actions.
You are invited to the launch of the Christmas Hills CERAP, and to meet
the project's consultant team, to learn more about the project and to
discuss opportunities for involvement. The launch will form a small part
of the regular social gathering ‘CHills Lounge’ for December. In
support of the launch, the Shire of Nillumbik is kindly providing pizzas
from 6:30pm.
For further information on the Community Environmental Recovery Action
Plan for Christmas Hills, please contact Kirraly Moran, Rural Extension
Officer, Nillumbik Shire, on 9433 3328 or
Kirraly.Moran@nillumbik.vic.gov.au
3. Winneke Treatment Plant Open Day – Saturday, 11th December
Not a lot of detail currently
available, other than the fact that Melbourne Water will be opening the
Winneke Treatment Plant at Sugarloaf Reservoir to the public between
10am and 2pm on Saturday 11th December. They are also putting on a
barbecue.
4. CHLG Projects update
- Tool trailer - a new lockable,
van-style tool trailer has been purchased, as well as a range of weed
and pest animal control tools and equipment, and the trailer has been fitted out to accommodate its cargo.Still
to do is decorating the trailer with some Christmas Hills Landcare
Group badging, getting the trailer and contents insured, and documenting
some lending protocols. A big thank you to Kevin Heeley for organising all this.
- Rabbit program - the ferreting component of the program has
been significantly affected by our recent run of wet weekends. At this
stage we still aim to complete the ferreting component before moving
onto the baiting and warren collapsing components, although further
delays may mean moving on without completing the ferreting.
- Community
fauna monitoring project -
our funding application was successful so we expect to see local
landholders start using state-of-the-art monitoring methods to detect
some
of the harder to see species of native fauna that call Christmas Hills
home sometime in 2011. We will be getting 50 nest boxes and other
artificial habitat for Common Dunnarts, 6 motion-sensing
cameras, and sound playback
equipment for playing recorded calls to detect the
presence of birds and frogs either by listening for return calls, or identifying species attracted to the calls. Participating
landholders will take it in turns to use this equipment on their properties to
see what fauna species they can detect. We plan to use a web-based community portal for landholders to record their findings for sharing with the wider community.
5. 2010 - 2011 CHLG membership reminder
Ongoing membership of the Christmas Hills Landcare Group is an
important way to demonstrate your support and ensure you are kept
informed of news and activities. Membership for the first year is
$20.00 and gets you a group member gate sign, after that it is $10.00
per year. Memberships run from 1st July to 30th June each year, and
this is the first call for membership renewals for the current year.
The current 2010/11 members are:
Peter and Jane Russ
Doug Evans and Pip Charlton
Veronica Holland
David Lang and Joan
Stephens
Robyn Adams and Dianne Simmonds
Jo Hayter and Adrian
Dyson
Jackie Hamlet
Douglas and Helen Bell
Mick and Suzanne Craine
Linda and Paul Melling
Neroli Merridew
Richard and Margie Forster
Noreen and David Evans
Kay and Rod Armstrong
Sarah Hammond and Rhys Morgan
John Devling
Judith Ellerton
Rob Shackleton and Linda Joyce
Darren Bennett and Vanessa Reid
Deb Wadsworth
Tony and Brigid Bell
Greg Bourne
Angie and Greg Macmillan
Paul and Jenny Mitchell
Joane Sharman and Tomas Clark
If your name is not on this list, please see this simply as a reminder
that your membership renewal for the 2010/11 is now due.
Your continued support in the form of a $10 membership renewal payment
(or $20 if it is your initial membership) is very much appreciated.
Please pay Rob Shackleton if you see him, or send a cheque made out to
"Christmas Hills Landcare Group" to P.O. Box 274, Yarra Glen, 3775.
6. Nillumbik thank you to environmental volunteers - Wednesday, 1st December
It may now be too late to get a spot at this free event, but if someone is keen feel free to try.
The Mayor and Councillors of Nillumbik Shire Council would like to
invite you to come and celebrate the achievements of environmental
community groups and volunteers in 2010
Date: Wednesday 1 December 2010
Time: 7pm-9pm
Venue: St Andrews Hall, Proctor Street, St Andrews
RSVP: by Monday 22 November to Environment and Strategic Planning Administration on 9433 3316.
Drinks and a light supper will be served.
Please note that there is a limit of 5 representatives per group
