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So far Phil Darton has created 52 blog entries.

West Gippsland Dung Beetle Project

Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network (LCLN) and Maffra and District Landcare Network are looking for landholders interested in monitoring dung beetle populations on their property.

There is a knowledge gap in what beetle species we have in our region and where they occur. This project will directly this, involving the community to increase their capacity to protect existing dung beetle populations, as well as exploring the option of a beetle exchange.

An expression of interest form is available for landholders interested in partaking in this project. The form is at the link (below) to the project information on the Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network website.

For more details or any questions please contact the LCLN project officer:

Kelsey Tong

P: 0484 000 614

E: kelsey.tong@latrobe.vic.gov.au

 

Link to forms and more information:

https://www.lcln.com.au/west-gippsland-dung-beetle-project

West Gippsland Dung Beetle Project 2023-04-04T15:12:13+10:00

Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network eNews February 2023

The link below will take you to the monthly eNews from Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network.

It is full of information about what is happening across the catchment including up coming events.

Of particular interest might be the availability of funding for a Shade and Shelterbelt project in 2023

You can also catch up with earlier news articles from this link

https://mailchi.mp/594eb120ecc4/enews_february_2023

Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network eNews February 2023 2023-02-10T16:15:46+11:00

We Need Your Help – Tell us what interests you

Now that the Covid restrictions are behind us, Neerim District Landcare is wanting to restore its community activities, workshops and information sessions.

For more than 25 years, Neerim District Landcare has initiated local community action and learning programs targeting the four core Landcare themes:

  • Sustainable Farming
  • Land management
  • Pest plant and animal control
  • Support for local wildlife

The group has a simple purpose – to encourage a sustainable, integrated approach to agriculture and the environment in our region.

Our goal is to build capacity in our community to better manage the land and water assets that sustain us by developing and implementing programs that are practical, deliverable and community focussed.

We want your help, by telling us, what areas and topics are of interest to you.

This will assist us to provide relevant and interesting activities, guest speakers and information on topics of local importance.

To let us know your preferences, to request further information or to register your interest in participating please do one of the following:

Download the document in the link at the bottom and mark your preferences on it and then either send it to:

info@ndlg.org.au

or post the physical sheet to:

PO Box 68

Neerim South. 3831

 

A hard copy version of this notice is also being sent to letter boxes across the district. You can respond using that.

SUGGESTED AREAS OF INTEREST ARE:

BIODIVERSITY

  • Native bird identification
  • Building nest boxes
  • Farm walks on properties with high quality biodiversity
  • Plant identification
  • Threatened species
  • Monitoring water quality on your farm

LAND MANAGEMENT

  • Benefits of shelterbelts for farm productivity
  • Propagating and/or seed collection
  • Farm dam rehabilitation
  • Woodlot development

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

  • Soils
  • Benefits of multi-species
  • Healthy foods – healthy people
  • Permaculture

PEST PLANT AND ANIMAL CONTROL

  • Pest animal management and control
  • Invasive plant management
  • Alternative weed management (low chemical)
  • Agricultural Chemical Users Permit (ACUP) courses for landowners

 

NAME    …………………………………………………………………..

ADDRESS   ………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………

PHONE       ………………………………………………………………

EMAIL        ………………………………………………………………

ANY OTHTER TOPICS OF INTEREST TO YOU

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

WE NEED YOUR HELP

We Need Your Help – Tell us what interests you 2023-02-21T18:18:06+11:00

Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network eNews October 2022

The link below will take you to the monthly eNews from Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network.

It is full of information about what is happening across the catchment including up coming events.

Of particular interest might be the availability of funding for a Shade and Shelterbelt project in 2023

You can also catch up with earlier news articles from this link

https://mailchi.mp/a7939f19a1c3/enews_october_2022

Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network eNews October 2022 2022-10-04T09:52:06+11:00

Webinar – A Farmer Perspective – making sense of carbon and emissions

The following webinar, part of the Agriculture Victoria climate series, on 15th September may be of interest to you.

6 September 2022

A farmer perspective – making sense of carbon and emissions
Cam Nicholson and Fiona Conroy have a long interest in improving, measuring and understanding the benefits from managing the natural resources on their farm.

The main focus has been on soil, water, vegetation and fauna.  Actions include extensive tree planting, fencing off water storages, reticulation into troughs, soil testing every paddock every 3 years (since 1993), as well as bird and fauna monitoring.

More recently they have been interested in understanding the opportunities and future market challenges around carbon accounting and reporting.  In this webinar Fiona and Cam will describe their progress so far and their future thinking around carbon, emissions and sequestration.

Webinar

 

Date: Thursday, 15 September 2022

Time: 12 pm (AEST)

Duration: One hour

Cost: Free

Go online to register your attendance on Zoom.

 

Presenters

Cam Nicholson, Partner in Nicon Rural Services

Fiona Conroy, Manager of Knewleave Partnerships

Fiona and Cam run a self-replacing, commercial performance recorded Angus herd and a superfine wool Merino flock with a focus on productivity, animal welfare and environmental management.

 

You can join our webinars via your web browser, the app on your phone, tablet or iPad or by dialling in.

More information
For more information about these webinars, including assistance joining the webinar, email climate.webinars@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Webinar – A Farmer Perspective – making sense of carbon and emissions 2022-09-06T17:53:44+10:00

More Productive and Biodiverse Farms Forum

This forum in October in Melbourne may be of interest to you:

More Productive and Biodiverse Farms Forum

On behalf of the Australian National University Sustainable Farms team and the Deakin University Blue Carbon Lab, you are invited to an upcoming event at Downtown Deakin, Melbourne.

More Productive and Biodiverse Farms is a half day forum to share the vision for restoration on farms in Australia’s temperate woodlands. We will share ground-breaking research on the opportunities to improve biodiversity conservation and productivity on farms through improved management of natural assets, including remnant vegetation, plantings and farm dams.

This event will bring together environmental scientists, economists, regional field ecologists, farmers and investment advisors for a reflective and robust discussion about how we can save our disappearing woodlands.

Featured speakers include:

  • Professor David Lindenmayer, Lead Scientist Sustainable Farms, Professor of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University
  • Dr Martino Malerba, Research Fellow, Blue Carbon Lab, Deakin University

View the full program and list of speakers here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/more-productive-and-biodiverse-farms-tickets-405057185947

Wednesday 12 October
9am – 12.30pm followed by lunch
Deakin Downtown, 727 Collins St, Melbourne

Please RSVP by Monday 3 October (click here to register)

More Productive and Biodiverse Farms Forum 2022-08-31T16:51:38+10:00

Farmers Digging Deeper: Soils and Understanding Soil Tests

For all Neerim District landholders:

The Farmers Digging Deeper project and its partners are running an introductory program for landholders who are at an early stage in their learning about soils and soil testing. The program includes soil testing on your farm plus two workshops designed to help you better understand your soils and interpret your soil test results.

The program will cost you $150 + GST which covers:

  • 2 soil chemistry tests
  • 1 biology (microbial mass) test
  • 1 soil carbon test
  • 2 interactive workshops

Note that soil sampling will take place in late spring 2022, with the workshops being held in autumn 2023.

 

For those landholders west of the Main Neerim Road, ie in the Western Port Catchment, including the Tarago Catchment, the information about the program and how to register your interest is in the link below.

Please submit your EOI by Wed 31st August.

Introduction to soils and understanding your soil tests

 

For those landholders east of the Main Neerim Road, ie in the Latrobe Catchment, please click on the following link below to submit an expression of interest.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5QuwWT3L_iIcYK1-zgeLJWZho0hFnL1EzWLwcnWNiBwXs4w/viewform

Please submit your EOI by Wed 31st August.

For more information contact Kelsey Tong on kelsey.tong@latrobe.vic.gov.au

 

Places are limited and submission of EOI does not guarantee participation. EOIs will be assessed and participants selected by the project team whose decision will be final.

Please note: the program is the same, run by the same people, whichever side of the main road you live on.

Farmers Digging Deeper: Soils and Understanding Soil Tests 2022-08-09T17:36:51+10:00