landcare illawarra ‘illawarra flametree’. newsletter...
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LANDCARE ILLAWARRA NEWSLETTERWINTER ISSUE 2014
• Local events and workshops• Local news and projects• Meet the Volunteers• Wildlife Watch• Weed Watch• Along the Bush Tucker Trail• Edible Illawarra• Illawarra Woodland & Rainforest Project• Local projects - get involved• FundingopportunitiesIllawarraLocalLandServicesOfficerFor more information about Landcare Illawarra or to submit information for the next Landcare Illawarra newsletter, contact Megan Rowlatt: p: 02 4229 7526m: 0412 532 817e: [email protected]
Welcome to the winter edition of the‘Illawarra Flametree’.
Thiswintertherehasbeenloadsofactivityin the Illawarra! In this issue we will share with you a snap shot of some excitinglocal projects which have taken place, andalsosomeinformationaboutupandcomingeventswhichmaybeof interestto you including a youth photographycompetitionandsomefantasticwetland,fauna,andbushregenerationworkshops.
Brendon Levot from Wildside Australia is our guest writer for our ‘Wildlife Watch’ feature, and here we hear about some great work he is doing to combat mange in wombats.
We introduce you to dedicated andpassionate volunteer of Helensburgh and District Landcare group,Merilyn House,and also hear about one of our Illawarra Woodland and Rainforest project sites which is experiencing some fantasticresults due to the great team of dedicated individuals working on the land.
We hope you enjoy the Winter 2014issue of the Landcare Illawarra ’Illawarra Flametree’Newsletter.
From the Landcare Illawarra Team.
Background Image: Brad Chilby
Megan Rowlatt
South Coast Wetland Carers NetworkThe South Coast Wetland Carers Network will be hosting a number of interesting workshops up and down the south coast in the coming months some of these include:
Sundaythe31stAugust–BirdMonitoringatBellambi8am-10.30am,BottDrive,Bellambi,MorningTeaatconclusion.South Coast Wetland Carers are teaming up with the Illawarra Birders to participate in their Shorebird 2020 Survey. Bellambi Lagoon and Dunes are areas of significant habitat and restoration for the birds of the Illawarra. We will be led through the dunes and along the foreshore, spotting and recording the numerous birds present in the area.
Wednesday 18th September – Fish andWetlands,Asustainable approach6.30pm-8pm,CVAWollongong,5/54MontagueSt,FairyMeadow,LightSuppersupplied.Scott Nichols from Fisheries NSW will be presenting on all things fish and habitat, including the impacts of urbanisation, the most popular recreational fish species and the importance of connectivity in our waterways, with some case studies of wetland projects. This will be followed by a presentation by the Fish Thinkers group, PhD students from the University of Wollongong, who will discuss some of their current research on recreational fish species. A great way to learn about our wetlands’ impacts on fishing and how to be a more responsible fisherperson.
Saturday 27th September – Fauna and Wetlands.Huskisson Community Centre, Dent St, Huskisson,Lunch Provided.Shoalhaven City Council and South Coast Wetland Carers Network have invited Brendon Levot to share his knowledge and experience in bush restoration projects.Brendon has been working within the ecological restoration industry for the past 14 years as a volunteer and paid contractor.During this time he has managed a wide range of diverse landscapes in varying degrees of degradation whilst always maintaining the key principal that it is necessary to restore bushland for native wildlife and habitat.Workshop will include information about:How to identify ecological trendsWhat are the limitations of wildlife within an urban environmentWildlife and habitat interactionsHabitat requirements and niche environmentsWeeds as habitatFlora and fauna monitoringIncorporating fauna considerations into management plansRSVP: Please RSVP to Adam Woods by the 17th of September at [email protected] or phone 02 4228 9246
LOCAL EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
Header Image: Nan Tien Temple
LOCAL EVENTS & WORKSHOPS Youth in Nature Photo Competition
Join in with Illawarra Youth Landcare in capturing the beauty of nature and young people out there enjoying it! For the month of August, Illawarra Youth Landcare is encouraging the wider community to submit photos via social media using hashtag #IYLandcare on their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. The winner will be announced during Landcare Week in September.
Visit the Illawarra Youth Landcare website for more information www.illawarrayouthlandcare.com.au/event/youth_in_nature_photography_competition
Talking LandcareLandcare Illawarra will be running another interesting Talking Landcare this October at the Dapto Ribbonwood Centre. We will be inviting local experts to come and talk about urban biodiversity and how the community can introduce appropriate native species and move away from exotics to reduce the risk of garden escapees which can cause incredible amounts of damage to our
natural areas.When: Thursday October 23rd from 6 pmWhere: Dapto Ribbonwood Centre, Princes HWY, DaptoRSVP: to Megan Rowlatt on 02 4229 7526 or [email protected]
Private Landholder Bush Regeneration TrainingThis is a great opportunity if you are:• New to land management• Feeling overwhelmed with the scale of work you
might be facing• Unsure about where to start• Unsure of where to go for support• Would like to see what other locals are doing• Interested in native vegetation management• Interested in learning more about bush regeneration• Interested in hearing about Voluntary Conservation
Agreements first hand
Morning tea will be provided, BYO lunch.When: September 26, 9 am - 3 pm Where: Stockyard Mountain, address supplied upon registrationWhat to bring: Wear long pants, long sleeves, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, closed in sturdy shoes, plenty of water, gardening gloves. Tools will be provided.RSVP: to Megan Rowlatt on 02 4229 7526 or [email protected]
All workshops promoted here are free of charge unless otherwise stated
Header Image: Megan Rowlatt
LOCAL NEWS & PROJECTS International Helping Hands
Renae Riviere - Regional Manager CVAIn the second half of 2014, Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) is partnering with the University of Wollongong College to get some international students out and about in nature and to give them some hands on experience on local environmental projects. Each group of students will visit UOW College for between 2-16 weeks to partake in a Study Tour program. The programs specialise in English language and provide opportunities for intercultural exchange, English proficiency and a wide range of fun activities such as sightseeing, surfing, bushwalking and visiting local wildlife parks.Throughout their time here they’ll be staying with local families and will volunteer 15 hours of their time to the community. UOW College hopes that by connecting them to their local community the students will be provided with a richer, more rewarding travel and study experience. So, between July and November CVA will be taking over 50 students from all around Japan out to join local CVA and Landcare volunteers on a number of sites in the region. They will get a chance to brush up on their English skills while spending a few hours lending a hand and learning about the challenges facing groups working at each site and afterwards we’ll take the students for a spot of local sightseeing. This program is a fantastic opportunity to showcase to an international audience not only the great work that CVA and Landcare volunteers do in our region, but also our beautiful natural areas and to promote tourism opportunities in the region too. So far, the students have really enjoyed their time volunteering with us;
I like nature so it was good. I want to do it again and I got really good pictures! (Ryuya Mikami, 2014)It was hard but we felt closer to each other thanks to this volunteer activity (Nene Okawa, 2014)We did tree planting before we attended afternoon class. The day was a little warm and I sweated good sweat! (Asako Kobayahi, 2014)It was a good opportunity for me. I’m interested in the environment – I want to participate in this volunteer again. (Satomi Kiriu, 2014)I have never done such an experience – it was the first time for me to plant trees. It’s not bad! ( Jo-ji Takeda, 2014)I planted an Australian plant. There were many bugs but it was easier than I thought.Over the next few months we’ll be heading out to Kiama, Primbee, Minnamurra, Woonona and the Royal National Park; if you would like to come along and get involved on these, or any other CVA projects, please call the Wollongong CVA office on 02 4228 9246 to find out how.
Header Image: Megan Rowlatt
J F Oberlin University students assisting CVA’s South Coast Wetland Carers Network with some planting at Bellambi Lagoon
LOCAL NEWS & PROJECTS Corporate Care - Veolia Donation to
LandcareIn 2013, Veolia Water donated $4000 to Landcare Illawarra to support local Landcare groups in the Illawarra region. Funding for Landcare Illawarra to better resource local groups is often highly competitive and scarcely available as most funding requires on-ground outcomes to be achieved. This makes it difficult to purchase simple things such as tools and signage which help volunteer groups exist and carry out their regular activities and promote the good work they do.This funding allowed Landcare Illawarra to resource the groups to better promote themselves to the wider community to raise awareness about when they were working on-site, raise the profile of Landcare activity in the Illawarra region, and attract new volunteers.Landcare Illawarra was also able to focus on improving the safety and record keeping resources each volunteer group has.What we purchased with the Veolia funding:50 corflute signs for existing and any new groups which form so they can display information at each Landcare day 20 first aid kits which will go out to all current Landcare groups200 Hours record keeping books for all Landcare groups. These are used to record what each project day achieves, how many hours each volunteer contributes to Landcare and any incidents and interesting observations the groups would like to record.
“Veolia is very proud to support Landcare Illawarra. Their hands on, on the ground activities make a real difference in our local community. We hope our
support has assisted them to better promote the great work they are doing and allowed them to undertake it in a safer way.” - From the Veolia teams at Gerringong Gerroa Sewerage Scheme and the Illawarra Water Treatment Plant.
Header Image: Megan Rowlatt
Images: New signage and first aid kits for volunteer groups
MEET THE VOLUNTEERS Volunteer Profile
Our volunteers are the driving force of Landcare and often go unrecognised in the community for their hard work. They work tirelessly and contribute many hours to their local patch of native bushland. So we want to introduce them to you, and hear more about what makes them tick...
Meet: Merilyn House
Groups: Helensburgh & District Landcare Group (In the early days, i.e. 1990s, I was also a volunteer in the Royal National Park)
What inspired you to get involved? We moved to Helensburgh in 1973. I had always had a love for our local bushland and was lucky to live across the road from a bush area. I gradually became aware that all the greenery was not native and wanted to do something to help the bush. I started the Helensburgh & District Landcare Group in 1993. I found that because I didn’t have any recognised qualifications it was not easy to be taken seriously regarding what I wanted to achieve. This led me to enrol at TAFE and do the Bush Regeneration Certificate, and subsequently to obtain a Statement of Attainment in Environmental Management and an Advanced Certificate in Urban Horticulture.
Whathasbeenyourfavouriteproject/eventtodate?In 1999, on behalf of our Landcare Group, I organised to supply the Department of Main Roads with enough local seed to revegetate the area disturbed by the construction of the on/off ramps from the freeway to
Helensburgh. Every time I drive into Helensburgh I can see the results of our efforts. What keeps you coming back? Three things keep me coming back. First, although it always seems like two steps forward and one or more steps back, I remember what an area looked like before we started and can see progress. Second, I remind myself that if I do nothing I am just like the people I am always complaining about! And last, but not least, it’s the support and encouragement of people
like Mike McKeon and Julie Cherry from Wollongong City Council, Megan from Conservation Volunteers Australia, and local Landcare members.For more information about Helensburgh and District Landcare visit www.helensburghlandcare.org.au
Header Image: Gavin Nethery
Image: Allan and Merilyn House dedicated environmental volunteers
WILDLIFE WATCHMangey WombatsBrendon Levot
The Common Wombat is an iconic Australian marsupial species. It can be easily identified by its adorable looks, a very furry coat, a little bare nose and a backwards facing pouch that is specifically designed so it doesn’t fill up with soil during their favourite night time activity apart from eating, digging. They are one of three species of wombat within the family Vombatidae, the other two being the Northern and Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat species. All species of Wombat are known to have hypselondont teeth, meaning that they are ever growing. This is a feature unseen in any other Australian marsupial mammals and is believed to be an adaption to allow Wombats to gain the most amount of energy out of a low nutrient diet of native grasses.The name ‘Common Wombat’ is a misleading statement as numbers of Common Wombat have dramatically decreased throughout the known range since European settlement. Many are shot as they are considered a pastoral pest within New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia or reduced in numbers through habitat fragmentation, road mortality and disease.The main disease that is threatening Wombat populations is Sarcoptic Mange. Wombat mange is a debilitating and lethal contagious skin condition which affects both Common and Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat species and is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei var vombatus. Small sub-
populations of Common Wombat are becoming extinct due to mange outbreak and it is feared that without intervention the Common Wombat may join the many other Australian native species on the red list. Wombats infected by the mite show symptoms of hair loss, skin irritation and mutilation. Badly infected wombats may also suffer internal problems such as organ damage and failure. Vision and hearing can also become impaired as the mite causes the skin to crust on the body and in particular within these areas. Open wounds develop and leave the wombat susceptible to blow fly strike. The mite has a life cycle of 2 – 3 weeks. During this time the female mite will burrow within the wombats skin laying eggs. Eggs take 8 days to hatch. The mites feed upon blood entering the mite tunnels from self-mutilation by the wombats caused by incessant scratching. If left untreated a wombat infected with Sarcoptic mange will succumb to a long and painful death. However, Sarcoptic wombat mange is a treatable condition and wombats can be saved from certain death. Treatment options include the control of the mite within free living wombat populations and the removal of very sick animals into the hands of a professional
wildlife carer. Treatment methods utilise the application of generic cattle pour on flea and tick treatments. This is administered much in the same way as frontline to your pet pooch via either direct or indirect application to the back of an infected animal’s neck. The indirect application of the treatment utilises a ‘burrow flap’ that is positioned over the entrance to a wombat burrow.
Header Image: Gavin Nethery
Image: Allan and Merilyn House dedicated environmental volunteers
As the wombat enters in and out of the burrow a small dose is applied. With monitoring the success of the treatment can be visualised after a four week dosage round as the infected wombats begin to frolic and grow their fur once again. All treatments applied to control mange must be undertaken under the guidance of a licensed vet or local wildlife care centre.It is easy to spot a wombat that has been infected with mange. Generally they will look scruffy, furless and scabby. Commonly if the wombat is out during the day it is safe to assume that the wombat has mange. Wombats are typically nocturnal animals that spend most of the day time underground within their burrows. If a wombat is spotted during the day time it is most likely that the wombat is either dehydrated or malnourished, both scenarios are cause and effect of wombat mange. Please don’t let mange go unnoticed as this is a treatable condition that is having disastrous impacts upon one of our favourite little native diggers. My name is Brendon Levot. I am a conservation land manager, wildlife photographer, documentary filmmaker and co-founder of Wildside Australia and Out the back gate productions. My job as a conservation land manager is rehabilitate and enhance our natural areas, my job as a wildlife photographer and documentary filmmaker is to capture the true beauty and essence of Australian native plants and animals in their natural environments so I can spark the same passion I have in everyday people to conserve them. Prior to first observing a wombat suffering with mange I had no experience or knowledge in dealing with such a problem. I just knew that something had to be done. The thought of the poor little wombat spending another day in that state of
affair fuelled the conservation flare in my heart. Many months of research and quite a few visits to wombat hospitals around the country has now led me down the track to saving this iconic species. Together, some friends, a very supportive family and I have started to make a change within the grassy woodlands of western Sydney. In a landmark first I have been able to combine my knowledge of conservation land management with the control and treatment of wombat mange. After all what’s the use of bringing a sick animal back to life if it has no habitat to live and thrive within?The little wombat which I first observed with mange is a small female named Lucy and recently after treating her in the wild for wombat mange I have noticed the tiny patter of pint sized wombat feet following in her footsteps imprinted within the soft soil outside of her burrow system. You don’t need a degree, a license or any experience dealing with wombats and mange to birth a success story such as mine, just a little patience and determination.
Header Image: Brad Chilby
Images: Previous page - Wombat with Mange. Bottom R - Burrow with flap for treatment. Photos by Brendon Levot
WEED WATCH Mother of MillionsBryophyllum delagoenseOrigin: Introduced from Africa and Madagascar, Mother of millions was introduced to Australia as a garden plant.This succulent perennial grows up to 1 m high and iswell adapted to dry conditions and survives well indrought, on gravelly sandy soils and is commonlyfound along fence lines, roadsides, at rubbish tipsas well as along creeks and rivers where floodinghas occurred. All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans, livestock and domestic animals if ingested.Identification:Stems are pinkish-grey and leavesare a pencil shaped pale green-brown with patches of dark green. Leaves also have a shallow groove along the upper surface and up to seven projections at the tip of each leaf which, if broken off can and form new plants. Flowers form in a cluster at the top of the stem and droop as orange-red tubes.In NSW, there are also two less common Bryophyllum species. These are hybrid mother of millions (Bryophyllum daigremontianum x Bryophyllum delagoense) and resurrection plant (Bryophyllum pinnatum). Both are also invasive and toxic.Flowering and seeding: Flowers from May to October.Dispersal: Each plant produces small plantlets along the edges of its leaves which detach and form new plants.Mother of millions also produces numerous seeds which can survive in the soil for a number of years before germinating.Control: For small infestations, mother of millions can be removed by pulling up individual plants by hand. Once the plants have been removed they should be
burnt; stored in black plastic bags until completely decayed or buried, taking care of dropping plantlets.Spraying with an approved registered herbicide can be effective but follow up and monitoring will be required.Refer to the Noxious and Environmental Weed Control Handbook for a list of recommended chemicals for the treatment of Mother of millions.
Header Image: Michael Feidler
Images: Top - Flowers of Bryophyllum delagoenseMid - leavesBottom -HybridPhotos and information sourced from NSW DPI website.
ALONG THE BUSH TUCKER TRAILCabbage Tree Palm
Aboriginal name: Ortharawal (Dharawal) Daranggara (Eora) SydneyBotanical name: Livistona australisSignificance: The Cabbage Tree Palm is a totem and sacred tree of the Wadi-Wadi “people of the Illawarra.”Family:ARECACEAEHabit: A medium to tall tree - 25 meters tallLeaves: Palmate in shape - fan shapedFlowers: Numerous small yellow flowersFruit: Black in colour and globular in shapeHabitat: Rainforest, gullies, grows on fertile soilsDistribution: Coastal zoneBush Tucker: Terminal bud cooked then eaten. Tastes like cabbageMedicinal Use: The heart of the trunk was soaked over night to soften, it was then cooked and eaten to relieve sore throatsOther uses: Fibrous material was used to make string.Leaves were used as umbrellas and thatching material Modern Use: Excellent plant for parks or gardens. Potted plant in semi-shaded area. Needs well composted soil and a frost free area with ample water. Tends to do better in group plantings.Note: The word Tongarra means a place of Cabbage Tree Palms.
Header Image: Megan Rowlatt
With Terry Rankmore
Images by Megan Rowlatt
With Terry RankmoreEDIBLE ILLAWARRA
Thirroul Community Garden
The Thirroul Community Garden is a group of community members working together to establish a community garden using permaculture design principles:
Earth Care – People Care – Fair Share
The group meets every Sunday at the garden which is located in ‘High St Reserve’ on the corner of Lawrence Hargrave Dr and High St in Thirroul. Starting at 9.30 am, a Garden Representative will meet new and current members wanting to work together for a few hours and a schedule of jobs is allocated to participants for the day. The Thirroul Garden is a shared plot design, so everyone can work together.
The site also is part of the Hewitts Creek Bushcare Group, which works on the 1st Sunday of every month. This group meets to carry out weed management along the banks and bed of the creek and introduce appropriate native species back to the site through planting activities. Some of these species include bush food plants too!
If you wish to get involved you can visit the garden up to three times to see how it all works, and then if you wish to participate in regular working bees and take part in garden design, planning and maintenance, you can then become a member of the group for $20 per adult through the Thirroul Neighborhood Centre, who provide insurance.
For more information visit:www.thirroulgardeners.wordpress.com
Header Image: Megan Rowlatt
Images sourced from Thirroul Community Garden Facebook and website
This issue we would like to introduce two new Landcare groups to the Landcare Illawarra family! Collins Creek Landcare WoononaCollins Creek Landcare is a group of residents working to improve a section of Collins Creek. Work being carried out will complement works Wollongong City Council contractors have been doing further along in the catchment.This group meets on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month from 9 am - 12 pmContact Michael Jennings to get involved atoogynay@hotmail.comHillsideNativeFoodForestLandcareKiamaHillside Native Food Forest Landcare is located next to the Kiama Community Garden next to Blue Haven Retirement home. Here the group is rehabilitating the weedy hillside and creating a native food forest for all to enjoy.The group meets on the 4th Saturday of the month from 9 am - 11 am.Contact Megan to get involved on 4229 7526 [email protected]
WollongongIllawarra Youth LandcareSaturday September 6, early start! See website for details.IYL will be hosting a Landcare Week celebration inviting new volunteers (late teens to early thirties) to join the existing team of volunteers for a full day of outdoor adventure activities, and exploring local Landcare sites.The event will be followed by a dinner in Wollongong.
www.illawarrayouthlandcare.com.auWollongongCityBushcareThere are over 50 Bushcare sites throughout Wollongong from Windang and Dapto in the south to Helensburgh in the north. All Bushcare volunteers are working with Council to conserve our precious natural areas of bushland, foreshore, creek lines and escarpment. Bushcare groups usually meet regularly each week or each month, learning new skills and meeting new people while helping out the environment. Everyone is welcome to join the Bushcare program - every extra hand helps. For information on a group near you, contact Bushcare - 4227 8113 or visit the Bushcare section of the WollongongCityCouncilwebsite.
ShellharbourShellharbour City Council supports a number of Bushcare, Landcare and Parkcare groups across Shellharbour. Some of the active groups include:Tullimbar Landcare, Albion Park. Meets at Elizabeth Brownlee Reserve (end of Digby Close), 4th Saturday of the month 9 am - 1 pm. Contact Ruth Jenkins on 4256 2684. Blackbutt Bushcare, Blackbutt. Meets in Blackbutt Forest, 3rd Sunday of the month 9 am - 12 pm. Contact Tony Hepworth on 4297 6490 for directions to the meeting site.Oakey Creek Bushcare. Meet at Oak Flats on the Boulevard end once a fortnight on Wednesdays 9 am - 12 pm
For more information and a full list of groups working in the area visit the ShellharbourCityCouncilWebsite.
KiamaKiama has a number of active groups working on a mixture of public and private land. This includes:Bombo Headland Landcare. Meet on the last Saturday of the month from 2-4 pm. Contact Megan for more details on 4229 7526 [email protected]
You can view a full list of active groups for this area on our website by visiting the ‘local groups’ section of
www.landcareillawarra.org.au
What do I bring?Wear sturdy closed in shoes, long pants and long-sleeved shirt to avoid insect bites, sun burn and scratches from vegetation. Wear a hat and sunscreen, bring gloves if you have some, plenty of drinking water and snacks if you need them.
There are many more groups to get involved with in our region. For more information about all of the active Landcare groups across the Illawarra visit www.landcareillawarra.org.au or contact Local Land Services Officer - Megan on 4229 7526 [email protected]
LOCAL PROJECTS GET INVOLVED
ILLAWARRA WOODLAND & RAINFOREST PROJECT
The old Corrimal Colliery, one of the many sites...The Illawarra Woodland and Rainforest project is now into its 4th year under the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Future Biodiversity Fund. Under this particular grant, Landcare Illawarra in partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA), is working with private land managers to carry out environmental restoration works on private land with a focus on Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland and Illawarra Subtropical Rainforest - two Endangered Ecological Communities. Landcare Illawarra assists land managers in the region who have woodland and rainforest vegetation on their properties. Restoration activities are decided on a case by case basis by looking at site issues and the best management strategies required to recover these vegetation communities.One of the many sites Landcare Illawarra has been working on includes the ‘Old Corrimal Colliery’ just under Brokers’ Nose in Tarrawanna. This site backs onto the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area, and is highly degraded. The property has experienced a lot of disturbance from over a century of mining and industrial activity and suffers from large infestations of weeds including Lantana, Moth vine, Madeira vine, Wild tobacco and Cape ivy just to name a few. Four and a half years ago, John Reay purchased the property with a vision and a passion to preserve the unique history and rehabilitate the wilderness he fell in love with. John and his partner Jill have tirelessly been working
and learning about bush regeneration as they have removed large sections of Lantana and secondary weeds to allow the rainforest to regenerate. In the last two years they received a boost of assistance from CVA
Header Image: Megan Rowlatt
Images: Top R - John standing in Lantana infested area. Bottom R - CVA volunteers working on Lantana and fencing for revegetation. Photos by Megan Rowlatt.
and Landcare Illawarra to help them on this journey under the Illawarra Woodland and Rainforest Project. Once a month CVA volunteers join John and Jill and carry out a range of weeding, fencing and planting activities, with some occasional seed collection at the site. Deer are present and cause a lot of damage to revegetation areas, so fencing has been an important component of the project. The volunteers have also been transplanting ground covers around the site to suppress further weed growth, and it’s working!
Some areas of the property have recovered so well you couldn’t even imagine there had been lantana and other invasive weeds there in the first place.“The support has been important on many levels” says John “It’s one thing to have a desire to do something, but you need to learn, and the support has been at an educational and technical level. When I’ve been
unable to define what a particular weed is, because there are many native look-a-likes, I’ve been able to seek help”.“This is such a monumentally large task, it’s not too difficult to lose the belief that you can achieve it, so getting other peoples’ interest is enormously encouraging”.“It’s been wonderful, I can’t thank them enough” shares Jill.
For more info on the Illawarra Woodland and Rainforest project visit
www.landcareillawarra.org.au
Header Image: Brad Chilby
Images: Top R - native ground covers taking over the forest floor and coal remnants. Mid L - Livistonia australis regenerating post Lantana removal. Bottom R - John and Jill. Photos by Megan Rowlatt
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES The NSW Environmental
Trust invites grant applicationsThe Trust is now calling for applications to the following grants programs:• Restoration and Rehabilitation Grants• Saving our Species Partnership Grants
EnvironmentalRestorationandRehabilitationGrantsApplicationsareduebySeptember192014The aim of the Restoration and Rehabilitation program is to facilitate projects run by community organisations and government entities working to prevent or reduce environmental degradation of any kind. Through these projects, we also aim to improve the capacity of communities and organisations to protect, restore and enhance the environment.Funds available include:• $2 million for projects by community organisations
working to prevent or reduce environmental degradation
• $2 million for projects by government entities working to prevent or reduce environmental degradation
• $0.5 million for owners and managers of State Heritage Register-listed places working to prevent or reduce environmental degradation on their heritage properties. Grants of between $5,000 and $100,000 are available.
Saving Our Species Partnership Grants ProgramExpressionsofinterestaredueSeptember292014Individual grants of between $300,000 and $1,000,000 are available. This includes seed funding of up to
$15,000 for successful EOI applicants to develop a detailed Business Plan for their project.The Saving our Species Partnership Grants program is a contestable grants program seeking to achieve long-term outcomes for threatened species in NSW.The objectives of the Saving our Species Partnership Grants program are to:• contribute to increasing the number of threatened
species, populations and communities secured in the wild in NSW through strategic co-investment
• encourage the alignment of efforts to manage threatened species and communities across NSW
• make decisions about the management of threatened species and communities based on best available evidence and evaluation of outcomes
To find out more information about these, and other grants programs delivered by the Environmental Trust, please visit the Trust website:
www.environmentaltrust.nsw.gov.au
If you need any assistance in applying for funding contact your Local Land Services Officer 4229 7526 or [email protected]
Header Image: Megan Rowlatt
This resource was produced through funding from the Australian Government in partnership with South East Local Land Services and Conservation Volunteers Australia.