Landcare & Community News |
Welcome to the April 2020 issue of the Greater Sydney Landcare & Community News.
This edition features a range of activities, citizen science opportunities and reading you can do from home.
|
|
Local Landcare Coordinator position - call for proposals
Local Land Services is seeking proposals from Landcare organisations within the Greater Sydney region to host a part time (0.5 FTE) Local Landcare Coordinator. This is to support a Coordinator from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2023. To read more about the NSW Landcare Program click HERE. Proposals are to be submitted by COB 17 April 2020.
For more information and application details, please contact Madeleine Florin, Regional Landcare Coordinator, on 0427 197 860 or email madeleine.florin@lls.nsw.gov.au.
| | WIRES and Landcare Australia have announced a landmark $1 million partnership supporting recovery of wildlife habitats impacted by bushfire and drought across Australia. The grants program will provide networks and groups additional support to coordinate and fund projects to maximise the impact of their contribution to recovery efforts and strengthen outcomes for wildlife.
Applications close on 30 April. More information HERE. | | Things to do on your property during COVID-19
With many of us suddenly spending more time at home, it’s a good opportunity to get a few jobs done around your property. Here are some ideas. | |
Get on top of your weeds! Look out for weeds and stop the spread, as there are many popping up and in flower after the recent rains. If you need help with weed identification, download the NSW DPI WeedWise app or check out the WeedWise website or Weeds in Australia. Your local council will have information about priority weeds in your LGA, however for a list of high risk weeds in NSW click HERE. Some weeds are toxic to livestock. Check out this brochure by Greater Sydney Landcare Network on “Plants poisonous to livestock”. Contact your local council weed officer for more information or advice on weeds local to your area. | | | | | Develop a biosecurity plan
If you live on a rural or peri-urban property, it’s a good idea to have a biosecurity plan in place. A farm biosecurity plan contains all the measures used to mitigate the risks of pests and diseases and is particularly relevant (and often necessary) for primary producers and owners of livestock. The Greater Sydney Local Land Services Biosecurity Handbook is a guide to managing your biosecurity responsibilities and a good starting point for developing your biosecurity plan. Download a farm biosecurity template or go to www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity for more information on preparing a plan that best suits your individual needs. | | | | Remote camera monitoring of animalsSet up a camera trap for wildlife surveys. If you have a camera and the space, set up a camera to see who’s visiting your property. This video has a good overview of the types of remote cameras and how to set them up to detect both native and pest animals, or you can read the manual HERE. Be sure to report any pest animal sightings and activity to FeralScan. If you don’t have your own camera, you can become a digital volunteer for the Australian Museum on a bush recovery project by spotting animals in photographs captured by automated cameras in burnt areas. With your help researchers can better understand the impacts of the fires on our biodiversity and ecosystems. Once you register to become a volunteer you can also volunteer on other DigiVol digital projects. | | | 😫 Are you stuck at home with the kids? 😲 Check out these fun and educational online resources for families. | | Junior Landcare - What’s in your backyard?Costa and Junior Landcare are asking kids “What’s in your backyard?”. Kids and schools can send a photo and explain why it’s important to them. Prizes include a visit from Costa, cameras and more. Entries close 20 April. For more information click HERE. | | | | | Keep your kids chirpy at home!
Are you looking for at-home activities to keep everyone chirpy? The team at BirdLife have lots of resources that are fun AND you can learn about amazing birds and places. Click HERE to access materials for kids and a "parent pack".
| | | Find out about threatened animals that live in NSWAn Australian Curriculum education resource for years 1-6. Produced by the NSW Government, the resource features a series of drawings by nature artist Tallulah Cunningham as well as ideas for activities and questions associated with the animals and the drawings. More information HERE.
| | | | | Atlas of Living Australia Educational ResourcesIncludes classroom activities aligned with the Australian curriculum. Click HERE for more information.
| | | Free QuestaGame teams for kids
Questagame is offering to create a free QuestaGame team (or in-game clan) for any school. Your kids don’t need to be at school to play for their school - and they're participating in REAL citizen science at the same time. Click HERE for more info.
| | | | Become a Citizen Scientist! Citizen science enables individuals to contribute to scientific research in a meaningful way. There are a variety of programs that the community can get involved in.
| | The Australian Citizen Science project finder - click HERE to find a project. Atlas of Living Australia - a collaborative, national project that brings together biodiversity data from multiple sources and makes it available and usable online. Users can log sightings of fauna and flora. QuestaGame is an app/mobile game that takes you outdoors to discover, map and ultimately help protect life on our planet. Your sightings contribute to real research and conservation. City Nature Challenge Sydney 2020 - Join 250 other cities from around the world in an effort to discover and record as many species across the Greater Sydney Region as possible from April 24th to April 27th 2020. Run by iNaturalist.
| | | Birdlife citizen science - volunteer bird watchers help us understand how birds are faring across Australia Autumn Birds in Backyards Survey - runs in March and April. Participants who complete at least 1 survey using BirdData go in the running to win a prize! Autumn Wild Pollinator Count - runs from 12-19 April. Contribute to wild pollinator insect conservation in Australia by counting wild pollinators in your local environment. Do a Waterbug Blitz in rivers, creeks and dams - includes how-to videos and links to equipment suppliers. FrogID is a national citizen science project that is helping us learn more about what is happening to Australia’s frogs.
| | | National Landcare Conference: call for abstracts This has been extended to 24 April. Click HERE for more information. | | | | | Have your say: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) Review SUBMISSIONS DUE BY 17 APRIL, 2020. The Environment and Protection Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act is Australia’s national environment law. This independent review will look at how the EPBC Act has been operating, and any changes needed for Australia to support ecologically sustainable development into the future. Click HERE to visit the official review home page and make a submission. | | | International Compost Awareness Week (Australia) - 3-9 May“Better Soil, Better Life, Better Future”. Includes a composting photo competition from 3-29 May. Click HERE for more information. | | | | - WIRES Landcare Wildlife Relief & Recovery Grants 2020: WIRES and Landcare Australia have announced a landmark $1million partnership supporting recovery of wildlife habitats impacted by bushfire and drought across Australia. The grants program will provide networks and groups additional support to coordinate and fund projects to maximise the impact of their contribution to recovery efforts and strengthen outcomes for wildlife.Applications close on April 30. More information HERE.
- Macpac Fund for Good: Up to $10,000 for Environmental Projects. If you are part of a not-for-profit organisation working on environmental or social causes related to the outdoors, you may be eligible for a Macpac Fund for Good grant. Your activities need to be based in New Zealand or Australia, or their territories. For more information on the types of funding we provide, or to apply for a grant, please fill out this application form. 4 rounds are held each year - round 2 closes 30 April, round 3 closes 31 July.
- Keep an eye on the Wettenhall Environment Trust's Small Environmental Grant Scheme, with four rounds every year. Grants are usually under $10,000 and focus on flora and fauna conservation or threatened mammal conservation. Click HERE for more information,
- The Sunrise Project Small Grants - up to $5,000. The focus is on reducing the impact of coal and gas industries on ecosystems.
- Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal - 'Tackling the tough times together grants' are always open. These grants help communities access the resources they need to support one another through the ongoing effects of drought. Grants of up to $20,000 are now available across drought-affected communities nationally. For more information, click HERE
| | This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust. | | |
|