Treetalk winter2014

TREE TALK

Autumn-‐Winter 2014Health

Upper Barwon Landcare Network Contact Page

Executive Contacts President Peter Greig 5236 3229

Vice President David Curry 5236 3221

Treasurer Bruce Bilney 0417 372 219

Secretary/ Public Officer Richard Gilbert - 5236 3243

Board Members Barwon Rivercare - Jim Lidgerwood, Rod Stone East Otway Landcare - Richard Gilbert, Andrew Blankfield Gerangamete & District Landcare - Nellie Shalley Murroon Landcare - Peter Greig, Peter Hope Otway Agroforestry Network - Andrew Stewart, David Curry Wurdale Landcare - Carol & Peter McGregor Irrewarra - Bruce Bilney, Will Hanson

Group Contacts Barwon Rivercare Group President Jim Lidgerwood 5288 7294 Secretary Rod Stone 0439 067 636 Treasurer Pauline Pope

Birregurra Community Group President Ian Court Secretary Russell Garraway 5236 2395 Treasurer Brian Lawrence 5236 2356

Birregurra Creek Landcare Group President Paul Drewry 5236 2294 Secretary Claire Dennis 5236 2399 Treasurer Lyn Genua 52315909

East Otway Landcare Group President Jennifer Morrow 5288 7144 Secretary Jill Stewart 5236 3206 Treasurer Peter Thomas 5236 3269

Friends of Deans Creek President Glen Conner 5231 2922 Secretary Jill Madden 5231 1284 Gerangamete & District Landcare Group President James Sprunt 5216 1922 Secretary/Treasurer Kaz Standish 5236 6331

Irrewarra Farmcare Group President Peter Dooley 5233 6229 Treasurer Will Hanson 5233 6279 Secretary Bruce Bilney 0417 372 219 Murroon Landcare Group President Loraine Cosgriff 5236 3393 Vice President Simon Mooney 5236 3315 Secretary Mary Jane Gannon 5236 3333 Treasurer Katrine Juleff 5236 3238

Otway Agroforestry Network President Kaye Rodden 5265 1241 Coordinator Andrew Stewart 5236 3277

Otway reGen Landcare GroupPresident Hannah Stewart 0447 045 459Secretary Rebecca Readhead 0438 963 841Treasurer Georgina Readhead 0447 776 887

Wurdale Landcare Group President Carol McGregor 5288 7082 Secretary Nikki Thompson Treasurer Anne Mulvey

Staff Facilitator Mandy Baker 0427 316 395 [email protected]

Administration Officer John Readhead [email protected]

Office 57 Main Street Birregurra 3242 ph: 03 5236 2401 www.ubln.org.au

Upper Barwon Landcare Network- Tree Talk Autumn/Winter 2014 2

Tree Talk is produced by the Upper Barwon Landcare Network . Printing by Birregurra General Store. The deadline for the next edition of Tree Talk is first week of January 2015—articles and photos from our members are most welcome.

Please contact Rebecca Readhead: 0438 963 841 [email protected] or Mandy Baker: 0427 316 395 [email protected]

Disclaimer—This publication may be of assistance to you but the Upper Barwon Landcare Network and staff do not guarantee that this publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Upper Barwon Landcare Network and staff.

http://www.ubln.org.au


mailto:[email protected]





Welcome to Tree Talk

Autumn/Winter 2014

In this editionPage3 Presidents Report4 Nature-Deficit Disorder and Landcare 5-9 Group Reports and Activities10-11 Feature Article: The Big Walk- Barwon River12-18 Network activities19-20 Four Bears: A True Fairy Story21 Barwon Water Report 22-23 Waterwatch & EC in Pennyroyal Creek24 Photo Gallery

Front cover photos: Middle - Students from Gordon TAFE with Rod Stone look at erosion controlled rock chutes at the Morrow’s property, Bambra. Bottom- Walking along the river in the Big Barwon River WalkBack cover photos: Top to Bottom- 1. Following the forested headwaters in the first leg of the Big Barwon River Walk, 2. Campers in the Otways leave plastic bags, bottles and even parts of cars behind. This site was cleaned up by the Wurdale Landcare group and local fire brigade. 3. Richard having fun in a hollow tree on the Big Barwon River Walk. 4. Regeners take a break by the campfire after a busy day pruning

From the PresidentFirstly, a warm and grateful welcome to our new executive members:Bruce Bilney, Irrewarra (New UBLN Treasurer)Will Hanson, IrrewarraPeter McGregor, Wurdale

who add to their volunteering load a new role in connecting their home group to the Network, and participating in its strategic thinking and project management. Their example demonstrates that Landcare is still alive, well and healthy.

The theme of this issue is Health. Added to the group and network bustling activity reports, the following items appear which can be linked to the theme:• An emerging recognition of “nature deficit disorder”, a condition arising among people –

especially children – being separated from nature in general• Jennifer Morrow and Richard Gilbert’s successful organizing of the first leg of the Walk The

Barwon project• Hugh Stewart’s management of the “well-being” project• Jo and Greg Bear’s inspirational story as presented to the Network AGM, and• A closer look at Waterwatch data and health of the Pennyroyal Creek.

Further articles may be found in this issue on related topics, some of which may appear remote from normal grass-roots Landcare activity. Yet these broader currents ultimately will impact on all of us, so I hope you’ll understand, and excuse their inclusion.

- Peter Greig


Nature-‐Deficit Disorder and Landcare

Imagine, if you will, a place and time in which children are free to play together in nature; wondering at the beauty and mysteries of how it works, and their part in it; learning to grow and harvest food, and materials for play-shelters; taking risks and building self-confidence, and doing all this with and without adult supervision.

Different from today’s reality? You bet. Does it matter? Definitely, according to Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: saving our children from nature deficit disorder, and chair of an international campaign on the topic. His book assembles evidence from many diverse sources that indicate:• Children who play together in nature are better developed in all the seven

intelligences (linguistic; logical-mathematical; spatial; bodily-kinesthetic; musical; interpersonal and intra-personal) compared on average with children who don’t, and

• Children today play in nature much less than their parents (less than 30 per cent versus over 70 per cent respectively).

The reasons for this decline are easy to locate, some examples are: The ready availability of virtual reality entertainment and information (TV and on-line); parents are short of time, and long on fear (of abduction, injury); park managers restrict play to avoid litigation and insurance bills; urban planners omitting natural open space from new developments and urban in-fill; farmers’ children leaving the land; teachers focused on children’s test scores at the expense of other intelligences; and environmentalists who separate nature from human activity.

Richard Louv sets these observations against the context of other social patterns, such as:• Rising rates of obesity and depression among children (and their

parents);• Falling measures of educational performance (over time, and by international comparison);• Falling rates of attendance at national parks; and• Popular mis-interpretation of the real risks of various activities (e.g. nature play vs indoor play).

All of which the author summarizes as Nature Deficit Disorder (not yet an official psychiatric term), and he worries that left un-checked, the current trends will make human existence ever more unsustainable, despite the best efforts of environmentalists, and regulators. Louv’s evidence comes mainly from America, but it’s equally valid in Australia, and to the Landcare ethos. Grass-roots landcarers, like farmers, are having trouble recruiting the next generation to the cause. Landcare investors, however, seem oblivious of this trend, being more focused on immediate results. So what used to be called “capacity-building” has become at best a side-show.

The problem, obviously, is much bigger than Landcare, and Louv himself includes many positive suggestions, mostly involving non-combative, collaborations between lots of diverse groups (health, education, urban planning, ENGOs) who see they can develop mutually beneficial outcomes that needn’t threaten anyone – but that require a change from business as usual. For Landcare, at this stage, it may only require reinforcing current capacity-building efforts (e.g. Upper Barwon’s “Re-Gen” and “wellbeing” projects) and promoting awareness of the issue. In time, with leadership, the benefits of these grass-roots collaborations may spread outwards and upwards towards the other partners in the complex Landcare movement.

-Peter Greig

“Last Child in the Woods- Saving our children from Nature-Deficit Disorder” By Richard Louv


East Otway Landcare Group

President’s ReportThe “Big Barwon River Walk” has rather overshadowed East Otways other activities. As you will read in TreeTalk, it was a great success, achieving the things I had hoped it would. It was first and foremost, fun, with information sharing and team building being only part of the picture.

The good thing is this was only stage one of a journey from the source of the Barwon River to the sea at Barwon Heads.Stage two is being planned right now. We hope to travel from Birregurra to Inverleigh next year. We have learned a lot from Stage one so next year our walk will be earlier in Autumn and over a weekend . Do think about joining us, you won’t be disappointed. You can walk for a day, a half day, for its entirety, join us at an overnight stop or for a picnic lunch. I am so hoping that landholders whose property’s we cross will join us, walk with us, tell us about their farms and be part of our travels.I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely think all the landholders who allowed us to walk on their land in May. Without your permission there would have been no Big Barwon Walk.

Other East Otway events in March have included afternoon tea and a bird walk on my property “Jinda Park” at Bambra. We also looked at the erosion control works down on the Scrubby creek which flows through “Jinda Park” to the Wormbete creek which ends up in the Barwon. Massive rocks have been used to form a chute to slow the water and hence the erosion.We also visited David Wandless at his property on the Boonah/Bambra Rd to see his fire bunker which was most impressive and must lead to great peace of mind, as it was on the corner of David’s property that the Torquay fire truck burned out in the Ash Wednesday fires.

In April two families opened up their vegetable gardens to the Landcare group. Thank you Mike and Wendy Robinson-Koss and Andrew and Michelle Blankfield for sharing your lovely properties. The day continued at Andrew and Jill Stewarts property when there was the opportunity to view the cob studio that Michelle Stewart and partner Nick, are building.

In June, East Otway were represented at the Cape Otway Center for Conservation to plant Manna Gums for the resident koalas, who are eating themselves out of home and running out of food. See article on page 17.

I know there is more planting to be done, so hope East Otway will be out in their best tree planting force next time.

- Jennifer Morrow

The Big Walk- Barwon River


Irrewarra Landcare Group

Apps for Agriculture

The Irrewarra group has been exploring using Apps on Apple iPhones, Windows Mobiles and Androids as useful, practical tools for agriculture.

There are some general apps for agriculture: Pastures in Space, Spray Apps, Crop Diseases, Conversion Apps, Stock Apps (iHerd, iStock, iCattle), as well as specific Machinery Service apps, and Weather Apps. For anyone interested in exploring these, Goggle “AgApps” and you get a listing for Apple, Androids iPads, and iPhones. Then start your searches for the apps that suit you. For recommendations ‘Crop Life’ Newsletter lists the top 15 AgApps in 2014.

Also try these links for AgApps:www.agworld.com.au www.farmingwithapps.com www.agweb.com/app_store.aspx www.croplife.com

Taggle Systems

Irrewarra group has been using Taggle Systems for water management. The system provided valuable information that we were able to use to identify when water was in demand by stock and adjust our water management accordingly, making sure there was enough water in quantity and flow to cover peak times. Previously the system was run to cope with peak usage 24/7 when, in fact, it was only needed for 2-6 hours on certain high demand days. That is, on hot weather days, not 365 days of the year. This resulted in water savings as the system did not need to be constantly pressurised and, when there was a failure, it was not boosted by being pressurised. It also led to power savings through not having to run the pump around the clock.

-Bruce Bilney

Murroon Landcare Group

Deepdene Wetlands

The Deepdene Wetland has been sprayed ready for planting. The plan is to erect bollards to protect the wetland from vehicles and rubbish dumping and then plant with a mixture of seedlings on the interface edge. At the moment the wetland is full of water and many bird species have been spotted, including Japanese Snipe earlier in the year.

Pictured below are some interesting fungi snapped underneath the two dead pine trees. The largest was about 8 inches across. The species is Trametes sp., which feeds on dead wood, and also parasites live wood. An indigenous uncommon species, normally of forest gullies, it has velvety black top with white edge.

- Loraine Cosgriff

Trametes sp.- an uncommon species of fungi

Irrewarra Farmcare Group members pictured at the Integrated Pest Management

Workshop page 12

http://www.agworld.com.au

http://www.agworld.com.au

http://www.farmingwithapps.com

http://www.farmingwithapps.com

http://www.agweb.com/app_store.aspx

http://www.agweb.com/app_store.aspx

http://www.croplife.com

http://www.croplife.com


Otway reGen

Tree Pruning dayIn June 18 reGeners had a great day out on the Stewart’s farm at Yan Yan Gurt pruning trees in teams. We then had a big campfire lunch spread full of all kinds of tasty tasty treats! This was then followed by more pruning, making tree forts and a night around the fire with music, mates and a few beers. The site looked really great after the prune and everyone's spirits were high.

Some of the reGeners have also been helping the Deans Marsh School kids filming their version of the Wetlands Pageant at the Bambra wetlands. Currently the group is working to recruit more young members and run another event this spring/summer.

- Hannah Stewart

Barwon Rivercare Group

Annual General MeetingThe Barwon River Care Group Held our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 17th June. 16 members attended to hear a comprehensive report by president Jim Lidgerwood on our last year’s activities. Mandy Baker also attended to report on the future projects for the UBLN and member groups, after a small amount of General Business, Mandy stepped in to Chair to conduct our AGM all the office bearers were re-elected & headed by President Jim.

Our group is looking forward to many group activities on our Landcare Calendar. We were very fortunate to have River Health Officer Peter Swanson from CCMA come to our AGM to speak on the Barwon River, starting with some very interesting photos of the river many years ago (pictured). This produced lots of discussion within the room. Stewart Mathison then gave Peter a small gift on behalf of our group. The meeting closed at 09:30pm with a cuppa & a lovely supper.

- Rod Stone


Otway Agroforestry Network

TreeChange Expo-Barrabool Hills

During May, the Barrabool Hills Landcare group in partnership with the Otway Agroforestry Network ran a major field day on the property of Ross and Lyn George.

More than 300 people attended and saw a range of Landcare and agroforestry activities, which could be applicable to small, medium or large scale landholders. The field day was supported by the Surf Coast Shire and the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority.

Some years ago Ross and Lyn George decided their spectacular view from the top of the Barrabool Hills needed some protection, plus their busy lives meant that they needed an alternative landuse to traditional grazing. So they set about treeing their landscape and discovered a whole new world of benefits. Thus, this was a perfect setting to explore and enjoy many of the possibilities that integrating trees and shrubs can bring.A wide range of information sessions were attended, including detailed sessions on Cyprus Canker with David Smith (DEPI), Native Grasses & Weeds and the multiple values of re-vegetation.

Also, activities and demonstrations about birds for biodiversity, farm saw-mills, pruning and thinning, wood for fuel, Waterwatch, bush tucker, direct seeding, plant propagation, wine tasting (wine history of the Barrabool Hills), wind turbines, solar pumps and a number of interesting stalls were featured.

The field day also formed part of the Barrabool Hills Landcare Group 20th anniversary celebration. After the field day, dinner was served and timber, which was sawn on the day with portable mills, was auctioned. Large Red Gum planks sold for $250. Along with other items a total of $2,100 was raised and went towards supporting Australian Landcare International (ALI) International Landcare Project for third world countries.

Congratulations to the Barrabool Hills Landcare Group on the significant milestone of their 20th anniversary. Many new friendships were made between the two organisering groups.

OAN is willing to partner with Landcare groups to assist in the delivery of a comprehensive suite of Landcare and agroforestry opportunities.

For further information contact Andrew Stewart (coordinator OAN) on 0448 363 277 or email [email protected]

Rowan Reid demonstrating portable sawmilling with a cypress log




Wurdale Landcare Group

Why do people leave rubbish in the Otways?The Otways is such a beautiful place to visit, enjoy the scenery, wildlife, and relax and enjoy the bush. But when it’s time to leave, a few people think it’s okay to leave their rubbish behind. This is not only an eyesore, but dangerous to wildlife, a pollution risk and a hazard for others who visit.

Earlier this year concern was raised between the Wurdale Landcare Group and Wurdale Brigade regarding camping rubbish (and a few other additional items) at a water point in the Otways. This was a quiet location, secluded in the bush but with easy access to a dirt road close by. A popular camping site with water and bush walking available. The location is also an important point for Brigade training and access for emergency water supply during the event of a bushfire.But as the pictures featured show, it was also a convenient location to have a camp fire and leave broken stubbies behind. In addition, plastic bags, lots of rusty nails (from burning nailed timber) and then car parts began to appear.

With the two local community groups not wanting to see this lovely site become a rubbish disposal area, a discussion began regarding who is responsible for attending to

clean up the mess. One could ask Parks Victoria or the Department of Environment and Primary Industries to follow up, or the Surf Coast Shire could be approached to determine if the issue fell on private land. But any rubbish is everybody’s problem. So volunteers from the Wurdale Landcare Group, with assistance from the local Brigade, decided to use a cold, wet Sunday morning in July and collect the rubbish, including small splinters of glass and using a large magnet to collect hundreds of nails and take it all to the Winchelsea Transfer Station.

The clean-up was followed with a barbeque for the seven participants at the property of one of the volunteers, as a relaxed, social occasion for the quiet achievers.We now hope that, with the rubbish cleaned up, the area will be respected and that others can enjoy it…without leaving more rubbish behind. And if the local brigade ever needs to fill up water supply in training or an emergency, they are able to access the area without concern for safety or risking a flat tyre.Thanks very much to those who organised and assisted on the day.

- Carol McGregor

First Leg From the Source to Birregurra

Twenty intrepid walkers, mainly local Landcare members of the Upper Barwon Landcare Network, took three days to walk the approximate 43km first leg of the 'Big River Walk" - along the Barwon River from its eastern branch headwaters at the top of the Otways near Thompson Track, to Birregurra.

Apart from day one which was mainly on public land, the walkers travelled through 22 private properties whose owners had kindly granted permission following representations by Loraine Cosgriff. Loraine is the current Murroon Landcare President, who once farmed in this valley, and is known to many of them.

On the way, the travellers saw a number of features that distinguish the Barwon:

• The forested headwaters (mostly in national park);

• Lake Elizabeth;• West Barwon Reservoir (Geelong’s main

water source);• Acid sulfate effects in Boundary Creek;• Some restoration projects in the flood

plain and main channel; • A new fencing system; and• Plenty of restoration opportunities.

Highlights of the walk included expert commentary on bush flora and fauna from Sue Harris and Mike Robinson-Koss, and on geology from Roger Blake. Also of interest was extensive revegetation works at the Shalley's farm in Yeodene, camp site on the second night. Along the river on the steep valley sides and at the river’s edge, revegetation with local native species, testament to a collaborative investment by AKD and Corangamite CMA, in the mutually beneficial interests of catchment protection and biodiversity.


THE BIG RIVER WALK – BARWON RIVER

May 26th – 29th 2014

Several big landslips were evident on this bank of the Barwon, often these slips had been re-vegetated, sometimes with native species, sometimes with pines, but always with better results for the river than leaving them untended. Such land is scarcely productive for grazing, but livestock can benefit from the shelter, so it makes good sense for farmers.

The party reached Birregurra in balmy conditions around four pm on the third day, after rescuing scores a golf balls that had strayed from the links on the valley side on the other side of the river

Organizers Jennifer Morrow and Richard Gilbert are understandably delighted that, after three years of planning and negotiating, the first leg has been achieved, with accolades from all concerned. And they’re reinvigorated in their ambition to complete the whole journey, all the way to the mouth at Barwon Heads.

They and a team of helpers believe that such a walk will enhance the process of reconnecting people with each other and their natural environment, the condition of which is so often reflected in the rivers. It’ll take a few years.

- Peter Greig


Walkers followed the weaving Barwon River along the flood plain

Some banks of the river showed evidence of landslips

Read the full article on the UBLN website


Network Activities

Gordon TAFE partnershipThe Network has started working more closely with the Gordon TAFE for mutual benefit. The students are keen to learn and need experience. They also need to volunteer, and are happy to plant trees and remove weeds which we are happy to do with them!

A group came to Winchelsea to participate in Platypus surveying on the Barwon River; Rivercare members took the opportunity to meet the students and show some likely sites (unfortunately no platypus were spotted). As part of a Sweet Pittosporum removal project, a group of 15 students turned up and under guidance of their teacher and Chris Callahan, spent some time learning and practicing cut and paint technique. In July a group visited sites showing typical erosion problems of our area. Jennifer Morrow and Rod Stone conducted a tour of revegetation sites and a rock chute on Jennifer’s property, demonstrating techniques of how to treat this problem. The group is returning the favour later this month, by helping plant 3000 seedlings on a Barwon Rivercare members’ property in Buckley.

Birregurra Bush GardenWe are continuing to partner with the Birregurra Primary School and the Birregurra Community Group with a project in the township to revegetate an area of the school grounds and park, linking both to the recent good works done by the community group along the drain and to the Barwon River. Students from the school were very excited to be filmed for a youtube clip made by the Corangamite Catchment Authority designed to showcase the Clubs program. Clubs has just kicked off again with a new group of enthusiastic future landcarers.

Sustainable Agriculture Funding from the ‘Focus Farm’ project has enabled us to carry out sustainable farming activities this year. these include; - On farm trial of sub soil composting trial on

Bruce Bilney’s site on the heavy black soil of Irrewarra.

- A green manuring trial on a 2 ht paddock on the Shalley property at Yeodene.

Both of these trials are in partnership with the Department of Environment and Primary Industries. - An Integrated Pest Management workshop

with Paul Horne and Jessica Page, which was booked out (pictured below).

Irrewarra Farmcare Group members examining interesting bugs including ladybug larvae, lacewings and parasitic wasps.

Gordon TAFE students at the Morrow property


The CCMA ‘Land Health Program’ has been an interesting development in the area of sustainable farm management, with many local landholders putting up their hand to take part in farm trials and demos on their properties and participate in workshops and field days. The Program is a compilation of opportunities from various groups and agencies such as Southern Farming Systems, CCMA, DEPI, Landcare, and Victoria No-Till Farmers Association. The role of the Network is to coordinate the projects locally, liaise with landholders and run field days and farm visits.

Ten landholders in the Network have participated in a soil sampling trial with Lisa Miller from Southern Farming Systems. The trial sampled paddocks on different farms within our landcare catchment group area in July, with the aim to re-test in 2018. It is hoped to sample 100 paddocks across the whole of the Corangamite catchment.The advantage for the landowner is that they get their subsoil tested, as normally they would only sample to 0-10 cm they will get fractionated carbon levels.

Normal soil tests only report on total organic carbon. The fractionated carbon level testing is important to observe for someone trying to build up their soil carbon levels as it measures the humus and recalcitrant components which are not easily broken down by soil microorganisms. They can also compare their particulate organic carbon levels under say continuous crop compared to pasture crop rotations, to see if there is more particulate carbon in paddocks involving pasture rotations.

The different fractions are also important for croppers to know when they are doing their nitrogen calculations. Nitrogen mineralisation predictions based on current total organic carbon levels are unreliable.

15 cores were taken across a 150 m transect area and the following analysis done:

0-10 cm –Soil fertility, pH, exchangeable cations, Fractionated carbon (particulate, humus & recalcitrant components), bulk density10-20 cm - pH, exchangeable cations, Fractionated carbon, bulk density20-30 cm - pH, exchangeable cations, Fractionated carbon, bulk density

Do you know what to do if you find Aboriginal artifacts on your land? Are you aware of your responsibilities?Do you know what activities need a Cultural Heritage Management Plan?

In May the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority ran a series of cultural heritage workshops aimed to help answer these questions.

A series of fact sheets are available from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, outlining subjects such as:• Aboriginal stone tools• Aboriginal burials• Scar trees• Grinding stonesAnd other historical artifacts, plus a fact sheet specifically around Aboriginal sites on private property.

To access the fact sheets go to: www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/aav or we have printed copies in the office

http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/aav

http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/aav


Sweet Pittosporum Field Day

In June a field day was held at the Shalleys property Yeodene. The farm has a large area of remnant/revegetated bush which is infested with Sweet Pittosporum. A community Environment Grant has given us the funds to help eradicate the weed on this, and surrounding properties. The Field Day which was partnered by Colac Otway Shire, Parks Victoria, Otway Greening Nursery and Tree Management Services, covered a few topics:

• How to remove the weed, technique and timing

• Comparing different chemical options • What effects the weed has on biodiversity

in the bush• Alternative species that can be planted • Facts about this and other environmental

weeds prevalent in the Otway area.

Upper Barwon Landcare Network AGM 2014On 23rd May 2014 The UBLN held its Annual General Meeting, including guest speakers and dinner at the Winchelsea Hub. 35 people attended the meeting, including representatives from the Surfcoast Shire, Barwon Water and Colac-Otway Shire. Peter Greig was re-elected as President for another term, Richard Gilbert re-elected as Secretary, and new representatives from Irrewarra and Wurdale were appointed to the executive on the night. A delicious dinner was provided by the Winchelsea’s football and netball club ladies.Guest speakers at the dinner included Jo and Greg Bear who practice holistic farming (see Peter Greig’s story page 19). Thanks to Lyn Russell, Colac-Otway Shire Mayor who also MC’ed the evening.

New Expressions of Interest formsIf you have an idea for a Landcare project, it is important to put in an ‘Expression of Interest’ form so we can try and find funding to help make it happen. We have recently revamped these forms to reflect that there are a range of landcare activities (not just revegetation) that could possibly be supported. The new forms are either for individual landholders or can be submitted on behalf of a group. Examples include: field days, farm trials, tours, and workshops. Download the forms from our website - go to www.ubln.org.au/funding

- Mandy Baker

The full UBLN Annual General Meeting 2014 report can be found on our website: www.ubln.org.au

http://www.ubln.org.au/funding

http://www.ubln.org.au/funding



UBLN Wellbeing StudyFarming, Landcare and Health


Did you know?On average:

• Rural men and women live two years less than urban residents• Farmers have the second highest rate of fatalities and injuries at work,

compared with all industries• Farmers delay seeking medical help much longer than urban folk • Rural folk exercise less, drink more alcohol, eat less vegetables, and are more

obese (but smoke less) than urban Australians

On the other hand, did you know that people living near green open space have:• Better mental health• Better physical health• Greater cognitive ability, and are• More connected to communities and help networks

again compared with those who don’t have access to green spaces

These contrary research findings and others were revealed at “A Healthy Farm Life – What makes it happen?”– as part of a presentation by Dr Scott McCoombe, from Deakin University medical school.

This workshop was held in Birregurra in May this year as part of the Wellbeing Project, and included 17 local community members. Participants had been invited by the Network to seek ways of making their farming and Landcare activities more healthy, and to see whether these things had any connection with each other.

The Wellbeing Project is an initiative of the Network funded by the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority. The idea was to shift the evaluation of Landcare beyond a traditional narrow focus on Natural Resource Management (NRM) outcomes and to reveal the extent to which Landcare over the last 20 years has impacted on natural capital and human wellbeing, and the degree to which wellbeing itself feeds back into better Landcare. We predict that people doing Landcare become happier, healthier, and better connected, and thus more resilient in times of crisis. That is, Landcare has improved the social capital and wellbeing of people, and for both participants and non-participants. And importantly, we predict that they are better able to continue Landcare activities if and when government support is reduced or stops.

An important development in the project has been the formation of a partnership with the School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University. The expertise of Dr Scott McCoombe has added considerably to the project – he has conducted medical research in rural health, lectures in rural medicine and has connections to a broader research community on the topic we are investigating.

Importantly, it is expected that the results of this project could be used to frame a research proposal for a whole-of-community study into Landcare and wellbeing. The proposal would be aimed at our region with the view to perhaps extending across whole catchments and wider areas.An unexpected outcome of the project was an opportunity to collaborate with some visiting Japanese colleagues who are researching a similar field in Japan.

-notes by Peter Grieg and Hugh StewartSee the full story on the UBLN website

Dr Scott McCoombe from Deakin University, a partner in the UBLN

Wellbeing Project

Filling in those gaps with Indigenous trees and shrubs on your farm

So you’ve done the right thing. You’ve gotten rid of that blackberry patch or boneseed or sweet pittosporum. Now you’ve got a big area full of… well, not a whole lot! If you’re lucky, there might be some remnant messmate or swamp gum with a few blackwoods but they’re all 15 metres in the air stretching for the sun and the only thing at ground level is a bit of bracken and wind whistling through the tree trunks.What natives can be planted in this area before the thistles and ragwort blow in? Well the short answer is LOTS, but let’s consider some of the issues to improve your chances of a successful rehabilitation project:

1. What EVC (Ecological Vegetation Class) covers the rehab site? Knowing the EVC will help with species selection for your property. If you don’t know the EVC, working out the soil type, rainfall, drainage and other climatic factors will help you understand which species should be planted.

2. Is the project area shaded or full sun? If shaded, consider the need to plant shade loving (understorey) species.

3. Are there existing tree roots in the soil that may compete for soil moisture with the newly planted seedlings? You may have to rip through some roots (being careful not to injure the mature trees) or find spots with minimal roots where maybe just cutting through roots with a spade will suffice.

4. Are the wallabies or rabbits in sufficient numbers to damage your young seedlings? Use tree guards or wallaby repellent, or plant seedlings in bracken or under dead branches to hide them from browsers.

There are many reasons to revegetate a site: stock shelter, firewood, erosion control, beautification, bird and insect habitat, carbon sequestration, agroforestry. The list is long and depending on your specific site, the list of plants could also be very long indeed! Talk to your tree planting neighbour or Landcare facilitator or even your favourite nursery person about the right understorey species for you.

- Mike Robinson-KossOtway Greening


The Big Otway Tree PlantThe second weekend in June saw a large group of volunteers with an interest in improving the environment, gather at Cape Otway.They came from all over, some were locals, some were international, some were students, I even met one fellow who had university exams on the Monday (he studied in his tent at night - that’s keen!) All age groups were there, from primary schoolers to grandparents.

The call had come from Jack at the Conservation Ecology Centre - 80,000 plants had to go in, somehow. This is a huge project - designed to address habitat declines across manna gum woodlands. The extensive site preparation was complete, which involved burns on some sites and mulching machinery on others.

It was a task of mammoth proportions, like organising a war. Working on this scale, in this timeframe, put everything under stress. The weather worked against us, not that it slowed us down at all, but half of the people who had promised to come did not show up, presumably because of the inclement weather forecast.City people are not built of the same material as we country folk!

Saturday night was great. The band Mountain Grey kept us entertained while Frank and his crew set up a pizza production line like I have never seen. The preparation took most of the day but it was a well oiled machine which custom made hundreds of individual pizzas to order, and cooked them in Frank’s self made wood fired oven.

By pack up time on Sunday, most were speechless with exhaustion,but happy they had done their best. 25,000 trees were planted over the course of the weekend by 100 volunteers – an exceptional effort. However there are still a lot of trees to get in the ground and the number of plants left looked mind boggling when assembled in the nursery areaon Sunday afternoon!

With an el Nino year predicted, in that light sandy soil of the Cape, those plants need to go in soon, or they won’t make it through the first summer.

The take home message is the Conservation Ecology Centre need your help, or many of those plants will be wasted and a great project compromised.

Contact Jack 0400 575 832 or [email protected]

- Richard Gilbert, East Otway Landcare




Major Funding for the Otway LEAF project

The Network has received funding of $150,00.00 over 2 years from the Victorian State Government to extend the Otway LEAF project into the area between Winchelsea and Inverleigh along the Barwon River.

The goal of the LEAF Project has been to establish a matrix of productive and bio-diverse vegetation across the agricultural landscape in order to strengthen ecological and community connectivity; encourage productive and innovative agriculture; while building resilience to meet the challenges of climate variability and change.The connectivity established during the Project will eventually link the Otways to the Brisbane Range enabling wildlife movement across the landscape. Stage 1 has been to link the Otways to the Inverleigh Nature Reserve. The Project began in 2009 and has been supported by the Norman Wettenhall Foundation (NWF) from that time.We are in the process of engaging landholders in the area using the Peer Group Mentoring process. We have established an Advisory Committee with representation from DEPI, Barwon Water, Trust for Nature, CCMA, Colac Otway and Surf Coast Shires, Geelong Landcare Network and Surf Coast Inland Plains Network, the Upper Barwon Landcare Network and Otway Agroforestry Network.

NWF continues to support LEAF with a recent $40,000 grant. As well as helping facilitate the LEAF project, these funds will be used to run a community bird surveying activity. LEAF is part of their Community Landscape Restoration “stable”. The Community Landscape Restoration program consists of 7 Projects including: LEAF, Connecting Country (in and around Castlemaine), JARR (Jack and Albert River Restoration run by the Yarram Yarram Landcare Network), Beyond Bolac (around Lake Bolac), GOANNA (run by the Loddon Plains Landcare Network), The Regent Honeyeater Project, and the newly established Swamps Rivers and Ranges (around Wangaratta).

-David Curry

Economic benefits of native shelterbelts -‐report launchOn the 14th May 2014 I attended the launch of the report in ‘Economic Benefits of Native Shelterbelts’ in Koroit. Koroit is the headquarters of The Basalt-to-Bay Landcare Network, which commissioned this report in 2013. About 50 people attended, including MPs, industry representatives, farmers and landcarers - all shepherded ably by Geoff Rollinson of Heytesbury District Landcare Network, in a spirit of cross-border collaboration. This was appropriate, because shelterbelts on farms are of universal significance, though not always and everywhere recognized as such. There were many speakers included Lisette Mill, the Basalt-to-Bay facilitator. Lisette’s speech explained that the project was farmer-led from the start, and prompted by the need to have objective evidence that forgoing pasture for shelterbelts would yield a financial dividend at some stage.Lisette hoped that the report will help to make Landcare-style activities part of day-to-day business on farms, not something “green” or “special”. The key to this is the partnerships that have formed in developing the report: - across industry, across tenure, and across Victoria. The report is on the Basalt to Bay website (www.basalttobay.org.au) and will be updated every six months.

- from notes by Peter GreigThe full article by Peter on this launch can be found on our website: www.ubln.org.au


http://www.basalttobay.org.au

http://www.basalttobay.org.au



Four Bears: A Tr-e Fair/ Stor/Once upon a time, there were four Bears who lived happily on a sheep farm near a big river. Then hard times befell them – the rains stopped, the river dried up; the grass didn’t grow, and everyone was sad. The four Bears looked at one another and said “What shall we do?” Then they put their heads together and found the answer, and they lived happily ever…after? Well, who knows? But this is their story.

It’s a familiar story, but the ending is not. Two brothers called Greg and Graeme Bear continue an unbroken line of succession for over 100 years on farm land, but things need to keep changing in line with the times. Luckily, they marry two women, Jo and Rosina, who are clever and independent, and who know – or readily learn – how to collaborate in their husbands’ partnership.

The farm in question is “Tiverton” covering 4000 hectares in the Loddon flood plain. Ten years ago the farm consisted of a number of enterprises including hay, cropping, and cattle, but it’s always been a sheep enterprise in an irrigation district of the Murray Darling Basin, where dairying is more common. The four Bears’ forebears bought the land in 1911, but the current inheritors knew something had to change during the long drought, which ended in 2010. With water entitlements contracting from the drought and for environmental flows, and being uncertain anyway, the high risks and low profitability of many of their farming enterprises came into sharp focus. The whole business needed a re-think.

Graeme, Greg and Jo attended a “holistic grazing management” course, which added several dimensions to traditional business thinking - including personal wellbeing of all partners and their families, their livestock, their environment and their community. We might all agree that that’s all nice in theory, but how do you make it work? The partners found a start on the answer in the work of Alan Savoury, originally from Zimbabwe but by then a US citizen, who suggested a workable framework in which all aspects of their lives could be considered together. This has remained their abiding philosophy.

From that starting point, the partners committed to a three-year program called “Executive Link” run by Principle Focus (now called Pro-Advice) involving two 2-day conferences per year, shared with about 50 like-minded business partners, and addressed by key speakers on environment, people, finance, and livestock. Working continuously and closely with other participants on shared and real problems was a big part of the program.All of which led to a real journey of discovery for the Bears: of themselves as individuals; of their inter-personal dynamics; and of their relative skill strengths and weaknesses. They identified the need for some further professional help, this time from Lyn Sykes, who introduced them to personality-testing, and to Stephen Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”. And they learnt how to combine all this into ways of making decisions that take into account all those attributes that holism required.


Decision-makingBy this time, the team had “leant how to fly solo”, in Greg’s words, but they knew they’d still need external advice and new structures on many aspects of their business, including:

• Low-stress stock-handling• Business development advice (quarterly meeting) with Business Management

Consultants from Pro-Advice• Strategic on-farm planning (monthly meeting)• Operational planning (fortnightly meeting), and• New enterprises (such as land-leasing)

By sticking carefully to these corporate-style structures (with all partners attending all meetings) and by allocating prime responsibility for main portfolios according to skill strengths, and by preparing policies for action ahead of crises, the team has achieved a modus operandi that, as Jo says:

• Is satisfying and healthy for each individual• Is lower stress than reacting to a crisis, and• Is better for the business, livestock, families and community.

Three key strategies emerged from the team’s deliberations:• Jo would give up practice as a vet to focus on the farm business;• Turnover needed to be increased; and• The business structure based on sheep was sound, and could be replicated

elsewhere.

From these three main strategies, two land-leasing innovations were found, involving unusual land-owners, such as Vicsuper. The lessors provided land and infrastructure, and the Bears provided livestock and management skills, in a mutually beneficial relationship. The Bears could see an opportunity to replicate what they were doing on their own farm by developing a "share grazing" relationship on VicSuper’s property close by. It also provided the opportunity for Jo to work within the business as manager of the enterprise and so fulfill some of her own goals.

The Bears’ story illustrates the principles upon which Landcare was originally founded. It was to be a mutually respectful partnership between government and farmers aimed at restoring degraded lands and leaving them in better condition for subsequent generations.Jo knows the essential ingredients of successful and lasting partnerships:

trustopen communications

shared vision and goals;embrace change

seek new opportunities, and think long-term.

These could be Landcare’s mission statement.- by Peter Greig

Jo and Greg Bear presented their story at the UBLN AGM in May


“we didn’t inherit our land from our parents, we borrowed it from our children

-Jo Bear

Barwon Downs Groundwater Community Reference Group updateThe Barwon Downs Groundwater Community Reference Group (BDGCRG) was formed by Barwon Water in October, 2013, to provide feedback on the corporation’s groundwater monitoring program.The group includes members of the Barwon Downs/Otway community as well as Geelong and Colac customers.Members:

• Jan Greig – Chair and Murroon resident• Doug Chant – Deputy chair• Henry Bongers – Colac customer• Gavin Brien – Barwon Downs resident• Robin Povey – Geelong customer• Malcolm Gardiner – LAWROC • Robert Maxwell – Gellibrand resident• Hans Fankhanel – Otway Ranges Environment Network

The licence for the Barwon Downs borefield, which is used to supplement Geelong’s drinking water supply during extreme dry conditions, is due for renewal in June, 2019. Barwon Water is assessing its current groundwater monitoring program as part of the renewal process. The objectives of the BDGCRG are:

• advise on key community interest in the Barwon Downs borefield to assist in further refinement of the monitoring and investigation program

• provide advice on engagement with the broader community in relation to the Barwon Downs borefield

• monitor implementation of the revised monitoring program.

Since its establishment, the reference group has held 10 meetings. It has received technical presentations from six experts and representatives from the group attended a community information session in Barwon Downs on May 6, 2014. To date, the group has endorsed a number of new monitoring program activities, including:

• installation of 26 new groundwater monitoring bores and refurbishment of two others• re-establishment of four stream flow gauges on Boundary Creek• additional sites and programs for surveying aquatic ecology, sampling and monitoring of

acid sulphate soils and surveying and monitoring terrestrial vegetation.

The group has recommended Barwon Water conduct a review of the hydrogeology to the west to determine if there are any potential impacts to the Gellibrand groundwater system. It also has suggested several community engagement activities, including designing a community education and awareness program around groundwater and the borefield and hosting further community information sessions.

Anyone who has any questions or wishes to discuss the review further can contact any member of the reference group or Barwon Water on 1300 656 007.


Waterwatch Results& a closer look at EC in the Pennyroyal Creek

As many of you TT readers are aware, each issue of TreeTalk publishes up-to-date and accurate water watch test results from creeks and rivers within the catchment. Thanks to the ongoing dedication of volunteers (such as Lily Randall), the UBLN has been able to collect data on the same river sites for many years; some creeks have records dating back to 1995 (nearly 20 years of water health data!). This gives us a great opportunity to begin to look closely at some of our creeks to hopefully gain a greater understanding of river health, both over time and along the catchment. This month we explore Electrical Conductivity (EC) levels along the Pennyroyal Creek, which begins in the Otway Ranges in Pennyroyal and meets the Barwon River near Birregurra.

Figure 1 shows the spatial pattern of EC for the Pennyroyal Creek. Using combined data from 2005-2014, data here is represented as the 75th percentile (i.e. 75% of all data collected lies below this number). It appears EC levels were low upsteam at the Wildwood bridge site and Pennyroyal Station road site. Yet as the creek moves into the plains EC levels increase, which is expected as water quality naturally changes as you move downstream1. However, as the creek reaches the Rifle Butts Rd and Cape Otway Rd sites, the EC levels have increased to up to 16 times. The SEPP (WoV) objective EC level for the region is 500 µS/cm 2, this score indicates a waterway of good EC health. High EC and salinity can have negative effects on freshwater biota. Levels below 1,500 µS/cm are believed to have minimal short-term effects on biota, but the impact on biota survival quickly becomes more severe as the EC level increases1. There may be many sources, some obvious and some less so, that are contributing to the high EC levels at these sites. Further investigation and identification of these sources would help to improve water quality of the Pennyroyal Creek, and thus potentially the waterways downstream.


Electrical Conduc/vity (EC) is a measure of electrical flow

through solu6on, or in this case the water in a creek. The higher the EC reading, the more salt there is dissolved in the water-‐ thus EC is a measure of salinity. Salinity is an ongoing problem for many waterways in the UBLN. High salinity directly impacts on aqua/c life.

Sources include groundwater, runoff, sewage and geology.

Figure 1. Electrical Conductivity (EC) along the Pennyroyal Creek. Long-term 75th percentiles (2007-2014). Map and data modified from www.vic.waterwatch.org.au/monitoring-and-data, Map derived from Victoria API, 2014 State Government of Victoria

http://www.vic.waterwatch.org.au/monitoring-and-data


There is some positive news from this exploration. A time series of EC data taken at the Pennyroyal Creek- Cape Otway Rd site from 2005 to 2013 appears to show a trend of decreasing EC levels over the last 9 years (Figure 2).

Certainly, since 2011 there is reduced variability in EC levels at the site. Last year in particular, levels are consistently closer to the ideal 500 µS/cm (indicating the site is in ok health) despite no to low flow during the previous season. Two annual EC snapshots of this site, one in 2006 and then in 2013, showed that the 75th percentile fell from 2400 µS/cm in 2006 to 630 µS/cm in 2013! This is a positive trend for the salinity and health of the site into the future.

-Beck Readhead

1 Interpreta6ng River Health Data-‐ Waterwatch Victoria hOp://www.vic.waterwatch.org.au/file/file/Data%20Interpreta6on%20Manual/Pages%20from%20WW_DI_MANUAL_PART%20A%20(p_1-‐18).pdf2 Water Quality Objec1ves for Rivers and Streams-‐ Ecosystem Protec1on, Publica6on 791.1, Scien6fic Support and Freshwater Sciences, EPA Victoria (2003).


Figure 2. Electrical Conductivity (EC) time series (2005 to 2014) and trend-line for Pennyroyal Creek at Cape Otway Road Site (PEN_090). Data Sourced from www.vic.waterwatch.org.au/monitoring-and-data

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http://www.vic.waterwatch.org.au/file/file/Data%2520Interpretation%2520Manual/Pages%2520from%2520WW_DI_MANUAL_PART%2520A%2520(p_1-18).pdf






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