Upper Hopkins Landcare Newsletter March 2010 Contact For info on Inside this issue Hayley Malloy Landmate requests, steep Ararat Hills Project hill management, Whole DPI Ararat Farm Planning, Peter Forster’s Bird Notes 5355 0523 vegetation management Local Events Allistair Stephens Salinity management in- Ararat Hills Project centives including steep Paddock trees for farm land DPI Ararat hill landclass fencing and 5355 0540 perennial pasture estab- Water Supply and Native Pastures field day lishment Una Allender Upper Hopkins Land Man- Water Testing results from around the catchment 5350 4244 agement Group and SFS Facilitator Landcare Group page Peter Forster Upper Hopkins and Ararat March Photo Board 5352 1530 Landcare Group contact Around the Traps by Una Allender Glenelg Hopkins Waterways, wetlands, CMA Hamilton Works on Waterways per- From the Editor– Hayley Malloy 5571 2526 mits Daryl Scherger Ararat Rural City Council With the excellent autumn weather beginning and the Ararat Rural City natural resource manage- bumper number of workshops on there is no excuse for 5355 0231 ment issues people not to be out and about learning about a range of new farming and land management tools, programs Debbie Shea Glenelg Hopkins CMA and improving their knowledge. 5352 1357 community representa- Don Rowe tives As you will see if you turn to the events page there are 5354 7553 many very interesting workshops being run over the Sue Mudford Conservation agree- next couple of months. Many of these workshops will Trust for Nature ments, grants, biodiversity provide information, tools and management techniques 5599 5223 technical advice to help landholders plan for and manage well the many changes and challenges that they are facing. A small group of landholders recently attended a Whole Farm Planning Introductory workshop in Ararat. Landholders wanting to develop a Whole Farm Plan for their property, based on an aerial photo, can do so by contacting me. We can work in with people’s availability and do one on one plans if preferred. LEFT: A tree plantation at Watgania. The trees were planted in winter 2008 and have grown very well. The Black Wattles were approximately 3 metres in height while the Eucalypts were at least 2.5 metres tall. Bird Notes by Peter Forster In my last report I commented on all the spring visitors from northern Australia. The White-browed Wood Swallows ended up staying for most of summer camping along Captains and Jacksons Creek. This was unusual as in the past they would arrive on a strong frontal system and leave within a few days. This season they bred along the watercourse and I discovered a nest in an old post north of our house. I only noticed the nest when the bird flew out of the top of the post. The birds were mostly noticeable towards evening catching insects about 50 metres above ground. If any brown falcons or magpies appeared they chased them fearlessly into the distance to protect their nestlings. Occasionally I spotted a pair in the morning sitting on the fence near our letterbox at Jacksons Creek. A sequel to our spring visitors story from the last newsletter was finding a dead male White-winged Triller in the garden (see photo). I can only surmise that it was panicked into flying into a window by a Sparrowhawk or Falcon as it was very familiar with our garden area and nested close to the house. Both the Trillers and Songlarks became “invisible” once the breeding season finished. It seems almost an annual event now to find a dead Tawny Frogmouth on Port Fairy Road south of where Denicull Creek crosses the highway. There are patches of remnant woodland vegetation in this area which must attract them. Unfortunately vehicle lights attract them at night as they chase insects and one died in early December. On a visit to Hamilton I walked around Lake Hamilton. The area has good walking tracks and in the fringing vegetation I noticed Moorhens with young and Reed Warblers with head feathers ruffed up. Unlike most Western District lakes this lake normally has lots of water making it an attractive spot to take a break. Green Hill Lake has some water at present and has a lot of waterbirds using the area. Ararat Landcare Group volunteers have been busy watering trees planted on two islands on the northeast side. On a trip to Anglesea recently I took some photos of some very tame birds including King Parrots and a cheeky Sulphur Crested Cockatoo. Anglesea is surrounded by forest and heathlands and seems alive with birds including flocks of Gang Gang and Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos. I spotted two dead Fairy Penguins washed up on the beach. I was told this is a fairly common occurrence if the weather is rough and food supplies low. The dead birds (see March photo board) appeared fat enough so it may have been bad weather that killed them. I am not sure how close the nearest colony is. Port Fairy and Port Phillip Bay are both a long way away. Bill Taylor reported that a small flock of Straw-necked Ibises helped clean the paddock he was discing in December last year west of Moyston. A Wood Swallow’s nest in A dead male White-winged A tame King Parrot at Anglesea an old fence post Triller found in the garden Local Events Date & Event Details Contacts Location 16 March Introduction to eFarmer workshop Hayley Malloy Maroona eFarmer is a free on-line mapping tool that allows you Ararat Hills Project Leader to: DPI Ararat 4pm-6pm • Create plans using an aerial photo Ph. 5355 0523 Dinner provided • Map and measure areas from 6pm • Map and measure distances Registration required • Create printable farm maps and records • Store soil test information & other parameters 23 March Profitable Perennial Pastures Rob Shea Ararat • Role of soil carbon in productive pasture systems Perennial Pasture Systems • Making the most of phalaris Ph. 5352 1357 9.30am-4pm • Improving reproductive performance Lunch provided • Various aspects of phalaris establishment & man- Register by 19 March agement 24 March Carbon Crazy Lucy Stott Joel Joel • Agriculture Greenhouse Carbon emissions– how AgFutures Project Officer are they measured? DPI Ararat 5pm-9pm • Current research and mitigation options Ph. 5355 0539 Dinner provided • Conducting your own carbon audit Register by 19 March 30 March Water Wisdom & Profitable Perennials Hayley Malloy Ballyrogan • See a working solar pump farm water supply sys- Ararat Hills Project Leader (south of Ararat) tem DPI Ararat • Hear about the benefits of water security & in- Ph. 5355 0523 10am-12pm creased flexibility this system provides the land- Lunch provided holders Register by 25 March from 12pm • Learn latest research findings on native pastures • Achieve production and environmental benefits by maximising a minimal input grazing system 7 April Soil Savvy Victoria Leeke Pomonal • What does your soil test tell you? Project Platypus • Fertiliser recommendations– questions you need to Ph. 5358 4410 2pm-5pm ask • Managing soils to increase productivity and help Register by 2 April save money 20 April Introduction to eFarmer workshop Mary Knight Beaufort eFarmer is a free on-line mapping tool that allows you Project Officer eFarmer to: DPI Hamilton 10am-12pm • Create plans using an aerial photo Ph. 5573 0725 • Map and measure areas • Map and measure distances Register by 15 April • Create printable farm maps and records • Store soil test information & other parameters 21 April Bioenergy; Biofuels & Biochar Lucy Stott Beaufort • What is the future of Victoria’s energy supply? AgFutures Project Officer • Energy production opportunities for farmers DPI Ararat 12pm-5pm • CHAF Biomass Audit findings Ph. 5355 0539 Lunch provided Register by 16 April Paddock trees for farm land by Reto Zollinger, DPI Hamilton Many paddock trees are remnants of once extensive woodlands and grassy woodland ecosys- tems and in many cases may have been mature trees when Captain James Cook first set foot on the east coast of Australia in 1770. Maintaining and replacing paddock trees in productive areas as well as on the hills is important and valuable, both from farm production and landscape health perspectives: • Paddock trees improve farm productivity by providing livestock with shade and shelter, mark- edly increasing lamb survival, wool production and livestock weight gain. • Paddock trees help maintain landscape health by providing homes and shelter for bats, birds, reptiles and invertebrates that in return reduce the number of insect pests. • Paddock trees provide important links and refuge for animals moving between areas of rem- nant native vegetation and provide a food source such as nectar, insects and foliage for wild- life. • Paddock trees reduce erosion and the risk of dryland salinity and are an important source for seed used for landcare revegetation. The “Maconachie” Supporting Site of EverGraze - Low Input on native perennials near Ararat is providing a case study in how new trees, on hills containing scat- tered remnant trees, can be established through natural regeneration. The grazing management applied at the Supporting Site is a combination of deferred grazing, no grazing between October/November to January/February, fol- lowed by grazing pasture based on leaf stage principles refined for native grasses. This grazing management allows tree saplings and seedlings to establish and a targeted selection of trees to be guarded during sum- mer before grazing commences. This approach en- sures that replacement trees are able to flourish and in Selection of guarded trees following de- time fulfil the important function as a paddock tree for ferred grazing during the 2009/2010 sea- the future. son, note trees left unguarded. ARARAT RURAL CITY TREE PLANTING PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY As part of the implementation of Ararat Council Environmental Sustainability Strategy, Council is looking to calculate and offset their vehicle emissions by planting trees which will sequester car- bon.