North-east

September 200 7 PROGRAM OF EVENTS

South Blue Range ‘Covenant to Covenant’ BYO meat for a BBQ lunch – bread and salads Bush Walk, Mansfield Area provided. Enter via the property “Deeside”, 264 Saturday 6 th October, beginning 10.30 a.m. till Plozzas Road, . Meet at 10am at the approximately mid-afternoon house, set 1km in from Plozzas Road. Join local landholders on a walk along the South For further information or any queries on this Blue Range from one Trust for Nature covenant to session, please contact Terry Taylor on another. Moderately strenuous walk of about 5 phone (h) 57981249. kilometres – not on formed tracks. Wear walking This event is held in collaboration with the boots. Bring a picnic lunch, water, warm clothing, Sheep Pen Creek Land Management Group raincoat, etc. and Violet Town Action Group. Starting point will be Rifle Butts Road, approx. 5 km south of Mansfield. To RSVP and for exact Resources in Remnants – Relationship meeting location, please contact Lance Williams, between Dead Wood and live Antechinus. Trust for Nature, on 576 33 315 or 0418 300 959, th th Friday 14 September, 10 – 11am. by Friday 28 September. Talk by Terry Korodaj, Natural Resources Project Hosted by Trust for Nature and local Trust for Officer, Murray CMA, , followed by Nature covenantors questions and discussion. Held at the DSE offices in Wodonga. All welcome. Bookings essential – Bush Stone-curlew Information Morning please contact Jerry Alexander, DSE Wodonga on Tuesday 11 th September, 10am start 02 6043 7974. This morning event will be an opportunity to learn more about the history and ecology of the Bush Climate Change and Biolinks: The Victoria Stone-curlew in the Violet Town, and Naturally Strategy area. This will be an informal gathering, Wednesday 26 th September, 5.30pm. with opportunities to hear curlew stories from local Victoria Naturally is a new alliance of eight landholders, with the idea of setting up a ‘Friends environmental groups in Victoria with a grand of the Curlew’ group. The venue is the Miepoll vision of making the state’s natural environment Hall and a BBQ lunch will be provided. To RSVP resilient to global warming and its effects. With and for more information, please contact Susan 70% of the state’s native vegetation cleared, the Sleigh, Curlew Project Officer on 57904 301. habitat of our native flora and fauna will become increasingly under threat from climate change. Ecology and Management of Red Gum Come along and hear all about the project from a Wetlands – Jubilee Swamp VNPA representative who will explain the vision Saturday 22 nd September, 10am start. and reasoning behind it. The venue is the Uniting Join Keith Ward, Wetland Ecologist from the Church Hall, opposite Coles in Carrier Street, Goulburn Broken Catchment Management . For more information, please contact Kate Authority, for a walk through Jubilee Swamp, 10km Stothers on phone (w) 57611 572. north of Violet Town. The ecology of wetlands and Hosted by the Benalla and District management options for the Swamp will be Environment Group. discussed.

Get up close with our Native Reptiles

Striped Legless Lizard Hunt Sunday 9 th September, Spring Creek Road, Alexandra. 9am – 3pm It’s on again! Join one of Victoria’s leading herpetologists, Peter Robertson, in the hunt to find this elusive lizard. Past volunteer surveys of this kind have increased the known population of the Striped Legless Lizard dramatically. Outdoor clothing and footwear required. BYO lunch. For more information and to join the hunt, please contact Bertram Lobert, on phone 5790 8606.

Great Snakes and Other Reptiles Sunday September 2 nd , (Fathers Day) 12-3pm Hosted by the Warby Range Landcare Group and Department of Primary Industries, with guest presenters The “Snake Handler” Team As part of the Carpet Python Project, this field day will display live reptiles, including snakes. The emphasis is on understanding the role snakes play in our environment, snake behaviour, and how to share your environment with snakes. A BBQ Fundraiser lunch will be held by the Glenrowan Football Club. Location: Glenrowan Recreation Reserve. VicMap page 34 E9, or follow the Field Day Signs. To RSVP and for more information, please contact Janice Mentiplay-Smith, DPI, on phone 03 57 611 644, by August 28 th .

Threatened Species Day at the Kyabram Fauna Park Sunday 9th September The Kyabram Fauna Park is hosting a threatened species day on Sunday 9 th September 2007. It is a family fun day involving environmental displays, kids’ animal trails, giveaways, keeper talks on endangered species and a range of environmental activities, all to celebrate national Threatened Species Day. A Reptile specialist will also be present providing interactive hands-on reptile activities for the public. The day will allow a great family day out whilst learning about a range of threatened species in the region. The Kyabram Fauna Park is a community owned and run, not-for-profit organisation that exhibits over one hundred species of native wildlife. Set on 55-hectares of Grey Box Woodland, the Park not only offers a unique recreational environment, but is renowned for its education programs, conservation protocols (through breeding programs for endangered species), and an Environmental Resource Centre for Northern regions of Victoria. Contact Kezia Ross, Education Officer, Kyabram Fauna Park on (03) 58 52 22 04 or 0404 686 344 for further information.

Nest Box Monitoring at Warranbayne/Boho Sunday 16 th September (half day) and Thursursday 20 th September ( half day) The Warrenbayne Boho Landcare Group has a successful nest box prorgam on private land. The boxes were installed several years ago to provide extra home sites for the Squirrel and Sugar Gliders in the area. A pole camera will be used to help identify if animals are present in the nest boxes. The group invite you to come along and help with the monitoring of these nest boxes, and with luck, see these beautiful creatures at home! Meet at DPI, Benalla at 9am both days. Contact Alan Neander : 57632302 (landcare member) or Helen Repacholi : 57611663 (DPI.) There are more events in the Broadford area taking place in October. Please contact Barbara Moss on 5784 2524 for more information.

Sunday September 16 9.30 – 4.30pm. Know your Natural Treasures Bus Trip run by BEAM Mitchell Environment Group. Bus trip showcases many of the environmentally significant sites within Mitchell Shire. Bus leaves Mitchell Shire Hall in Broadford. BYO food, hot drink and chair. Contact Barbara Moss 57842524 or [email protected] for bookings and further information.

Sunday September 23, 10am. Working bee Mt Piper Nature Conservation Reserve , Jeffries Lane, Broadford. BYO lunch, drinks, tools and chair. Contact: Geraldine Hadden 5784 1143 or [email protected] for further information.

Sunday October 7, 10am. Wildflower walk, Colin Officer Flora Reserve , Broadford. Meet at Broadford Golf Club car park, Horwood Road, Broadford. Contact Barbara Moss for further information.

Biodiversity Celebrations in the Irrigation Region

A Direct Seeding Seminar is planned for September 2007 to celebrate Biodiversity Month. Come along and hear the latest about direct seeding including seed collection, implementation, incentives and Best Management Practices. The seminar will be held at DPI with a range of local experts and information available. Look out for upcoming details. For further information contact Rebecca Heard or Joel Pike on (03) 58 335 222.

The 2 nd Annual Biodiversity Celebration Day is planned for the Barmah Landscape Zone. The day will provide opportunity for agencies and the community to celebrate biodiversity achievements and share successes and knowledge about natural resource management. For further information contact Rebecca Heard or Rebecca Lukies on (03) 58 335 222.

The Community Group and the Merrigum Landcare Group is organising a Community Planting Day to be held on Sunday 16 th September 2007. Come along to the Merrigum Bushland Reserve (behind the tennis courts) and help these enthusiastic groups celebrate Biodiversity Month. Plant some trees in the morning, enjoy the BBQ lunch while having a look at the various displays on offer and take the opportunity to talk to agency staff and like-minded community members. A guided walk through the Reserve is available to interested people following lunch. For further information contact Jenny Wilson on 0409 865 467.

Flock to Chiltern Weekend! 7 – 9 th September, Chiltern A Bird Convention will be held in Chiltern on this weekend with displays in the Memorial Hall, field trips with experienced guides and, on the Saturday evening, guest speakers on a variety of topics. The Friday evening, from 6 – 8pm, there will be a meet and greet session with drinks and finger food supplied. The Saturday will include field trips with leaders, followed by a sit down meal in the evening with guest speakers from Birds Australia and Trust for Nature. Sunday will be a free day. Birds Australia will be working with Chiltern Tourism Association to make this an event not to be missed by avid birdos. Costs are still being worked out. Please register your interest soon by phoning 03 5726 1611 or e-mail [email protected]. Hosted by Chiltern Tourism Association and Birds Australia

Planting morning along the Honeysuckle Creek, Violet Town Sunday 16 th September, 10am start Come along and join the Violet Town community to celebrate their local creek environment by planting a small creekbank area with understorey and grasses. View the whole project, which includes a walking track, interpretative signs, sculptures and lots of enhancement plantings. BBQ lunch provided. For more information, please contact Lance Williams on 57 981 408. A project of the Violet Town Action Group

Wildflower Wander and Launch of Reef Hills State Park Management Plan Wednesday 26 th September, 10am – 12pm, plus lunch Following the recent drought, the well rested lillies and orchids will explode into a profusion of colour. This will also be an ideal setting for the launch of the newly released RHSP Management Plan. After the wildflower wander join together and share the BBQ lunch provided by Parks Victoria. Meet at the Picnic Ground, Reef Hills State Park, Midland Hwy, Benalla. To RSVP for this event (for catering purposes), please contact Kate Stothers, on 57 611 572.

Goomalibee Grasslands Gathering Wednesday 3 rd October, 9.30am, finish with BBQ lunch provided by Goomalibee Landcare Group Get to know this new Grassland Reserve – Learn about the significance of the site, management issues and learn to recognise the main species on the site, including the grasses and wildflowers, box and red gum trees, and Grey-crowned Babblers. Meet at the stockyards, corner of Carroll Road and Burness Road, Goomalibee. To RSVP for this event (for catering purposes), please contact Kate Stothers, on 57 611 572. Hosted by Parks Victoria and Goomalibee Landcare Group

Upcoming Special Presentation Dr David Lindenmayer, co-author of the book ‘Woodlands – A Disappearing Landscape’ will present on woodland ecology and management at DSE Offices in Wodonga. Look out for further details on this one.

For more information on the Biodiversity Month program, please contact Kate Stothers on 57 611 572 or email [email protected]