K2C Groundcover Issue No. 3 Hello to all our K2C friends Upcoming K2C & partners events: Our K2C Groundcover Issue No. 3 has been a long time Roll Your Own Clay Seed Balls coming. to revegetate the rocky ridges work- Property visits have not slowed as landholders are very keen shop —Presented by Graham Fifield, to discover what is available for on- ground support. Many Greening Australia. have attended K2C hosted functions despite the turn in weather. The Partner reports fill in the gaps. Co-hosted by Bredbo Landcare & K2C. Since last March K2C Groundcover newsletter — By Gold Coin donation with BBQ lunch. K2C was invited by the Southern Tablelands Ecosystem Park (STEP) group to plant a Snow Gum at the opening of the Arboretum in Canberra. STEP actively advocate for Date: Saturday, 15th August 2009 Australia’s grassy woodlands. Time: 12 noon—3.30pm Venue: Bredbo Community Hall, Bredbo After being hit by a brain storm of an idea, as you do when RSVP: [email protected] actively getting your hands dirty, the STEP Director and I worked vigorously to cost a project to see select landholders convert previously cultivated exotic pastures to diverse na- Please register your interest in the following. Dates TBA. tive species. The project is called U can Sow Native Grasses. We nested this project into the SRCMA Caring for Biological Farming and Healthy Soils Workshop—Dr Maarten our Country bid and the K2C project also had it’s very own Stapper - Farming Systems Agronomist (As seen recently on Australian Story, ABC). dibs into this funding source, but alas neither bid was suc- cessful. What were they thinking not funding us? Date: TBA Sept/Oct 09 Time: All day Of the other just as interesting things, I have met with the Venue: Scottsdale Property, Bredbo Kuma Nature Reserve Committee in Cooma about sur- RSVP: [email protected] rounding grasslands, been interviewed by Sarina Lock (ABC Radio) regarding funding for the region and tree die- Grassy Ecosystem Management Kit Workshop - Sarah Sharp. Back by popular demand. Please register your interest and a back in Adaminaby, developed a Kangaroo Grass Trial that date will be confirmed soon. will see 30 landholders participate to re-establish this en- demic grass, canvassed the market for possible NCT prop- Date: TBA Aug/Sept erty purchases . Time: All day Venue : Scottsdale Property, Bredbo The Great Eastern Ranges Initiative have invested much to RSVP: [email protected] support K2C and develop other similar partnerships in the K2C Groundcover Border Ranges, Hunter Valley, Southern Highlands and the newsletter of Kosciuszko to Coast Slopes to Summit Projects as part of the bigger 2800 km connectivity initiative. Using the K2C partnerships model It aims are: the 5 project facilitators are communicating well and sharing • Provide information about K2C, their experiences. See story on GERI page 3. • Announce upcoming K2C events, • Report on K2C’s activities, and Our K2C Conservation Action Plan Review has been done but not yet dusted. K2C partners and subject matter experts • Provide news and contact details about the K2C partners. played a brilliant role in providing the necessary criteria to Please circulate it amongst your friends and networks. develop a ecologically and strategically comprehensive If you have anything of interest to K2C, please contact Lauren document to drive K2C into the future. van Dyke at [email protected] , 02 6454 4388, or 0411 402 978. Lauren Van Dyke, K2C Project Facilitator K2C Groundcover, Issue No. 3, July 2009, page 2, The Recent Past Scottsdale to Colinton Railway Walk—April You will be pleased to know nobody was hit by the train as 41 FOG and K2C walkers meandered along the tracks from Scottsdale to Colinton on Sunday 5 April. After the main leg, about 12 people headed onto the Ingelara Biody- namic Farm where we were treated with coffee, cake and chai tea. That got us going again through the regenerating yellow box and back onto the species rich railway easement. Thanks to everyone for participating and making the day memorable. Scottsdale to Colinton Railway Walk Photo Geoff Robertson Visit to Bunhybee—May Linda Spinaze and Roger Clarke (full story in FOG newsletter) Grassy Ecosystem Management Kit SAT 9 MAY A perfect warm, still, autumn day, found a group of 17 Workshop people heading towards Braidwood, and thence southwards to Jerrabat- Scottsdale, Bush Heritage—June gulla Creek and our newly purchased property, Bunhybee Grasslands. The visit was organised by K2C, Friends of Grasslands (FOG) and 3 June was chilly and wet but this did not stop Southern Tablelands Grassy Ecosystems CMN. 30 people spending their day at the Bush Heri- tage, Scottsdale property. We bought Bunhybee last December from Nature Conservation Trust (NCT), which is a non-profit organisation that buys properties with The workshop run by Sarah Sharp was unique high conservation values and on-sells them to private buyers, with a in that attendees went through a series of steps covenant registered on the title which binds future owners to a stew- guided by the GEMK contents and in doing ardship role. came out the wiser on how to assess land capa- A fascinating day for us all, and we are very grateful to the organisers bility, vegetation and wildlife habitat, decision- for giving so generously of their time and knowledge. We found at making on management objectives, developing least 14 more native species to add to the list given to us by a management plan detailed works plan. NCT. More information can be accessed on our web-site: http.// rogerclarke.com.au/Bunhybee. And were able to take the kit home to boot! GEMK Workshop, Scottsdale Property Bunhybee Property - Photo Linda Spinaze K2C Groundcover, Issue No. 3, July 2009, page 3, What is the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative? Background Why are we choosing the Great Eastern Ranges for this The Great Eastern Ranges Initiative (formerly known in NSW Initiative? as the Alps to Atherton Initiative ) is a long-term strategy to es- The Great Eastern Ranges provide the maximum possible varia- tablish a conservation corridor along the Great Eastern Ranges. tion of elevation, latitude and habitat in Australia. Providing spe- cies with improved connectivity of natural habitats along the The Great Eastern Ranges extend more than 2800km along the entire ecosystem of the Great Eastern Ranges gives plants, Great Dividing Range and Great Escarpment of eastern Austra- animals and communities the best possible chance of adapting lia—from southern Victoria to far north Queensland. to climate change. Currently funding has been allocated, through the NSW Environ- Connecting people…connecting nature mental Trust, for a three-year program to commence implemen- The Great Eastern Ranges Initiative is a conservation project, tation of the corridor along the 1200 km New South Wales sec- but what it’s really about is bringing people together—and it’s tion of the Ranges. this aspect that makes it groundbreaking and ambitious. A federal and interstate agency working group has been estab- The scale is groundbreaking because we’re talking about a vast lished to develop advice to government on how the concept can area of land, so we’re talking about a large number of stake- be progressed in Victoria, the ACT, New South Wales and holders, from different areas throughout the Great Eastern Queensland. Ranges. Why do we need the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative? Across the Great Eastern Ranges: Scientists now recognise that inter-connected natural habitats are more resilient to a range of impacts, including climate There is a diverse range of landholders from farmers and grazi- change, and will provide the best opportunity for species and ers, to wine growers, industry, indigenous owners, government ecosystems to adapt. and non-government bodies, there are thousands of people, across the state, working in conservation and environmental Although much of the Great Eastern Ranges is well protected by projects at a regional, state and national level, there is a network national park reserves, a vital proportion of the rich biodiversity of academics and scientists conducting research and studies, along the ranges is found on private and public lands outside there are sources of funding for conservation projects through a the confines of national parks. By concentrating conservation wide range of avenues—private funding, non-profit or non- efforts on the land adjacent to, and interconnecting with, the government organisations and through the government, existing reserve system, ecosystems can be reconnected and there is a network of national parks administered by the state, strengthened. and there is a wide network of resources, advice, practical as- sistance and financial support available to landholders. The Initiative is a practical response to mitigate the potential impacts of climate change on our richest biodiversity in the The Great Eastern Ranges Initiative is ambitious because it mountain ranges that supply most of our population with clean aims to bring all these people, and all this information, to- water. gether—to focus conservation efforts where they will have the most positive impact in mitigating climate change and other It is a task that will span one or more generations. threats to our native plants and animals. Positive progress to date has shown that stakeholders from all levels, some of whom are already working together, are keen to see what can be achieved on an even larger scale under the umbrella of the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative. Regional Priority Areas Comprehensive scientific research, analysis, and spatial map- ping underpinning the Initiative has identified five priority areas in NSW where conservation efforts will provide the best results for landholders and for the environment. In each of these areas, the position of Regional Facilitator is jointly funded by an estab- lished conservation organisation and the Department of Environ- ment & Climate Change NSW.