Desert Channels Group in Longreach, Queensland | Non-profit organisation

Desert Channels Group

Locality: Longreach, Queensland

Phone: +61 7 4658 0600

Address: 92 Galah Street 4730 Longreach, QLD, Australia

Website: https://desertchannels.com.au/

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25.01.2022 Our intrepid pilot, Roshan Karki, and project office, Belinda Cuthill, have been out on aerial survey, collecting thousands of images that get stitched together by computer to create digital elevation models to aid in weed control and other project work. Harnessing technology for efficiencies and effect.

25.01.2022 No photo more powerfully shows why Prickly Acacia must be tackled from the top of the catchment, down the stream lines. By harnessing high tech, developing new techniques, and refining work flows and practices, we're showing how to beat this beast in a cost-effective manner.

24.01.2022 How well do you you know the Great Artesian Basin?

24.01.2022 Controlling fence line and property track erosion with a grader is the speciality of Darryl Hill, well-known grader guru and erosion control specialist with four decades of practical experience in soil conservation. Darryl has worked with landholders all over Australia and is passionate about sharing his expertise in cost-effective, safe and low maintenance remediation solutions. Today was at Carella near Jundah, tomorrow is at Avoca, Barcaldine and Sunday is at Uanda, Torrens Creek. Too many field days is never enough!

22.01.2022 If you want to generate some neighbourly love, you need to get along to the Good Neighbour Program presentations on 14th October in Barcaldine - see below for details.

22.01.2022 A tranquil, dawn view of the old highway bridge across the 10 kilometre 'long reach' of the Thomson River. The town of Longreach grew on the eastern bank, mostly out of flood reach; before that, teamsters camped by the tranquil depths, but even earlier, this waterhole was central to a thousand generations of Aboriginal community, culture and commerce.

22.01.2022 We do more than kill weeds! Our field specialists recently seeded some rehabilitated land with coated Mitchell Grass seed. We set up two monitoring points at the site to record germination and survival. R&D never stops.

22.01.2022 A surprised, Striped-faced Dunnart caught in the open ... did it just drop that grasshopper leg, or was it yesterday's lunch? Found across most of the inland and west, it looks like a mouse, but is related to quolls and the Tassie Devil. Its 5-10 joeys, smaller than a grain of rice, are born after a lightning quick, 11 day gestation. Amazing animal; amazing country.

20.01.2022 In 7 amazing years of concerted R&D and practical implementation, we've harnessed technologies and developed techniques that have seen us reduce our area of Prickly Acacia by almost 10% - the only large-scale reduction recorded. We've gone from floundering, like everyone else, in the wake of ever-expanding infestations, to world leader in best practice control. One aspect is how we survey broad-scale infestations to accurately quantify densities and chemical requirements and ...allocate the most cost-effective application methods. Here, our pilot and technician, Roshan Karki, assembles, programs, launches and lands our Sunbirds Tigerwing survey drone, then recovers the data for processing by our customised computer programs. With continued support, we can achieve the holy grail of eradication! Not bad for a back-blocks-based community group. See more

20.01.2022 The horses were ready, the rails were down, but the riders lingered still ... we're pleased to have been working with the Mithaka Aboriginal Corporation on Parkinsonia and Prickly Acacia control in the Boulia area - they're easy to work with and do a good job.

19.01.2022 Heart Leaf - poison to some; opportunity to others! A chance event coupled with David and Donna Rankine's willingness to look at things from all angles has led to the near doubling the carrying capacity of their desert block, Bunuro. Their rotational grazing system delivers virtual wet season spelling and sees the Rankines using their previously off limits Heart Leaf country to great effect.

19.01.2022 Keeping everyone COVID safe is central to our upcoming field days, so they will be run in line with the latest COVID safety recommendations. Hope to see you at: Hexham (supercharging recovery) - 9th Sept, or 1 of the 3 erosion control days, Carella, Jundah; Avoca, Barcaldine; and Uanda, Torrens Creek, on 10th, 11th and 13th Sept respectively. See www.dcq.org.au for more details or to register.

19.01.2022 A restful repose under gum-leaf umbrella...

19.01.2022 Our CEO, Leanne Kohler, Operations Manager, Simon Wiggins and Winton Shire Mayor, Gavin Baskett joined the 60+ crowd at our COVID-safe, Supercharging Recovery field day at Hexham north of Winton today.

19.01.2022 Environmental stewards, not environmental vandals. All the dead trees you see across the vast Mitchell Grass plains of outback Queensland are a product of our efforts to protect and preserve the natural landscape. This video was produced by Desert Channels Foundation to increase awareness and appreciation of the treats to our astounding natural heritage.

17.01.2022 This water going over the top Longreach weir is brown, but the surrounding country is browner, which means the water is from a long way upriver. The Lower Channel Country can get a great season without any local rain, simply a good flood from rain nearly 1,000 km away.

17.01.2022 The continent's ancient bones window framed by lancewood leaves.

16.01.2022 We're building a network of 29 rainfall and pasture monitoring sites to collect data on our highly variable rainfall patterns and how our pastures respond. These fully automated sites give us real-time data via the mobile network or satellite. By building and sharing knowledge, land management decisions will be better informed.

15.01.2022 Imagine how your neighbours will love you is they look across the boundary fence and see you've killed all your Prickly Acacia. Find out more at the Good Neighbour Program presentation from 9:00-11:30 am at the Barcaldine Shire Hall on Wednesday, 14th October - includes biocontrol, fire and vegetation management.

15.01.2022 The data we collect from remote rain gauges and grass monitoring cameras helps build a picture of the best management approach to maximise the recovery of land health and productivity. If these automated installations have mobile connectivity, they send data in on a daily basis; if not, the data is stored on SD cards for collection by field staff.

15.01.2022 Wet season spelling, a vital component of land stewardship, not only aids the establishment and recovery of Mitchell Grass pastures, it gives biodiversity a real shot in the arm as well ... not surprising given increased biological health = increased productivity. This video was funded by the Australian Government's Sustainable Agriculture Program.

13.01.2022 Leaving a trail of destruction in his path, our field team leader, Jason Smith, is busy fighting the invasive weed of national significance, Rubber Vine. This work is being conducted under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements in response to the spread of this weed by the Feb 2019 floods.

13.01.2022 Our region is huge ... larger than Spain! It stretches from the Great Divide, beyond Boulia, to the NT border, and from north of Camooweal to the SA and NSW borders. It's a third of Queensland ... a big chunk of country.

13.01.2022 Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about Carbon Farming, effective Rubbervine and Parkinsonia treatment along with the ins and outs of Vegetation Management. Call or message us to find out more and reserve your spot.

11.01.2022 Tired of not having the right card for the occasion? You need a pack of our all-occasion cards in your top drawer. Celebrating the beauty of the outback, all proceeds of this $20 assortment of 12 cards goes to the restoration of the habitat of the endangered Julia Creek Dunnart. Call 07 4658 0600.

11.01.2022 Our dedicated work team, using our ground-breaking techniques, are replicating these scenes right across our region, which is why we've reduced Prickly Acacia infestations in the Lake Eyre Basin by 2 million hectares over the past 4 years ... the only region to achieve a decrease. When the rains come, attention turns to the recovery of the land, both production and environmental.

09.01.2022 Wind-whipped topsoil ... a harbinger of hope on the bow wave of a fast-approaching storm.

09.01.2022 Is there anything more impressive than a big fella waterhole like this one on the Diamantina River at Old Cork Station?

09.01.2022 The Magnificent Seven (minus 1) ... you can almost image them with six-guns slung low across their hips, fighting oppression and righting wrongs. Well, that is exactly what they've been doing, but with flame-throwers. Our field team had a busy week prising the choking grip of invasive Rubber Vine off the native vegetation along creeks south of Torrens Creek. This weed of national significance spread significantly in the Feb 2019 floods and we're cleaning it up with funding under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

09.01.2022 Last week's informal field day at Nuken, near Winton, was all about how we can fast track the recovery of degraded areas, and how we can measure success. It included a demonstration of spreading grass seed, a discussion on how to best manage seeded areas to maximise establishment, and tips on how to set up photo monitoring points. Now, for the rain.

08.01.2022 They don't come much cuter or more precariously surviving than this little Julia Creek Dunnart... help us restore it's habitat... go to https://dcq.org.au/dunnart-donation/ ... you'll have you dun your bit.

07.01.2022 In an effort to re-establish Mitchell Grass pastures that have been absent for more than a decade, landholders are trying a variety of methods including modified farming equipment. As well as setting up monitoring points to measure recovery, we're also testing soil samples to see what seed it contains.

07.01.2022 No wonder this weed of national significance can spread faster than rabbits. A large tree can produce more than 175,000 seeds in a year.

06.01.2022 Our partnership with Paraway Pastoral Company's Tanbar Station in the Channel Country is a prime example of collaborative, large-scale feral pig control. We supplied 1000 rounds of ammo and 2000 litres of avgas for their 2-day shoot; they supplied 2 choppers, registered shooters and extra ammo ... 1,459 pigs, 39 dogs and 4 cats ... great outcome for production and the environment. Well done Tanbar.

06.01.2022 Dinner camp ... a well-earned blow at the half way point of a long, hot day.

06.01.2022 This little beauty is one of the keys to our success in the cost reductions and efficiency gains we've achieved with Prickly Acacia control over the past 7 years. The speed of the ATV is calibrated to the flow of the spreader to give a precise chemical application rate. Our field officers, like Lance Sidebottom, multi-task these units to seed treated areas to aid with pasture recovery.

05.01.2022 Eyes fixed firmly on the prize, this brolga closes in on a snack. This family group looks like mum and dad, and the glossy plumage of adolescence.

05.01.2022 What does the future hold?

04.01.2022 This rubber vine infestation has already choked out many native trees along this watercourse, so we hit it with the mister to kill the parent plants, then we put a low-intensity, controlled burn through to kill any seed or missed plants. Now, we're working on the recovery of the area to return it to a productive and environmentally healthy state. And it looks like we've saved the tree on the left.

03.01.2022 Fire - an ally, a tool, an obligation ... the judicious, controlled and cultural use of fire by First Nations People shaped the landscape that so captivated European arrivals 242 years ago. 'Park-like', 'gentleman's park', 'finest English park', 'extensive park', nobleman's park', 'laid out park' were observations repeatedly journalled, sketched and painted by early explorers and pastoralists. The deliberate and judicious use of fire and its results were not only observed, it was the only explanation for the vegetation assemblages encountered 200 years ago: grasslands with few trees on the richest soils; sharp edges to shelter belts; grassy clearings in rainforest. Within decades, scrub took over.

03.01.2022 Life-giving water gurgling on its turgid journey toward Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre ... this little drop will barely get half way. In 2000, a 20th Feb record flood at Longreach ran out of puff on the 4th October, about 1 km short of the Birdsville Track.

02.01.2022 The intensity of this bottle-brush colour is almost bleeding across the screen. Nature is indeed wondrous.

02.01.2022 We'd love to see you at our COVID safe, Hexham field day on the 9th, but please stay at home if you are unwell or have a cough, fever, sore throat, fatigue or shortness of breath. While at the field day, it is your responsibility to maintain physical distancing requirements. If you become unwell during the field day, please advise one of our staff. What to expect at Hexham: pasture recovery cycles and monitoring... wet season spelling pasture yield mapping rebuilding finances industry and drought recovery managing native vegetation monitoring grass and groundcover erosion management and recovery See you there. See more

02.01.2022 Our R&D into the most effective methods to rehabilitate pasture in areas rescued from severe weed infestations has us trialling various approaches to seeding with Mitchell Grass to boost regeneration. After so long struggling under the yoke of Prickly Acacia, the country needs all the help it can get.

02.01.2022 The smoke along Prairie Creek is a sign that the Federal and State governments' Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements are still hard at work in our region.

01.01.2022 Early morning battle planning for another assault on Parkinsonia infestations in the Boulia Shire.