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National Landcare Program

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25.01.2022 Look who is getting a boost to their flock! Thanks to more than 80 landholders in south west Western Australia the Carnabys black cockatoo and their fledglings are safe to spread their wings. A cross-regional partnership involving five regional community groups is coordinating action by landholders, including installing nest boxes and fencing habitat. Doting partners for WAs favourite cockatoo include Northern Agricultural Catchments Council, Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, ...Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management Inc, South West Catchments Council (SWCC) South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc., and BirdLife Australia. This project is funded by the Australian Governments Environment Restoration Fund. https://www.abc.net.au//carnabys-black-cockatoos-/12570634 #ForNature #CarnabysBlackCockatoo

24.01.2022 To all the fabulous people out there involved in #NLP projects who are getting ready to do some tree planting over the next week, its not too late to join the Bush Blitz Backyard Species Discovery Challenge! Already at the halfway point, week five is a call out to Plant an Australian Native and give back to nature. Check out entry details from the Bushblitzs team! Its a great way to get creative with photos and share your work to improve local native habitats. Good luck!

24.01.2022 Have you ever seen crystal clear water like this in a lowland river billabong? This is what you get when you carefully manage a Murray River pool connected wetland, using drying to consolidate bed soils and slow refilling to minimise turbidity. The improvements to wetlands biodiversity are immense, with pretty much every part of the wetland ecosystem benefitting from this achievement: old growth trees; regenerating trees and understory; aquatic plants; macroinvertebrates; fis...h; frogs; turtles and birds. The ultimate test will be the successful re-introduction of threatened native wetland fish species, like the Southern purple-spotted gudgeon (Mogurnda adspersa), back into ‘wild’ sites along the River Murray in South Australia. Eventually, small carp that get through the well-designed carp exclusion screen will grow and begin to turn the wetland back into a murky pool and then the team at Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board will dry the wetland out and refill it again. But in the meantime this is an incredible example of what we can do with our managed wetland environments. The 'Restoring the ecological character of the Ramsar wetlands of the SA Murray-Darling Basin project' is funded through the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program. UN Environment Programme #BiodiversityDay #Ramsar #wetlands #biodiversity

24.01.2022 Always Was, Always Will Be. This #NAIDOCWeek we celebrate and acknowledge our First Nations partners’ spiritual and cultural connections to this country reaching back at least 65,000 years. The Coastal Connections Project is one of the many great projects Glenelg Hopkins CMA works on in partnership with Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. Part of Coastal Connections aims to enhance and protect wetland habitat for the critically endangered Australasian b...ittern. Gunditjmara Traditional Owners are leading this work across the World Heritage listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape particularly on their Tyrendarra and Kurtonitj properties. Cultural burns are being undertaken to create habitat mosaics to increase access to food and sites suitable for nesting benefitting bitterns and any other wetland species found in the area. Other cultural burning projects led by First Nations people and supported by Glenelg Hopkins CMA are protecting food sources and habitat of the south eastern red-tailed black cockatoo, a culturally significant species; and enhancing and protecting endangered temperate grasslands and related species, in part by reinstating regular cool burning regimes. These projects are supported with National Landcare Program funding. #NAIDOC2020 #NAIDOCWeek #NAIDOC # AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe indigenous.gov.au Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment @

23.01.2022 Today is #NationalWalktoWorkDay, a key part of Biodiversity Month. When you walk to work you generally look for a route that is safe, easy to navigate and protects you from the weather. If its a long walk, you may also need a few snack stops along the way. Native birds and mammals are no different. They need safe areas that offer protection from predators, to help them move across landscapes in their search for food and shelter. Step forward Central Tablelands Local Land S...ervices who are working with local government, Landcare groups and landholders to build a network of wildlife corridors across the Central Tablelands. So far theyve protected 200 hectares that now provides habitat and safe passage of native fauna through Box Gum Grassy Woodlands and adjoining areas. With another two years of the #NLP-funded Driving Corridor Connectivity project to go, the walk to work for our native birds and animals is looking a lot more successful. Will you step out in nature today and revitalise your health and wellbeing? This #BiodiversityMonth check out #AusS4N Objective 1: bit.ly/3jHNfHF Bruce Christie

23.01.2022 Some wonderful news about the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater, with 20 captive-bred beauties released into the wild in the Lower Hunter Valley.

23.01.2022 Heres to the wonderful work protecting eastern quolls and other native species on beautiful Bruny Island by NRM South and partners.

23.01.2022 Hats off to the Oak Valley Rangers from Maralinga Tjarutja Lands who exemplify their communitys determination for a strong and healthy country. Supported by the Alinytjara Wilurara Landscape Board with funding from the National Landcare Program, Rangers recently led a three-day survey of quandong trees to assess damage caused by camels as part of a long-term monitoring program. This species of quandong, also known as ice cream, is high in vitamin C and the fruit forms an... important part of the local Traditional Owners diet and traditional bush tucker gathering practice. Quandong is also highly palatable for camels and provide a good indicator of camel impact across the large tracts of native vegetation. Rangers assessed 84 trees, recorded the damage, camel tracks, camel scat, whether the plant is flowering/fruiting and the amount of seed on the ground. This survey builds knowledge about the extent of camel pressure in the areas which provide habitat for the threatened mallefowl and sandhill dunnart. Today we thank all rangers in our protected areas, #NLP key partners helping to connect efforts to deliver landscape scale conservation action across the country. #WorldRangerDay #OakValleyRangers

23.01.2022 Spring has sprung and today we celebrate #WattleDay in the shining glow of the Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla). This silvery wattle typifies the mosaic of open forest and woodland community that once spanned from central Qld to northern NSW, affectionately known in the region as the Brigalow Belt. Wattles symbolise unity and resilience strengths so important towards restoring the Brigalow Belt a highly fragmented threatened ecological community under pressure from over-grazi...ng, fire, invasive weeds and feral animal impacts. Were funding collaborative landscape projects with SQ Landscapes, NQ Dry Tropics NRM and North West Local Land Services to work with local communities and landholders to bring back and reconnect Brigalow remnants across this region. Three regional partners shining the glow on Brigalow! SQ Landscapes tracks the animals of Brigalow: https://bit.ly/3lKSS9Y North West LLS talks restoration to bring back the Brigalow: https://bit.ly/3lDwgI6 NQ Dry Tropics NRM asks how well do you know Brigalow: https://bit.ly/2VUlm5D See how landholders are connecting to nature to conserve corrridors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1sPTB5KLiQ During #BiodiversityMonth well be sharing more on how the National Landcare Program connects with nature. #ForNature #AusS4N

22.01.2022 The Australian Government has proudly sponsored the Banksia Foundation’s Sustainability Awards for the past 20 years. The Banksia Awards bring together and celebrate the most innovative and outstanding groups and businesses working to improve Australia’s environment and sustainability. For example, our picture shows the happy staff of Substation 33 in Queensland, last year’s winner of the Minister’s Award for the Environment who were recognised for successfully combining thei...r e-Waste recycling venture with a socially-focused initiative. Substation33 attracts highly-skilled, civic-minded volunteers, retirees, business professionals and academics whothrough the group’s programhelp to mentor and pass on their skills to socially-disadvantaged people, such as at-risk youths and the long-term unemployed, who are looking to get back to work. It’s a perfect example of sustainability efforts that deliver benefits not only to the environment but also social and economic benefits to the community. If you or your business are involved in making a positive contribution to Australia’s sustainability or the environment, please visit https://bit.ly/2IKVJ3X Entries close on 30 November. Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

22.01.2022 There are only two weeks left to nominate someone for the 2020 Bob Hawke Landcare Award! As Bob would say the most important never shout the loudest so why not do it on their behalf! Nominate your local Landcare champion the dedicated person who goes that extra mile, is closely involved in Landcare or champions sustainable farm practices and is committed to their local community. These people deserve recognition and our thanks. Your nomination puts them in line to be hono...ured with this prestigious national award! The Award is the legacy of former Prime Minister, the Hon. Bob Hawke AC, who played a pivotal role in elevating Landcare from a grass-roots community initiative to the national movement with bi-partisan government support that endures today. The Bob Hawke Landcare Award is administered by Landcare Australia through support from the Australian Governments National Landcare Program. Nominations are open until 31 August 2020: bit.ly/2Eh5WSU #landcare #award #sustainability #farming #community

20.01.2022 Kudos to South Australia and their fresh new approach to managing soil, water, pests, and biodiversity across the landscape. Were pleased to see the momentum being developed by the newly-formed Landscape Boards, especially as they place the community at the heart of decision making. The recent renaming of the South Australias Yorke Peninsulas Great Southern Ark project to Marna Banggara meaning healthy and prosperous Country encapsulates the scale and excitement arou...nd this new era, and we are excited to be part of the journey together. More than 10 years in the planning, this collaborative project is now less than a year away from reintroducing the critically endangered and locally extinct Brush-tailed Bettong to Yorke Peninsula, the first of four native species being considered for reintroduction. The newly formed Northern and Yorke Landscape Board has taken reign, selecting five translocation sites from forty potential locations across both private and public land. Each site has dense, shrubby cover to provide shelter from predators and leaf litter and sticks for nest building ready for new Bettong family homes. If everything goes to plan the Bettongs will travel from Western Australia to their new home on Yorke Peninsula in winter 2021. Marna Banggara is a collaborative project led by the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, with funding support from the Australian Governments National Landcare Program, Environment SA News, WWF-Australia and the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. Images: L-R: Flinders University Associate Professor Greg Johnston, Northern and Yorke Landscape Board Landscape Officer Van Teubner and Northern and Yorke Landscape Board Ecologist Grace Hodder near one of the five sites on southern Yorke Peninsula chosen for the translocation of Brush-tailed Bettongs next autumn. Brush-tailed Bettong Sabrina Trocini WWF-Aus

19.01.2022 We’re super excited to hear the news of the first endangered loggerhead turtle nest for the season being laid on Bribie Island! Thanks to great rehab work of turtle nesting areas on Woorim Beach work by the passionate team at Healthy Land and Water there is now a more secure and stable nesting habitat. It is fantastic to see the local community and volunteers making such a meaningful difference to the loggerhead turtle. We are proud to be supporting the delivery of such a wo...nderful Regional Land Partnerships Program project located within the internationally listed Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetland. This project is supported through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Program. #Ramsar The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

19.01.2022 Southern Gulf NRM is fighting fire with fire to protect the nationally endangered Carpentarian Grasswren by implementing controlled aerial incendiary burns in old age spinifex at Calton Hills Station, North of Mount Isa. The team is using planned low intensity fires to break up continuous fuel load into smaller burn areas and provide wildlife with refuges. Check out this video to find out more about their fire management project, supported by the National Landcare Programs f...ocus on reducing threats to nature to build resilience: bit.ly/34WBY2c Project partners: Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Queensland Environment Department, Firescape Science, Queensland Parks And Wildlife Service, Adaptive NRM, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services - QFES, BirdLife Australia, BirdLife Northern Queensland, Kalkadoon Tribal Council, Bezuma Pastoral, Glencore and Barkly Helicopters. #BiodiversityMonth #AusS4N

17.01.2022 Discover how science and innovation are taking smart farming to the sea to restore giant kelp in support of Tasmanias seafood industry. The Tasmanian Smart Seafood Partnership together with the National Environmental Science Programs Marine Biodiversity Hub and the Climate Foundation are working on a project to re-populate areas of giant kelp with individual species nurtured to withstand warmer waters to a point where they can self-recruit. Over the past decade Tasmania ha...s lost 95% of surface canopy-forming giant kelp due to warming waters. Science has stepped uphelping recreate an underwater forest that has the vitality to contribute to carbon sequestration and photosynthesissustaining an integral part of Tasmanias productive food chain in this unique marine ecosystem. The National Landcare Programs Smart Farming Partnerships is stoked to be supporting this exciting work which is hosted by NRM South in partnership with the Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council Check out more: bit.ly/34vaXm3 Joanna Smart #NationalScienceWeek #SmartFarms #ForNature Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment #seafood #Tasmania #science

17.01.2022 Hunter Local Land Services is helping oyster farmers and fishers co-adapt to changes in climatic and catchment conditions on the NSW Mid North Coast. Small grants are helping oyster farmers in Wallis Lake, Port Stephens and the Manning River implement in-water changes to gear and infrastructure, and how these changes affect fish habitat values is also being monitored. Hunter LLS is also working on an innovative approach to foreshore stabilisationusing oysters and creating ne...w fish habitat through a partnership with the oyster and fishing industries, MidCoast Council and TIDE: Taree Indigenous Development & Employment. An exciting new research partnership has also developed with the Newcastle University and NSW DPI Fisheries working with Wallis Lake oyster farmers to improve oyster drying cycles and adapt to rising air and water temperatures. The Climate Ready Aquaculture project is funded by the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program. #WorldFisheriesDay : Brian Hughes

17.01.2022 Its International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples and to wrap up #LandcareWeek we give a shout out to acknowledge the traditional custodians of Australias land and sea. Indigenous Australians are at the forefront of the National Landcare Program, our vital partners for grounding sustainable land management and traditional practices for a healthy country. Just like Walter Tjamis success with his work as one of the programs Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitators b...ased with Alinytjara Wilurara Landscape Board. He has made strong connections with traditional owners and local communities to find solutions to improve their pastoral areas and manage threats from weeds and feral animals. Check in with your Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator to find out how you can connect with landcare activities in your region: bit.ly/3kqKjjU Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

17.01.2022 With more than 6 billion microorganisms in just one handful of topsoil, maintaining healthy soils is vital for supporting natures web of life. Soil is the most biodiverse material on Earth so during #biodiversitymonth the Australian Government invites you to share your views on how to shape a National Soil Strategy https://bit.ly/2FDYDFy We are also proud to be supporting 55 projects promoting innovative farming practices with focus on soils across regional Australia throug...h Regional Land Partnerships. Many primary producers are engaged to trial and share their knowledge on how best to restore landscape processes to enrich soil, increase biodiversity and improve water cycle enhancing ecosystem services so that farm productivity and resilience can improve with a changing climate. Southern Gulf NRM is helping spread the word about healthy soils, holding field days for landholders interested in not just maintaining the health of the environment, but also taking the next step towards restoring the landscape from the top down. Its healthy landscapes project is supported by the Australian Governments National Landcare Program and the Queensland Governments Natural Resources Investment Program.

17.01.2022 In #LandcareWeek were celebrating all the wonderful volunteers around Australia who help make Landcare projects possible. One project that highlights the extra special efforts of these volunteers in helping the environment involves two community landcare groups who joined forces to improve endemic iron-grass natural temperate grasslands in the Murray Darling region of South Australia. The group spent the first year of their priority project contacting landholders in their co...mmunity likely to have native grasslands and doing broad-scale vegetation surveys. Their focus has now shifted to bulk native grassland seed production, to ensure the diversity of seed supply for native grasses, as well as lilies, orchids, herbs and wildflowers native to this grassland community. An added bonus is that these plants are useful fodder for stock and can be managed sustainably. Seed production areas at Meldanda, near Cambrai are set to produce large quantities of this seed mix for farmers in the mid-north to improve species diversity in paddocks, both for conservation and pasture production, which is big a win for this threatened ecological community. Recently, Kersbrook Landcare Nursery grew more than 3,000 plants which were transported to Cambrai and planted into the seed production area. This was thanks to Mid Murray Landcare SA, and the amazing behind the scenes volunteers who have done the hard yakka of germinating and planting them into the seed production area, ready for future seed harvesting. They managed to keep up this fantastic work even with COVID-19 restrictions. The project is supported by the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board (previously South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board), through funding from the National Landcare Program and the NRM Levies. Images: Mid Murray Landcare SA volunteers helping to plant out the seed orchard. Common Everlasting, getting ready to grow seed for our native grassland farmers. Kersbrook Landcare Group Nursery members demonstrating social distancing while working during COVID-19 conditions! L-R Aimee, Yvonne and Kim.

16.01.2022 Happy #NationalBilbyDay to Australias industrious yet vulnerable burrowing marsupial! Mankarr (the Greater bilby) is important culturally and ecologically given its role as an ecosystem engineer, ingeniously digging, scratching and using its nose to improve water infiltration and desert soils. The Greater bilby has disappeared from more than 70% of its former range, making Territory NRMs partnership with Indigenous rangers, Traditional Owners and other land managers a... vital part of protecting the bilby and its habitat in the Northern Territory. With COVID biosecurity restrictions lifted in the Territory, Indigenous rangers and Traditional Owners supported by TNRM ecologists, have been busy undertaking bilby surveys across the Tanami Desert. Helicopters are used to conduct aerial surveys to look for signs of bilby burrows or diggings. The surveys also collect information on feral animals, habitat and fire history to enable better management. Four surveys have been undertaken so far, finding active signs of bilbies in areas that have not been surveyed for over 30 years, as well as burrows in areas with no previous records! Over the next three years, ranger groups and Traditional Owners will continue to undertake surveys and implement feral animal and fire management to help protect the bilby. This project is supported by Territory Natural Resources Management, through funding from the National Landcare Program #NationalBilbyDay #BiodiversityMonth #AusS4N #biodiversity Bilby photo credit: Bill Bachman

16.01.2022 Have you heard about Heywire? Established in 1998 by ABC Australia in partnership with the Australian Government, Heywire provides a platform for the ideas and stories of young people living in regional Australia. The annual ABC Heywire competition is now open and invites young people aged between 16 and 22 from regional Australia to share their stories. The ABC will select the best 40 entries to work with its producers to tell their stories on ABC TV, ABC Local Radio, ABC ...Radio National, triple j and iview. For more information, including entry details, visit the Heywire website: https://ab.co/32VtxRX Entries close on 16 September 2020.

16.01.2022 As winter starts to bite, spare a thought for the Alpine Peatlands high in the southern Alps of south-eastern Australia. Only growing in a niche environment needing a unique set of environmental conditions including the right soil type, position, climate and water availability to survive, this incredible ecological community is nationally endangered. Also called Alpine Sphagnum Bogs, this natural pristine wonder is an amazing source and filter of water which acts as a sponge ...to absorb and hold moisture, and nurtures significant habitat for endemic and threatened alpine critters. We are warmed by National Landcare Program support for the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority, West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and North East CMA who together with Parks Victoria are doing much to protect this fragile ecosystem, including by tackling the threats posed by pigs and deer and undertaking large-scale weed control in fire-affected areas. Timing is so important #ForNature and we are lucky this committed band of partners are taking action to address the vulnerability of this delicate environment before the area is blanketed in snow for another winter.

15.01.2022 Farmers, natural resource management agencies and volunteer fire fighters are working with Traditional Owners to improve understanding of the use of cultural burning as a land management tool. Last week a cultural burn of 10 hectares was undertaken in Grassy Eucalypt woodlands at the You Yangs Mountain Range and at a reserve near Geelong in Victoria. Cultural burning describes practices developed by Aboriginal People to enhance the health of the land and its people. In these... critically endangered Grassy Eucalypt Woodlands, the reinstating of cultural burning is reducing dead plant and weed material in the woodland understorey which will enhance vital native habitat for animals including Fat-tailed dunnarts, Striped legless lizards, Golden sun moths and Growling grass frogs. This cultural burn was undertaken by Wadawurrung Traditional Owners on Wadawurrung Country. This project is supported by Corangamite Catchment Management Authority through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program Congratulations to program partners DELWP BarwonSouthWest Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation Parks Victoria Forest Fire Management Victoria Golden Plains Shire Council and CFA (Country Fire Authority)

15.01.2022 On #ThreatenedSpeciesDay were celebrating the many recent sightings of the elusive Kangaroo Island dunnart by the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board So far, theyve detected this small marsupial which is only found on Kangaroo Island, 84 times at 31 different sites! Seven of these sites are in areas that were burnt in the recent bushfires. Encouragingly, there have also been numerous sightings of other native wildlife, including southern brown bandicoots, Kangaroo Island echid...nas, bassian thrushes and southern emu wrens. Unfortunately, a large number of feral cats have also been detected, highlighting the importance of effective management to ensure native wildlife is able to recover without added pressure from feral predators. But feral cat control in these areas is well underway, with around 100 feral cats removed so far. This project is supported through funding from the Australian Governments #NationalLandcareProgram #BiodiversityMonth #AusS4N

14.01.2022 Our Regional Ag Landcare Facilitator, North Coast Mindy Greenwood recently took part in the launch of a holistic decision-making course rural women from across the Richmond-Tweed. If youre interested in participating in future courses there will be further opportunities over the next few years. Click the link at the bottom of this post to complete an expression of interest. Mindy also supports the Women on the Land, a community group whose aim is to help build a more disa...ster ready, prepared and resilient North Coast community by providing opportunities and support to women of the Richmond-Tweed. Its great to see our Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitators out and about in their communities and supporting women in agriculture! EOI: https://tinyurl.com/y4hyjy8u #NLP #Landcare #agriculure North Coast Local Land Services

13.01.2022 On #WorldCitiesDay here’s a Sydney-sized shout-out to Greater Sydney Local Land Services, who are doing such a wonderful job of protecting and preserving the beautiful Towra Point, an internationally recognised Ramsar wetland containing important habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Only 16km from Sydney’s CBD, human disturbance poses challenges to this important wetland. But being close to the city also creates opportunities for urban neighbours to connect, engage... and protect nature. And connect they do, with this project’s success largely down to the efforts of a committed band of local volunteers, who are busy treating weeds and surveying native plants and shorebirds as well as keeping pest animals in check. Supported by the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

13.01.2022 Check out how land holders in NSW and southern Queensland are helping us find more endangered Southern spotted-tailed quolls and Brush-tailed phascogales as part of our long-running Environmental Stewardship Program...

12.01.2022 Congratulations to the 2021 Heywire winners from regional Australia! These 35 exceptional young Australians have spent the last few months meeting online to build on their networking, media, pitching, storytelling and leadership skills. We celebrated their achievements and stories at the ABC Australia Heywire Virtual Awards Gala where the rural Queensland winners were announced by the Hon. David Littleproud MP, Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management. ... You can watch the full stream here: http://bit.ly/HeywireWinners

12.01.2022 Under Round 4 of the Smart Farms Small Grants program, the Australian Government is making grants of between $5,000 and $100,000 available to support projects that help farming, forestry and fishing groups and communities increase their awareness, knowledge, skills and capacity to adopt smart and sustainable practices. Through the #SmartFarms program, the government is striving to make Australias agriculture, fishing, aquaculture and forestry industries more sustainable, pro...ductive and profitable, while also aiming to protect and improve the condition of our natural resourcesespecially soils and vegetation. This will not only safeguard the future of these industries but also assist in protecting Australias biodiversity, which will also benefit these businesses in the long run. Applications close 11:00 pm AEDT, 9 October 2020: bit.ly/3lccRxX Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

12.01.2022 Funding under the #ReefTrust to support 6 new projects being led by #NRM groups through our Regional Land Partnerships Program

12.01.2022 Attention farmers. Check out Landcare Australia’s new Landcare Farming Program webpage! The program aims to provide easy access and support for farmers to connect with leading university and industry-led research programs, partnership opportunities, tools and resources. It’s part of Landcare Australia’s strategy of investing in and partnering with like-minded stakeholders to develop projects and activities that increase take up of practices that improve soil and water health..., that maintain or increase biodiversity. If you are a farmer who wants to be more hands on and joined up, visit: bit.ly/2TVcziI Supported by the Australian Government’s @NationalLandcareProgram.

12.01.2022 If youre dreaming of an island getaway these school holidays, youre not alone! Many of Australias islands provide an important safe haven for threatened species populations to thrive and recover away from mainland threats, including feral cats. As one of five priority island havens identified by the Threatened Species Strategy, French Island is one place looking promising for threatened species. A recent round of feral-cat trapping laid a network of over 50 wire mesh cage ...traps, resulting in the removal of 19 feral cats. A follow up is planned in July. This is good news for visiting Eastern Curlews and resident Long-nosed potoroos and Eastern-barred bandicoots (Zoos Victoria recently introduced 70 bandicoots onto the island), some of which also paid the cages a visit, before being safely released. The cat-trapping program is part of the National Landcare Programs Two Great Ramsar Wetlands project, delivered in partnership by Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority and French Island Landcare Group. The project works with land managers and communities to reduce threats to Victorias Ramsar-listed Western Port and Port Phillip Bay (western shoreline) wetlands and is a 10-year government and community collaboration. Threatened Species Commissioner #safehaven The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands #feralcats Image credits: Long-nosed potoroo, Glenelg Hopkins CMA Eastern Curlew, Dean Ingwersen Eastern-barred bandicoot, JJ Harrison

10.01.2022 Turtle monitoring at islands in the Mackay Whitsunday region is proving an important way of growing turtle awareness among local communities. In keeping with the aims of World Turtle Day, collaboration between Reef Catchments and volunteers from community and conservation organisations such as Mackay and District Turtle Watch (who actively participate in the expeditions) is leading to increased knowledge of turtles, marine turtle conservation and public awareness of key threa...ts to turtle nesting success. Each year, Reef Catchments Ltd through the delivery of its Regional Land Partnerships 'Management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (Islands)' project, undertakes two marine turtle conservation monitoring expeditions to the region’s islands. These important expeditions are vital for raising awareness of the threats and current status of nesting turtles, while also guiding management decisions in line with national priorities. To assist in undertaking monitoring tasks, volunteers from identified community and conservation organisations, in particular enthusiastic residents on Keswick Island and interested regular beach walkers on the mainland, are provided a how-to guide to enable reporting and monitoring of beaches for nesting activity. This is contributing to a much greater awareness of marine turtle conservation and more active reporting and responding to threats and turtle strandings. This fantastic project work is supported by Reef Catchments with funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program #WorldTurtleDay Joely Whiting

10.01.2022 To celebrate #WorldOceansDay this week, take a dive into what Queenslands Reef Catchments Youth Ambassadors have been up to help restore coral on the Great Barrier Reef! Youth Ambassador projects are part of the broader Regional Land Partnerships Islands project which is taking action to address threats to remnant vegetation and keystone species within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. See how this group is lending a hand with coral gardening to weed out macro-alg...ae impacting the reef and learning how propogate coral on Daydream Island. The National Landcare Program is proud to support this inspiring group of students and other young people around the country aiming for a better future #ForNature and a healthier ocean for all. https://youtu.be/wnigVA-apAs

08.01.2022 Check out this amazing work by the Torres Strait Regional Authority who are working with Traditional Owners and Indigenous Rangers to give nature a helping hand to ensure the long-term survival of endangered green turtles in the Torres Strait. With a major decline in green turtle populations predicted in the northern Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait over the next 20-30 years, and the area extending north from Cooktown to Maizab Kaur (which features in this video) being home to one of the largest stock of green turtles in the world, this is vital work. Were super proud of the role the #NationalLandcareProgram is playing in supporting this project.

08.01.2022 From the sky and across remote rivers, Northern Tablelands Local Land Services crews have been busy delivering the first stage of post-bushfire emergency habitat protection in the Northern Tablelands of NSW. Thanks to their efforts, baits have been dropped by helicopter along 3590km of carefully mapped bait lines, to control feral predators across 70,000 hectares, and invasive weeds treated to prevent their spread along the Oxley Wild Rivers Gondwana #WorldHeritage area. Thi...s work is protecting the Spotted-tail quoll, Brush-tailed rock wallaby, Long-nosed potoroo, Hastings River mouse and the Rufous scrub-bird and many other native species in bushfire-affected areas. We are proud to be supporting these local heroes who are going to such great lengths to protect our wildlife as the habitat recovers. #NationalLandcareProgram #BushfireRecoveryAU #ForNature Josh Biddle

07.01.2022 Its wonderful to see the great work happening in the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area through the Sustaining Willandra project, supported through our Regional Land Partnerships. Its championing the areas World Heritage Values and embracing #reconciliation by connecting people to make a real difference, as well as respecting and valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, culture and traditional knowledge. Thanks for the update Western Local Land Se...rvices and partners! #NRW2020 #InThisTogether

07.01.2022 The folk at South West Catchments Council (SWCC) have been busy as bees recently as part of their pollinators project. Theyve been buzzing around the south west of WA surveying canola farms and orchards to determine the diversity of insects providing pollination services. More than 70 different insects have been recorded including flies, moths, honeybees, beetles, native bees, midges, butterflies, wasps, ants and spiders. Generally, people assume that honeybees are the only... pollinator of food crops. While they are very good at providing pollination services to producers, honeybees are under threat worldwide. That s why it is important to look for other pollinators to increase biodiverse habitat for insects. There are around 800 native bee species in Western Australia alone and they come in a wide variety of sizes and colours. Fortunately, there has been a massive increase in awareness of these humble pollinators as the building of native bee hotels is becoming popular. A key part of this project is in assisting farmers and growers maintain and enhance native vegetation to provide continuous food and shelter for beneficial insects. To help determine which species to include in the revegetation mix, the project has developed flowering calendars that provide times of flowering, position in the landscape, soil type, etc. You can get a copies of the flowering calendars specific to south west Western Australia, by contacting [email protected] This project receives funding from the Australian Governments National Landcare Program Image 1: Bird Orchard Pterostylis barbata with mosquito Image 2: Butterfly on Melaleuca Image 3: Native bees Hylaeus (Euprosopoides) obtusatus Image 4: Conducting insect surveys #BiodiversityMonth #AusS4N #nature #pollination

06.01.2022 Mooo-ve over Friday were ready for the weekend! Corangamite Catchment Management Authority is partnering with WestVic Dairy and Agriculture Victoria to help dairy farmers improve nutrient management, soil health and #biodiversity on the farm, as part of their Sustainable Dairies Project. Led by specialists in soil chemistry and biology, effluent management and biodiversity, farmers are learning how to implement best practise farming techniques that will help improve soil... health and biodiversity. More than 40 farmers from across the region have already attended workshops, field days and on-farm soil and effluent testing as part of the project. Workshops start again in late 2020 and interested farmers can contact Corangamite CMA This project is supported with funding through the National Landcare Program. #BiodiversityMonth #Dairyfarming #farming #farmers #soil

06.01.2022 Theres a buzz of excitement here at National Landcare Program HQ as we nudge ever closer to reaching our target of 20 million trees planted by local communities across Australia. Many #20MillionTrees projects are completed with some gearing up for the final stage, loading seedlings ready for the last in-fill planting, monitoring to check survival rates and removing weeds. Check out progress of Moore Catchment Councils wonderful work with five local landholders and the Yued ...Aboriginal community who have planted a mix of native trees and shrubs suitable as breeding and foraging habitat for Carnabys Black Cockatoo. This project is on track to exceed its goals by planting 61,000 seedlings, treating weeds across 72 ha and erecting 2.5 km of fencing to protect over 34 ha of restored vegetation. It is not every day you get a birds-eye view that cleverly depicts the extent of connected habitat. A great project not only contributing toward the 2020 target but also helping Western Australia increase flocks of their iconic cockies back to the Wheatbelt region. Well done to all involved!

06.01.2022 Check out the magnificent feathers and wingspan of the south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo, poised ready to take flight. Our National Landcare Program team is delighted to hear that BirdLife Australia and the south-eastern red-tailed black-cockatoo recovery teams recent Look to the Skies annual community event was such a soaring success, with volunteers counting 748 birds from 18 recordings from Mount Gambier to Keith in South Australia, and from Nelson to Little Dese...rt in Victoria. The data collected, as part of the National Landcare Programs South eastern Red tailed Black Cockatoo Recovery Project, is key to targeting recovery actions that better suit the behaviour and range of this nationally endangered cockatoo to improve its trajectory. Knowing that this bird is a notoriously picky eater, feeding only from the seeds of the Buloke, Brown Stringybark, and Desert Stringybark tree, planting these species back into priority areas and enhancing nesting habitat is the current focus. Congratulations to all partners, including community volunteers, the Limestone Coast LandscapeBoard Natural Resources South East Wimmera CMA and Glenelg Hopkins CMA who adapted their efforts to meet social distancing rules and braved the weather to spot cockies on a wet and windy day! Just remember you may hear these special birds before you see them so keep your ears tuned in for their distinctive rusty windmill call. Heres what they sound like, courtesy of ABC Science: bit.ly/2V2iiDZ You can report sightings at www.redtail.com.au and follow their progress on the SERTBC Recovery Project Facebook page. Photo: Tim Rosenthal

06.01.2022 How do you solve a problem like Mimosa? In the remote Mekinj Valley, east of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, the Njanjma Rangers are targeting this highly invasive thorny weed from crowding out native species, helping to stop its spread into Kakadu National Park World Heritage Site and the internationally significant Ramsar wetlands. Supported by Territory NRM with funding from the National Landcare Program, the rangers are using a combination of techniques i...ncluding chemical control, biocontrol (using bugs) and other land management approaches, such as fire. Dense infestations of mimosa in Mekinj Valley are treated through aerial spraying by helicopter, while rangers are tackling lower density areas with on-ground herbicide treatment. Controlling Mimosa in Mekinj Valley is not only a national priority but a priority for the Traditional Owners and rangers from Najanjma, Warddeken, Adjumarllarl and the Kakadu region working in partnership to tackle this nasty weed.

06.01.2022 As part of its ‘WetFEET’ project, OceanWatch Australia is delivering the Master Fisherman program which is recognising professional fishers for their efforts to raise the standard of responsible fishing in Australia. World Fisheries Day is the perfect opportunity to give a special shout out to all the wonderful fisherfolk who are showcasing the drive for sustainability and environmental awareness in the Australian seafood industry. Dive in and find out more: https:/.../oceanwatchmasterfisherman.org.au/ This project is supported with funding from the National Landcare Program. #responsiblefishing #NLP #seafood #australianseafood #supportaussiefishers #oceanwatchmasterfisherman #ocean #environment #sustainable #fishing #worldfisheriesday

06.01.2022 Happy #NationalTreeDay

06.01.2022 I spy: a big shout-out to our friends at the Torres Strait Regional Authority who are doing such an amazing job of tracking the annual migration of shorebirds, including Eastern Curlews which have recently been spotted at Poruma Island, 130km north-east of Thursday Island. It’s an exciting time for people on the island and the TSRA is tapping into the high level of local enthusiasm by encouraging schools and getting rangers to help map the whereabouts of the Eastern Curlewsone of the 20 priority birds in Australia’s Threatened Species Strategy. #BirdsConnectOurWorld #Ramsar #WMBD2020 #shorebirds #ThreatenedSpecies #torresstrait #TorresStraitIslander

03.01.2022 #LonelyNoMore! We celebrate #InternationalFriendshipDay with the story of the The lonely Button Wrinklewort and hope for a future where it is surrounded by friends While working on the Victorian Volcanic Plains Recovery Project, the Glenelg Hopkins CMA team discovered a single Button Wrinklewort plant on a roadside far from established populations. With National Landcare Program support this project is not only protecting the areas critically endangered ecological communi...ties but also working to ensure genetically viable populations of associated threatened plants remain on the plains. Check out Buttons journey, from the discovery of a single plant, to the pollination of the flowers and seed collection and onto great success in raising robust seedlings. With friends on the way thanks to some creative nurturing and a helping hand, things are as bright as a button for this little battler!

03.01.2022 In the lead up to National Tree Day take a look at this mammoth planting effort by South West Catchments Council (SWCC) and the WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions, Parks & Wildlife to extend the buffer around Toolibin lake as part of the South West Wetlands of International Importance project funded through the National Landcare Program Local melaleucas, eucalypts, bottlebrushes and acacias are the focus of revegetation action around the lake, with mo...re than 32,000 seedlings planted in recent months over 32 hectares! The work will continue over the remaining three years of the project, with a similar number of seedlings currently being propagated for later planting. This revegetation work is one component of a project to protect the birds and threatened ecological community of this last perched freshwater wetland system in WAs Wheatbelt. The revegetation helps in managing rising saline groundwater in the area, buffering the lake edge and enhancing biodiversity of this highly fragmented landscape.

02.01.2022 Australias sustainable farming effort is getting a boost through the latest round of the Australian Governments Smart Farms Small Grants announced by Minister Littleproud. Landcare, farming business, indigenous and community groups are set to roll out 113 projects worth $5 million to equip farmers and regional communities with the skills and knowledge to improve the sustainability, resilience and productive capacity of their farms. Locals know best, so this investment ...goes to the heart of bringing people together, when the time is right, to implement clever farming ideas and using new tools and technologies that will help to tackle natural resource management issues and support sustainable agriculture. For more information about the National Landcare Program Smart Farms Small Grants and full list of round three projects go to: https://bit.ly/2M5IdG5

02.01.2022 Some snappy river restoration is helping Tasmanias giant freshwater crayfish with NRM North and Cradle Coast Authority working with farmers in the north of the island to fence, protect and revegetate 61 km of priority river areas home to the Tassie icon. Fully protected from fishing, but threatened by deforestation, habitat removal, erosion, poaching, and climate change, local farmers are helping safeguard sites critical to the ongoing survival of the crayfish which is the w...orlds largest intevertebrate. Their efforts are preventing stock from eroding riverbanks and reducing water quality through exclusion fencing, and improving vegetation cover to stabilise riverbanks and provide shade to rivers and streams. Find out more: www.nrm.gov.au Funded by the Australian Governments National Landcare Program Image: The giant freshwater crayfish (Astacopsis gouldi) is the largest freshwater invertebrate on the planet. Credit: Lauren Bird, NRM North. Threatened Species Commissioner Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment #BiodiversityMonth #AusS4N #ThreatenedSpeciesDay

02.01.2022 Pastoralists in the Shark Bay World Heritage Areas are remediating eroding land using sieve rolls and jute matting rather than heavy machinery in these sensitive areas. Sieve rolls and jute matting were installed in gullies and creek beds subject to erosion at Hamelin Station, Wooramel and Carey Downs in the Shark Bay region with Rangelands NRM, Bush Heritage Australia and the Malgana Rangers. These slowed the flow of water and enabled sediment and native seed to settle rath...er than wash away. New natural regeneration has occurred and this will improve infiltration of water, reduce runoff and reduce turbidity into the sensitive marine environment of the World Heritage Area. The initial project began via the Australian Government’s Australian Heritage Grant funding in 2019-20. Follow on work in this area was made possible due to the Australian Government’s Regional Land Partnership funding in 2020-21 which also includes other land improvement activities at multiple locations such as track closures, fence removal, enhanced grazing management via property planning and remediation of erosion issues with machinery. With the success at Hamelin Station, other land remediation activities will be occurring at various stations in the World Heritage Area catchment zones, as an ongoing focus for National Landcare Program supported projects over the next two years. This project is supported through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Program. : Fig 1: Track closure and fence removal, Fig 2: The installation of sieve rolls, Fig 3: The installation of jute matting, Fig 4: Jute matting birds eye view.

01.01.2022 What a coincidence, our new world social distancing perimeter matches the wide spacing needs for seedlings to restore the nationally threatened New England Peppermint woodland. This eucalypt woodland community is receiving a helping hand from Northern Tablelands Local Land Services and their project partners Glen Innes Natural Resources Advisory Committee and youth social enterprise BackTrack Youth Works to plant 150 mixed seedlings at Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve as pa...rt of their National Landcare Program project. After two years of drought and bushfires threatening this important lagoon, recent rainfall means that habitat enhancement can continue, with an additional 300 mixed seedlings ready to be planted soon. GLENRAC

01.01.2022 Its #WorldEnvironmentDay so three cheers #ForNature and in particular for the recovery efforts on Kangaroo Island made possible by quick action by wonderful community volunteers. Before seasonal rain began in May, more than 500 structures made of coir logs and straw bales were installed to reduce movement of silt and ash into watercourses within bushfire-affected catchments. These watercourses are important as they flow through the habitats of the threatened KI dunnart, glo...ssy black-cockatoo, KI echidna and bassian thrush, and also branch across the nationally endangered temperate coastal saltmarsh communities before reaching the sea. As you can see in our photos these structures have worked a treat trapping sediment and reducing erosion, preventing contamination and reducing the risk to the coastal saltmarsh at the mouth of these watercourses. This vital step toward recovery was achieved in super quick time before the rains came and the COVID-19 outbreak restriction hit and is thanks to a lot of hard work by the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board with the help of Blaze Aid and All Hands and Hearts volunteers. This important work continues with the support of Natural Resources Kangaroo Island, the National Landcare Program and the South Australian Governments NRM Emergency fund. Images: 1. Installing coir logs in a Cygnet River tributary in February after the bushfires. 2. Coir logs in Parndana Conservation Park preventing sediment from washing into the Cygnet River and on to coastal saltmarsh communities at the river mouth. 3. Glossy Black Cockatoos on Kangaroo Island, taken by Ray Tipper.