Torbay Catchment Group | Businesses

Torbay Catchment Group

Phone: +61 439 461 591

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Businesses
• Non-profit organisation
• Environmental conservation organisation

25.01.2022 Get rat poison out of birds’ food chain. Certain rodenticides are poisoning some native birds and reptiles, not just the rodents they’re intended for. Native p...redators eat poisoned rodents and accumulate long lasting rodenticides, and are in turn poisoned. This year the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) reviewed the use of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) (rat and mice bait) and 4000 bird lovers let APVMA know that these dangerous chemical products should not be stocked on supermarket shelves and should only be available to licensed operators. APVMA have indicated they will be updating labelling of these products, not removing them from sale. Geoff Evans said This is not going far enough and APVMA should be getting in line with Canada , USA and Europe , where SGARS been banned from general public sale. Do not buy these products: Denmark Environment Centre Convenor Geoff Evans said, Avoid buying household products that include Talon, Fast Action Ratsac and the Big Cheese Fast Action brand rat and mice bait. How can you help owls and other birds of prey? Albany Community Environment Centre Convenor David Rastrick said, Owls and kites and other birds of prey as well as reptiles - are dying from eating rats and mice that have ingested second generation rodent poisons. There is much you can do to make your house and garden less friendly for rodents, said Mr Rastrick. If you do buy rodent baits, make sure they are short-lived first-generation anti-coagulants. We are calling on local businesses to de-stock second-generation anti-coagulant rodenticides,’ said Mr Rastrick. Encourage native predators: Plant native trees, and Install nest boxes for owls to breed in. Reduce dependence on poison baits: Consider other, non-poison pest controls, like traps, Only put out baits when you actually need to, Read the labels on any poisons you buy and make the change to first generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGAR) or other alternatives; Look for active ingredients like Warfarin and Coumatetralyl or natural constituents like Sodium Chloride, and; Leave SGARs on the shelf. The key difference between earlier, FGARs and SGARs is how long the toxins remain in the body. FGARs break down much quicker, and so there is less chance of larger animals being poisoned. Mr Rastrick said SGARs can stay in the body tissues for months or even years, quickly accumulating to dangerous levels in rodent predators such as owls. SGARs can be easily purchased in hardware and grocery stores. The link between SGARs and birds was found when a research team from Edith Cowan University, Joondalup campus, fauna research laboratory, were researching declining Southern Boobook populations in South West WA. Almost 73% of samples tested from Boobooks in SW WA had detectable exposure to ARs. About 18% of all the Boobooks tested had levels of exposure that were high enough to kill them directly. Almost all were SGARs. They were found in rural and urban birds. Mr Evans concluded please do the right thing for our owls and say no to SGARs.

25.01.2022 Lots of different trigger plants in flower at the moment. They are all beautiful but these are particularly spectacular!

24.01.2022 Could farming with nature be one of the solutions to counteracting drought? Australian Story

24.01.2022 https://torbaycatchment.org.au/tcg-supports-a-call-for-pre/

23.01.2022 Some of WA's rarest birds have been relocated from a remote national park near Esperance to Albany in a bid to save the species FULL STORY: https://ab.co/3xdObu4

20.01.2022 https://torbaycatchment.org.au/the-benefits-of-biochar-how/ open this link and check out the post

20.01.2022 The Good Food Shed is open this Sunday with loads of fresh, local produce & crafts & live music too! We’ll have marron, Prince of Orange potatoes, local blueber...ries, strawberries, passionfruit, broccoli, cauliflower, rainbow carrots, sugar snap peas, spring onions, beetroot, salad greens, pak Choi, fennel, broad beans, kale, zucchini, squash, kohlrabi, Lebanese cucumbers & more! Spicy Coconut will be serving vegan fusion curries, dessert pastries, coffee & fresh soda, Aussie Seafood will be there too. We also have fresh flowers, local honey, jams & sauces, handmade & handspun alpaca knitwear, dog biscuits, soaps, plants & heaps more! See you Sunday 9-1 at the Shed See more

19.01.2022 Someone left their coffee cup lid at the Heavenly Hectares workshopgive us a call as we are driving around today

19.01.2022 The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development - DPIRD is asking the public, gardeners and environmentalists to keep an eye out for a declared pl...ant called African clubmoss (Selaginella kraussiana). This invasive weed was recently found on two properties in Denmark and in a nursery in Perth. DPIRD is carrying out surveillance to determine if it has spread, or if it is being sold in other nurseries. If you think you have seen this plant please contact DPIRD’s Pest and Disease Information Service on 9368 3080 or [email protected]. You can also learn more, including control options, by visiting agric.wa.gov.au/africanclubmoss

19.01.2022 Have you seen any bobtails out and about recently? Garden guru Sabrina Hahn told ABC Perth's Afternoons show that they're appearing more around Perth and the... South West because of the warmer weather. "If you've got bobtails in your garden, always leave out a little flat tray of water because in summer they do like a bit of water,' she said. "They're friendly, they're not so much cuddly as they are scaley, but they're very family orientated." MORE | https://ab.co/3mXhjk5 If you find a sick or injured bobtail call the Wildcare Helpline on (08) 9474 9055. And remember, bobtails are friendly!

18.01.2022 ASFCWG released a survey https://forms.gle/VvhaG9VEgPfLfjb9A to better understand the thoughts and feeling from residents in Albany, Plantagenet, Denmark and C...ranbrook on cats in general, in enclosures, roaming and feral and stray cat. We are trying to understand what the public think on cat matters so that we can work towards the best solutions. Please follow the link to fill in the survey. https://forms.gle/VvhaG9VEgPfLfjb9A Our Aim is to get 500 responses so that we can make an informed and accurate education program going into next year.

18.01.2022 Don't have 40 hectares?? Give us a call- we have a list of interested landholders you could partner with. 0439 461 591 #waestuaries #regionalaustralia

18.01.2022 A stark and sad reminder about the importance of responsible pet ownership and the impact cats have on our native wildlife. This footage was sent to us by Luke... from Queensland and shows the toll of a roaming domestic cat on a native snake. The following day, the snake was located deceased and the cat was recorded roaming in the subsequent nights. Sadly, the event captured here is not an anomaly according to leading scientists, each day more than 3.1 million mammals, 1 million birds and 1.7 million reptiles like this snake are killed by cats across Australia. Pet cats alone are estimated to kill 83 million native reptiles each year. Conservation is everyone’s business and you can do your part by being a responsible cat owner and practicing cat containment 24/7. Responsible cat ownership also means safer cats by keeping our cats happy and safe indoors. For tips and tricks on how to best look after your cat indoors, visit the Safe Cat, Safe Wildlife website: http://www.safecat.org.au/ Thank you to Luke for sending us this footage.

18.01.2022 TURTLES ARE ON THE MOVE! The weather conditions this afternoon are optimal for turtles leaving their wetland habitats and a number of turtles have been sighte...d crossing busy roads. Please be alert and exercise caution around areas of high turtle traffic, such as Golf Links Road. The City encourage residents to use the Albany Freshwater Turtle Survey web app to record sightings of South-West Snake Neck Turtles at https://www.albany.wa.gov.au/albanyfreshwaterturtle

17.01.2022 Spring feral control in full swing @Animal Pest Management Services

16.01.2022 Great Southern Weekender October 1st.

13.01.2022 That coast! Sandpatch, WA Picture:@josh_salatenna_arkhousemedia/Instagram

12.01.2022 Horrendous outcome.

11.01.2022 The WA government has brought forward a plan to abolish single-use plastics, vowing to ban a range of items including plastic plates, bowls, cups, cutlery and takeaway polystyrene food containers by the end of the year. DETAILS: https://ab.co/3xkk3NU.

11.01.2022 DOWNLOAD the eOceans App for Android OR Apple and record what you find on your next trip to the beach Record any animal or human activity you observe. Then sit back, relax and let the scientists do the rest, working out how COVID-19 impacts social, economic, and ecological conditions of the ocean. ... Your input alongside the @eOceans team will allow scientists to create heat maps of human and animal activity around the world. More info on www.eoceans.co/project-covid19

10.01.2022 Cat Owners, WE’VE SOLVED IT! Cats can be a pain, right? Scratching at the back door to get outside and next minute they’re over the fence and gone. Maybe th...ey’ll decide to come back for dinner or maybe not? If only you could keep them safely contained in your yard, but you don’t want to turn your yard into a prison with cages and nets, we get it! Cats use a jump-grab-climb technique to scale fences, OSCILLOT is the revolutionary Australian made & owned system designed to counteract this technique. It's never been so easy to 'cat-proof' your yard and keep your cat safe at home with our OSCILLOT DIY Cat-Proof Fence Kits! Check it out www.oscillot.com.au Free Shipping on all DIY Kits Suitable for most metal, timber & masonry fences Australian made & owned 60 day money back guarantee 3 year manufacturer's warranty AfterPay & ZipPay available 96% 5 star reviews

10.01.2022 Want to get up to speed with what the Vermont Farm to Plate Plan is all about and what it's achieved so far prior to webinar 1 on 2nd December? Since 2010 Verm...ont’s Farm to Plate Plan has: +Increased purchases of local food increase from US$176 million to US$310 million +Supported the creation of 6,529 net new jobs in food-related industries +Helped the establishment of 379 net new food and farm businesses +Achieved a 26% reduction in the number of food insecure people across the state. Here are a few links to follow up for a few more cold hard facts: +Farm to Plate 2019 Annual Report https://www.vtfarmtoplate.com//2019-farm-to-plate-annual-r +Vermont Farm to Plate Plan highlights https://sustain.org.au//vermont-farm-to-plate-plan-highlig +Farm to Plate Strategic Plan Documents https://www.vtfarmtoplate.com/plan/ Head to our events page to secure a ticket AgriStart Pty LtdBuy West Eat Best Commonland Diane Evers, Greens MLC for South West Dirty Clean Food Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development - DPIRD Gertrude WellEase Impact Seed Fremantle Foundation Great Southern Development Commission Noongar Land Enterprise Group Prepare Produce Provide Peel-Harvey Catchment Council Perth NRM Regional Development Australia Great Southern WA @regenWA South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc. Swan Valley and Eastern Regions Slow Food South West Catchments Council (SWCC) The City of Albany Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management Inc Foodbank WA Foodbank Australia ABC Foundation OzHarvest City of Mandurah Edith Cowan University (ECU) Wide Open Agriculture St. Vincent de Paul The Salvation Army Australia Shire of Murray City of Wanneroo Alumni for Social Impact - UWA City of Swan United Nations Association of Australia WA Inc UN Youth Western Australia Gascoyne Food Council Shire of Katanning Shire of Augusta Margaret River Torbay Catchment Group Serpentine Jarrahdale Food & Farm Alliance Inc City of Canning Gondwana Link The Gillamii Centre Inc. City of Armadale Shire of Denmark Green Skills Inc Uniting WA Jessica Shaw MLA Simone McGurk MLA City of Fremantle #rootedinvermont #commonland #FFTF #Foodforthoughtfestival #foodfut#fftf2020 #Foodsecurity #gascoynefood #localfood #regenwa #southernforests #Sustainablefoodsystems #unfao #gascoyne #Goldfieldsesperance #greatsouthern #kimberly #midwest #peel #pilbara #southwest

09.01.2022 Biochar is a fantasitc product for improving soils and plant health and growth. An example of this is terra preta, which is a type of soil found in the Amazon rainforest. Rainforest soils are notoriously poor but terra preta are highly fertile areas within the rainforest which were shown to have been improved by the addition of biochar. What is even more exciting is the benefits of those biochar additions have lasted for centuries. Biochar benefits include: improving soil wat...er and nutrient retention; acting as a pH buffer; providing a matrix for beneficial microbes to colonise; absorbing methane and nitrous oxide and retaining them in the soil; and last but not least acting as a very stable form of carbon, it prevents that carbon entering the atmosphere. Biochar can be made from any type of woody material and it can be made on a small scale utilising small twigs, and branches and leaves that would otherwise find there way on to fire heaps where the carbon is burnt off into the atmosphere or turned into compost or mulch where a fair percentage of that carbon also ends up in the atmosphere. Making biochar on the small scale Start with a pyroliser and pile of twigs and fallen branches Light your pyroliser and keep adding to your fire this will take anywhere from 1 and a half to 2 and a half hours depending upon the size for your woody materials Once its full or you’ve run out of materials to burn add water to ensure the embers do not continue to burn. A full pyroliser will yield about 100 litres of biochar. Once its full or you’ve run out of materials to burn add water to ensure the embers do not continue to burn. A full pyroliser will yield about 100 litres of biochar.

09.01.2022 Don't miss the Sustainable Community Festival & Spring Market next weekend! Head down to the Albany Town Square for street food, markets, music, workshops, activities and more. For more details, visit: https://bit.ly/2REGiem

08.01.2022 TINY CRITTER WORTH THE WAIT! Photographer Robert McClean spent three days at Cheynes Beach hoping to get a photo of the tiny honey possum. He managed to snap ...this great shot! Picture: Robert McLean

07.01.2022 Public service announcement! Please be advised the AGM for this year will be held on the 20th of October at 4:00pm at The Young Siding Hall. We would love to s...ee new faces and please note to be able to vote you must be a financial member. Payments of $10 can be made at the door prior to meeting starting. For catering purposes we would love to gauge how many would be attending so if you could let us know that would be fantastic. Thanks again and look forward to seeing you there. See more

07.01.2022 After a great opening last week, we are excited to do it all again tomorrow - the shed is open Sunday from 9am to 1pm! We will once again have a bounty of local... produce and wares. Avocados, strawberries, blueberries, cherries and passionfruit will give us a taste of summer. As well a beautiful range of fresh veggies; Prince of Orange and Delaware potatoes, D.I.Y salad mix, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, fresh herbs, cucumbers, zucchini, kohlrabi, spring onion, garlic and more seasonal goodies. Plus a range of jams, chutneys and sauces, local honey, handmade soaps, seedlings, flower posies and natural dog bickies for our furry friends. We could go on... but instead, See you tomorrow :)

06.01.2022 https://torbaycatchment.org.au/healthy-estuaries-new-fundi/

06.01.2022 'The plug' (a dam that stops water flowing into Marbellup brook all year round) has washed away. Prior to it washing away at least one house was badly damage when it was flooded throughout. Once 'the plug' washed away water subsided from the house. Now the owners have a massive clean and mop up job. The plug has gone so its time for a rethink on how best to cope with varying community needs. Clearly a rebuild of the plug, a dam that prevents streamflow in a section of Marbellup brook creating a backwater in the heart of elleker that allows smelly and toxic algal blooms and is a breeding ground for ross river is not the answer.

06.01.2022 Wow! White whale calf spotted off Albany today Picture: Max Fabry

06.01.2022 An opportunity to tell the WA state government your views

05.01.2022 VERY SAD STORY. Back in July I installed a recycled tree hollow at my Dad's house in Mundijong. As Dad is 96 he is not quite as mobile these days so it was to p...rovide extra entertainment while he sat on the front verandah. I enlarged the nest entrance to hopefully fit a red-capped parrot and installed the nest log 30 feet up a gum tree in full view of where Dad sits in the sun. However the first birds to check it out were galahs. Given galahs have a nasty habit of ring barking trees (they killed a massive 250 year old tree along Soldiers Rd in Cardup) we were not happy. Fortunately their attempts to enlarge the entrance failed due to very tough wood and Dad persuading them to leave by reflecting sunlight onto them with a large mirror. Finally a pair of ringneck parrots decided to check out the nest hollow. Dad was now happily entertained watching the female being fed by its mate before popping back into the nest to sit on 5 eggs. Less than 10 days ago the behaviour changed as the young parrots hatched. Sadly on Saturday morning a large swarm of hundreds of feral bees entered the nest log and stung the 3 babies to death! Very sad and I was also very upset. That night I went 30 feet up the tree with a large rag, a strap and some petrol. Bit tricky doing all this in the dark (bees can also see by torchlight!). I stuffed the rag in the entrance and poured petrol onto the rag so the fumes would kill the bees. I then put a strap around the rag and the nest log to avoid the wedged rag being blown out. Today I lowered the nest and removed the lid to find 3 dead baby parrots, 2 infertile eggs and hundreds of dead bees. Feral bees are a risk to many of our native hollow nesting birds. RIP our little parrots. It is important that artificial nest hollows are monitored. Feral bee stings kill almost as many people as snake bites and result in twice as many hospital admissions. See more