20th August 2021
Conference Program reveal, Outreach program update, Landcare in the news + more!
Conference Program Announcement
Annoucing more speakers, panelists, and our first field trip itinerary! We're speeding towards the 2021 Tasmanian Community Landcare Conference weekend, to be held in Launceston, 1st - 3rd October 2021.
Professor David Lindenmayer, celebrated author and champion of biodiversity, is a confirmed Keynote Speaker. Others joining the fantastic lineup include:
- Mark Backman (Largescale Wetland Restoration)
- Aunty Patsy Cameron (Revival of Country)
- Vicki Campbell (Tools of the Trade)
- Theresa Chapman (Agro Ecology Panel)
- Pippa French (Agro Ecology Panel)
- Eve Lazarus (Derwent Pasture Network)
- Dr. Shane Richards (What to do with your monitoring data)
- Karen Ziegler (Emerging threats in Coastal Restoration)
Conference Speakers, Panelists, and Workshops:
Field Trips: Full itinerary now released for the Cataract Gorge trip!
Expect the full program release in the next few weeks.
Tickets are on Sale until Monday 27th September 2021 or until sold out. (Don't hesitate - they sold out in 2019!). If you are an Individual Member, or member of a Landcare Tasmania Member Group, you qualify for a discounted Member Ticket. You can become a member here.
Conference Bursary Tickets - enabling more Landcarers to attend
If your budget won't stretch to purchasing a ticket, please contact us about the ticket bursary program, or apply through the button below. The bursary is to help all members of our community from all budgets to be able to attend, build skills, and network with our statewide community. These discounted tickets have been sponsored by generous individuals, businesses, organisations, and government officials.
Event Cancellation Plan in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak in Tasmania
We would like to reassure you that we have a solid plan to move to an online event if a community outbreak of COVID-19 occurs in Tasmania in the next few weeks. We know that meeting online wouldn't be the same, so we would be offering whole ticket refunds minus a small admin fee.
More Prizes added! You don't need to attend the conference to win, so anyone can join in and support the raffle.
- Fat Pig Farm Feasts with Matthew Evans
- Pennicot Wilderness Cruises
- Blundstone Boots
- Marini Ferlazzo Tasmanian Devil Print
- Rebecca Robinson Wombat Print
- Jeremy Boot - Scarlet Robin Print
- David Hopkins watercolour cards
- Ranbuild Fire Box
- 55liter Waeco Cool Box
- Bunnings Gift vouchers
Strengthening informed & involved communities: Outreach Events Program
Farmland Restoration - The Meander Valley Project
The Meander Valley landscape is a high productive zone and remaining native remnants are heavily fragmented. The latest events in this catchment-wide project involved UTAS Landcare volunteers supporting landowners to create a biodiverse waterways and shelterbelts by planting 1,000 native plants, adding to a total of nearly 12,000 plants across the project.
This project aims to improve landscape and riverine health and resilience, as well as support the community to enhance their land management practices and holistically manage our natural and productive land and waterways, all while increasing farm productivity. Win-win!
Feral Cat Info Sessions - The Coal Valley Landscape Project
Last month in the Coal Valley community we had some really positive and informative discussions at our feral cat info sessions. Read more to find some resources from the specialist speakers on toxoplasmosis, the cat management act ammendments, and support given by Ten Lives Cat Centre in Hobart.
Biodiversity boost at Mountain River
Mountain River is a hot spot for wedge tailed eagles, and so by increasing habitat for their prey, such as bandicoots, we are improving the habitat for the eagles too. The site is undergoing removal of invasive blackberry, which has been dominating the riverside, so this planting is helping to replace the blackberries with native plants to hold the soil and provide habitat.
Get Involved
Register interest for future Training & Info sessions, or planting volunteer opportunities. If you are interested in joining one of our landscape-scale programs, you can become a member and contact us for support.
2021 National Landcare Awards Gala Dinner
This year the 2021 National Landcare Awards were livestreamed to over 2,000 people across the country. We hosted a celebratory dinner at The Glass House Hobart to get together in person and watch the awards. Smiles were all around as we celebrated our Tassie finalists, and congratulated Tasmania's first national winner in 6 years - Michael Nichols of Redbank Farm!
"I'm flattered to have taken home the national award and it highlights the hard work we have put in to precision agriculture, which has allowed us to reduce our fertiliser usage and maximise yields" said Michael.
Photographer Amy Brown took some stunning snaps!
Media Recognition Floods In
Local, state, and even international news were quick to pick up on Tassie winner Michael Nichols of Redbank Farm. Their excellence and innovation in using cutting-edge technology to to ensure maximum sustainable output and soil regeneration is well deserving of recognition. We hope this inspires other farmers to follow their lead.
"Ten more years to restore our planet"
You've probably seen the news of the latest IPCC report on Climate Change. Long before this report was released, the UN declared 2021-2030 the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and we have adopted this as the theme of our upcoming conference. What is ecosystem restoration and what can we as Landcarers contribute?
Welcome to our New Member Groups
Community Landcare is continuing to grow! New member groups are a great demonstration of the generosity of the Tasmanian community to get involved in caring for our bush, land, coasts, rivers, and wildlife. They're contributing to our vision for all the land and coasts of Tassie to be cared for by the community. Join them if you're in their area!
Marist Regional College - Grade 7 Garden Club - School Group, Burnie
Green Point Landcare Group - Community Group, Brighton
Become a member
Landcare is for everyone! We know there are more of you out there thinking of joining. As a grassroots movement, we support and empower you to address the environment and sustainability issues that are important in your community.
Events Calendar
See the bottom of this newsletter for a listing of member events in the coming months, and click the button to see the full Events Calendar. If your event is not listed please contact us.
Thanks for reading
The Landcare Tasmania Team
Peter Stronach - Acting CEO
Priscilla Richards - Landcare Services Manager
Rachel Larner - Finance and Administration Manager
Jenn Gason – Communications & Database Assistant
Jakob Sprickerhof – Project and Engagement Officer
Kat Traill - Event Producer
Evie Drinnan - Executive Assistant
Joy Pfleger – Outreach and Engagement Officer
