Calling all Environmental Superheroes! 

Landcare Tasmania is hosting an interactive environmental storytelling session with a puppet expert at Kingston Beach on 25th February. 

The day, which aims to educate on the impacts of plastic pollution in the ocean, will also include a beach clean-up with Kingston Beach Coastcare Group.

The idea is that children and families will learn to be ‘Environmental Superheroes’ as they discover ways to reduce waste and keep natural places clean through environmental storytelling.

We will learn about reducing waste in the environment, particularly plastic, which often ends up in our oceans wreaking havoc on our precious marine life. 

All are welcome! We'd love to see you there. 

Happy Habitat - Exploring Trevallyn Reserve

On the 11th February, as part of our Know Your Local Patch program, families joined Landcare Tasmania and Friends of Trevallyn Reserve to create a field guide for their local patch!

With a combination of local experts, resources for exploration and documenting, and curious minds of all ages, we collaborated to find out exactly who was using the habitat in Trevallyn Reserve, using naturalist drawings to show our findings.

We expected to find plenty of flora and fauna, but we were stunned by just how much there was in the small area we explored.

A big thanks to the Friends of Trevallyn Reserve, and everybody who came along to explore this beautiful area. 

This event is part of our Education Program and is funded by the Department of Premier and Cabinet under the Premier's Fund for Children and Young People.  

Proposed declaration of foxgloves - have your say 

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania intends to list all sexually reproductive species, sub-species, varieties, hybrids and cultivars of Digitalis species (commonly known as foxgloves).

Copies of the Statement of Intent will be available on the NRE Tas website Have Your Say - Public Comments Invited | Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (nre.tas.gov.au)​ and submissions are invited for a period of 60 days and should be received by 5:00pm 21 April 2024.

Connecting Communities with Landcare - Freesia Gardens

Last month, we met with 14 residents of Freesia Gardens – a Centrecare Evolve Housing village - to hear their ideas for gardening and Landcare activities at the residence.

This forms part of the 'Connecting Communities with Landcare' project.  A partnership with Centacare Evolve Housing (Community Housing Provider) aiming to improve tenant wellbeing, connection and sense of belonging through growing food and connecting with nature and people. 

Complete with muffins, hearty discussion, a cat called Trinket and a dog nicknamed ‘the bag lady’, this round table session was a fantastic chance to hear everyone’s ideas.

The group then went for a walk around the property to scope the site and hear peoples' ideas for specific areas of the village.

A big thanks to Elise from Centacare for supporting us during this meeting.

We are also working with tenant communities in Wynyard, Ravenswood and Claremont as part of this two-year project. 

Sustainable Living Festival 2024 - 'Going Circular'

Hosted by Tamar NRM,  the Sustainable Living Festival is set to return to Launceston at the Inveresk Precinct on 2nd March 2024, with a central theme of "Going Circular". The Festival will be headlined by Craig Reucassel, the renowned television personality and environmental advocate from the ABC’s War on Waste.

We are excited to attend as a stallholder and strong supporter of the Sustainable Living Festival - come and say hi to the Landcare Tas team!

Landcare Tas at North West Ecofest!

North West Ecofest Tasmania is an annual sustainable living festival run by the north west environment centre, held in Ulverstone. Landcare Tasmania is excited to announce that we will be attending as a stallholder in 2024. Come along to meet our team, have a chat, and be inspired to make a difference.

New! Ducks of Tasmania Booklet

The Pacific Black Duck Conservation Group and the Derwent Estuary Program have launched the 'Ducks of Tasmania' booklet. The booklet features beautiful new illustrations of all native and introduced ducks species from Tasmanian artist Sam Lyne.

The booklet is aimed at both novice birdwatchers and people with little to no birdwatching experience but who enjoy seeing their local ducks. The booklet encourages people to enjoy our ducks by watching them, learning about them and trying to spot them all, rather than harming them and our waterways by feeding them.

The booklet includes a checkbox so people and families can tick each species off as they spot them, and includes information on how to look after wild ducks. It includes tips on identifying similar-looking species and ways to identify PBD x Mallard hybrids.

Regional Drought Resilience Plans Seeking Input 

Contribute to the regional drought resilience plans by providing your knowledge, insights, and ideas on strengthening the resilience of the agricultural sector, natural environment, and communities to drought and a changing climate.

Image: courtesy of Brand Tasmania

Climate Tools for Agribusiness

My Climate View is a free digital product that offers local climate projections for 20 agricultural commodities to help Australian farmers prepare for future climate conditions.

My Climate View is unique among Australia's agricultural weather and climate tools. It presents past and future climate information all in one place, and it allows farmers anywhere across Australia to access local commodity specific climate information at a 5 km2 grid around or across their properties.

My Climate View is developed by the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO as part of the Climate Services for Agriculture program and funded by the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund.

Feedback from farmers and the agricultural sector across Australia has been used to help develop the product, to understand how it can best support longer-term agribusiness risk mitigation and adaptation planning.

My Climate View can be accessed at www.myclimateview.com.au

Dr Pauline Marsh and Jenni Sharman in storytelling pod UTAS

The Nature Connection Project

We are encouraging you, the Landcarers of Tasmania, to share your stories and experiences with the Nature Connection Project.

The project is collecting qualitative data on the many different ways people care about and connect with nature in Australia.  

Most nature connection research has been conducted overseas and there are gaps in our understanding of how Australians connect to nature - including young people, seniors, and people living in regional areas.

The project is co-led by two researchers from the national Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub based at the University of Tasmania: Dr Pauline Marsh from the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre and Dr Emily Flies from the School of Geography, Planning and Spatial Sciences.

We believe your stories will be important contributions to this project.  Read more about the project below and share your story!

This project is co-funded by the National Environmental Science Program through the Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub and the University of Tasmania.

Events

Help Clean Up kunanyi

City of Hobart Bushcare will hold a special Clean Up Australia Day event on kunanyi / Mt Wellington on Saturday 2 March. On the mountain, the wind whisks rubbish out of cars, hands, pockets and backpacks and deposits it in nooks, bushes, and rock crevices around the summit. Join in, support the work of our bushcare groups, and help clean up kunanyi.

Natural Sequence Farming Field Day

Friday 15 March, 10am – 4pm

Ripple Farm’ 134 Cold Blow road, Richmond, Tasmania 7025

Thanks for Reading!

The Landcare Tasmania Team 

Landcare Tasmania

[email protected]