Landcare SJ has successfully applied for some new grant funding that covers a range of projects.
Update from Teele Hooper-Worrell (Landcare SJ officer)
State NRM CAPACITY GRANT Small 2015-
This grant titled ‘Mid Swan Coastal Plain Native Species for Landcare Projects’ Provides $6,197.00 ex GST to produce 4000 copies of the Keeping It Local Booklet.
Landcare SJ has received funding through the State NRM Community Capacity grants 2015 to reprint the popular ‘Keeping it Local’ booklet. This booklet highlights the native species that are endemic top the Mid Swan Coastal Plain and are commercially grown by native nurseries.
The booklet will assist in species selection for Landcare and revegetation projects based on preferred soil types and species characteristics such as bird attractants, dieback resistant, low flammability etc.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] The ‘Keeping it Local’ booklet is a useful species guide for residential and large scale landcare projects. [/perfectpullquote]
The booklets has had two reprints of 2000 copies which has already been distributed into the community. The booklets are popular and easy to use, which is why Landcare SJ would like to reprint another 4000 copies. The booklet allows us to recommend plants quickly for specifically the reason the community member is after. For example on an equine property an owner may want to encourage native birds, decrease fire risk but also have quick growing species that provide a wind break for pasture.
The booklet is a great tool that we can give to participants at our events, to take home and use, in all natural resource management work they may do in the future.
Peel Harvey Catchment Council Community Funding-
This project titled ‘Reducing threats in the nationally significant Mundijong Rd and Duckpond Reserve, Mundijong’ provides $21,300ex GST for a new 2 year project focused on Threatened Ecological Communities (TEC).
Landcare SJ was successful in the 2015 Peel Harvey Catchment Council Community (PHCC) Grants Round. This new 2 year project funded by the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme, provides for weed and disease control, revegetation and seed collection on four Threatened Ecological Communities and an area of private land. Landcare SJ will be coordinating this program through on ground work, spray contractors and local groups.
Specifically the project will work on reducing threats in areas of national significance in Brickwood Reserve, Byford, Mundijong Rd and Duckpond Reserve, Mundijong, Improving the health and resilience of North Dandalup TEC, and improving the quality and resilience of a Threatened Ecological Community on private land in Serpentine.
Kristy Gregory, Teele Hooper-Worrell, Landcare SJ officers, and Penny Hollick from the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale completed site inspections on 17th May at several Threatened Ecological Communities in the Serpentine Jarrahdale region.
They re-surveyed an established flora plot at Brickwood Reserve in Byford with new flora quadrats set up at Duckpond Reserve and another site on Mundijong Rd, Mundijong. This is just the first step in the monitoring component of this project.
PHCC Sustainable Agriculture Funding-
The Peel Harvey Catchment Council has also provided sponsorship of the Equine Landcare Projects Field Day Series. The sponsorship is possible through the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council’s “Sustainable Agriculture” project through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.
This project provides $5,250.00 ex GST to host a 6th Field day in the Shire of Murray and to sponsor attendee resources at all six field days.
State NRM CAPACITY GRANT Large 2016 –
This project provides $60,000, with matched funding coming from Landcare SJ, to cover a new position focused on monitoring and evaluating Landcare SJ projects past and present.
Monitoring and Evaluation
This application proposes to build a practical monitoring and evaluation framework to enable and apply a more consistent and robust monitoring effort across all Landcare SJ works, the ultimate aim to standardise data and improve understanding, skills and culture across the wider community.
This will also include thorough GIS mapping of project activities, to include past projects, and provide greater depth and quality of information recorded leading to: improved decision making; faster identification of remedial and other actions required; and an increase in available technical data for more comprehensive analysis.
Furthermore, this project will produce a one page, high colour report card which will summarise and celebrate the achievements of Landcare SJ over the last ten years.
This report card will be distributed across the region serving to raise awareness and increase the reach and influence of the group. It will bring pride to those who have contributed to-date and raise the curiosity of those who are not currently involved. The collated GIS information will also be used to create some of the graphics for this report card.
Artificial Nestboxes
Improved monitoring and evaluation processes will also be applied to the installation of artificial nestboxes for black cockatoos (COCKATUBES) which will support Landcare SJ research efforts into black cockatoo recovery.
This will include sourcing and collating information from private agencies and private landholders on their observations of nesting box activity, direct observations, and GIS mapping of installed nestboxes. Increased participation in the program and better management and coordination of future activities are some of the outcomes anticipated from these improvements.
In addition, accurate GIS information will provide more effective resources for future staff/employees and stakeholders. This in turn will assist in addressing succession issues and improve compliance, project management, administration and decision making as well as leading to a greater level of
information that can be accessed and shared with the wider community through the promotion of project results.