News
24th February 2011 - Business as usual.
The LRLG committee regretfully accepted the resignation of Fergus Job who has been the Catchment Manager/Executive Officer since 2006. Fergus and his wife Keera, will persue their personal passion for the livestock industry and will remain in the local area.
The committee would like to ensure our members and friends that it will be business as usual for Little River. Pip Job (Education & Projects Manager) and Michelle Gianisis (Admin Manager) will continue in their roles.
Members and friends can look forward to a wide array of educational activities during the year and on-ground works targeting Grassy Box Woodlands and native vegetation.
Members and friends are welcome to the LRLG New Year BBQ to be held on the 5th March at 'The Springs' Toongi. This event will also be an opportunity to say goodbye and thank you to Fergus.
The committee and staff wish Fergus all the best for the future and thank him for his dedication and enthusiam towards the organisation and the community.
14th February 2011 - Little River calls on all sculptors....
The Little River Landcare Group will partner with the Animals on Bikes sculpture trail, which runs from Molong to Dubbo along the Banjo Pattrson Way, to launch the new category - Threatened Species on a Bike. As part of our attempt to raise the awarness of threatened species in our area, a significant prize money pool will be generated in hope that many sculptors will investigate the many threatened species they can choose from for their masterpiece for the 2011 competition.
Judging will take place in November 2011. For further information, visit Animals on Bikes.
25th October 2010 - New government supports Landcare - LRLG recieves $234,569 in latest Caring For Our Country round of funding for 2010-2012
LRLG has been succesful in securing $234,569 in funding to deliver the 'Repairing the Links of Critical Box Gum Woodlands - Little River Catchment (NSW)' project. This project will focus on education and on-ground works that will support the Endangered Ecological Community of Blakelys Red Gum, White Box and derived native grasslands and the iconic 'Paddock Tree'.
We are presently negotiating with the Federal Government on the terms of the project as a result of having a budget reduction of 26%. This will be a fantastic project that will have a significant impact on the increase of native habitat and landscape scale conservation. Major on-ground works components will include:
- 2400 individual paddock trees with 2m high stock proof guards planted in paddock tree devoid areas identified through spatial analysis.
- 12,000 scattered trees given to landholders to plant into areas they consider to have high value.
- Creation of a complete Tree Planting Trailer.
- 2 native vegetation workshops
- Native vegetation farm planning program with 6 farmholdings
- Creation of pilot sites demonstrating native vegetation management
- Creation of a 'Native Vegetation Management & Establishment' brochure
To find out more about this project, contact project manager, Pip Job on 02 68464569.
Little River Landcare Group Inc ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING- Wednesday 15th September 2010. 6.30pm at the Yeoval Golf Club.
The Bus Trip was a fantastic success with 16 people heading off to visit Cam & Rocky McKellar at Spring Ridge. Cam runs a biological cropping operation and uses livestock to strategically manage stubble and green manure crops. He also has an on-farm humified compost making facility for personal use and just recently, for commercial sale.
We enjoyed a wonderful overnight stay in Uralla at the Bushranger Motor Inn before heading off to see Tim & Karen Wright at Uralla. Tim & Karen have been operating a holistically managed operation for nearly 25 years and have been the focus point of multiple research programs comparing tradtional grazing and planned grazing systems.
It was a great trip with plenty of laughter and the company was most enjoyable. Thank you to everyone who came along.
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Little River plays with PlaceStories
8th June 2010
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Pip has undertaken the PlaceStories training through Landcare NSW. PlaceStories is a software program that combines photos with a narration and background music to tell a story. It is a simple process and is easy to use. Pip has created a story about her property "Peedamulla" and the environmnetal practices that she and her husband Selwyn, have implemented. Use the below link to view the story and while there, have a look at more stories made by other landcare enthusiasts. Pip also worked with the students of the Cumnock Public School years 4, 5 & 6 class to create stories about a recent creek excursion. Pip will create more stories about LRLG in the near future and we will create a dedicated page on this website for those stories about our projects, people and adventures!
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LRLG Launches its Solar Initiative
May 2010
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LRLG welcomed over 140 landholders, townsfolk and other interested people to an information session about our Solar Initiative to the Cumnock Bowling Club on the 12th May 2010. Special guests from the Green Solar Group, Suntech Australia, Country Energy and the Bendigo and Commonwealth Banks came along to answer questions and were impressed by the level of interest from our Catchment community. As of the 7th June, over 100 expression of interest had been lodged with the Green Solar Group and Country commencing the the process of installations. For further information
click here...
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Watershed Landcare delivers a Womens Forum
Wednesday 16th December 2009
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Watershed Landcare hosted a 'Women in the Landscape' forum at Mudgee with 100 women attending to hear from leading succession planner, Lyn Sykes and highly regarded medical practitioner Dr Carole Hungerford.
Lyn covered the various degrees of communication and some of the hurdles one must take to get their message across and she also encouraged women to seek leadership roles. Dr Hungerford delivered a valuable message, that our soil health is the link to our own health. Carole triggered allot of questions from the floor and successfully sold many of her newly released book.
Thank you to Watershed Landcare for hosting this event.
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Scenic views of Price Hills wines, Mudgee
Happy participants enjoying local wines
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Clare Hamilton of Watershed Landcare, Dr Carole Hungerford, Lyn Sykes and Thea Ridley of Watershed Landcare.
Local Mudgee ladies enjoying the event.
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Macquarie 2100 hosting a 'Women in the Landscape' forum
Thursday 26th November 2009- Narromine
90 women ventured to Narromine from across the lower Macquarie River region to hear from a collection of great speakers. Special guest Robyn Pulman of Brisbane gave a motivational speech, covering the difficult issues of communicating and taking time to be yourself.
Gary Allan of the DII spoke about climate change in the Central West; Liza Towhill, a dietician from Dubbo spoke about the importance of good health and fitness. Sue Egan spoke about sustainable gardening and Robyn Pulman ended the event, by doing a couples session that was attended by 15 couples.
Congratulations to Macquarie Valley Landcare who delivered a wonderful event!
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Guest speaker Robyn Pulman with Kirsy Wettenhall & Kate Mildner of Macquarie Valley Landcare and Gina Parkes & Pip Job of Little River Landcare.
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Compulsory massage! Robyn Pulman made sure everyone felt relaxed.
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Happy participants
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Intent listeners on sustainable grazing.
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Successful 'Women in the Landscape' Forum in Molong
November 2010
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178 women attended a brilliant day in the gardens at 'Arrowbinnia' on the 6th November 2009 as part of Little River Landcare's 'Recognising Women Farmers' project funded by the Department of Agriculture & Fisheries Australias Farming Future initiative.
Guest speakers for the day included Mick Cronish, Pennie Scott, Wendy Barrett, Lesley Russell, Lyn Sykes, Kate Lorimer-Ward and they covered a diverse range of topics including communication, climate change, sustainable gardening, ecological literacy, eating local and much more.
Penne Frittata with Slow Roasted Tomatoes, Asparagus and Crispy Bacon
Click here - Recipe - to download the recipe used as part of the 100 Mile diet cooking demonstration.
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Ladies enjoying a gourmet lunch in the beautiful 'Arrowbinnia' garden
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Inspirational speaker, Wendy Barrett, discussing features of sustainable gardens
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178 women from the Bell River catchment area enjoyed a brilliant day
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Tuesday 29th September 2009
Regional Achievement & Community Awards
Update: Unfortunately, Little River did not win the award. Maybe next year!
The Little River catchment community will be well represented at the 2009 State Regional Achievement & Community Awards, with the following groups being named as finalists:
Little River Landcare Group - Environment & Landcare Category
Cumnock Progress Association - Economic Progress Category
Mulga Bill Bicycle Festival - Events & Tourism Category
What a tremendous result for the community - well done!
The awards will be presented on the 31st October at a special ceremony in Bathurst. Good luck to everyone!
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WINNERS OF THE AUSTRALIAN RURAL & OUTBACK AWARDS
Agricultural & Rural Development Category - 19.9.09
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Little River Landcare has won a national award, being recognised for our work with the Little River Catchment community in developing the social, economic and landscape health of the Catchment.
Scott & Liz Tourle represented the organisation at the awards ceremony in Canberra. Pictured right is Scott Tourle with sponsors of the Agricultural & Rural Development category.
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Successful Qantas Project Wraps-Up
Little River has completed a project funded by Qantas & Landcare Australia Limited. This project focused on building the social structures of the Little River Catchment and delivered the SOFT (Shaping Our Futures Together) DPI course and piloted a new men's course called 'Time Out 4 Blokes'. Both of these courses were well supported and paved the way for the women's and men's forums.
On the 29th August, 80+ women came together to celebrate the 4th 'Women in the Landscape' Forum where a diverse range of highly entertaining speakers addressed the topic of 'resilience'. Each speaker gave their own interpretation of what this means and this ranged from building resilience in children; resilience in the garden; how Australian women have become resilient; resilient landscapes; resilient farming businesses and building personal resilience.
On the 5th September, 50 men came together for the very first men's forum - "Secret Men's Business". This great day provided the farming men of the Catchment with an entertaining array of information providers, who delivered information about depression and prostrate cancer, coping with change, boats and tackle (and fish), financial issues and much more.
All reports from these events have been fantastic and the Little River Landcare Group extends a very sincere thankyou to Qantas and Landcare Australia Limited for supporting this program.
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Guest Speakers - (L-R) Anne Williams, Helen Everingham, Bev Adams, Wendy Muffet & LRLG Board member Gina Parkes
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Monday 13th July 2009-
Hon. Tony Burke, Federal Minister for Agriculture Visits the Little River
Minister Burke visited the Little River catchment, inspecting a salinity site at 'Naroo' in the Toongi sub-catchment and to announce the 2009 Caring For Our Country program and announced that the Little River Landcare Group has successfully received funding for 2 of the 4 applications submitted earlier in the year.
Project 1 - "Summer Perennial Pastures - A Response to Climate Variability". This project aims to improve soil water use, water use efficiency and pasture production by increasing soil carbon. This project has been funded $119,500
Project 2 - "Adoption of Conservation Farming Practices & Increasing Soil Organic Carbon through Machinery Conversion". This project will improve soil organic carbon levels through the conversion of machinery. This project has been funded $99,700.
We would like to thank Scott & Liz Tourle and their family for hosting the Ministers launch and for their exceptional hospitality.
The Hon. Tony Burke with the Tourle family of "Naroo". L-R: Tom, Sam, Scott, Minister Burke, Liz & Kennedy Tourle
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Minister Burke with Fergus inspecting a salt site seed mix
Minister Burke using the LRLG Fencing Trailer to ram a post
L-R- Fergus Job, Minister Tony Burke, Tom Gavel (CEO CWCMA), Rob Lee (Chair LRLG)
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