News

Using goats to manage your weeds

Wednesday 27 November - 9am to 3pm
Osbornes Flat Hall, Osbornes Flat
Cost $38.50 
Hosted by Kiewa Catchment Landcare Groups

Book your place now

Are you interested in finding out how goats can be used to manage and maintain your weeds, including blackberry?

Please join Three Flats Landcare to find out more how these animals can be used as an effective tool for vegetation management with guest presenter Colin Arnold.

Colin has more than 40 years’ experience as a horticulturalist and for the past 20 years has focused on vegetation management with goats for the control of weeds, the reduction of fuel load and the restoration of ecosystems without the use of conventional practices such as heavy machinery and herbicides. Colin's business, GrazeAway, has an extensive client list including, Metro Trains, Melbourne Water, Parks Vic and numerous Melbourne Councils.

AT THIS WORKSHOP COLIN WILL COVER: 

• How goats can be used to manage and kill many weeds including Blackberry
• Benefits of using goats for vegetation management 
• The importance of maintenance with goats after weeds have been controlled
• What goats eat, what they don’t eat, and the problems associated with that
• The importance of soil health and how weeds change soil
• Fencing for goats
• Why young and small goats play a significant role in habitat restoration
• Fuel load and how we can better manage this, and how goats can assist with managing wetlands and waterways.

The hall-based session will be followed up by a field visit hosted by the Hendriks family who are using goats for land management. 

On this tour participants will experience a practical demonstration of how goats are being used as an environmentally friendly, chemical-free solution for blackberry control.

Colin will demonstrate how targeted goat grazing works as a sustainable weed management tool, with opportunities to discuss practical implementation, fencing systems, and the positive outcomes of integrating goats into natural land management strategies, particularly in ecologically sensitive areas.

Morning tea will be provided, please bring your own lunch
For further information or queries contact Rob Szabo, 0402 353 586 / robert@kclg.org.au

Reptiles Close Up

Saturday 23 November - 10am to noon
Staghorn Flat
Hosted by Kiewa Catchment Landcare Groups

Book tickets here

Find out more with ecologist and herpetologist Dr Damian Michael about the essential role reptiles play in our ecosystems and the need to improve our understanding of these often undervalued creatures. This is free event, with morning tea provided.

Damian has been working in threatened woodland ecosystems for the past 15 years and is passionate about wildlife conservation and science communication.

Damian has a particularly strong interest in the conservation of reptiles in human-modified landscapes. He wrote Reptiles of the New South Wales Murray Catchment, a field guide developed to increase the awareness of reptiles in farming landscapes.

This is a free event.

Women's weaving workshop

Friday 22 November - 10am to 1.30pm
Osbornes Flat Hall
Hosted by Kiewa Catchment Landcare Groups

Book now here

Join Aunty Valda Murray and Aunty Glennys Briggs to learn traditional weaving skills. At this workshop you will learn about the revival of traditional crafts in a local context, whilst getting hands on experience in weaving techniques that have been shared for hundreds of generations.

Places are limited so book early to make sure you don't miss out! Everyone is welcome - whether this is your first attempt at weaving or if you wish to refine your existing skills. Children 10 years and older are welcome to participate. Children younger than 10 are able to come along to observe.

Cobram Carp muster

5 December

4pm to 6.30pm - Thompson's Beach, Cobram

Book here

Join us as we fish for carp and improve the local wetland ecosystem. Great prizes to be won. Bring your rod and chair to join this free, family friendly event with dinner on us.

We appreciate booking for catering purposes.

Tree planting - Livingstone Creek, Omeo

11 to 22 November 2024

9am to 1pm each day

Register close on 4 November at https://form.jotform.com/230657425267056?mc_cid=e95d38d5da

Registration is essential for this event for the provision of facilities and catering.

Any questions? Email Owen.Davies@necma.vic.gov.au

A large regeneration project coordinated by North East CMA for the Livingstone Creek in Omeo Valley is planned for November.

The "Bringing back the Maccas to Livingstone Creek" project is funded by Nature Fund (Vic. Government) and supports other rehabilitation works recently completed by Greening Australia. There are 40,000 native plants which will be planted along crown frontage areas along Livingstone Creek. The planting will regenerate 17 kilometres of critical Macquarie Perch habitat, from the top of Omeo Valley to the junction with Mitta River (Hinnomunjie bridge).

Volunteers (age 16+) are invited to be involved with tree planting over the two weeks and spend the afternoons enjoying the river. Members from the Australian Trout Foundation, Omeo Angling Club, Benambra Angling Club, Friends of the Mitta River, Landcare, Bairnsdale Fly Fishing Club and Government agencies will be supporting the planting. Every tree and shrub planted by a volunteer saves approximately $4.00 per tree, which means far more trees can be planted in total.