Past Events

A half day small group workshop that will help you share your message with the world.

Sophie Hansen, founder and creator of Local is Lovely and My Open Kitchen and 2016 National Rural Woman of the Year, will cover WHY you need a newsletter (hint – placing all your content eggs in one social media basket which you don’t own or control AT ALL is a bit scary when you think about it), HOW to set one up, how to build it and fill it with content that people will actually read and act on.

Date: Thursday 17 October 2019

Time: 9:30am

Location: The Little Cooking School Mudgee
6 Henry Lawson Drive, Bombira, NSW 2850

Cost: $50, including morning tea

For more information or to RSVP contact Watershed Landcare Coordinator, Claudia Wythes, on 0412 011 064 or email: claudia.wythes@watershedlandcare.com.au.

This event is supported by Watershed Landcare through funding from Western NSW Primary Health Network.

Join us for an inspiring evening and all the fabulous things about rural life.

Our communities are doing it tough at the moment and this event is about refreshing us and reminding us how great it is to live in rural and regional areas. Sophie Hansen, founder and creator of Local is Lovely and My Open Kitchen and 2016 National Rural Woman of the Year, and Jillian Kilby, NSW Rural Woman of the Year winner and founder of The Exchange, an organisation to support business startups in rural communities based in Dubbo will be our speakers on the night. A Panel discussion, led by Jillian Kilby, will inspire us about the wonderful things that rural women are achieving.

Date: Wednesday 16 October 2019

Time: 6:30pm

Location: Roth's Wine Bar
30 Market St, Mudgee, NSW 2850

Cost: Tickets are $20 and include canapes on arrival, 2 drink tokens and Roth’s wood fired pizzas later in the evening. Drinks will also be available for purchase from the bar.

For more information or to RSVP contact Watershed Landcare Coordinator, Claudia Wythes, on 0412 011 064 or email: claudia.wythes@watershedlandcare.com.au.

This event is supported by Watershed Landcare through funding from Western NSW Primary Health Network.

A half day small group workshop that will help you share your message with the world.

Sophie Hansen, founder and creator of Local is Lovely and My Open Kitchen and 2016 National Rural Woman of the Year, will cover the basics of social media for small business; from setting your goals to figuring out what you are saying, who you are saying it to and what problems you are solving for them. Then we’ll move on to creating and sharing useful content and the rules of engagement!

Bring along your props and products to take your own pics on the day.

Date: Wednesday 16 October 2019

Time: 1:30pm

Location: The Little Cooking School Mudgee
6 Henry Lawson Drive, Bombira, NSW 2850

Cost: $50, including afternoon tea

For more information or to RSVP contact Watershed Landcare Coordinator, Claudia Wythes, on 0412 011 064 or email: claudia.wythes@watershedlandcare.com.au.

This event is supported by Watershed Landcare through funding from Western NSW Primary Health Network.

There are about 60 species of eucalypt in the Mid-Western Regional
Council LGA/Watershed Landcare area, many of which are economically
important as timber, nectar for honey production and for shade and
shelter within pastoral areas.

To some there is a superficial sameness or similarity about the
eucalypts, but to those that spend a little time getting to know
them, there are subtle differences that all add up to give each
eucalypt a distinct character.

It is extremely difficult to identify a eucalypt without a
combination of these subtle differences. However, once you know what
to look for, identifying eucalypts, or ‘Gum Trees’ becomes a lot
easier and becomes more so with practice.

Watershed Landcare will be hosting a workshop on Eucalypt Identification on Friday, 27 September at the Cooyal Pub.

We have invited local ecologist, David Allworth, to run a hands-on workshop to increase your eucalypt identification skills. David will highlight the basic features to look for to allow successful identification.

The workshop will focus on the key characteristics of eucalypts, such as fruits, buds, leaf characteristics, including juvenile and mature leaves, and bark.

Using the above characteristics people will be introduced to a
simple computer program that helps identify eucalypts of the Mudgee
district. A nationwide identification computer program will also be
available for people to try.

Come along, meet other Watershed Landcare members and be
introduced to some of the local eualypts.

The Eucalypt ID workshop will be held at 6:30pm on Friday, 27 September at the Cooyal Pub. Admission is free, with dinner provided. All welcome but please register for catering purposes by Monday, 23 September to Agness Knapik, Watershed Landcare Coordinator, on 0435 055 493 or by email: info@watershedlandcare.com.au.

This event is supported by Wateshed Landcare through funding from
Landcare Australia and Michael King.

Join us for an evening of fun with Australia's biggest bird nerd at Roth's Wine Bar. Sean Dooley is author of The Big Twitch, editor of Australian Birdlife magazine, and former holder of the Australian Big Year twitching record.

Tickets are $30 plus booking fee and include an evening with Sean Dooley, a grazing table on arrival and Roth’s wood fired pizzas later in the evening. Drinks will be available for purchase from the bar.

On Wednesday 4 September 2019 at 6:30pm

LOCATION

Roth's Wine Bar
30 Market St, Mudgee, NSW 2850

Watershed Landcare will once again be hosting a lecture series at the Mudgee Small Farm Field Days in the Straw Bale Building (L8). The lecture series will run on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 July and we have booked some fantastic speakers covering a range topics. We will have also have plenty of information and displays at the Waterwise Garden demonstration site (L9) so stop by for a chat.

Information
available all day – Watershed Landcare Waterwise Garden L9:

• Watershed Landcare – Learn about Landcare projects and field days as well as equipment for hire. Sign up and become a member today!
• Plant identification from your paddock/bushland – bring along a specimen to the Watershed Landcare botanist/grazier Christine McRae (bring a GOOD sample in a bag, including leaves/roots/stems/flowers/seeds if possible).
• Waterwise Garden (Watershed Landcare) – come and see a beautiful display garden of waterwise and salt tolerant plants for the Mudgee district.
• Locally grown native tube stock for sale (Watershed Landcare).

Information
available all day – Mudgee Bee Group L9:

• 
  
  Mudgee
  Bee Group display – Learn about keeping your own bees, what’s
  involved and different hive types. Members will be on-hand to answer
  your questions and share their experiences.
  
• 
  
  Honey
  and bees wax wrap sales.
  

Workshops
– Watershed Landcare Waterwise Garden L9:

Friday & Saturday 11am & 1pm

Native Bee Motel Workshop - Learn how to provide habitat for our native pollinators in your backyard. Join Watershed Landcare for an active workshop building bee motels. Workshop numbers are limited so book in early at L9. If you can't make the workshop, we will have information available for you to make a Bee Motel at home.

Matilda Lewis

Field Days Lecture Series - Straw Bale Building L8

FRIDAY 12 July
Time	Topic	Speaker
10:00am	Regenerative Agriculture' - Why and How - Many of the challenges created by industrialised agriculture are being addressed with the adoption of innovative agricultural techniques, that are showing better ways of producing food and grazing animals.	Colin Seis - Local farmer and agricultural innovator
11:30am	Healthy Soils = Healthy Plants - Come along and gain an understanding of the key elements of healthy soils and how to overcome common problems to boost your gardens health and production.	Sarah Curry – Majors Mulch
1:30pm	Art and the Changing Culture of Agriculture - Over the last two years KSCA has been working with regenerative farmers, scientists and aboriginal caretakers across NSW on a project to raise awareness of regenerative agriculture and to engender conversations about it with audiences that bridge the rural - urban divide. Three members of the group will present on various aspects of the project.	Ian Milliss, Leanne Thompson & Alex Wisser - Kandos School of Cultural Adaptation
3:00pm	Planning Your Property Using Permaculture – Find out how basic permaculture design principles can increase productivity and efficiency.	Karren Lewis - Green Gully Creek Farm

SATURDAY 13 July
10:00am	Fascinating Fungi - An overview of the Fungi Kingdom, some of their fascinating traits, and a look at how mushrooms are grown.	Uschi Rowlands - Gourmet Mushrooms of Mudgee
11:30am	Healthy Soils = Healthy Plants - Come along and gain an understanding of the key elements of healthy soils and how to overcome common problems to boost your gardens health and production.	Sarah Curry – Majors Mulch
1:30pm	Regenerative Agriculture' - Why and How – Many of the challenges created by industrialised agriculture are being addressed with the adoption of innovative agricultural techniques, that are showing better ways of producing food and grazing animals.	Col Seis - Local farmer and agricultural innovator
3:00pm	Birds and the bees – Learn about local plants and gardening tips that will attract them to your backyard.	Tamara Bowman

This event is supported by Watershed Landcare and is a part of the NSW Government’s Local Landcare Coordinators Initiative, supported through the partnership of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW.

Watershed Landcare will once again be hosting a lecture series at the Mudgee Small Farm Field Days in the Straw Bale Building (L8). The lecture series will run on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 July and we have booked some fantastic speakers covering a range topics. We will have also have plenty of information and displays at the Waterwise Garden demonstration site (L9) so stop by for a chat.

Information available all day – Watershed Landcare Waterwise Garden L9:

• 
  

  Find out about Landcare projects, events and field days. Sign up and become a member today!

  
  


• 
  

  Locally grown native tube stock for sale.

  
  


• 
  

  Waterwise Garden display of beautiful, waterwise and salt tolerant plants for the Mudgee district.

  
  


• 
  

  Mudgee Bee Group honey sales and information.

  
  

Field Days Lecture Series

Location: Straw Bale Building L8

 

FRIDAY
Time	Topic	Speaker
10.00am	Your New Food and Garden Waste Bin – Come and learn about why Mid Western Regional Council has introduced a new bin service to collect organic waste from our kitchens and gardens, what can go in the bin, and where all the green waste ends up!	Chris Dart - FOGO
11.30am	Solar Passive Design & Building With Natural Materials - The secrets of designing a home that's warm in winter and cool in summer using natural local products.	Sam Vivers - Strawbale Building Assoc & Viva Homes
1.30pm	Backyard chooks and eggs – What you need to get started, what breed to buy and how to house, feed and care for your chooks to keep them happy, healthy and producing eggs! Plus hear a great local story from Lily.	Mudgee Poultry and Pigeon Club Lily Moore - Mt Frome Pastured Eggs
3.00pm	Care of remnant paddock trees and paddock tree replacement – Find out why paddock trees are important for both production and conservation, how to assess the health of existing paddock trees and how you can successfully establish and mange your own native vegetation plantings.	Dhyan Blore - Native Biota Rural Ecology

SATURDAY
10.00am	Bee and native pollinator plantings for farms and gardens – find out how to establish your own Bee Friendly Garden.	Dhyan Blore - Native Biota Rural Ecology
11.30am	Solar Passive Design & Building With Natural Materials - The secrets of designing a home that's warm in winter and cool in summer using natural local products.	Sam Vivers - Strawbale Building Assoc & Viva Homes
1.30pm	Backyard chooks and eggs – What you need to get started, what breed to buy and how to house, feed and care for your chooks to keep them happy, healthy and producing eggs! Plus hear a great local story from Lily.	Mudgee Poultry and Pigeon Club Lily Moore - Mt Frome Pastured Eggs
3.00pm	Your New Food and Garden Waste Bin – Come and learn about why Mid Western Regional Council has introduced a new bin service to collect organic waste from our kitchens and gardens, what can go in the bin, and where all the green waste ends up!	Chris Dart - FOGO

This event is supported by Watershed Landcare and is a part of the NSW Government’s Local Landcare Coordinators Initiative, supported through the partnership of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW.

How to compose, capture, caption and share images that tell your story in the most engaging way possible. Social media is a visual medium and so great photos are important part of your storytelling. In this three-hour workshop with Sophie Hansen and artist Annie Herron, we will run through the basics of composing engaging images, how to shoot them on your smartphone (or camera if you prefer) and how to edit them so they really pop. Then we’ll move on to the words - how to write and edit captions that tell a story, that engage and motivate your customers so they become community members and your biggest advocates. This will be a lovely afternoon of creativity, strategy and figuring out how to tell your story in the right way to the right people.

This full day workshop will cover: Soil basics, understanding soil biology, improving soil quality and growing nutrient dense food, constructing a high nutrient compost heap, building a farm scale worm farm and reading and interpreting your soil test

Presented by Bruce Davison: Grazier, enquiring farmer and soil specialist.

 



Bruce has an advanced diploma of agriculture and advanced diploma of agribusiness management. Bruce has also trained in soil chemistry and plant nutrition, compost and compost tea making, Holistic management and certificate IV in training and assessment. Bruce is self employed as a farmer and soil consultant.

We encourage all interested participants to undertake a subsidised soil test prior to the event. Please contact us for more information.

The workshop will be held from 9am-5pm on Thursday 28 June at the Lecture Room, Australian Rural Education Centre (AREC).

Attendance is $35 for Watershed Landcare members and $45 for non-members and includes morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and the Soilsmith usb. The Soilsmith usb contains a lot of reading and reference material plus the soil nutrient spreadsheet which is the centrepiece of the workshop as it enables farmers to make their own decisions on soil management.

To register please contact Watershed Landcare Coordinator, Agness Knapik, on 0435 055 439, email.

Are you interested in monitoring algal blooms in your dams, waterways or drinking water supply?



The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) through the Environmental Trust and in collaboration with government have developed a communication and education tool for community detection of algal blooms utilising a test kit and phone app.

The purpose of the Algal Resource Kit is to fill the gap between professional water quality personnel and the community by providing a rapid self-assessment of a water body for any potentially toxic algal blooms. The kits can be used by anybody from an individual looking to keep an eye on personal stock water supplies; to a community group or organisation, government staff, businesses etc. looking to maintain and monitor NSW waterways as a whole.

The phone app called AlageScumID (reached by going to app store on your phone) allows you go to through step-by-step in identifying potentially toxic blooming algae and other prolific growths such as water plants (macrophytes) that are commonly mistaken as blue-green algae that may occur in local creeks, rivers, farm dams and other water bodies.

Watershed Landcare have invited A/Prof. Simon Mitrovic from UTS to run a workshop about algal blooms and to provide training in sampling, detection, and confirmation of blooms using the Algal Resource Kit.



The “scum school” will cover:

• Intro to algae – the good and the bad


• Using the Algal Resource Kit


• Using the Phone app


• Where to go for further information and help


• Causes of algal blooms


• Remediation activities

The workshop will be held from 10am-1pm on Thursday 31 May at the Lecture Room, Australian Rural Education Centre (AREC). Attendance is free with lunch provided but please RSVP for catering purposes, contact Watershed Landcare Coordinator, Agness Knapik, on 0435 055 439, email: info@watershedlandcare.com.au or click on 'Book event' at the top of the page.

Watershed Landcare will be hosting a seed collection and propagation workshop on Sunday 6 May and have invited local ecologist, David Allworth, and local botanist, Christine McRae, to share their extensive knowledge on the subject.

The workshop will cover the following topics:

Identification

Basic identification features of some commonly found local plant species

Useful texts to help with identification

Seed Collection

Why collecting locally is best – (also only collect from large healthy populations)

Safety

Permission

Timing – weather, ripeness of seed

Method/s

Containers for collected material

Record keeping

Processing Seed

Equipment for processing collected material

Processing collected material

Storage for seed – labelling, insect attack

Propagation

Propagating mix

Containers

Best time to sow seed

Watering

Protection of your seedlings

Workshop participants with gain knowledge and skills to select for viable seed, ensure successful germination and give seedlings the best start.

The seed collection and propagation workshop will be held from 9am to 12 noon on Sunday 6 May at the Straw Bale Shed, AREC. The workshop is free to attend with morning tea and lunch provided.

All welcome. For more information or to book your spot please contact Agness Knapik, Watershed Landcare Coordinator, on 0435 055 493 or info@watershedlandcare.com.au.

This event is supported by Watershed Landcare through funding from Michael King and Landcare Australia.

As part of the Paddock Trees project, Watershed Landcare and Central Tablelands Local Land Services will be hosting a Paddock Trees and Farm Vegetation Management workshop on Tuesday, 10 April.

We have invited Dhyan Blore, Principal Consultant at Native Biota Rural Ecology, to share her extensive knowledge in rural vegetation management and the establishment and care of native plants.

A Restoration Ecologist and Environmental Horticulturist, Dhyan has over 20 years practical experience in working with private landholders, state and local government and commercial businesses. She has expertise in bushland management, rural vegetation management, farm forestry, farm windbreak design and management and has held positions with NSW Department of Primary Industries, NSW Farm Forestry Strategy, as well as a number of roles as a rural extension specialist including working on the Box Gum Grassy Woodland Project.

The focus of the workshop will be to provide landholders with knowledge and practical information to enable them to establish and mange their own native vegetation plantings.

Some of the topics that will be covered include species selection for various sites and purposes, tree planting techniques, short term follow up and later management, including thinning, grazing, etc.

Workshop participants are invited to lead the discussion, so come along with any questions you might have.



The Paddock Trees and Farm Vegetation Management workshop will be held at 4:30-7pm Tuesday, 10 April in the Seminar Room, Australian Rural Education Centre (AREC) Ulan Rd, Mudgee.

All welcome. The workshop is free to attend and a light supper will be provided.

Please RSVP for catering purposes by Monday 9 April to Agness Knapik, Watershed Landcare Coordinator, on 0435 055 493 or info@watershedlandcare.com.au.

This event is supported by Watershed Landcare and Central Tablelands LLS through funding from the Australian Government.

As part of the Nasty Nassella Serrated Tussock project, which is working on a new approach to serrated tussock, Watershed Landcare is inviting local landholders to a workshop to help them get the upper hand on this weed of national significance.

Watershed Landcare has partnered with Central Tablelands Local Land Services (CT LLS) and Mid-Western Regional Council (MWRC) to deliver the Nasty Nasella Workshop on Monday, 5 March.

The workshop will feature presentations from Clare Edwards, CTLLS Senior Land Services Officer (Pastures), who will discuss proactive whole-farm strategies to manage serrated tussock; Aaron Simmons, NSW Department of Primary Industries, will speak about the practicalities of serrated tussock management strategies from his perspective as a landholder and researcher; Matt Anderton, MWRC, will discuss landholder responsibilities and the new biosecurity legislation.

The Nasty Nasella workshop will be held from 9am-12:30pm, 5 March at The Stables, Market Street, Mudgee. This event is free to attend with lunch provided, but please RSVP to assist with catering by Friday, 2 March.

To RSVP to the workshop or for more information about the Nasty Nassella project, contact Watershed Landcare Coordinator Claudia Wythes on 0412 011 064 or email: claudia.wythes@watershedlandcare.com.au.

This project is supported by Watershed Landcare through funding from the Central Tablelands LLS from NSW Catchment Action and the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme and is a part of the NSW Government’s Local Landcare Coordinators Initiative, supported through the partnership of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW.

Watershed Landcare would like to invite all our members and any interested members of the community to join us as we celebrate our achievements for 2017. Share a meal together with your Landcare friends and swap your stories with each other.

All members are encouraged to come along.

When: Friday 24 November
Time: 6pm for 6:30pm start (dinner following)
Where: Straw Bale Building, AREC
RSVP: By Monday 20 November to Claudia on 0412 011 064 or claudia.wythes@watershedlandcare.com.au
Please advise of dietary needs with your RSVP.

The Federal Government has announced the next funding program for Landcare: the National Landcare Program.

Central Tablelands Local Land Services is working with Watershed Landcare to develop a regional bid for our region and we are keen to hear from you. This funding program will be in place for the next 5 years and is a great opportunity for us to shape the plan.

To help scope and develop the priorities that are important to us within our region, we need your ideas and issues that are challenging you.

Please join us on Monday 13 November from 9am-12:30pm to workshop your ideas with LLS staff. Staff members from the sustainable ag, NRM and biosecurity teams will be at the session.

The morning aims to provide information about

• The current smart farms and NLP opportunities – what they are and aren't


• Discuss priority issues – both current and emerging in each area


• Challenges being faced and what are the grant opportunities


• Explore opportunities to address issues raised including identifying what solutions may look like and who could be involved


• Road test project ideas from participants.

If you know of someone else who may like to attend the session, please pass on the invitation to them.

 

More information about the National Landcare Program 2 can be found here:

http://www.nrm.gov.au/national-landcare-program

http://www.nrm.gov.au/system/files/resources/83b10aba-cd7a-4068-bccb-c41b0cc7d5c1/files/nlp-regional-land-consultation-paper.pdf

 

Session details:

Date: Monday 13 November 2017

Time: 9am sharp concluding at 12:30pm with lunch

Where: CWA Rooms, 48 Market Street Mudgee

RSVP: by Thurs 9 Nov for catering to Claudia 0412 011 064 | claudia.wythes@watershedlandcare.com.au

 

To celebrate National Pollinator Week, which runs from 12 to 19 November, Watershed Landcare have invited Liz Davis, Regional Landcare Facilitator Central Tablelands LLS, to run a Native Bee Motel workshop.

Australia has about 1,600 species of native bees, with around 250 to 300 species being found within a 100 kilometre radius of any given area. The pollination services they provide are essential to sustain biodiversity, ecosystems and the security of many of our food sources.

Come along and build your own native bee motel and learn how you can attract these fascinating little creatures to your own backyard, whether it's a farm, bushland, suburban block or a balcony.

Native bee hotels or motels not only provide plenty of nooks and crannies for these beneficial insects to nest in but can be very decorative as well. These can be made in all shapes and sizes, the only limit is your creativity!



The workshop will be held from 9:30 – 11:30am on Sunday 12 November at at the Straw Bale Shed, Australian Rural Education Centre (AREC).

The workshop is free to attend for Landcare members and $15 for non members. Booking are essential as places are limited, register your interest by 9 November.

All welcome but children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information or to RSVP contact Claudia Wythes, Watershed Landcare Coordinator, on 0412 011 064 or claudia.wythes@watershedlandcare.com.au.

This event is supported by Watershed Landcare and is a part of the NSW Government’s Local Landcare Coordinators Initiative, supported through the partnership of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW.

Watershed Landcare will be hosting a Rehydrating the Landscape workshop on Saturday, 4 November. Come along and learn about some practical methods for capturing water and keeping it in the landscape, and on your farm, for longer.



The workshop will be presented by Dan and Nicki Power who have constructed a system of dams and swales at Hazelcombe Farm in the Totnes Valley to rehydrate the landscape, regenerate degraded soils and create an edible landscape at the same time.

The workshop will cover:

• what our farms would look like if they were rehydrated


• what influence we have as land managers in the amount of water that stays on our farms


• what interventions we can make, from small to large, to increase our influence


• the principles of rehydrating the landscape


• examples of successful rehydration interventions

We will also go for a walk around the farm to see what's been achieved, the particular issues faced and discuss the next steps. Adon Bender, the farm rehydration adviser, and Mark Anderson, the dam builder, will also be on hand to provide explanations and answer questions.



The workshop will be held on on Saturday, 4 November from 9am to 4pm at Hazelcombe Farm, Totnes Valley (40 mins from Mudgee). Attendance is free for Watershed Landcare members and $10 for non-members. Please wear work clothes and covered footwear and bring hats, sunscreen and drinking water.

Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be provided. Please advise any dietary requirements to: info@watershedlandcare.com.au

For further information or to RSVP contact Agness Knapik, Watershed Landcare Coordinator, on 0435 055 493 or by email: info@watershedlandcare.com.au.

This event is supported by Watershed Landcare and is a part of the NSW Government’s Local Landcare Coordinators Initiative, supported through the partnership of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW.

In 2017 Watershed Landcare is organising and hosting its 9th annual Green Day environmental expo for year 5 and 6 students from the Mid-Western Regional Council area and beyond. Green Day will be held on Thursday 7th September 2017 at Mudgee Showground.



The aim of Green Day is to provide a positive event where students have the opportunity to learn about various environmental topics. Students are encouraged to think about issues associated with soil, water, biodiversity, sustainability and climate and how they can make changes to the way they live. Green Day is also an opportunity for students to learn about various organisations and businesses and their roles in environmental management.

This year, 580 students from 14 schools will be participating in the event.

Each year Green Day has a different theme, and a special guest presenter.

We have been fortunate to secure the services of Ruben Meerman, a.k.a the Surfing Scientist!, as keynote speaker for our 9th annual Green Day event.

Ruben is a passionate science educator, who travels extensively throughout Australia running exciting and engaging science sessions for primary and high school students. He has featured on popular television shows including Catalyst, Sleek Geeks, Studio 3, Sunrise, Roller Coaster, and was the first ever resident scientist on Playschool. He recently authored Big Fat Myths, which explores common myths around weight loss and dieting.



Ruben will run three, one hour sessions focusing on our key themes of water, waste, biodiversity and energy, and focus particularly on the science behind the problems and solutions for key environmental challenges, including plastic pollution.

The theme of this year’s event is GoMAD, an acronym for Go Make A Difference, the theme aligns with a popular environmental education program undertaken by the NSW Department of Education.

At Green Day students learn how science, technology, industry, environment and community can all work together and achieve suitable outcomes for all concerned.

A total of 19 workshop presenters from a number of different local businesses and organisations will take part in this event. Students will learn about managing pest species, water quality, habitat protection and waste reduction.

This year we have workshops from staff at Central Tablelands Local Land Services, Mid-Western Regional Council, Red Hill Environmental Education Centre, NetWaste, Niche Environment and Heritage, Barnson Pty Ltd, Royal Agricultural Society, Crave Natural and Rosby Sculptures in the Garden.

Green Day would not be possible without the support of Mid-Western Regional Council, Office of Environment and Heritage, Central Tablelands Local Land Services, Peabody Energy, Moolarben Coal, Red Hill Environmental Education Centre and Niche Environment and Heritage.



These important sponsors and supporters mean that Watershed is able to plan and execute Green Day with no costs to schools and students. All aspects of the day including transport and lunch are provided.

For further information, or to be involved as a sponsor, presenter or participant please contact Vivien Howard, Green Day Coordinator, on 0488 224 025 or at vivien@watershedlandcare.com.au

 

After a successful tour last year, Watershed Landcare's Grazing Group will be heading off on another bus trip to explore various production systems in our region and beyond.

The tour will visit Rob Lennon at Gundooee to see the impacts of the fire earlier in the year and the management strategies put in place for livestock and vegetation recovery.

Next on the agenda is Bob Freebairn's property where the group will be looking at winter fodder crops, a newly established winter legume in a new tropical grass pasture, and incorporating serradella and sub clover into native and tropical grass pastures.

Discussion will cover gross margins for the enterprise, grazing management, species selection, working out the balance between natives, tropical grass and winter fodder crops. Acid soils, soil fertility and sound soil management will also be discussed.

The group will also be taking a tour through the 23,500 head capacity, 1,390 hectare JBS Caroona feedlot. The feedlot is situated 35 kilometres west of Quirindi, in the centre of the major cattle and crop-producing area of the fertile Liverpool Plains in New South Wales.

This is a great chance for people to see other properties, share stories with like-minded growers and gain inspiration or reinvigoration to bring things back to their place. The Grazing Group would like to invite anyone interested to attend.



The Grazing Group but trip will be held on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 August, with overnight stay in Qurindi.

Travel and speaker costs will be covered through Watershed Landcare's Pimp My Paddock project, through funding from the Central Tablelands Local Land Services. Participants will be required to pay for accommodation and own meals.

For further information or to register your interest contact Claudia Wythes, Watershed Landcare Coordinator, on 0412 011 064 or claudiawythes@watershedlandcare.com.au by Thursday 24 August.

In collaboration with UNSW, UTS, Sydney University and the Mudgee Microscope Group of Watershed Landcare, the Landholder Collaboration Project presents:



 

You are never more than about one metre from a spider as they go about their business of consuming insects and other creepy crawlies. Having a healthy spider community on your farm means you have a healthy biodiverse ecosystem.

This workshop will cover:

• How to identify and monitor spiders on your property


• How spiders respond to good land management


• Why working together on spider monitoring is beneficial


• How to upload the information onto an online collaborative tool


• How to use this data to make more informed land management decisions

We are very lucky to have a special guest speaker coming to the event. Dr Mary Whitehouse is a CSIRO scientist who has spent many years researching spider biodiversity particularly in crops.

Mary will be happy to identify spiders if anyone wishes to bring some along in a glass jar.

We will look at a cost-effective and easy-to-use method of monitoring spiders by using spiders' webs as a substitute (the Web2Spider guide and supplementary material provided by the Australian Museum).

Workshop details
When: Tuesday 8 August, 5:30-8pm.
Where: Burrundulla Room, Mudgee Golf Club
21 Robertson St, Mudgee

The workshop is free to attend and dinner is included.

Please RSVP for catering purposes by Monday 31 July to Agness Knapik, Watershed Landcare Coordinator, on 0435 055 493 or info@watershedlandcare.com.au.

See more about the Landholder Collaboration Project on their website and Facebook page

The Landholder Collaboration Project is funded by the NSW Environmental Trust.

 

Are you interested in growing your own fruit, learning, or refining, grafting skills or preserving heritage fruit varieties?

Watershed Landcare and the Heritage and Rare Fruit Network will be hosting a fruit tree grafting workshop in Mudgee on Saturday, 22 July.

This is the last year that experienced grafter and lynchpin of the Heritage and Rare Fruit Network, Neil Barraclough, will be coming through the district and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from his extensive knowledge and skills.

A perfect affordable way to propagate your favourite fruit and preserve heritage varieties. All equipment and a selection of rootstocks and varieties for grafting will be supplied.

• The workshop will cover topics such as orchard design and techniques for selecting various rootstocks in order to produce trees in a wide range of sizes suited to a range of different situations.


• Learn how to graft your own tree.


• Take home a new tree, personalised by you!

Red apples, green apples, for cooking or dessert, sour or crisp, flavourful plums, sweet juicy pears, early mid season or late ripening - through it's members the Heritage and Rare Fruit Network have access to a very wide range of fruit tree varieties and can provide varieties more suited to people’s needs, or varieties they can’t access anywhere else. This is a fantastic opportunity to get your hands on some rare fruit varieties, often not available anywhere else.

If you wish to propagate from or share your own favourite tree, please bring along a selection of freshly-cut twigs, at least 45cm long.

The cost for the workshop is $40 for Landcare members and $45 for non members and includes morning tea and lunch, grafting talks and demonstrations, and a free grafted fruit tree.

There'll also be an opportunity to buy additional rootstocks and scions at close to wholesale prices.

Booking are essential as places are limited. For more information or to RSVP contact Agness Knapik, Watershed Landcare Coordinator, on 0435 055 493 or info@watershedlandcare.com.au.

 

---

This event is supported by the Heritage & Rare Fruit Network and Watershed Landcare and is a part of the NSW Government’s Local Landcare Coordinators Initiative, supported through the partnership of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW.

Information available all day –

Watershed Landcare Waterwise Garden (L9)

• Learn about Landcare projects and field days as well as equipment for hire. Sign up and become a member!


• Plant identification from your paddock/bushland – bring along a specimen to the Watershed Landcare botanist/grazier Christine McRae (bring a GOOD sample, including leaves/roots/stems/flowers/seeds if possible).


• Waterwise Garden – come and see a beautiful display garden of waterwise and salt tolerant plants for the Mudgee district, including a native Microlaena lawn sample.


• Locally grown native tube stock for sale.

 

• Mudgee Bee Group display – Learn about keeping your own bees including the different types of hives. Members will be on-hand to answer your questions and share their experiences.

---

Workshops –

Watershed Landcare Waterwise Garden (L9)

 

Workshops
Friday 11am Saturday 2pm	Serrated Tussock and the Innocent Native Bystanders – learn how to identify key features which will help you to spot the difference with display plants at Watershed Landcare.	Christine McRae & Vivien Howard – Watershed Landcare
Friday 2pm Saturday 11am	Native Bee Motel Workshop - Learn about our native pollinators and how to provide habitat for them in your backyard. Join Watershed Landcare for an active workshop building bee motels. Workshop numbers are limited so book in early at L9. If you can't make the workshop, we will have information available for you to make a Bee Motel at home.	Liz Davis - Central Tablelands Local Land Services

 

---

Field Days Lecture Series

Speakers organised by Watershed Landcare

Straw Bale Lecture Room (L8)

FRIDAY
Time	Topic	Speaker
10.00am	How do I eat sustainably in the modern world? - Agro-ecologist David Hardwick will de-mystify the modern food system and show how your choices impact on the environment, farmers and your health.	David Hardwick – Soil Land Food
11.30am	Solar Passive Design & Building With Natural Materials - The secrets of designing a home that's warm in winter and cool in summer using natural local products.	Sam Vivers - Strawbale Building Assoc & Viva Homes and Chris Nance - Traditional Timber Frames
1.30pm	For the love of pigs and good bacon - free ranging pigs on a small farm, the Power Pork story of paddock to plate.	Danielle Littlewood - Power Pork
3.00pm	Backyard Beekeeping - Keeping bees on a small scale is easy and something most people can do. Keeping bees is a rewarding pass time that helps the environment by providing pollination and as a bonus you get your own honey! Doug will walk through the types of hive, the basic equipment and the do and dont's of backyard beekeeping.	Doug Purdie - The Urban Beehive

SATURDAY
10.00am	For the love of pigs and good bacon - free ranging pigs on a small farm, the Power Pork story of paddock to plate.	Danielle Littlewood - Power Pork
11.30am	Solar Passive Design & Building With Natural Materials - The secrets of designing a home that's warm in winter and cool in summer using natural local products.	Sam Vivers - Strawbale Building Assoc & Viva Homes and Chris Nance - Traditional Timber Frames
1.30pm	Basics of stockmanship - Bruce will show entertaining examples of how stockmanship can change animals, including weed eating and grazing management. Helping the animals, and you, have less stress.	Bruce Maynard - Stress Free Stockmanship
3.00pm	Regenerative Agriculture – Adon will cover water-harvesting methodology, minimal and controlled disturbance soil management for perennial, annual and animal systems, soil-food-web-structures and how all these factors interrelate and influence one another.	Adon Bender - Hazelcombe Farm

Join us on a Field Trip to local properties to look at some common erosion issues, their causes and solutions. Learn how to implement these solutions and improve the soil health on your own place.

The 'Digging Deeper into Watershed Soils' workshops will be presented by Agricultural Ecologist David Hardwick and will be held over two days, Thursday 11 and Friday 12 May.



Programme: Friday, May 12th

“EMMATTLEA”

655 Hill End Road, Mudgee
Hosts: Matt & Emma Kurtz

Our morning session will visit Matt and Emma Kurtz’s property where historical contour banking has been compromised resulting in a concentration of water, with sheet and channel erosion and scalding occurring as the water moves down-slope.

8:30am for a 9:00 Start until 12:00 noon
Morning tea provided

"Karabool Olives"

408 Botobolar Road, Mudgee
Hosts: David Sargeant & Judy Rogers

Then follow us out to the lovely Karrabool Olives on Botobolar Road where David Sargeant and Judy Rogers hope to reduce the runoff which is causing sheet and rill erosion through their olive grove. Here participants can get their hands dirty and learn how to construct small rock structures to slow and spread waterflow.

12:45pm for a 1:30 Start until 4pm
Lunch provided

The field day is free ‐ please register early as places are limited.

Please bring some protective clothing (hats, boots, rain jacket) and water.

For more information, or to register, contact:
Beth Greenfield
Phone 6373 2114 or 0438 090 525
Email: info@watershedlandcare.com.au

This event is supported by Watershed Landcare through funding from the Jaramas Foundation & Landcare Australia and is a part of the NSW Government’s Local Landcare Coordinators Initiative, supported through the partnership of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW.

Join us on a Field Trip to local properties to look at some common erosion issues, their causes and solutions. Learn how to implement these solutions and improve the soil health on your own place.

The 'Digging Deeper into Watershed Soils' workshops will be presented by Agricultural Ecologist David Hardwick and will be held over two days, Thursday 11 and Friday 12 May.



Programme: Thursday, May 11th

“Lue Station”

Lue NSW 2850
Host: Tom Coombes


Lue Station will host a workshop on Thursday 11 May looking at an incised gully in a 3rd order stream. This poses a landscape scale problem with the surrounding floodplains draining quickly and becoming drier. David will explore solutions to rehydrate the landscape with participants and suggest methods on how to reduce the speed and volume of water runoff.

Participants will also have an opportunity to meet members of Bingman Landcare, find out what they do and how to get involved.

9am for a 9:30 Start until 3pm
Morning tea and lunch provided

The field day is free ‐ please register early as places are limited.

Please bring some protective clothing (hats, boots, rain jacket) and water.

For more information, or to register, contact:
Beth Greenfield
Phone 6373 2114 or 0438 090 525
Email: info@watershedlandcare.com.au

This event is supported by Watershed Landcare through funding from the Jaramas Foundation & Landcare Australia and is a part of the NSW Government’s Local Landcare Coordinators Initiative, supported through the partnership of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW.

Have you got a Bushfire Plan for your property?

Watershed Landcare will be hosting a Bushfire Planning Workshop next week. This will be a hands-on workshop with plenty of opportunity to ask questions and bounce ideas off others. The intention is that you will walk away with a bushfire plan for your property, or at least a draft.

Jayne Leary from the RFS will run the workshop. We will also be joined by Brett Littler and Nigel Gillan from CT LLS who will talk us through considerations for livestock in bushfire planning. They will also discuss what they saw at the recent Sir Ivan fire. Nigel will also cover companion animals.

All welcome so please bring along your family and tell your friends and neighbours.

When: Thursday 30 March
Time: 9:30am-12:30pm (aprox.)
Where: Lecture Room, Small Pavillion AREC
(Opposite the AREC office)

Please RSVP by Monday 27 March:
info@watershedlandcare.com.au or 0435 055 493

The Friends of Putta Bucca Wetlands are inviting members of the community to help them clean up, fix up and conserve the environment of the Putta Bucca Wetlands.

Why not come along and do your bit to conserve the biodiversity in this little piece of wilderness right in Mudgee's backyard?

The Clean Up Australia Day event at the Putta Bucca Wetland, Putta Bucca Rd, will be held on Sunday 5 March. We will meet in the car park at 9am and finish around noon.

Fully covered shoes or boots are essential. Please also bring gloves, hat and drinking water. Children are welcome but must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

For more information contact John McCrea jsmccrea@hwy.com.au.

This workshop will be an introduction into pasture cropping, looking at principles, practical implementation and the benefits of pasture cropping with multiple species.

Watershed Landcare have invited local landholder and inventor of Pasture Cropping, Colin Seis, to run a workshop on this innovative technique.

Unlike conventional techniques where crops are sown into bare soil or stubble, Pasture Cropping allows sowing directly into a dormant pasture.

This produces an annual crop, either for grazing or harvest, with multiple added benefits to soil health. By avoiding the need to kill the competitive pasture, soil structure, biological health, nutrient cycling and water retention are not only maintained but improved and there is a reduction in wind and water erosion and cost.

Utilising multiple species in a pasture crop also has the added advantage of minimising risk, if conditions are not ideal for one of the crops.

Watershed Landcare have invited Agricultural Consultant and Journalist, Robert Freebairn to be our guest speaker on the day. Discussion topics will include ground cover, various pasture types, the logic for each, establishment, management, soil quality and other relevant aspects. Native pastures will be included as well as the role of tropical, annual legumes, Lucerne and winter forage crops.

Do you have some native grass seeds to harvest? Come along to our Farm Walk and Grass Seed Harvester Demonstration and find out more about native grasses and how you can harvest your own. Join us for morning tea afterwards at the woolshed.