The 2019-20 summer saw unprecedented bushfire activity in eastern Australia, making headline news around the globe. With the bushfire season not over, and fires still active in many areas, the full extent of the damage and cost to people, property, livestock and the natural environment may not be known for many months.

The sheer extent of the fires and the impacts on our community have left many of us feeling helpless. A recently launched citizen science project is providing an opportunity for people to make a positive contribution to post-bushfire efforts.

A group of researchers from the Centre of Ecosystem Science at the University of NSW are trying to understand how the environment recovers from this unprecedented fire season through the Environment Recovery Project: Australian Bushfires initiative. And they need your help to collect species recovery data to advance this important scientific goal.

“We will use people’s observations for future research into understanding how some areas recover better than others, and in different places, as well as understanding which animals and plants come back first,” Professor Richard Kingsford, Director of the UNSW Centre for Ecosystem Science, said.

“The key aims of this initiative are to understand which plant species are resprouting and growing seedlings, to calculate when and how animals return to burnt areas, and to highlight which species are struggling to recover and might need our help.

“Understanding recovery from this unprecedented fire season is scientifically critical and the opportunity to harness the community’s resources through the Environment Recovery Project is a practical way of doing this.”

Many temperature records were broken this summer and Australia’s climate is going to continue to get hotter and drier, contributing to more frequent and more intense bushfires.

Observations from the Environment Recovery Project will build a picture of when, where and how Australia’s ecosystems recover from these fires, which will inform future research. Participation from the public means that many observations, from an extensive area can be collected, something that would be impossible with the resources available to scientists alone.

Providing it’s safe to do so, take a walk in areas of burnt bushland. But please be aware of current weather conditions and fire danger ratings. Never enter areas where there is active fire. Many bushfire impacted communities are still grieving, please be respectful of their privacy. Do not trespass private property. Always stay on designated walking trails and do not trample recovering biodiversity.

To contribute simply download the mobile app (available from: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/environment-recovery-project-australian-bushfires-2019-2020) and take some photos with your phone:

• Plants (native and weeds): Seedling or resprout
• Animals (natives and ferals): Alive or dead, tracks and scats
• Fungi and Lichen
• Landscapes: Photos that capture scorch height (how high the fires went) or the extent of leaves lost up to the canopy

Observations of common species are just as important as rare species.

Central Tablelands Local Land Services will be running an intensive soil extension program in 2020. The Diggine Deeper program aims to increase farmers’ understanding of soils and the processes driving productivity and to provide them with knowledge and tools to make decisions and implement change to address soil issues and improve soil condition.

This project is supported by Central Tablelands Local Land Services, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and will cover: soils and how they function; soil nutrients on-farm; how different farm practices affect soil health and fertility; soil tests – how to read them with confidence and assess your soil health in the paddock; monitoring, identifying and mapping soil types across your property; identifying soil constraints such as low organic matter, pH, soil salinity and compaction; setting benchmarks for your soils and taking effective action to address issues; and biofertilisers, fertilisers, soil amendments and the range of fertility input options.

Participating businesses will also have the opportunity to have a comprehensive soil test performed and the results interpreted, obtain professional advice, education and mentoring and get to know other local farming businesses who are interested in improving soil health.

The program will be facilitated by Agricultural Ecologist, David Hardwick, assisted by Central Tablelands LLS staff and specialists.

The Digging Deeper intensive soil extension program is open to farmers within the Central Tablelands region who are running an enterprise, from any industry, on 10 hectares or more.

Numbers for the project are strictly limited to 12 farming businesses. To be eligible to participate each interested business is required to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and attend six soil health sessions in 2020 at a cost of $90. Tentative dates are: 10 February, 9 March, 6 April, 11 May, and 15 June with the final dates chosen by the group in February. Each session will involve a theoretical segment and a practical segment out in the paddock.

EOIs for the program are open and will close at midnight on Friday, 13 December 2019. To submit an EOI visit: www.surveymonkey.com/r/CTLLSDiggingDeeper. EOIs will be assessed on set criteria. If a high number of applications are received, applicants may be asked further questions to assist with evaluation. Successful applicants will be notified in early January 2020.

For more information contact Liz Davis, Central Tablelands Local Land Services Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator on 0427 452 662 or by email: liz.davis@lls.nsw.gov.au.

Watershed Landcare will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Friday, 22 November.

We would like to invite all Watershed Landcare members and any interested members of the community to attend. The meeting will provide an overview of Watershed’s activities over the past year as well as an opportunity to mingle and chat at the dinner afterwards.

Are you interested in the role regenerative agriculture has to play in ensuring increased production of healthy food, as well as long term sustainability and resilience of our farm land and ecosystems?

Our guest speaker will be Dr Peter Ampt, consultant in ecological and regenerative agriculture, natural resource management, extension and rural development. Dr Ampt will talk about the role of ruminants in reducing agriculture’s carbon foot print, including recent research indicating that appropriate crop and grazing management can facilitate soil carbon sequestration and improve ecosystem services such as soil nutrient cycling, soil stability, water infiltration, biodiversity and wildlife habitat.

We are also seeking interested members to be involved in the Management Committee for the next 12 months. The committee meets the first Wednesday of the month at 5:30pm.

Watershed Landcare continues to have strong support from our members, sponsors and partners and Landcare membership remains strong and enthusiastic. We’re actively seeking funding from various sources to continue to deliver training, workshops, seminars, field days, on-ground works and projects to protect and enhance the environment and sustainability of our region.

Want to find out more about Watershed Landcare, our projects and how you can get involved in this enthusiastic, grass roots community group? Come along for a fun evening and meet other Watershed Landcare members.

The AGM will be held on Friday, 22 November at the Straw Bale Shed at the Australian Rural Education Centre (AREC), 6pm for a 6:30pm start. Dinner will be provided at the conclusion of the meeting.

All are welcome to attend the Watershed Landcare AGM. This event is free, but please RSVP by Wednesday, 20 November for catering purposes to Claudia Wythes, Watershed Landcare Coordinator, on 0412 011 064 or claudia.wythes@watershedlandcare.com.au.

A number of landholders in the Capertee Valley are working together to improve drought mitigation and the hydrology of the valley, while at the same time promoting mental health and well-being through increased social activity and community connectivity.

Growing interest in restoring the natural cycling of water and improving resilience have led a number of landholders in the Valley to explore the technique of Natural Sequence Farming. Several have attended training courses at the Mulloon Institute and the community are now collaborating on sharing their knowledge and skills.

As part of the ‘Resilient Farmers’ project Capertee Valley Landcare will be hosting a screening of the ‘2040’ documentary film and a talk about Natural Sequence Farming from 5:30pm to 10pm on Saturday, 2 November at ‘Warramba’, Glen Alice. This event is also supported by Lithgow City Council, Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP) and CEMENTA.

Natural Sequence Farming is an agricultural practice developed by Peter Andrews which aims to re-establish the natural function, fertility and resilience of agricultural landscapes. One of its primary aims, and main benefits, is a landscape that harvests more water, holds more water, and uses available water more effectively, resulting in increased primary production.

Capertee Valley Landcare have invited Peter Hazel from the Mulloon Institute to present a talk about rehydrating the landscape using Natural Sequence Farming methods. Peter will share their success story and discuss the possibilities of replicating this project in the Capertee Valley.

The event will also feature cello music by Georg Mertens and friend while the sun sets, surrounded by the spectacular sandstone cliffs in the valley, followed by an outdoor screening of the ‘2040’ documentary film. There’ll be popcorn and choc tops and simple food to buy (like hamburgers). Bring your own drinks and seats or blankets.

This event is free but numbers are strictly limited. For further information or to register please contact Julie Gibson, Capertee Valley Landcare, by email: cvlandcare@gmail.com or on 6379 7317.

October 21 to 27 is Bird Week, celebrating the incredible variety of our birds, many that are not found anywhere else in the world, and inspiring Australians to take action and get involved in bird conservation efforts.

Bird Week is held in spring, the season when birds are nesting and breeding and a lot of migratory species return to feed and breed after winter. As birds are more active and visible it’s an ideal time to survey their numbers.

You can contribute to developing an understanding of our local bird species and the trends in their populations by taking part in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count.

The 2019 Aussie Backyard Bird Count will be held from 21-27 October. Now in its sixth year, the citizen science project organised by BirdLife Australia gives a unique insight into bird biodiversity.

The huge data set collected, last year nearly 77,000 people participated and recorded more than 2.7 million birds, provides a snapshot of Australian birds at the same time each year, often from places not usually accessible to surveys, like people’s backyards.

The data, collected all over the country, fills a knowledge gap in understanding more about the bird species that live where people live. Common bird species can be used as an indicator of broader biodiversity trends; changes in their numbers and composition provide an insight into how our wild bird populations are faring and the health of the environment more generally. This informs ecologists and the BirdLife Australia team on where conservation efforts are best placed.

Its a great opportunity to learn more about the birds that frequent your patch and contribute to science. So register and start counting!

To participate simply find a spot to sit – whether in your back yard, local park, patch of bush, your school or even at a sidewalk cafe in town – and note down the number of each species you see in a 20 minute period. Once you have completed your count you can submit it through the online web form or via the free Aussie Bird Count app.

The app works offline and also features a handy Field Guide to help you identify birds you are not familiar with, but you will need to check your survey has been submitted once you are back online.

For more information and tips for your bird survey visit the Aussie Backyard Birdcount website: aussiebirdcount.org.au.