Want to improve the health of your soils?

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Healthy soils are the foundation for healthy pastures and, in turn, healthy livestock. But how can you improve the health of your soils?

Landholders in our region will have the opportunity to explore soil health through a series of workshops and hands-on projects.

As part of the ‘Digging Deeper into Watershed Soils’ project, Watershed Landcare are looking for 3 sites in our region to host workshops and conduct on-ground works on their properties focusing on soil health.

The project, which is made possible through funding from Landcare Australia and the Jaramas Foundation, aims to improve landholders knowledge of aspects that influence their soil; including soil chemistry, biology, hydrology, botany as well as local knowledge.

A series of workshops will be held across our region linking with the on-ground activity sites. The workshops will explore soil health further with a focus on:

  • soil health issues within our region;
  • soil biology, soil water and soil acidity;
  • adapting management decisions as a result of understanding the landscape; and
  • improving soil health.

The first workshop in the series, focusing on pasture establishment and management, will feature Robert Freebairn and will be held later this month.

The remaining workshops will be tailored to the individual project sites, giving the participating landholders an opportunity to work with the experts engaged to discuss their proposed on-ground works, determine the best management options and address the issues at the project site.

Participating landholders will also receive a free soil test.

Watershed Landcare is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from interested landholders to host workshops on their property and receive funding to assist with on-ground works to improve soil health on the land they manage.

On-ground works eligible for funding include erosion control work, works to improve hydrology, compost or compost tea applications, pasture cropping, increasing nitrogen-fixing plant composition of pasture or any other innovative and creative ideas that meet the project objectives.

Individual landholders will be able to apply for up to $750 in funding and will be required to provide a 25% in-kind contribution (labour or materials) to the project.

For further information contact our Coordinator, Claudia Wythes, during business hours on 0412 011 064 or email: claudia.wythes@watershedlandcare.com.au.

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

Public forum for changing landscapes

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Futurelands2 is a public forum will explore our changing relationship to land. The forum will gather farmers, artists, custodians and scholars to lead this essential discussion, and invites visitors to engage in novel ways with the region’s natural and farming environments

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Buzzing to be involved with bees

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Interested in knowing more about bees and maybe keeping your own hive?

The newly formed Mudgee Bee Group is inviting any aspiring apiarists to come along to their next meeting on Tuesday 6 September.

Following a two day beekeeping course hosted by Watershed Landcare and delivered by Tocal College in April a number of Watershed members and graduates of the course identified a need for more ‘bee learning’.

The Mudgee Bee Group formed as a Watershed Landcare special interest group to provide more training, peer support and mentoring to it’s members.

The group currently meets on the first Tuesday evening of the month at the Straw Bale Shed, Australian Rural Education Centre (AREC).

The August meeting featured a couple of expert speakers; Sheryl McIntosh from the Amateur Beekeepers Association (ABA) of NSW and Atif Jamil from Hornsby Beekeeping Supplies.

Sheryl is the ABA Treasurer and keeps 30-40 hives on her Capertee property. She shared her knowledge on managing a hive over a calendar year with the group.

Atif’s presentation focused on equipment for a new beekeeper and the different hive varieties.

The group will be keeping community bee hives to provide novice beekeepers with an opportunity to gain experience in handling bees and is currently in the process of setting these up. The hives have been donated to the group and will provide the group with hands-on experience in starting and maintaining a hive.

Members will also see the process through to completion; extracting their own liquid gold. Obtaining all the equipment necessary for extracting honey can be expensive for someone just starting out so the group will have a pool of equipment available for members’ use.

Want to get involved? Then why not come along to the Tuesday 6 September meeting where the Mudgee Bee Group have invited speakers Hayley Pragert, Bee Biosecurity Officer from the Department of Primary Industries and Doug Purdie from the Urban Beehive Sydney. Doug will also be bringing along products available to purchase.

Contact Claudia Wythes, Watershed Landcare Co-ordinator, on 0412 011 064 or by email: claudia.wythes@watershedlandcare.com.au for more information or to RSVP.

The Mudgee Bee Group is supported by Watershed Landcare and is part of the NSW Government’s Local Landcare Coordinators Initiative, supported through the partnership of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW.