Landholders across the Yass Valley, Hilltops, Weddin, Cowra and Upper Lachlan are being offered the chance to be participate in the NSW Governments Saving our Species Program – to protect and enhance the habitat of the threatened Superb Parrot. The program is providing funding through Landcare and other community groups to help farmers and land managers look after hollow-bearing trees and woodland vegetation and to replant trees and shrubs for the future, which will also contribute to sustainable farming ecosystems.

Elizabeth Goodfellow is the 2018-19 winner of the Yass Area Network John Betts Award. The John Betts Award which was established in 2007 in memory of local Landcare legend John Betts and recognises outstanding service to Landcare. Elizabeth is the first member from Bowning-Bookham Landcare to win this award.

Linda Thane is the 2018-19 Yass Area Network Landcarer of the year for the Bowning-Bookham Districts Landcare Group. Linda is a keen supporter of regenerative agriculture, innovative practices and participates in robust debates - always encouraging landholders to have a go at tree planting and to learn more about the local environment.

At a twilight end of year celebration hosted at Jane and David Vincent’s property at least thirty members of the Sutton Landcare Group celebrated the announcement that Christine Pahlman was the groups Yass Area Network Landcarer Volunteer for 2018.

The Yass Area Network Landcare awards for 2018 have commenced with the first group award presented to Jan Grubb the long standing, diligent and enthusiastic secretary of the Yass Landcare Group.

The Yass Area Network of Landcare Groups won a Yass Council Community Grant to progress community networks and knowledge in the collection, cleaning, storage and sowing of local seed for the future.  This grant is managed by a team of Landcare volunteers who operate native plant nurseries in Murrumbateman, Yass and Bowning-Bookham.  We are now looking for properties in the Yass Region with good seed bank potential to get involved. For example we are looking for stands of the same plant eg 7-10 Eucalyptus blakelyi (Blakely’s redgum) preferably with accessible limbs to collect seed.  In relation to wattles if a landholder has for example 10 plus Golden Wattles on their property which are seeding Kath McGuirk from Yass Area Network of Landcare Groups is keen to hear from you to discuss if ripe seed can be collected.  All locally collected seed would be sown in one of the three regional Landcare nurseries.  Native seed from wattles or and understory plants, Eucalyptus trees which include Box, Stringy Bark, Ribbon Gum, Gum etc native forbes or waterway rushes are example of the plant groups that local seed is being sought.

Welcome to the July e-news letter. In July we celebrate National Tree Day and I am reminded of the inspiring wisdom found in this old Chinese proverb: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. For those of us in the Yass region, we are fortunate that many of our Landcarers did get started 20 or more years ago. However, for the rest of us, now is a great time with many opportunities available. Landcare has been successful in obtaining funding through the NSW Environmental Trust and NSW Saving our Species program. Yass Habitat Linkages, Burrinjuck to Bango Habitat Hops and the newly announced Saving our Superb Parrot focus on protecting, restoring and linking habitat. There is also opportunity for riparian restoration to improve our waterways through the Rivers of Carbon- Yass River Linkages program. Landholders can apply for funding from small individual paddock trees right up to large whole of paddock restoration works. For those just starting out, the Murrumbateman Landcare group held a workshop on July 5, titled Planning for Planting, which guided landholders on what and where to plant. Locally, we have three community nurseries that are able to supply local provenance tubestock for these restoration projects and for anyone interested in purchasing native tree and shrubs. And for those who just want to get out and get planting, National Tree Day is coming up and we are having a volunteer tree planting day along the Yass River- Details about this and more below in the newsletter.

It was standing room only at a forum entitled ‘Join the Climate Conversation – Rural Communities making a difference’ held on May 25th, 2018 at Yass in Southern NSW. Organisers were thrilled with the public interest. Right from the outset they knew they were addressing a topic concerning a quiet majority of people, who wanted to know how they could help to constrain global warming. Ticket sales were strong and organisers were taken by surprise as attendance topped 220 at the Yass Memorial Hall. The event was attended by local landholders and members of the public with an interest in rural land management and climate issues.

The National Landcare Programme has enabled local Landcare groups around Yass, from Murrumbateman to Hovell’s Creek, to come together to discuss global warming and to explore how rural communities and farmers can contribute to ameliorating the problem while benefiting their land. These groups are organising a forum in Yass on 25th May, called ‘Join the Climate Conversation- Rural Communities Making a Difference’.

Property owners in the Yass region with large tracts of native bushland or located near large areas of bushland are invited to participate in fauna surveys to help identify populations of the Yellow-footed Antichinus.

The annual YAN Landcare Champions Awards were presented at a dinner at Trader & Co on Saturday 18th November.

Follow this link to the latest e-news from Yass Area Network of Landcare Groups.

The Yass Area Network Landcare awards for 2018 saw the group award presented to Jan Grubb the long standing, diligent and enthusiastic secretary of the Yass Landcare Group.