Better Burnett

To Infinity … and beyond is the theme of this year’s Landcare Conference is Infinity:  Sustainability by Design. It is an honour to have this event in our catchment and the Burnett Catchment Care Association (BCCA) are pleased to make a small contribution by hosting two field trips the ‘Bunyips and Bonnie Doon Tour’ and the ‘Sip and Sap Tour’ and BCCA is offering  one of it’s valued members the opportunity to attend the full conference program free.Yes, you did read that correctly, -  free!  BCCA members are in the running to attend this year’s Queensland Landcare Conference completely free, North Burnett Landcare Group this year will be hosting the conference in Monto 21 Sept – 24 Sept and BCCA has the great pleasure of offering to our renewing members and all new members a thrilling chance to attend this conference free, valued at $700 (accommodation not included).  A full conference program can be downloaded from www.qldlandcareconference.com There’s still time to get involved. 

To enter complete the membership renewal form which is attached to the BCCA August newsletter or just simply download the newsletter from www.betterburnett.com and or www.burnettcatchment.org /news  or you could request a copy of the newsletter via email from admin@burnettcatchment.org  Competition closes 12 Sept so submit your completed membership forms and return to the BCCA office.  The winner will be drawn and announced 15 Sept.  If you would like any further information please contact Letetia Berthelsen at BCCA office on 41653551 or admin@burnettcatchment.org GOOD LUCK!!!

The current newsletter is now available for download Newsletter - August 2008

National Science Week begins on Saturday and it’s a great chance for Australians to reflect on the contribution science makes to our lives. As a Catchment Care Association, BCCA rely heavily on science on a day to day basis to understand the complexity of agricultural productions systems, the dynamics of ecosystems, the social aspects of catchment management, and the catchment system as a whole just to name a few. So it is was pleasing to find that during Science Week that the ABC, eWater, CSIRO, the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research and National Science Week, saw fit to develop an online simulation game to allow everyone to have a go at catchment management from the comfort of their own home. Visit ABC Catchment Detox to give the game a trial. Below is a quote from the game’s website.

Play Catchment Detox to see if you can repair a damaged river catchment and create a sustainable and thriving economy.It’s an online game where you’re in charge of the whole catchment. You get to decide what activities you undertake - whether to plant crops, log forests, build factories or set up national parks. The aim is to fix environmental problems and provide food and wealth for the population.Managing Australia’s waterways is a huge challenge with climate change, increased demand for water and environmental problems putting our rivers under stress. Catchment Detox gives an idea of just how difficult it is to manage a river catchment.Are you up for the challenge?

So from the 16 - 24 August enjoy National Science Week and take a moment to reflect on the role science plays in Catchment Care.

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Tags: CatchmentCare, BCCA, BurnettCatchmentCareAssociation, Sciene, ScienceWeek

From the 21st - 24th September 2008, the North Burnett Landcare Group will play host to the Qld Landcare Conference in Monto. It is an honour to have this event in our catchment and the BCCA are pleased to make a small contribution by hosting two field trips. One hosted by Louise Newman, Better Bush Coordinator it is called “Sip ‘n’ Sap” and the other hosted by Better Beef Coordinator, Katie Sibson is called “Beef, Bunyips and Bonnie Doon”.Sip ‘n’ Sap will look at a BCCA Cat’s Claw Creeper Biocontrol Release Site, look at how Private Native Forestry can enhance Biodiversity and Timber Production, visit a Creeping Lantana Control pilot and finish up with a visit to Warath Winery.

Beef, Bunyips and Bonnie Doon will look at an optimised Leucaena operation, discuss how herd recording improves grazing land management, test your property planning skills, and hear about BMRG’s Water Quality Monitoring Program.

Check out this post “What is small, green, costs less than $100 and eats Cat’s Claw Creeper? - Qld Landcare Conferenc Field Trip” to see the field trip discussed on the Qld Landcare Conference website.

The nesting season has come to an end for Elsie, the White Throated Snapping Turtle (Elseya albagula). July sees the end to the turtles coming up onto the Burnett River banks to find suitable locations to prepare their chambers and lay their eggs.

The following months will see us all playing the waiting game until December- January when activity will be abundant as the next generation of White Throated Snapping Turtle will poke their little heads out of the sand and start on their big adventure called life.

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The White Throated Snapping Turtle project in conjunciton with EPA saw a number of nests protected along the river system. These nests have been protected to try help save this turtle from being predated by wild dogs, foxes and goanna’s.  There were 14 nests with protectors on them and 10 more radio taggers purchased to be placed on female E. albagula turtles within the  catchment.

So for now we all we can do is sit back and wait for the hatchlings to pop up their little heads from the homes along the river banks. In the meantime as a community we can get behind this turtle and improve its chance of staying of the endangered species list, by pulling together, getting involved and monitoring the turtle nests.

WHERE: Gympie Civic Centre Fossickers Room

WHEN: Wednesday 27 August 2008

TIME: 1.00pm to 4.00pm.  Afternoon Tea Provided
Project management is a controlled process of initiating, planning, executing and closing down a project.  The workshop will explore the stages of project management as well as look at 5 key aspects

• Good communication
• Understanding the stakeholders
• Leaderships skills
• Scheduling the project
• Identifying and control of risks

Please RSVP to Janice Jansen on jjansen@cva.org.au or phone 03 5330 2600 by Monday the 18th of August.

WHERE: Kingaroy CWA Hall

WHEN: Tuesday 26 August 2008

TIME: 9.30am to 12.30pm.  Morning Tea Provided
Change needs to be managed and conducted in appropriate sequence of steps to arrive at the desired outcome.  Many organisations embark on implementing a new organisation structure or a process yet do not succeed in imbedding it within the organisational culture.  The workshop will teach the 8 fundamental steps required to implement change.
 
Please RSVP to Janice Jansen on jjansen@cva.org.au or phone 03 5330 2600 by Monday the 18th of August.
 

There’s a little something out there that’s earning a good reputation by destroying a plant we know all too well in the Burnett. The little critter is called the tingid bug and is causing strife for the Cats Claw Creeper in our riparian areas.

Cats Claw Creeper (Macfadyena unguis-cati) has this amazing feature where it can attach itself to just about anything and quickly grow to smother it.  The little claws near its leaf base are a sure way to correctly identify this weed species that has been declared as a class 3 weed under the State’s Land Protection Act. 

Apart from being an eyesore, and overgrowing native trees and shrubs, the problem is that it can weaken the root system of those tall standing trees and allow them to fall during a flood event, and expose the soil beneath to be quickly washed away.

    Left: Cats Claw Creeper with the biocontrol agent, the tingid bug, working to damage the weed’s foliage.

But now its bon voyage to this pesky plant! It’s mortal enemy, the tingid bug, is the size of a sandfly and has been effective in its first release in the Central Burnett by BCCA.  The bug is a form of biological control released by Biosecurity Queensland at the end of last year and it works by eating away the chlorophyll in the leaves to weaken the plant.  In doing this, it means biocontrol can play a very important role in pest management when used correctly and integrated with other control methods.  

BCCA staff have been monitoring the success of this first release and hope that the second release will be just as sucessful.

If you’d like to know more about the biocontrol agent, search for Cats Claw Creeper Biocontrol on the web at www.dpi.qld.gov.au

The current BCCA Newsletter is now available for download: BCCA Newsletter 16 July 2008

“For the word has passed around, the rain has fallen down, and has softened up the banks of the mighty Burnett ground. From far and wide the girls will glide, along the waters edge in search of a spot to lay their mighty eggs.” 

It’ s all happening now, since the rain from the weekend and over the past couple of days, has encouraged the White Throated Snapping Turtle to get out and lay some eggs. On Tuesday some  very lucky staff members of the Burnett Catchment Care Association, Waterways Coordinator Rebecca Sunnerdale and contractor Peter Brightwell where able to experience first hand the nesting of the turtle.

 With Duncan Limpus and his technical officer Claire, BCCA staff members  tagged along and look at what they are doing to help save this threatened species of the Burnett River. This trip did not yeild any turtles but did give BCCA staff members the chance to look at a nest and also some nests that have been predated by foxes and other pests. An interesting process of watching Duncan and Claire monitor and record all data of each nest they came along. With the help from Duncan and his crew as well as from BCCA and all interested parties we can get out there and help protect nest sites and hatchlings alike.

A simple process of locating and protecting the nests with simple tools as a plastic mesh and plastic tent pegs to protect the top of the nests and deter foxes and other animals digging through the sand and eating the eggs.

Being out on the river gives you a better idea of what the turtle has to contend with and how through the help from community members and landholders, we can help this turtle remain off the extinct list.  For such a large freshwater turtle little is known about them, and how we can best protect and preserve this species that is special to the Burnett, Fitzroy and Mary Catchments.

An eye opening experience to see how little is known about ‘Elseya Albagula’ and how much more we have to learn as a community about this special little girl and all her friends.

Keep your eyes open for more on this little girl as we are coming to the end of the nesting season, but don’t get to glum as the hatching season is just around the corner, and  we will keep you all posted on this special event.

If anyone would like more information or would like to help this little girl and all her friends please contact Burnett Catchment Care Association for more or become a member to receieve regular updates.