The Bugle - 24 November 2006
In news this week
Regional NRM group stories- Rural children to learn about NRM through theatre
- Kids' cure gets cap and hand
- What plant is that?
- Cape York landowners get ready for 2007 fire season
- Australia's regional bodies share the experience
- The JSC gets a date!
- The 2006 six month Performance Report requirements are out!
- New faces in Learning and Evaluation team
- Students to benefit from urban-rural exchange
- 2007 Queensland Landcare Conference - Making a difference
- Incentive fund encourages knowledge access
- Latest SIPs update now available
Rural children to learn about NRM through theatre
Natural resource management is the focus of an innovative theatre production and visual arts exhibition that will tour schools in the Balonne River catchment in early December.
The entertaining and creative road show is a joint initiative of the University of Southern Queensland and the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee.
Focusing on issues such as drought, farming and salinity, the play reflects the value the Murray River holds for communities along its banks and highlight the importance of managing water for the future.
For more information, or to get a full tour schedule, contact Leisa Drury, QMDC, on 4637 6278.
Kids' cure gets cap and hand
The six kids of the tiny school at Windorah won caps for themselves and two 'hand' chairs for their library with their innovative solutions to local land management issues.
As part of Desert Channels Queensland's School Landcare Competition, the Windorah students identified a natural resource management issue in their area and put together a plan on how to fix it.
The students identified that an area of their school yard was dry and inhospitable. There was no ground cover for lizards, insects and small birds, no trees for shade, and when something grew, it was usually burrs.
On a recent road trip through the Barcoo Shire, Cameron O'Neill, DCQ's Landcare Coordinator, personally delivered the prizes to the school and said that the Windorah kids were so excited that there was a mad scramble to see who would be the first to sit in the bright green and blue, hand-shaped chairs.
Desert Channels Queensland is hoping to turn the competition into an annual event and build on the obvious enthusiasm and awareness among the region's students.
You can get more information about the competition from Desert Channels Queensland on 4658 0600.
What plant is that?
If you're travelling through the Channel Country you no longer need to ask the question. Long-time landcarer Rhondda Alexander has put years of blood, sweat and tears - not to mention passion - into her wonderful book, Plants of the Channel Country.
This 324 page, full colour, field guide to plants of the Channel Country should be in every library, glove-box, back pocket and coffee table in western Queensland and beyond.
Plants of the Channel Country was produced by the Channel Landcare Group with the printing funded by a National Landcare Program devolved grant from Desert Channels Queensland.
As part of its education and awareness-raising campaign, DCQ is distributing this must-have book for the special price of $20. You can get your copy from DCQ at PO Box 601, Longreach Q 4730 or 4658 0600.
Cape York landowners get ready for 2007 fire season
The combination of debris left in the wake of cyclones Monica and Ingrid, together with a reduced area of hazard reduction burning due to the late end of the 2006 wet season, has increased the risk of wild fires affecting landowners and communities on the Peninsula.
According to Peter Thompson, program manager for the Cape York Peninsula Development Association's Cape York Fire Management Program, with less than 20% of usual burning having occurred to end of October 2006, there is an increased risk to property owners, livestock and the environment.
"The potential for a greater than usual risk of wildfire means residents should exercise extreme caution during dry, hot and windy weather," Mr Thompson said.
"Depending upon the fire activity during the remainder of this fire season, it is likely that there will also be an abnormally high fire risk in 2007 and landowners should already by thinking about how they should manage fire hazard for the next dry season."
The Queensland Rural Fire Service can advise landowners of the best way to manage precautionary burning and fuel loads. More information can be found on the QRFS web site. For current satellite fire information visit the Fire North web site or contact Peter Thompson, CYPDA, on 4031 3432.
Australia's regional bodies share the experience
Australia's 56 regional NRM bodies were 'sharing the experience' on the Gold Coast this week at the first national NRM workshop.
Hosted by the Queensland Regional NRM Groups' Collective with assistance from Land & Water Australia, the three-day workshop was a resounding success, with representatives from all 56 regions in Australia.
Representatives from all levels of government, research organisations, industry groups, and community groups also attended.
A number of formal and informal sessions were held over the workshop, focusing of topics such as regional development, business partnerships, adapting to climate change, water quality, and vegetation.
For more information on the workshop, contact the RGC on 3211 4408. A more detailed story on the conference will be available soon.
The JSC gets a date!
The Joint Queensland/Australian Government NRM Steering Committee has announced its meeting dates for 2007.
Please note these dates in your calendars:
- 22-23 February, Brisbane
- 17-18 May, Townsville
- 23-24 August, Brisbane
- 15-16 November, Mount Isa
For more information about the JSC visit the regional NRM web site or contact the JSC Secretariat.
The 2006 six month Performance Report requirements are out!
The Joint Queensland/Australian Government NRM Steering Committee recently communicated the requirements for the 2006 six month performance reports to regional NRM bodies, state-level investment projects and state-wide project leaders.
Performance reports consist of an output and financial report, as well as a narrative report which includes an executive summary, final report summary and RIS and project/activity review.
Performance reporting is an opportunity to report achievements to date, performance against milestones, request any variance to funded projects and identify any risks associated with project completion.
Performance reports are due to Community Partnerships, Natural Resources and Water by 14 January 2007 (or the next business day).
For more information about performance reporting, contact Claire Carter on 3224 2323 or Nicole Blackett on 3224 2154.
New faces in Learning and Evaluation team
Ross Bigwood and Michelle Coelli have joined the Learning and Evaluation team in Community Partnerships, Natural Resources and Water.
Ross may be familiar to many in NRM monitoring and evaluation, as he has been a key member of Queensland Monitoring Evaluation, Review and Reporting Working Group and has recently been involved in regional resource condition monitoring workshops. Ross will continue to play a major role in MERRWG and coordinating the state level evaluations of the state-level investment projects and sustainable agriculture.
Michelle’s background is in rural science and she has a Master of Resource Economics. Michelle is rejoining the workforce after eight years at home with her four children. Michelle will be working part-time (Wednesday-Friday). One of Michelle’s primary projects will be coordinating the receipt and processing of final reports. Please remember that final reports for the Trust, NAP and NLP projects should be submitted to Community Partnerships’ generic reporting email address.
Contact Ross Bigwood on 3239 6892 and Michelle Coelli on 3224 7734
New wetlands project for students
Students are about to swap the classroom for a wetland under a new project being developed by the Queensland Wetlands Programme.
In the first term of school in 2007, the Townsville Central State School Year 7 class will embark on a two-day canoe trip down Stuart Creek, Townsville.
During the field trip, the students will be asked to develop an environmental impact study, drawing on information they have learnt through a curriculum developed in conjunction with the programme.
For more information about the field trip or the programme's education resource, contact Angela Pattie, Queensland Wetlands Programme, on 3006 4621.
Students to benefit from urban-rural exchange
Students in the Pioneer Catchment are benefiting from a unique exchange coordinated by the Queensland Landcare Foundation and Pioneer Catchment and Landcare Group in the Mackay Whitsunday region.
The Pioneer Catchment Urban-Rural Exchange aims to provide junior landcarers with a better understanding of what life is like over the fence by inviting students from urban areas to visit junior Landcare projects in rural areas, and vice versa.
The first leg of the exchange, which took place on Friday 17 November, saw students from Beaconsfield State School visit Mirani State School in the catchment's west. The trip looked at Mirani's native tree plot and outdoor learning facility and gave students an opportunity to get their hands dirty. The reverse trip today will see Beaconsfield play hosts to Mirani students, as they showcase their Reef Guardian program.
Approximately 65 students in grades 5 to 7 will be involved in the exchanges.
This exchange is one of eight funded through the Department of Natural Resources and Water's 2006 Community Activity Grants round.
For more information contact Samantha Morris, Queensland Landcare Foundation, on 3211 4413.
2007 Queensland Landcare Conference - Making a difference
The 18th annual Queensland Landcare Conference will be held in Mackay from 22-25 August 2007.
Hosted by Pioneer Catchment and Landcare, the conference will explore how Landcare is helping to make a difference in areas such as cultural heritage, social capacity and well-being, climate change, natural resource management, and more.
The three-day program will include field trips, plenary sessions, interactive workshops, and the Queensland Landcare Awards Gala Dinner.
To make sure you receive information about the event, please join the conference mailing list. Sponsorship and trade packages are also available, starting at $3500 for a bronze level partnership.
For more information please contact the Queensland Landcare Foundation on 3211 4413.
Incentive fund encourages knowledge access
The Exchange Incentive Fund is jointly managed by Greening Australia's Exchange service and Land & Water Australia's Native Vegetation R&D Program, supported by the Natural Heritage Trust.
The fund will allow regional practitioners to better manage their natural resources by increasing their access to current knowledge and research on native vegetation, and generating new knowledge through links to relevant researchers and organisations.
Funds are available to regional groups and researchers for events and activities to be carried out before 1 January 2008. Up to $5000 is available for successful projects, although applications up to $10 000 will be considered. Applicants will know within six weeks of submission whether they have been successful.
For more information visit the Land & Water Australia web site, call 1300 886 589, or email Greening Australia.
Latest SIPs update now available
Have you found yourself wondering about the progress of the state-level investment projects?
Wonder no more - the SIPs update for July-September 2006 is now available! Previous SIPs updates are also available.
Thought for the week
Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods.
Japanese proverb
Don't be afraid to go out on a limb. That's where the fruit is.
H. Jackson Browne.
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We welcome your contributions and feedback. If you have any comments or suggestions for The Bugle please contact Shona Strachan (Paul Rees will be away for the next three issues).
Past issues of The Bugle are also available.
The Bugle is a weekly newsletter published by Community Partnerships, the Department of Natural Resources and Water, highlighting regional NRM activities around Queensland.
Last updated 27 November 2006