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Up and Coming Events (see web page overleaf) KOJONUP LCDC MEETING TO OCCUR AT THE KOJONUP COMMERCIAL HOTEL - MID FEBRUARY - EYE'S ON THE MEDIA FOR DETAILS *** Natural Heritage Trust grant applications DUE: 26th February 2001 *** Check of landcare sites for the farmers successful in the Blackwood Basin Groups 'Community Start-Up Incentive Scheme' in 1999-2000 *** Landcare Trainee to commence work at the Kojonup Landcare Centre - mid January *** MY BIRTHDAY - January 7th!!!
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Kojonup Landcare Centre Opening Hours - 8.30am - 5.30pm, Monday - Friday (leave messages on answering machine as often unattended due to field work) Landcare - What's happening in Kojonup??? - Introducing Jen, the Kojonup Landcare Coordinator - Hi, my name is Jennifer Bignell, and as the Kojonup Landcare Coordinator, I am responsible for the activity of Landcare in this town. I spend most of my time working with farmers to help solve the problems that are causing salinity in the area. There are numberous projects occuring within the catchment groups, either through government grants, or as activated by the farmers. The year 2000 will see enormous activity in landcare. Farmers in Kojonup are very receptive to new ideas and always look to implement high wateruse sustainable farming systems. Although the predominant industries in Kojonup are wool and grain, an annual rainfall of 500-600mm opens opportunities for diversification into new industries, such as olives, viticulture, timber plantations, aquaculture or other. Over 230 farmers attended my conference entitled 'Farming for the 21st Century' on the 21st March 2000 to learn about how to diversify into new industies. A conference the same will be organised in 2001, so watch this space... Working with the school students regulary is a great opportunity to show the younger generation how to care for the land. We have a number of very important Landcare projects, including an 'Alley Farming Trial' (see article below), and a 'Controlling Environmental Weeds' project. The students are working with the local 'Weed Action Group' to breed a biological control agent to release on to the 'Bridal Creeper', an environmental weed with the potential to cause serious damage in this shire. Kojonup is a community that is strongly active in Landcare, making the job of Landcare Coordinator very fullfilling. Everyone is very keen to do their share of landcare, in order to maintain our town well into the future. Following are some of the Landcare activities happening in Kojonup... keep checking this site for an update on our progress !!! Contact details: Kojonup Landcare Centre, PO Box 298, Kojonup 6395 Western Australia {Phone: 08 98 311 974; Fax 08 98 311 990; Email: jennifer@kojonup.wa.gov.au} Landcare Olympics 2000 Olympic Landcare 2000 was the biggest ever on ground community landcare project across Australia, and saw one million native trees planted in degraded areas in the lead up to the Olympic Games in September. Kojonup successfully applied for funding to plant 5000 native trees to enhance the local environment, as part of the Olympic Landcare 2000 grant scheme. This occurred on the 11th August 2000. The Kojonup Olympic Landcare 2000 site is entitled 'Kojonup - Restoring the Land'. The local community has placed an enormous amount of work into preparing the site eg. burning, ripping, grading, scalping, removing weeds, building structures). These groups include the Landcare, Shire Council, Fire Brigade, Bushcare, local schools and TAFE, Westrail, and the local Noongar people. This site now looks fantastic, considering the lack of rainfall in spring of 2000. The trees are quickly growing and before long the township will have a shady walking trial for the locals, and visitors to the town. The site certainly is an improvement on the old neglected and treeless railway track. The track now provides a lovely walking trial, and for those who are looking for more of a challenge, it also provides for some great mountain biking! (have those elbow grazes healed yet Neil???) Picture: Local Aboriginal people cleaning and removing rubbish, debris and dead trees at the Olympic Landcare 2000 site
The site was dedicated to Kevin O'Halloran, a previous Olympic swimmer, who won a gold medal in the mens 200m relay in the 1956 Games. Landcare Activities in Schools KOJONUP DISTRICT HIGHSCHOOL:
A Landcare unit is operating at the Kojonup District Highschool farm.
Picture: Landcare students involved with scalping at the Alley Farming trial, in preparation for direct seeding trees.
 The focus is to utilise the excellent facilities available at the school farm to develop skills in the areas of sustainable farming systems, management of native vegetation and other landcare related activities. The students manage two projects. The first is a trial to study alley farming and sustainable crop and pasture production. The trial is located on a section of industrial land, unsuitable for development, situated along the Blackwood Road. Over the course of the year, the students will utilise this site to identify and monitor factors that may limit crop, pasture and tree production. These factors may include salinity, waterlogging, acidity or alkalinity, sodicity, soil structural constraints, erosion, nutrient or weed problems. The students second project involves the control of the Bridal Creeper, an environmental weeds posing a serious threat to native vegetation in the shire. A biological control agent, called the 'Zygina' leaf hopper is being incubated at the school farm to be released onto the Bridal Creeper this year. Throughout the course, sustainable practices will be emphasised to increase the understanding of younger generations in the principles of landcare. ST. BERNARDS PRIMARY SCHOOL:
St. Bernards Primary School have been actively involved in landcare and watercare projects over the years.
 This year they participated in a major expedition, as part of National Tree Day (see photo). The school rehabilitated a degraded creekline on farming property by planting local native tree species. The students learnt how agriculture and other landuse practices impact on the river and land systems. They also learnt the importance of protecting and caring for the land to help stop salinity. Sustainable and Profitable Landcare - Working with Farmers Landcare is working with farmers to design and implement a study to compare sustainable and profitable farming systems. The trial is located 20km south of Kojonup on a property called 'Wattledale', owned and managed by Neil, Pauline and Linsey (pictured) Bilney.
The aim of the trial is to determine the most profitable, and sustainable strategy for managing pasture for grazing. Fertiliser treatments within the trial compare the widely used conventional methods, with the more alternative methods. The trial will investigate the effects of balancing soil nutrients and improving soil biology to increase soil fertility and yield. This trial has been initiated by the farmers of Kojonup, assistance and expertise provided by Kevin Bell, Sheep Management and Production Consultants, and Kojonup Landcare. Landcare for the future means working with farmers to create profitable and sustainable management systems. Kojonup Weed Policy The Kojonup Weed Action Group has written a 'Weed Policy' which outlines the strategies and direction of the Weed Action Group for controlling environmental weeds in Kojonup. The Policy outlines the following: * Defining the weed problem in Kojonup * Visions and goals for the group * Identification of key stakeholders * Identification of key weed problems * The role of the Kojonup Weed Action Group * Requirements and Resouces This Policy was presented to the Shire of Kojonup for endorsement in November 2000, where it was adopted.
Bridal Creeper Project Recently the Kojonup Weed Action Group received $13,900 for the biological and mechanical control of bridal creeper in the Shire of Kojonup. This project will involve the intensive control of bridal creeper through chemical and biological means. Once the creeper is controlled, the area will then be replaced with native vegetation. This project will also produce a brochure, for distribution to the entire community, highlighting problem weeds and how to control them. The main aims of the brochure are to gain community support for helping in the control of weeds, and also to increase the awareness of the damage that environmental weeds cause to the native bushland.
Introducing the new Kojonup Landcare Trainee A Landcare Traineeship was initiated this year as part of a Federal government scheme. This is partly funded by the Federal government, and also by Kojonup Landcare. |
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