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Issue 27 | June 2015 | Published by Chittering Landcare Centre

THIS ISSUE INCLUDES

Pasture Cropping

Nypa Grass

Feral Follow up

Water Quality Reports

Tree Planting Dates for 2015

Equine Landcare

Quick links - including the 2015 Workshop dates

Pasture Cropping WorkshopBob Hawke Landcarer of the Year Award winner Colin Seis conducted a workshop on Pasture

Cropping at Wannamal Hall on Friday 8th April This innovative method of farming ensures thatground cover is maintained all year but of major importance is that it leads to very productive landwith exceptionally low inputs of fertiliser and no insecticides of fungicides required during acropping program In the eastern states of Australia native grasses are used extensively forpastures but Colin was equally encouraging about sub tropical perennial pastures on the sandysoils of Western Australia Workshop participants had travelled from as far as Newdegate to hearthis inspirational man speak The workshop shifted to the Howard family farm in the afternoon toobserve perennial pastures and to assess the ability for pasture cropping to succeed when directdrilling into perennials We were treated to a precision driving and no till machinery run by Errolwhich showed that little damage occurred to the kikuyu pastures and that planting a crop into thepasture was quite viable For further information a booklet will be available from the landcarecentre We acknowledge the assistance of the Australian Government through the 25thAnniversary of Landcare Grants which enabled us to fly Colin Seis here from New South Wales toconduct the workshopPlease see our website for further information on this topic

Nypa GrassMegan and Bonny attended the NyPa FieldDay in Gillingara organised by NACC It wasvery interesting to see this grass speciesthrive in such a saline environment Thepresentation included the different species ofNyPa and ideas to commercialise them DrDean Revell gave an interesting presentationon the benefits of using species like NyPa inthe whole farm system We have a landholderwho is interested in trialling the grass on asalt affected patch on their property inWannamal We hope to facilitate this forthem

Feral Follow UpThe Feral Animal Crew have had a busy start to the year Earlier this year we were approachedby the City of Swan to remove some goats which were inhabiting an area of bushland alongsideRoe Highway The animals kept popping up at the Roe HighwayGreat Eastern Highway Bypasstraffic lights and distracting drivers which highlighted the issue to the Community Safety Sectionof City of Swan which needed to be resolvedFox trapping was undertaken in early Autumn to capture foxes in areas which shooting wasrestricted The younger foxes responded well to the trapping as they are young and stupid Feralcat trapping was also conducted on tip sites in the Shire of ChitteringThe feral pig trappers have been working in the Chittering Valley over the last few weeks Therehas been an increase in the observed feral pig activity following the fires in Julimar and AvonGorges National Parks as well as pigs chasing soursob bulbs and they have been verydestructive It was with some disappointment that it became obvious that there had beeninterference with a trap and over twelve pigs were released Two pigs will be fitted with trackingcollars shortly when the appropriate size animals are trapped The Feral Animal Forum organised by Sue Metcalf was a full house With over 50 people

attending on the 31st of March it was a lively interesting night A lot of interesting discussionstook place and it was obvious from the feedback that a lot of learning was taken away byattendees

Water Quality Reports

Bonny and Megan have completed the WaterQuality Snapshots for 2014 for the EllenBrook and Brockman Catchments For thefull report please follow this linkThe Brockman River recorded more salineconcentrations at the top of the catchmentand became less saline as it flowedsouthwards towards the Avon River Weobserved similar nutrient concentrations toprevious years however all sites recordedPhosphorus concentrations under theANZECC guideline This is a promisingdeviation from the increasing trend in previousyears we will continue to monitor thisWe observed similar high Nitrogen andPhosphorus Trends in the Ellen Brook as inprevious years The greatest contributors ofnutrients are from the Western sub-catchments Aluminiun and Ironconcentrations were above the ANZECCguidelines at all metal samplings sites on alloccasions

Feral Follow UpThe Feral Animal Crew have had a busy start to the year Earlier this year we were approachedby the City of Swan to remove some goats which were inhabiting an area of bushland alongsideRoe Highway The animals kept popping up at the Roe HighwayGreat Eastern Highway Bypasstraffic lights and distracting drivers which highlighted the issue to the Community Safety Sectionof City of Swan which needed to be resolvedFox trapping was undertaken in early Autumn to capture foxes in areas which shooting wasrestricted The younger foxes responded well to the trapping as they are young and stupid Feralcat trapping was also conducted on tip sites in the Shire of ChitteringThe feral pig trappers have been working in the Chittering Valley over the last few weeks Therehas been an increase in the observed feral pig activity following the fires in Julimar and AvonGorges National Parks as well as pigs chasing soursob bulbs and they have been verydestructive It was with some disappointment that it became obvious that there had beeninterference with a trap and over twelve pigs were released Two pigs will be fitted with trackingcollars shortly when the appropriate size animals are trapped The Feral Animal Forum organised by Sue Metcalf was a full house With over 50 people

attending on the 31st of March it was a lively interesting night A lot of interesting discussionstook place and it was obvious from the feedback that a lot of learning was taken away byattendees

Water Quality Reports

Bonny and Megan have completed the WaterQuality Snapshots for 2014 for the EllenBrook and Brockman Catchments For thefull report please follow this linkThe Brockman River recorded more salineconcentrations at the top of the catchmentand became less saline as it flowedsouthwards towards the Avon River Weobserved similar nutrient concentrations toprevious years however all sites recordedPhosphorus concentrations under theANZECC guideline This is a promisingdeviation from the increasing trend in previousyears we will continue to monitor thisWe observed similar high Nitrogen andPhosphorus Trends in the Ellen Brook as inprevious years The greatest contributors ofnutrients are from the Western sub-catchments Aluminiun and Ironconcentrations were above the ANZECCguidelines at all metal samplings sites on alloccasions

Water Quality Reports

Bonny and Megan have completed the WaterQuality Snapshots for 2014 for the EllenBrook and Brockman Catchments For thefull report please follow this linkThe Brockman River recorded more salineconcentrations at the top of the catchmentand became less saline as it flowedsouthwards towards the Avon River Weobserved similar nutrient concentrations toprevious years however all sites recordedPhosphorus concentrations under theANZECC guideline This is a promisingdeviation from the increasing trend in previousyears we will continue to monitor thisWe observed similar high Nitrogen andPhosphorus Trends in the Ellen Brook as inprevious years The greatest contributors ofnutrients are from the Western sub-catchments Aluminiun and Ironconcentrations were above the ANZECCguidelines at all metal samplings sites on alloccasions

Tree Planting Dates for 2015We are preparing for the upcoming plantingseason by organising a planting scheduleand ensuring planting sites will be sprayed forweeds and ripped and ready to go We haveundertaken site visits to develop a timeline forweed spraying and ground preparationPlanting season has already begun withsome infill at the Ellenbrook Wetland We willalso be planting at Bingham in the middle ofJune to try and establish the Rushes andSedges there before the creek line fills upThe Tronox Planting day will take place in the27th June at the Chittering Landcare CentreThe Fly Boys planting day will be either the4th or the 11th of July in West BullsbrookThe St Marys students will kick things off onthe 30th of June followed by the RiverRangers and the backpackers will join theofficers planting the rest of the siteshopefully to be finished by the end of schoolholidays If you would like to join in on one ofthe planting days please contact us on 95710400

Equine LandcareThe Equine Landcare Launch was held onMonday the 11th of May Equine LandcareGroups have been starting up all over thecountry to gather like minded people to learnnew skills managing equine properties PaulaPownell and Rebecca Cassels delivered theirClimate Change amp Horses presentation theytook to Equitana 2013 Dr Brad Hampton fromAdvanced Feeds answered many questionsabout Equine Nutrition as well We arelooking to form an interested group in thearea if you would like to be involved pleaseget in touch Other events coming up include

Horses Safe n Sound at Boddington21st June and at Murdoch 28th JuneEquine Nutrition Seminar with CarolLayton 4th July at Brookleigh

Equine LandcareThe Equine Landcare Launch was held onMonday the 11th of May Equine LandcareGroups have been starting up all over thecountry to gather like minded people to learnnew skills managing equine properties PaulaPownell and Rebecca Cassels delivered theirClimate Change amp Horses presentation theytook to Equitana 2013 Dr Brad Hampton fromAdvanced Feeds answered many questionsabout Equine Nutrition as well We arelooking to form an interested group in thearea if you would like to be involved pleaseget in touch Other events coming up include

Horses Safe n Sound at Boddington21st June and at Murdoch 28th JuneEquine Nutrition Seminar with CarolLayton 4th July at Brookleigh

Quick links

2015 Ellen Brockman Integrated Catchment Group Meeting Dates2015 Chittering Landcare Group Meeting Dates2015 Bullsbrook Landcare Group Meeting Dates

Upcoming Workshops and Events

Weed Workshop - 6th June 2015Get to Know Bullsbrook Bushland - 20th June 2015

Click here for past issues of the Envirowise newsletter

Kind regards

Chittering Landcare Centre Team

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