Community Group Grants Program

COMMUNITY GROUP GRANTS PROGRAM

August 2013

Cradle Coast NRM supports community groups and their volunteers through community group grants aimed at enhancing and/or restoring biodiversity and coastal environments in NorthWest Tasmania. Projects are typically focused toward on-ground works and building community capacity via participation and by increasing knowledge and skill levels.

The projects also assist Cradle Coast NRM to deliver outcomes aligned with regional natural resource management priorities and may change with each grant round offered. The grants are awarded by Cradle Coast NRM through funding from the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country initiative.

I NTRODUCTI ON Since 2011, Cradle Coast NRM has delivered four community grant funding rounds to assist 47 community group activities throughout the Cradle Coast region. The grants help to achieve and promote positive environmental outcomes and increase knowledge and skills.

in biodiversity restoration; Friends of Lillico Penguin Little Penguin census count; Wynyard Landcare weed removal and revegetation at Doctors Rocks; Circular Head Landcare Ricegrass education and awareness; King Island Naturalist’s 50th Anniversary celebration and many others.

Community groups have comprised of Coastcare and Landcare Groups, ‘Friends of’ groups, Aboriginal Groups and other local issues based community groups whether sponsored or a separate entity.

Total funding distributed amounted to $115,337, engaging 1,124 people, revegetating 6,295 plants and reducing the impacts of invasive weeds by 32 hectares.

The installation of interpretation signs and the production of brochures, banners and postcards were also highlights.

Projects included Mersey Estuary Group equipment purchase for site maintenance; Mt Roland Rivercare community participation

INFORMATION SHEET COMMUNITY GROUP GRANTS Wynyard Landcare at Doctor’s Rocks undertake planting site maintenance.

Photo: Amanda Hosking.

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C AS E S T U D Y Ricegrass education and awareness — Circular Head Landcare Group.

Prior to the State Government funding ending in 2006 the infestation of Ricegrass in Duck Bay had been reduced to approximately 8 hectares in size. Since then the weed has once again spread and reinvaded new areas, choking the estuary and contributing to the build up of silt and narrowing of channels.

Members of the Circular Head Landcare Group had been monitoring the Ricegrass issue in Duck Bay and decided to take action to re-educate the community of the invasiveness and threat caused by the weed. An information day was held for the Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation, industry stakeholders, Circular Head Council members and the community group members.

By kayaking with the Smithton Scouts volunteers were able to undertake weed mapping of the area, obtain baseline data of the current infestations of Ricegrass, and determine the likely spread.

One of the highlights for the group was working closely with Tasmanian Seafoods and the local oyster growing industry and learning about their processes and practices to determine suitable timeframes to control the Ricegrass.

One Circular Head Landcare Group volunteer was so enthusiastic they could not pass up the chance to learn about Ricegrass control in Gippsland when holidaying in Victoria!

The current threat remains the risk of Ricegrass re -infestation in the internationally important wader habitat of Robbins Passage and Boullanger Bay. This is currently occurring at the southern edge of Robbins Island.

“Unfortunately this pest is now returning with a vengeance.” Sam Cleveland, Circular Head Landcare member.

Jamie Cooper, Sue Jennings and Jon Poke inspecting the current control methods of Ricegrass at the information day.

Circular Head Landcare volunteers undertaking weed mapping with Smithton Scouts in Duck bay.

Photos: Sam Cleveland.

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C AS E S T U D Y Broom Control in Mt Roland Catchment - Mt Roland Rivercare Catchment Group One example of when natural resource management priorities may alter with each grant round was the announcement of Broom being declared a Weed of National Significance in 2012.

Using previous weed mapping Mt Roland Rivercare Catchment Group undertook a project to remove targeted English Broom and Montpellier Broom whilst also running an awareness raising education programme.

Focusing on areas in the vicinity of Mt Roland Reserve/Gowrie Park the group decided to inform landholders bordering the main target area of their activities via a field day and educational post cards.

The focus of the field day was to demonstrate practical skills to landholders in order to correctly identify the Broom species as well as presenting the various control methods which align with current best practice management. A weed control professional, PWS staff and DPIPWE Regional Weeds Officer were present on the day.

less intrusive way to inform landholders of the weeds presence on their property. The postcard advised landholders that a Broom control project was underway; provided some control methods; and gave the group’s contact information should landholders wish to discuss the situation or alternatives.

A ‘Broom’ postcard was decided upon as a positive and

Participants of the Broom field day.

Photo: Julie Hargreaves

“Broom is a significant threat to the natural heritage to which the Kentish tourism economy is built.”

Julie Hargreaves, Mt Roland Rivercare Catchment

C AS E S T U D Y Little Penguin guide training — Friends of Burnie and Friends of Lillico Penguin Groups.

Penguin interpretation guides are rostered to attend the Lillico and Burnie Little Penguin viewing platforms from October until March and share their penguin knowledge and passion with local, national and international visitors as the birds come ashore each evening.

An extra 20 guides have been trained to join the Friends of Burnie Penguins and Friends of Lillico Penguins rosters. The new wave of guides were inducted following a public advertising period which drew

a high level of interest; possibly reflecting the growing levels of awareness of these special creatures and a commitment to ensuring their population health.

Training was provided by Creature Tales and was supported by the Philip Island Nature Park. The interpretation training was useful to both the new volunteers and also as a refresher for the existing guides.

The Little Penguin viewing platforms and interpretation services provided by the volunteer guides are a great example of the connections between social, environmental and economic benefits derived from our region’s natural resources.

From left, Peter Dann, Perviz Marker and John Hughes.

Photo: Anna Wind

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C AS E S T U D Y 50th anniversary celebration of Field Naturalists on King Island—King Island Field Naturalists.

King Island Field Naturalists, past Members, and interested local residents and visitors joined together from the 2nd to the 5th of November 2012 to celebrate the group’s 50th anniversary.

The four-day event combined field trips with social occasions and traversed the island to showcase its many natural features.

A key aim of the event was to inspire new membership and celebrate past achievements, particularly in the creation of Lavinia, Seal Rocks and Pegarah Reserves on the island.

The first day involved a formal meet and greet dinner and slideshow looking back over the past 50 years—a pictorial history of club events and local native flora.

50th anniversary celebration dinner and slidehow.

Photo: Carmen Holloway.

The second day was named the ‘West Coaster’. Participants enjoyed the day exploring the west coast of the island and its natural values; bird viewing at Shag Lagoon; a coastal bush walk at Unlucky Bay; Biodiversity monitoring; and a walk at Yellow Rock beach.

Day three showcased the east coast of the island including; ‘Bootlace’ Private forest walk; Sea Elephant River boardwalk; time to explore the RAMSAR international site of significance; and finally a short walk and forest explore in Pegarah State Forest.

A highlight of the celebration was a workshop presented by the Tasmanian Herbarium on ‘How to be a botanist’ to build skills in plant identification using plant ID keys. A short field trip involved collecting specimens on the island to practice the skills. Participants were also invited to BYO plants which could be identified as part of the learning process.

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M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N To view the list of successful Community Group Grants, go to www.cradlecoastnrm.com/Our work

AC K N O WL E D G E M E N T Cradle Coast NRM would like to take this opportunity to thank the community group volunteers and their sponsors for their support and hard work in the delivery of the community group grants program.

The project was supported by Cradle Coast Natural Resource Management (NRM) through funding from the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country

PO Box 338 1-3 Spring Street Burnie Tasmania 7320 Phone: 03 6431 6285 Fax: 03 6431 7014 E-mail: nrm@cradlecoast.com www.cradlecoastnrm.com.