In March this year, I was excited to be given the opportunity of being the Regional Landcare Coordinator for the North West Region of NSW. I was previously a Local Landcare Coordinator for 8 years, before moving into the Regional role in March this year. I am married to a 5th Generation cattle producer, and lives with husband and daughter in the productive Horton Valley...
We’ve had a fantastic spring here at the nursery, and as the weather warms, our propagation program is in full swing. Paul has been busy collecting seeds from our local natives, which have just finished flowering. It’s an exciting time as these seeds will become the foundation for future plantings in our community...
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We are thrilled to announce that Kate Spry has joined our team as the new Youth and Education Coordinator, starting Monday, November 4. Kate has hit the ground running, and in just a short time, she has already made significant strides in establishing our new Intrepid Landcare group. Her enthusiasm, creativity, and commitment to engaging young people in environmental stewardship are already shining through...
’Empowering the next generation to care for our land.’
An exciting and innovative opportunity for environmentally conscious youth is on the horizon!
The Tamworth TRLA is establishing an INTREPID LANDCARE GROUP targeted at individuals ranging from their mid-teens to their mid-30s. We
encourage schools, school students and interested individuals to contact us if this initiative piques your interest...
Have you ever wondered what stream order your local creek or river belongs to? It’s a common question we receive, and understanding stream orders is essential for water management, planning, and conservation efforts.
Thank you to everyone who attended the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Tamworth Regional Landcare Association. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our achievements, share plans for the future, and connect with our dedicated members.
Planting trees is a significant investment in the future health and productivity of farmland. Choosing the optimal planting season can
greatly influence the success and growth of these trees. Insights from "A Practical Guide to Planting Tubestock Paddock Trees" by the
Hovells Creek Landcare Group highlight the advantages of autumn planting over spring planting.
Advantages of Autumn Planting
Autumn planting offers several benefits:
Invertebrate animals, including insects, spiders, and worms, make up over 95% of Australia’s animal diversity and around 55% of its total biodiversity. These small creatures may be easy to overlook, but they are absolutely essential to the health of our ecosystems. Invertebrates help maintain the balance in nature by breaking down organic matter, recycling nutrients, pollinating plants, dispersing seeds, and controlling pest populations. However, despite their importance, many invertebrate species are not included in conservation plans, even though hundreds are listed as threatened. Supporting these species is crucial for ensuring that our ecological and economic systems remain stable.
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NOVEMBER 30 | WALLABADAH
Are you keen to know what native and introduced pastures you have on your farm, and learn about their nutritional value and productivity?
Which ones are desirable and which not so and how to increase the overall native base? What are some of the common weeds you have as well,
and whether they might be toxic to livestock?
“Ngiyaani” Field Day was initiated by landowners Peter Long and Sarah Ferguson. This property was described previously as "The most degraded land in the Namoi Valley" in 2007. Peter and Sara have developed it over time using low input cost regenerative strategies. They aim to have 100% ground cover across all seasons, and produce Lowline Angus cattle being sold directly to a specialist butcher (“Feather & Bone”, Sydney) at an excellent profit.
Gunnible Landcare Inc, with support from LP & G Landcare Coordinator Nicky Chirlian, hosted a workshop funded by the Biodiversity Conservation Trust on 25th October at the Gunnedah Aero Club, and then later at 347 Blue Vale Rd, Gunnedah...
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We’re thrilled to introduce Kate Spry, joining TRLA as our Youth and Education Landcare Coordinator. Starting Monday, November 4th,
Kate will be joining us part-time in this role for the next six months as she transitions from other commitments. Kate will be full-time
after this date.
Kate brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for Regenerative Agriculture, with twelve years dedicated to transitioning her own
farming practices to regenerative approaches.
On Friday night, October 25, a large crowd gathered in Fitzroy Plaza to celebrate the winners of the Tamworth Regional Landcare Association (TRLA) 2024 Photography Competition. The Tamworth Regional Gallery illuminated the night by projecting all 97 entries onto the "big screen" on Fitzroy Street, offering a beautiful display of our community’s talent and love for nature photography.
NOVEMBER 16 | TAMWORTH
Join us for our upcoming Annual General Meeting on November 16! The evening will begin at 5:30 pm for a 6:00 pm start, with an AGM followed
by a presentation from special guest speaker John Asquith OAM. John is known for his dedication to environmental conservation and will speak
on the "Land for Wildlife" initiative, sharing insights from his extensive experience advocating for sustainable land management across NSW.
Light dinner will be served following John’s presentation. We look forward to seeing you there!
On Tuesday, October 22, students and community members from Bendemeer and Manilla had the unique opportunity to learn about platypus conservation from Dr. Gilad Bino, a leading expert in the field. Hosted by the Australian Conservation Foundation and Tamworth Regional Landcare Assocation, the event was part of the Platy Project, which aims to raise awareness about the importance of protecting platypus populations and maintaining healthy waterways. Dr. Bino shared his knowledge with students from Bendemeer Public School, St Michael's Primary, and Manilla Central School, educating them about the vital role platypus play in the ecosystem.
TRLA was represented by Nicky Chirlian Landcare Coordinator at the Opening of the Werris Creek Community Garden.
This garden has been a community effort, lead by Lorae Johns, and is situated behind the Werris Creek Library. It is a relaxed
community space, with raised garden beds overflowing with healthy vegetables, and plans for school holiday children’s activities.
TRLA donated a range of native plants as a fundraiser for the Garden, which were purchased by community members.
It was a pleasant couple of hours meeting and catching up with friends and chatting about Landcare current and future activities.
From Wednesday, 23rd October to Saturday, 26th October, Fitzroy Plaza will be transformed into a vibrant gallery, showcasing over 90
stunning photographs. Each evening, these beautiful images will be projected for all to enjoy.
On Friday, 25th October, from 7:15 to 8:30 PM we’ll come together to view the images, announce the competition winners, and hand out some
fantastic prizes. Enjoy light refreshments, and a chance to celebrate the beauty of our landscapes through the eyes of our talented local
photographers. We look forward to seeing you there!
10 November | ONLINE
The Wheen Bee Foundation are hosting a FREE Webinar!
Join Lea Hannah Project Manager Powerful Pollinators, Dr Anna Carrucan, Second-generation beekeeper & botanist, ecologist &
conservation agriculturalist and Dr Megan Halcroft from Bees Business, for a webinar to:
7 DECEMBER | BENDEMEER
HOSTED BY LLS
Small Farms would like to invite you to attend a pasture and weed identification workshop. During a paddock walk, you will learn to identify
local grasses, clovers and weeds.
*Bring along any pasture grasses you would like identified and photos of any weeds
*You will need to bring a hat, sunscreen, chair and sturdy shoes
*Morning tea will be provided
27 NOVEMBER | TAMWORTH
HOSTED BY LLS
Join us to learn how measuring carbon on farm can make good business sense. Discover some of the opportunities that exist in carbon farming,
including how understanding and managing agricultural emissions and carbon sequestration strategies can benefit your farm business.
Event highlights:
• Carbon in the cropping industry - GrainGrowers
• Sustainability along the supply chain - Tim Dellit, Rabobank
• Driving on-farm carbon neutral outcomes - Robert Mackenzie, Macka’s Beef
• Science of soil carbon - Susan Orgill, Select Carbon
• International perspectives on carbon farming - Pippa Jones, Local Land Services, SQNNSW Innovation Hub, 2024 Nuffield Scholar
• Understanding the farm business benefits of carbon farming - Clare Edwards, NSW DPIRD
• What is natural capital? - Andrew Jack, Local Land Services
9 NOVEMBER | DUNGOWAN
HOSTED BY LLS
Tree planting on my farm Small farms and lifestyle network would like to invite you to a FREE vegetation management workshop.
Topics covered:
• How to choose trees that are right for your farm
• Best practice planting techniques
• Simple things you can do to support beneficial insects on farm
• You will need to bring a hat, sunscreen, chair and sturdy shoes
• Morning tea provided
2 NOVEMBER | DARUKA
HOSTED BY LLS
As part of our small farms and lifestyle block program, we invite you to come along to our farm water basics workshop.
*Water testing – bring along a water sample for testing
*Designing trough and water systems
*Different trough types
*Water storage
*Trouble shooting and repairs
*Please bring a hat, sunscreen, chair and sturdy shoes
*Morning tea provided
We're excited to announce that as part of the Tamworth Open Garden Trail, our nursery
will have special extra opening hours:
📅 Saturday, October 26 & Sunday, October 27
⏰ 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Explore our diverse range of plants and learn how your garden can support local biodiversity. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit us!
🌱 See you there! 🌱
Our nursery currently has Allocasuarina littoralis ( Black She Oak) and Casuarina criststa (Belah) are still on special at $1.00
each while stocks last.
On a cold and wet morning of 26th September 2024, Harry Davey and Jay Barnett from OzFish Unlimited, Nicky Chirlian Liverpool Plains & Gunnedah Landcare Coordinator, and Tony Bernays, Chair of Gunnible Landcare Inc gathered to implement stage one of a Namoi River restoration project, on “Eldorado”, Gunnedah.
Do you know your farm's carbon footprint? Do you need to ? Both global and domestic markets are starting to demand more information from producers in regards to their environmental impact.
22 OCTOBER | MANILLA AND BENDEMEER
This spring, people across eastern Australia are invited to participate in the Platy Project, an exciting citizen science
initiative that encourages locals to head down to their nearest waterway and search for one of Australia's most iconic creatures—the
platypus. Running throughout September and October, the project aims to collect valuable data on platypus sightings to help bridge gaps in
our understanding of where these elusive animals are (and aren’t) living.
22 OCTOBER | MANILLA
Join special guest Dr Gilad Bino, platypus expert, in Manilla on Tuesday 22 Oct from 12-2 pm for our upcoming platy-project community event.
We will meet at “The Junction Riverwalk”, Corner of River and Market St. We invite community members to help us look for platypus in
the Manilla and Namoi Rivers and help researchers better understand this elusive animal.
In late 2023, Upper Mooki Landcare Inc members initiated a mini film tour after engaging with Suzannah Cowley of Nviro Media, who had created the short documentary Thankful for Soil in collaboration with the organisation "Thankful for Farmers." The documentary highlights the essential role of farmers, both as food producers and environmental custodians, echoing one of Tamworth Regional Landcare Association’s (TRLA) goals of providing landholders with the latest tools and education for sustainable agricultural practices.
3 November | GUNNEDAH
Peter and Sarah bought "The most degraded land in the Namoi Valley" in 2007, and you are invited to attend this field day to learn some of
the strategies that have helped to bring it back to the beautiful property that it is today.
26 & 27 OCTOBER | TAMWORTH
Follow our Open Garden Trail across Tamworth for the whole weekend. Each garden will be open for a set time, and the owners will be there to talk about their processes and plantings. Gather inspo for your own garden with the excellent water wise, native, and food producing gardens on display.
Join special guest Dr Gilad Bino, platypus expert, in Bendemeer on Tuesday 22 Oct for our upcoming platy-project community event. We invite
community members to help us look for platypus in the Macdonald River and help researchers better understand this elusive animal.
Thank you to all our talented photographers who entered into our Water in the Landscape, 2024 Photography Competition. Entries are now closed, and we will be excited to contact finalists as soon as judging has been completed.
On Tuesday, September 17, we hosted a special presentation at the UNE Centre in Tamworth, introducing the WaterInsights platform managed by WaterNSW. Our guest speaker, Kate Masters, provided an in-depth walkthrough of how water is managed and shared across New South Wales, with a focus on the Peel Valley.
If you're passionate about bees and want to learn more about creating bee hotels, come along to a hands-on workshop at the Nemingha Community Garden on September 28. Dean Heemskerk will be leading the session, sharing his expertise on how to support local bee populations. It’s a great opportunity to get practical tips and make a difference in your own backyard!
This workshop is hosted by Gunnible Landcare Inc and has been funded by the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust. It is presented by Liz
Blair, Ecologist from Ecosystem Thinking. You will learn about the power and richness of the Liverpool Plains ecosystems; what fauna is out
there, where they live and why they matter; the importance of landscape management options for remnant, recovering and recreated ecosystems,
and how to bring fauna back through landscape connections.
Our members often say that when you become part of Landcare, you’re not just joining a group, you’re becoming part of a family. The concept is so compatible with Australian culture it’s hard not to get involved! By becoming a TRLA member, you’ll be supporting our work, learning new skills, becoming part of the solution, and helping to make a difference for the future.
Did you know (TRLA) run an Annual Small Grants program for Landcare activities connected to the Tamworth region.
Volunteer Landcare and Grassroots Community groups can apply up to $2,500 for activities that meet an objective of TRLA’s strategic plan with eight successful projects being awarded funds from across the region.
Mari ngiyani winangaylanha ganunga-waanda yanaylanha, dhaymaarr ganugu-waanda nhama ngarrangarranmaldanhi. [We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the first people and custodians of this land] Gomeroi People are the traditional custodians of the waterways and the land on which we work and live. Tamworth Regional Landcare Association pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal people.
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