Event Type
Landcare Region
BCT Region
Biodiversity on black cracking clay soils on the Liverpool Plains - site visit, paddock walk eg TSR or landholder with EEC vegetation on black cracking clay soils
- Having a closer look at the biodiversity on cracking grey clay, fauna and flora, soil pits (100cm plus), in a production system
This workshop is hosted by Gunnible Landcare Inc, and has been funded by the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust. It is presented by Liz Blair, Ecologistfrom Ecosystem Thinking. You wil 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.
Local Land Services staff will also present on the biodiversity managment of the Travelling Stock Routes in the area.
Morning session will be at the Gunnedah Aero club. After lunch the event will move to 437 Blue Vale Road Gunnedah where extensive plantings have occured over the past 30 years. Paddock walks will be lead by Liz Blair.
This event is free though gold coin donations to Gunnible Landcare Inc to assist with catering costs would be appreciated on the day.
Event Topics
Event Outcomes
Growth in learning measure (Scale 1 - 100)
Event Report- Nicky Chirlian-Liverpool Plains & Gunnedah Landcare Coordinator
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.
20 community members attended the workshop, coming from Gunnedah, Dungowan, Boggabri, Manilla, Mullaley, Tamworth and Willow Tree.
Rachael Payne, Senior Regional Conservation Officer – Northern Inland, NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust presented information about opportunities for landholders to support Biodiversity.
The main speaker was Liz Blair, Ecologist from Ecosystems Thinking. Liz gave an excellent presentation on aspects of habitat management, such as building and rebuilding habitat at small and large scale, and creating, recovering and regenerating habitat and species on farm or urban areas.
Gunnible Landcare’ s chair, Tony Bernays, demonstrated the strength and diversity of plantings commenced 27 years ago at his property “Eldorado”.
The event received excellent publicity in the Gunnedah Times, with a journalist interviewing several attendees and providing a full page article and photos. (see link below)
Attendee feedback from the question "What did you like about the event?"
1. **Positive Feedback on Presenters**:
- Liz was praised as an excellent speaker and presenter.
- Inspirational speakers and attendees were appreciated.
- Excellent guest speakers and presentations.
2. **Event Activities and Format**:
- Practical and fun exercises, especially those conducted outside.
- Iterative food web activity, with ideas and experiences shared by attendees and presenters.
- A good mix of topics and information, with a focus on learning and interaction.
3. **Community and Atmosphere**:
- Friendly and down-to-earth people in attendance, contributing to a welcoming environment.
- Attendees appreciated the opportunity to mingle and share ideas.
- Positive comments on the atmosphere, including a great attitude from Liz.
4. **General Event Highlights**:
- A good diversity of information and topics covered.
- Great overview of the subjects discussed.
- Opportunities to visit a farm and gain first-hand insights.
"What do you want to learn next?"
1. **Specific Learning Interests**:
- Native bee hotels and landscape ethos learning, including topics like recovering, replacing, and recreating ecosystems.
- Tree planting and tree health.
- Strategies and access to BCT (likely referring to the Biodiversity Conservation Trust or similar organizations).
- How to keep regeneration efforts going in the long term.
2. **General Learning Goals**:
- Continued learning about what works in landcare.
- Understanding new concepts and practices that can help care for the land.
- Exploring the nature repair market.
3. **Personal Development and Practice**:
- Desire to practice skills first before diving into more advanced topics.
- Interest in anything new and learning more about regenerative practices.
4. **Request for Continuation**:
- Some attendees expressed interest in "more of the same," indicating satisfaction with the current event's topics and format
"Any further comments or suggestions?"
1. **Event Organization**:
- **Clarity and Communication**: The flyer was missing important details such as the road address and date.
2. **Audience Engagement**:
- **Target Audience**: There was a suggestion to encourage more people with less knowledge or experience to attend, allowing for a broader range of learning.
3. **Presentation Style**:
- **Improved Presentation**: Attendees recommended reducing the amount of text on slides and using fewer slides overall. More case studies and problem-solving exercises were suggested to make the session more interactive and practical.
4. **Content Delivery**:
- **Higher-Level Information**: Some felt that higher-level information, which Liz only skimmed, would have been beneficial to delve into more deeply, as many attendees were already familiar with basic concepts like "nature 101."