Event Type
Landcare Region
BCT Region
Event Description: Soil’s Alive Citizen with Mid Lachlan Landcare
Join us for an engaging and educational event in Cowra, where you'll dive into the fascinating world of soil microbiology. Our 'Soil’s Alive' community seminar will showcase the findings from our recent Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) sponsored soil microbiology survey.
Over the last four-and-a-bit weeks, we collected and analyzed over 100 soil samples for total microbial activity, fungi balance, and fungi percentage. Now, we're ready to share our discoveries with you.
Date: Friday, 19th July
Time: 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
Location: Pridham Conference Centre, Binni Creek Road, Cowra
The soil microbiome and its role in natural capital management
The diversity in soils within the Mid Lachlan Landscape
A pragmatic approach to measuring soil microbial activity
Speakers include:
Andrew Wooldridge from the NSW Government's Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water.
Ian Packer - Soilpack Services
Sharon Cunial - Biodiversity Conservation Trust
Leonie Coleman - Natural Capital Management at Local Land Services.
This event is possible thanks to the shared work of the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust and Landcare NSW under the Private Land Conservation Matters project.
Highlights:
Learn how to analyze your soil’s microbiology using a test that takes only 20 minutes to run.
Discover our findings from testing Box Gum Woodland, cropping and grazing paddocks, and public spaces.
Hear from the Biodiversity Conservation Trust about their work in private land conservation in our area.
Discover how to make your soil microbiology work for you.
Find out how you can contribute to our soil microbiology map.
We'll be sending out an official event flyer next week, but in the meantime, we would appreciate any expressions of interest via email: midlachlanlandcare@gmail.com.
Additional Update:
We are also excited to share the results of the eDNA trial we participated in back in November. Sponsored by the environmental charity Odonata, we distributed test kits through the Landcare network and collected water samples across the region to search for traces of platypus DNA. Although we didn't find the elusive platypus, we made some other exciting discoveries, which you can learn about in our ‘one minute meander’ video linked here.
Contact:
Coordinators: Tracee Burke/ Amanda Foxon-Hill
Email: midlachlanlandcare@gmail.com
Phone: 0417 799 425/ 0439 576 903
Website: Mid Lachlan Landcare
Booking Registration/Information: TBA
Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your understanding of soil health and contribute to a vital citizen science project!
Event Topics
Event Outcomes
https://www.ctregionallandcare.org/central-tablelands-landcare-biodiversity-conservation-trust
Soils Alive with MidLachlan Landcare
The "Soil's Alive - What is the Ideal Fungi: Bacteria Ratio" workshop welcomed 45 enthusiastic participants from across the region, all eager to learn more about their soils and the biodiversity below. The workshop was a resounding success, gathering fascinating information from 28 sites, with over 100 Microbiometer tests conducted on both public land and private farms across the Mid Lachlan Region.
The Microbiometer is an innovative tool designed to measure soil health by analyzing the fungi-to-bacteria ratio in the soil. This ratio is crucial for understanding the balance of soil ecosystems, which can greatly impact plant health and productivity. The insights gained from these tests can help farmers and land managers make informed decisions to improve soil health and promote sustainable agriculture.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us on the day. Your input and enthusiasm are incredibly valuable, and we look forward to seeing the next steps in our journey towards healthier soils.
