Who we are:



Brunswick Valley Landcare is a volunteer community organisation supporting Landcare & Dunecare groups and landholders in the Brunswick River Catchment of New South Wales. Click <here> to learn more about us.

To contact BVL email

brunsvalley@optusnet.com.au

Forum to discuss plans for new
Rous Water dam at Dunoon
Planning has begun for a new 50,000 megalitre dam on Rocky Creek, downstream of the existing dam and approximately 2.5 kilometres west of Dunoon. A public forum to discuss the project, part of Rous Water’s long-term water supply strategy for the region, will be held on Tuesday, August 19, at the Dunoon & District Sports and Recreation Club from 6pm to 9.30pm. Rous Water Chairman Robert Mustow said the forum will be an opportunity to present a project update, answer questions, and listen to community issues, hopes and concerns, For more information call 66857194 or email dunoondamforums@sustainablefutures.com.au

You can register now for
August Weeds Forum
This forum at the Nambucca Heads RSL CLub on August 14 is for anyone with an interest in weeds. Sessions include the Big Picture, regional issues, emerging weeds and on-ground projects. Keynote speaker is Rachel Gallagher from Macquarie University talking about Weeds and Climate Change. Other topics will include:
• National Lantana Threat Abatement Plan
• the effect of camphor laurels on stream invertebrates
• establishing a Grow Me Instead program for the north coast
• the role of indigenous green teams in weed control/ecosystem restoration
• a case study of a successful long-term project, Catsclaw creeper in the Orara Valley
• the new Northern Rivers Invasive Plants Action Strategy
• weed issues on organic farms
• Bitou Bush
• Potential weed invaders from the south
• aquatic weeds
Cost $40 (incl GST). Registrations are now open. Call 6623 3833 or visit the North Coast Weeds Advisory Committee web site
http://www.northcoastweeds.org.au/weedsforum08.htm .

Time to renew your BVL
membership
Membership fees are now due. If you haven't renewed your membership yet you can download a form here <renewal_form.pdf> and send it with your cheque or money order to the Membership Secretary, Brunswick Valley Landcare, PO Box 6 Brunswick Heads 2483. Why not take advantage of the two or five-year renewal option?

Call for Caring for Country
grant applications
The Australian Government is calling for applications for its new Caring for Our Country grants for 2008-09.

A total of $25 million is available for projects in three priority areas - biodiversity and natural icons; coastal environments and critical aquatic habitats, and sustainable farm practices. Grants will range from $80,000 to $400,000, favouring larger scale projects that have the capacity to achieve significant outcomes.

Applications close Friday 1 August 2008. For more information about the grants and about the Caring for Our Country initiative, click on this link: http://www.nrm.gov.au/funding/open.html

Discount offer for Mangrove book
Mangroves to Mountains, Volumes 1 and 2 have gone out of print. A new edition of the two volumes combined will be available approx October. The BVL Bookshop has two copies of Volume 2 remaining at cost price, $35 each. Volume 2 is definitely worth purchasing if you already have volume 1. Contact Rita at rdeheer1@bigpond.com. For more book offers see our online bookshop <here>.

River Reach funding offer
NRCMA funding is available for landholders along a stretch of at least one kilometre of creek or river frontage who are prepared to work together to develop a management plan. Read more.

May newsletter
Click <here> to read or download BVL's May newsletter.

NRCMA e-news
Click <here> to read or download a pdf of the latest NRCMA e-news.

Hugh Van Weeren's photo 'Mushies! (Bioluminescent) - one of the entries highly commended by the judges in the 2008 Visions of the Valley competition. To see other winning entries, click <here>

This photo of a sacred kingfisher is by Deb Pearse, a regular contributor to the BVL web site. To see more of Deb's new bird photos from around the Valley click <here>.

Madeira Vine is a native of South America. It was imported because of its attractive white flowers and strong growth habit. Because it adapts to a vast range of soils and conditions,it has spread along waterways and through forests and is now the greatest threat to remnant rainforest.

This destructive, prolific and persistent vine reduces the host trees to vine shrouded pole structures. With thick, fleshy leaves and bunches of tubers, it is the heaviest of the problem vines and can smash the branches of trees by its sheer weight. The stem can grow one metre per week. It produces numerous stems, reaching from the ground up into the canopy. Mature stems are woody with wart-like growths and can reach up to 20 metres. Numerous potato-like tubers grow from the stems of the vine, and below the ground.

To learn more about the Madeira Vine and other problem weeds click <here> for a pdf of the Department of Primary Industries Noxious and Environmental Weed Control Handbook.