Cradle to Coastlines – December 2020

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Protecting and enhancing our region’s natural resources

Great weather for crayfish monitoring

December 2020

cradle to coastlines

cradle to coastlines in this issue Page 3 Crayfish monitoring Page 4 Landcare Action Grants Page 4 African Weed Orchid Page 5 Weeds Action Fund

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Page 6 Cats responsible for toxoplasmosis

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Page 8 Don Reserve wildlife film Page 10 Improve pasture quality Page 11 Preventing erosion Page 12 Artificial tree hollows Page 14 Protecting beachnesting birds Page 15 Overwintering Project

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Page 15 Drink your vegetables!

Page 16 Spotting dragonflies Page 17 Electric vehicles Page 18 Penguins Crossing Page 19 Climate Awareness Day - Wynyard High

10 Front cover: Iona Flett and Todd Walsh monitoring Giant Freshwater Crayfish.

1-3 Spring St, Burnie Tasmania 7320 03 6433 8400 www.cradlecoast.com www.facebook.com/CradleCoastNRM/

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Great weather for crayfish monitoring

It was good weather for Giant Freshwater Crayfish to be out and about in the rain in October, although quite challenging for staff and crayfish expert Todd Walsh when they completed the baseline monitoring for the Giant Freshwater Crayfish Project.

As part of the project, Cradle Coast Authority is working with private landholders to improve management of their river environments. This includes providing funding for works such as fencing and revegetation to help improve the habitat for these unique creatures.

Maintaining good buffer strips of woody vegetation between the high bank and activities in the adjacent paddock helps to slow runoff, reduces sediment and nutrients getting into the river and provides an excellent food source for the crayfish when the timber falls into the River.

Larger crayfish were trapped, microchipped, measured, weighed and released with the largest recorded being 2.4 kg and about 23 years old! Contrast that with the 5 year old juvenile that was trapped and measured but was too small to tag.

Staff also undertook macroinvertebrate sampling in the streams to try and get a handle on stream health. Larvae of stoneflies and caddis flies were found in some of the samples, indicating better health in these streams, whereas in other samples there was no sign of them.

This project is supported by Cradle Coast Authority with funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

It was great to see some larger healthier individuals trapped and some juveniles, indicating that there is potential for the population to recover from illegal fishing activities.

Scanning one of the crayfish after it has been trapped and tagged.

Iona and Fiona undertaking crayfish monitoring.

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Round three of Landcare Action Grants open Round three of the Landcare Action Grants Program is now open, with $400,000 in funds available for farmers and community groups to deliver practical on-ground works for sustainable agriculture and river care activities.

The Tasmanian Government has allocated $1.8 million dollars over four years to the Program that is being delivered in partnership with the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) and Landcare Tasmania.

The Landcare Program plays an important role in supporting enhanced land management practices in our vital agricultural sector, farmers and primary producers are encouraged to apply.

The Program Objectives are to: Improve landscape and riverine health, stability and resilience.

Support enhanced land management practices to reduce erosion and sedimentation.

Assist the community to holistically manage natural and productive land and waterways across the landscape.

Applications for this round are open until 23 December 2020.

For more information about the Program contact TFGA on 03 6332 1800 or visit the TFGA website: www.tfga.com.au/environment/landcare

African Weed Orchid reported in our region Biosecurity Tasmania is managing an outbreak of the invasive orchid Disa bracteata (African Weed Orchid) which has been reported along the Bass Hwy in Burnie and Penguin, and in Latrobe, Turners Beach and Port Sorell.

If you see this invasive orchid, report it to Biosecurity Tasmania or to Mark Wapstra on mark@ecotas.com.au For more information, go to: www.keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Ht ml/disa_bracteata.htm

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Weeds Action Fund R E G IS T E R The Tasmanian Weeds Action Fund (WAF) is a $5 million Tasmanian Government initiative, funded for five years from 2018-19.

The funds provided by the state government will be invested with farmers and other community organisations to tackle weeds that are impacting valuable agricultural and environmental assets.

The fund takes a strategic and targeted approach to tackling high priority weeds.

A small grants round has just closed but another round to support larger-scale, more complex projects will be released later this financial year.

YOUR INTEREST Please register your interest ONLINE via the Weeds Action Fund Contact Form and you will be contacted when the guidelines are released, or call NRM Engagement Officer Hannah Sadler on 6433 8400. www.cradlecoast.com/tasmanian-weedsaction-fund/

Serrated Tussock is regarded as one of the worst pasture weeds due to its invasiveness, its competitive nature, and its significant impact on agricultural productivity. It is highly unpalatable to livestock and can lead to loss of condition, and in some cases, death if ingested. In bushland areas, the tussock can outcompete native grasses and reduce biodiversity.

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Toxoplasmosis is estimated to cost the Tasmanian agricultural industry $1.7 million annually.

Cats are responsible for the spread of toxoplasmosis Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. While the parasite can infect most mammals and birds, it can only sexually reproduce in the body of a cat. The spread of the disease is therefore closely related to the distribution of cats. While toxoplasmosis is more common in stray and feral cats, all cats can contract the disease, especially if they roam and eat prey or scavenge. In one study, 84% of feral cats trapped in Tasmania were found to have had toxoplasmosis. This is among the highest rates recorded in Australia, and signicantly higher than most other countries.

Grazing animals can contract the disease if they feed on pasture, hay or grain, or drink water contaminated with cat faeces. In Tasmania’s cool moist environment, the eggs can survive in the soil for up to 18 months.

Once the parasite is ingested it will develop small cysts in the body of the host. If an infected animal is eaten by a cat, the parasite’s life cycle is completed and the process is ready to start again.

While cats only suffer minor symptoms, the disease can have serious consequences for other species. Some species of wildlife are very susceptible to the disease and toxoplasmosis can be fatal to a number of Australian marsupials including bandicoots, wombats, possums, pademelons and wallabies. An Eastern Barred Bandicoot typically dies within 2-3 weeks of infection.

Cats can be infected with the disease if they are allowed to hunt and eat infected prey, like rodents or birds. Once infected, the parasite will move to the small intestine of the cat, where it produces eggs. An infected cat

Toxoplasmosis also impacts livestock and can cause miscarriage and still-births, especially in sheep. It is estimated to cost the Tasmanian agricultural industry $1.7 million annually.

will shed millions of eggs in their faeces for 2-3 weeks. The cat then develops an immune response and stops shedding.

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Humans can develop toxoplasmosis when they ingest the eggs or the cysts. This can occur by eating raw or undercooked infected meat, accidentally ingesting contaminated soil (e.g. not washing hands after gardening or eating unwashed vegetables from your garden), by playing in an infected sand pit or by handling infected kitty litter. For most, the disease is dormant or may cause minor u-like symptoms. However, it can cause miscarriage in pregnant women and severe illness in those with a weak immune system.

To find out more about the impacts of toxoplasmosis and how you can reduce your risk of infection, visit www.tassiecat.com/downloads and download the two booklets on cat-borne diseases.

The life cycle of toxoplasmosis

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(Photo credit: Dr Tom Sayers)

The Don Reserve as you have never seen it before Slowing down and looking more closely at our surroundings has been a common and welcome response to the COVID-19 pandemic and Dr Sayers’s film, which has been published on YouTube, has struck a chord with many. He is quick to emphasise, however, that there is a lot more going on in the Don Reserve that is not included in the film.

Sandwiched between the Don River and urban Devonport, the Don Reserve is a narrow strip of remnant vegetation in an otherwise altered landscape. During the quiet months of the global pandemic, local ecologist Dr Tom Sayers created a stunning video titled "Don Reserve, a Tasmanian Wildlife Film" which highlights the beauty and importance of this and other such urban reserves in our landscapes.

‘This is an urban reserve and it has been highly impacted. I haven’t filmed the rubbish on the ground, the evidence of illegal wood harvesting, the weeds and dogs off-lead, but that’s all there too.’

After completing his PhD at the University of Melbourne, when COVID-19 hit, Dr Sayers found himself living back in Devonport, the town where he grew up.

‘I like nature photography, so because I suddenly had more time on my hands, I would regularly make the two-minute walk to the reserve. I was just planning to capture video of different bird species. I had no idea that I would end up making a twenty-five minute film!’

‘Part of the reason why I made the film is that these urban reserves get overlooked and are under increasing pressure from human impacts.’

Much of the work to manage and protect this valuable remnant habitat is done by the dedicated volunteers of the Friends of Don Reserve with the support of the Devonport City Council.

With stunning imagery (that must have required incredible patience), the film shows the weird and wonderful antics of more than 60 native vertebrate species – 50 birds, 6 mammals and 4 reptiles - along with native invertebrates and plants. Even as an ecologist, Dr Sayers was surprised at the diversity he discovered in the reserve which is quite fragmented and is not a formal conservation reserve. Some of his footage includes critically endangered Swift Parrots bathing in a puddle, a platypus scratching itself on a slippery log and a vibrant blue Sacred Kingfisher.

Watch the video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJNfKE6LKR8 For the full list of species which feature on the film and more information about the Don Reserve click ‘SHOW MORE’ below the video when clicking the above link.

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Improve the salad bowl for your stock

Local farmers are now introducing multi species pasture with species suited to their patch, such as a simple mix of oats, forage brassica, annual vetch, and field peas.

Pasture blend establishment

Cradle Coast Authority's agriculture team are working with pasture producers to explore the benefits of fixing low pH to improve pasture quality and add diversity to their fodder.

Multi-species pasture cropping is not a new concept: a farmer sows different plant species together, which produces improved quality forage for stock, and also provides a range of different root systems that benefit the soil. The mixture should include nitrogenfixing legume species, flowering plants, and species that will add to organic matter on the soil surface, and in the soil as root mass. This diverse plant mixture produces a variety of plant root exudates which feed soil microorganisms, enhancing soil health and soil carbon.

Observations included: Enhanced quality stock forage with improved fattening value and superior stock health benefits (more than a single species of oats for example).

The stock did not develop scours on the mix of species (can be the case on single species).

The multi-species paddocks grew better and produced more forage than say oats on its own in a dry season.

The soil structure and water infiltration were improved.

Less weeds (due to the shading effect and quick canopy closure of the fastergrowing brassica species).

More beneficial insects observed in the pasture crop.

Multiple species pasture crops can be used as a soil biology primer, and can also help with disease and weed control. Research has shown that including flowering plants in a crop mix can increase beneficial insect diversity which controls insect attack on crops and attracts birds. This will improve the ecology of the whole farm and move the farm closer to functioning as an ecosystem.

Multi species pasture blend

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Looking after soil structure can prevent erosion As we move into summer, the weather is finally warming and spring-sown crops such as onions and pyrethrum are beginning to emerge.

Using a simple cover crop will result in root growth improving soil structure and water infiltration, as well as increasing nutrient cycling and supporting microbial populations.

These two crops require a particularly fine and well-prepared seedbed to allow adequate seed-to-soil contact for their small seeds to germinate and establish. Therefore, good paddock preparation to manage soil structure is essential.

An added benefit is that the cover crop used in this case would protect the soil from winter rainfall events, further reducing the risk of erosion in the preceding season to sowing your cash crop.

Good soil structure below the seedbed is also important to consider, to allow rainfall and irrigation water to infiltrate down into the soil profile.

When using a cover crop between cash crops, it is important to clearly identify a sowing and termination date, so that aboveground plant biomass doesn’t get out of control and become a problem to manage.

Achieving this will reduce the risk of surface runoff eroding the well-prepared seedbed until the crop is sufficiently established to bind the topsoil together itself.

Above-ground plant biomass height of 15-20 cm is sufficient to protect the soil, as well as being manageable to terminate without creating issues with unwanted moisture.

Cultivation alone is unlikely to prevent soil erosion if the soil structure below the seedbed is less than optimal, even if physical erosion management techniques, such as rip lines across slope contours of the paddock, are utilised.

Cradle Coast Authority, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program, is trialling simple cover crop blends which can be used to condition and protect our productive soils between vegetable and other cash crops.

There are options to consider which can be used several months before planting to better prepare paddocks for fine-seeded and slowestablishing crops sown in spring.

For more information contact coordinator Ali Dugand adugand@cradlecoast.com

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project at

Making artificial tree hollows Did you know that in Tasmania, there are eight bat species, five possums, and about 29 bird species that use tree hollows for shelter and breeding? And then there are the reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates!

The Forest Practices Authority has a booklet all about how to look for and protect habitat trees that are large and old, and have dead wood, fire scars and existing visible hollows. If you have good habitat trees on your property, think about retaining them, protecting them by fencing off from livestock, planting additional trees around the hollowbearing ones, and retaining your important trees in clumps or strips rather than standing alone.

The Friends of Devonport Reserves Wildcare Group, with assistance from Devonport City Council, are installing 100 nest boxes specially designed for improving Swift Parrot habitat in Kelcey Tier, and built by a local Men’s Shed with funding from the Communities Environment Program. Even a few additional nesting locations might help these critically endangered parrots.

In other locations, some nest boxes are designed to be predator-proof, with doors that close automatically at night to keep out predatory Sugar Gliders.

Let us know if you have installed a nest box at your place, we’d love to hear who is using it…

For forested areas where there are not many hollows, adding artificial hollows could be a good option.

Remember that planting trees on your property now will contribute habitat in the future. As they say, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the secondbest time is now!

There are designs available on the internet for different sizes of nest boxes suitable for different species, from small birds to big cockatoos (eg, COCKATUBE), and even micro-bats (who like baffles in their boxes to hide in).

Diagram from Kingborough Council’s booklet, Tree Hollows: A home to suit every need

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What's killing our local wattles?

Adult Peltoschema orphana (Photo credit: Kristi Ellingsen from Insects of Tasmania website)

Have you noticed a lot of dead Acacia dealbata (Silver Wattle) around the Cradle Coast this year?

Apparently it is the work of a native beetle, known as the Fireblight Beetle, Peltoschema orphana. Both the larvae and the adults feed on A. dealbata bark and foliage, and if the damage is bad enough, the tree may die. Climate and environmental conditions probably regulate the numbers of the beetles, so fingers crossed next winter is not so good for Fireblight Beetles and our pretty pioneer wattles have a chance to recover.

Top - Eastern Rosella Chick in a natural hollow.

Centre - Skinks enjoying a hollow drilled into dogwood.

Bottom - Homemade wheely-bin nest box big enough for cockatoos or owls, installed by ecologist Dave Globull.

(Photo credits: Dave Globull)

Silver Wattle defoliated by Fireblight Beetles (Photo credit: Phil Hrstich)

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Help protect beach-nesting birds Now that warmer weather is finally approaching and we head off to enjoy our beaches more, remember to look out for vulnerable beach-nesting birds.

Hooded Plovers, Red-capped Plovers, Sooty and Pied Oystercatchers all live on our beaches and breed from September to March. Their habitat is limited, and they are vulnerable to people, dogs, driving on beaches and coastal erosion.

You can help to protect them by walking on the wet sand, along the water’s edge. If you see any of these small birds darting along the beach, keep your distance.

Access the beach using defined paths to avoid crushing eggs.

Walk your dog on a leash in shorebird habitat. An unleashed dog is more likely to explore and encounter eggs or hiding chicks.

Stay clear of the dunes and upper beach to dodge nests and chicks.

Avoid driving on the beach. 4WD vehicles can easily crush eggs or chicks without seeing them.

Keep 100 m distance from shorebirds. Frequent disruptions to their feeding means they use valuable energy.

HOW YOU CAN HELP PROTECT

BEACH-NESTING BIRDS p.14

Overwintering Art Exhibition Burnie

Drink your vegetables!

Turning surplus vegetables into a powder and drinking your vegetables may not only be for space travel, but in your kitchen sooner than you think.

This is an innovative way to stop food waste and help the environment. Nutri V, a new food manufacturing company, has been formed by leading vegetable grower Fresh Select, and Australia’s national science agency CSIRO.

Foodwaste costs the Australian economy $20 billion each year and about 20 per cent of all Australian-grown vegetables are wasted before reaching the shelves.

Ruddy Turnstones, hand -coloured linocut, by Kit Hiller Site: Moorlands Beach near Devonport Tasmania

This summer, the Burnie Regional Art Gallery is hosting a special exhibition focussing on the migratory shorebirds which travel to our beautiful island, Tasmania. The Overwintering Project is an environmental art project which invites artists from Australia and New Zealand to research and respond to the unique nature of their local migratory shorebird habitat.

Our Cradle Coast migratory shorebirds spend the warmer months of the year in crucial productive habitat on our shorelines and wetlands, and as the seasons change come May, they sense the shift towards cooler days and prepare to fly thousands of kilometres north to Alaska and Siberia to breed. And do you know the crazy thing? They then fly all the way back again, when the northern hemisphere starts to cool, to feed once more on Tasmanian shores during our summer. And they do this every year of their adult life.

The Overwintering Project – Mapping Sanctuary exhibition Held at the Burnie Regional Art Gallery 18 December 2020 - 6 February 2021.

For more information follow this link: www.burniearts.net/WhatsOn/Exhibitions/The-Overwintering-Project

The products under development would minimise wastage by using the entire crop to make powders and purees with enhanced nutritional content thanks to CSIRO’s applications.

CSIRO scientist Dr Pablo Juliano said Nutri V was turning cutting-edge food science into products for all Australians to enjoy while making a difference for the planet.

“We’ve been able to apply our expertise in creating nutrient-dense foods with innovative techniques to tackle the challenge of converting what might otherwise be lowervalue crops into foods with enhanced nutritional profiles,” Dr Juliano said.

For more information go to: www.csiro.au/en/News/Newsreleases/2020/A-spoonful-of-powder-helpsthe-vegetables-go-down

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Spotting dragonflies Summer is here and it is the perfect time to go and look for dragonflies and damselflies.

There are 28 species in Tasmania and five dragonflies are endemic to our state. You can easily tell them apart since damselflies are usually smaller and more delicate than dragonflies and rest with their wings held together over their back, while dragonflies tend to rest with their wings spread apart.

Both damselflies and dragonflies are most commonly found near wetlands, as they lay their eggs in the water and their larval stage is entirely aquatic (and are often found in AusRivas aquatic invertebrate surveys), but adults may travel many kilometres from water.

They are carnivorous and with almost 360degree vision and the ability to fly backwards as well as forwards at speeds of 25-35 km/h, they are some of the most efficient aerial predators in the insect world.

Blue-spotted Hawker (Adversaeschna brevistyla)

Some people believe that dragonflies can deliver a dangerous sting or bite, possibly due to their impressive size. But this is not true.

Dragonflies are harmless to humans and we should enjoy their beauty while they are out and flying around.

Display planter box at 14 days post seeding.

Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum), the most photographed dragonfly in Australia!

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Electric vehicles are here!

Cradle Coast Authority staff Daryl Connelly, Spencer Gibbs, Carol Bracken, Iona Flett and Hannah Sadler with their sustainable transport.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) say that we need to reduce carbon emissions by 45% within the next 10 years to reduce the worst effects of climate change. This may seem daunting, but Tasmanians can take some simple steps to drastically reduce our current emissions.

Are you ready to make the switch to an electric vehicle?

You may have noticed electric vehicle charging points popping up across our region, like the new Electric Highways Tasmania fast charger on the Burnie foreshore. But do people actually own and drive electric vehicles in the Cradle Coast region?

Visit the Australian Electric Vehicle Association for more information about owning and buying a EV: www.aeva.asn.au/ Electric Vehicles can be charged from home, but check out the Plugshare website or phone App for information on public chargers around Tasmania: www.plugshare.com/

Display box at 14 daysAuthority post seeding.

Well atplanter Cradle Coast we do. Three CCA staff are now proud electric vehicle owners.

Tasmanian grid electricity is almost 100% renewable through hydro and wind generated electricity and the state now has a new renewable energy target - 200% of current needs by 2040. So electric vehicles have no carbon emission coming from their exhaust pipe. Actually, electric vehicles don’t have exhaust pipes!

Visit our website for more information about Cradle Coast Authority's electric vehicle charger: www.cradlecoast.com/cradlecoast-authority-hosts-electricvehicle-association-meeting-andlaunches-new-electric-vehiclecharger/

Cradle Coast Authority also has a public electric vehicle charging point in our carpark at 1-3 Spring Street, Burnie.

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Watch out for penguins crossing Cradle Coast Authority wishes you every happiness and joy this Christmas and throughout the coming year.

Our office will be closed from 5pm Thursday 24 December 2020 and re-opening at 8.30am Monday 4 January 2021.

Thanks to a great new initiative by Central Coast Council, truckies and drivers are now slowing down and on the look-out for penguins.

We look forward to keeping you up to date on all things NRM in our region in 2021.

The Little Penguin breeding season is in full Display planter box at 14 days post seeding. swing on the coast. The birds leave at dawn to feed at sea and return to their nests at dusk to either incubate eggs or feed their chicks, many of them in danger of being run over as they cross the road each morning and night.

We are lucky to have Little Penguins breeding on many of our coastal beaches. Please slow down from dusk to dawn and help protect these vulnerable birds.

If you want to learn more about Little Penguins, check out our online learning module: www.cradlecoast.com/online-learningpackages/

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Wynyard High School Climate Awareness Day Wynyard High School's student leadership organised a full day of workshops for their Climate Awareness Day on Wednesday 17 November, which encouraged the student body to think about their own carbon footprint.

Cradle Coast Authority NRM Engagement Officer Hannah Sadler joined in the Sustainable Transport workshop where students got to find out about and experience electric cars, skateboards and bikes and look at alternative energy in the Greening Australia mobile energy hub. Other workshops compared the life of plastic bottles that went to landfill versus being recycled, comparing carbon emissions in different foods and a response to a short film ‘Man vs Earth by Prince EA'.

Above: Hannah talking to students about Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

The day was inspiring to be involved in and really well received by the student body and teachers. Congratulations Wynyard High School on a well organised and insightful day on such an important topic - acknowledging all of our responsibility to act on climate change.

Left: Students comparing the carbon emissions of different food products

Whats news?

Display planter box at 14 days post seeding.

Cradle to Coastlines is the newsletter produced quarterly by Cradle Coast Authority's Natural Resource Management team and is distributed to over 750 readers.

If you would like to spread the word about your next community activity or write a short article about the achievements of your community group, send us the details to include in the next edition of Cradle to Coastlines.

Send to: Anna Wind, awind@cradlecoast.com Deadline for March 2021 edition: 12 February 2021.

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Events and activities what

Who and more info

when

Native tube-stock sale

Half price plant sale at Oldina Nursery Contact Jim McLeod for more information 0417 391 417

28 November 4 December 2020

The Overwintering Project Mapping Sanctuary

Burnie Regional Art Gallery.

An environmental art project showing the unique nature of their local migratory shorebird habitat.

18 December 2020 6 February 2021

Visit www.burnie.net/Explore/Arts-and-Culture/BurnieRegional-Art-Gallery-Exhibitions/2020/TheOverwintering-Project-Mapping-Sanctuary for more information.

BirdLife Tasmania Northern Wader Forum

Held at Tamar Function Centre - 1 Windsor Drive, Riverside, Tas 7250.

7pm 15 January 2021

For everyone interested in migrant waders visiting Tasmania in our summer from the northern hemisphere. All members and visitors welcome. For more information contact tasmania@birdlife.org.au

BirdLife Tasmania wader outing

Bridport.

Meet at Bridport to put new-found skills to the test, identifying and counting waders. Wader outing follows Northern Wader Forum. For more information contact tasmania@birdlife.org.au

16 January 2021

Weeds Action Fund - large grant round

Register interest online via www.nrmnorth.org.au/land/weeds-actionfund/register-your-interest/ or call NRM Engagement Officer Hannah Sadler 03 6433 8400.

Autumn 2021

Where? Where? Wedgie! 2021

Sign up for WWW news here: www.naturetrackers.com.au/indexWWW.php

14-16 May and 8-30 May 2021

1-3 Spring St, Burnie, Tasmania, 7320 03 6433 8400 www.cradlecoast.com www.facebook.com/CradleCoastNRM/