Volunteers in action ENews

Natural Resources Northern and Yorke Volunteers in Action ENews keeps you in touch with activities, events and opportunities, specific to volunteers who manage our natural resources in the Northern and Yorke Region.

Your contributions help us build on our network of volunteers. If you have an event, working bee or would like to share your volunteer groups story the please email DEWNRNRNYVolunteers@sa.gov.au  

Bird Identification & Monitoring Workshops

Who?
Community members who are interested in bird watching and contributing to a new citizen science online database. The workshops cater for novices through to experienced birders.

Why?
Your participation will assist with monitoring birds and the overall environmental health of the SA Murray-Darling Basin region. The workshops will teach you how to ID different bird species, undertake a survey and contribute meaningful data.

When & Where?
Burra: Sat Sept 19 & Sun 20
Murray Bridge: Sat Sept 26 & Sun 27
Riverland: Sat Nov 21 & Sun Nov 22

Day 1: 9am-5:30pm (theory and field trip) Suitable for beginners
Day 2: 8am-3pm (field trip and theory) Suitable for those who attended Day 1 or have some prior experience.

How much?
FREE with morning tea & lunch provided. Binoculars & ID guides available for loan.

To register for the workshops or to find out more, phone Sylvia Clarke on (08) 8391 7500 or email sylvia.clarke@sa.gov.au

Plant and Grass Identification Workshops

Trees for Life have set dates for two workshops, Plant Identification and Grass Identification, to be held in Clare.

The venue is yet to be confirmed, but we’ll probably be doing a field component at Neagles Rock Reserve.

Plant Identification – Sat 3 October.
Grass Identification – Sat 31 October.

These will be full day workshops and you are welcome to attend both workshops.

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL

If you’d like to attend, please RSVP to Erica Rees EricaR@treesforlife.org.au or ph 8406 0500

Bird Monitoring - Birdos Wanted

Bird Monitoring - Birdos Wanted

Are you keen on woodland birds? Do you want to get out into the great outdoors and help the Northern & Yorke region?

Experienced Birdos are wanted to help undertake seasonal woodland bird surveys at existing locations in the Clare Valley and potentially the Burra to Kapunda project area. It’s an opportunity to expand your bird knowledge and see how the bird life varies between each season at sites that have been surveyed for several years.  The Birdlife Australia Bird Atlas 2 hectare 20 minute method is used.

Experience & Knowledge:
Experienced birdwatcher with a reasonably good knowledge of the Mid north woodland birds. There may be an opportunity to buddy up with existing birdos to familiarise with the process and methodology.

Equipment:
Ideally the volunteer will provide their own binoculars, bird book, GPS, notebook or clipboard, pencil. 
Bird monitoring method notes, maps, site details, existing site bird lists, existing reports will be provided plus birding conversations!

Duration:
Volunteers are needed four times a year for approximately 2-4 hours a day each season for an ongoing long term project.

Duties:
Include independently travel to field sites, undertake the Northern and Yorke adapted Birdlife Australia 2 ha 20 mins survey for 4 back to back surveys (1hr 20 minutes), an hour after dawn, navigate your way around the woodland sites, transfer birds observations into field datasheets and Birdlife Australia forms (can be completed later or at home).

Data entry option:
Volunteers needed to enter the data collected into bird records database. Must have a home computer with internet access. Data entry instructions and training can also be provided.

Reward- being part of team adding to the NY bird records and bird knowledge for the Clare Valley and other parts of the Mid North. Having some of those great close-up bird moments!

If you would like more information or if you are interested in volunteering please email Lee Heard (NY Regional Ecologist) via lee.heard@sa.gov.au with a short summary of your bird watching experience and bird knowledge, your availability, best contact details and any questions.

Image: Crested Shrike-tit mage Credit: Bill O' Malley

Volunteers needed for black-eared miner surveys

The Black-eared Miner Recovery Team need a number of enthusiastic volunteers to help walk transects throughout the Riverland Biosphere to record miners and other threatened mallee birds.
Find out more

Volunteer to grow native plants Registrations are open NOW!

Each year Trees For Life needs around 750 volunteers to grow seedlings in their backyards over summer for country landholders.

It is a rewarding activity to know that you are growing plants many of which may still be around in 100 years providing habitat for native birds and animals and keeping our environment healthy.

Daily attention is required from November to May.

Staff are available to provide support and advice to growers. For more information visit the Trees for Life Website

Grower Workshops run through Oct & Nov and will take you through the growing process step by step. They are free to attend by registered Volunteers.

To register or for more information contact Trees For Life office on 8406 0500, email info@treesforlife.org.au or download a Volunteer Grower Registration Pack.

Worlds End Conservation - Diary Dates!

AGM and Spring FlowerWalk

Worlds End Conservation AGM will be on Saturday 10th October followed by a spring flower walk at Read Creek Hills. Hopefully the rains will extend to keep our grasslands and scrub as fresh as they are looking now!

The AGM will start at 11am at the cottage and everyone's welcome to attend then or join us for a shared lunch and the spring walk around 12.30pm.

As Eleanor winds up as secretary we would like to Thank her for all her hard work in organizing our affairs and acknowledge her skillful and generous contribution to Worlds End Conservation.

Worlds Ends Conservation are looking for nominations for a member to join the Directors (aka the management committee). Directors mostly meet  bi-monthly. As Eleanor winds up, next year we will be looking for a new company secretary - keep it in mind for yourself or someone you know.

They are also keen to find someone to help manage the website. The website is under construction and we have great material to draw on and edit into an attractive format.

If you're interested in attending the AGM, Spring Flower Walk or nominate for a position please contact Eleanor via  secretary@worldsendconservation.org.au

Dont Forget Bite Size Grants

Natural Resources Northern and Yorke’s Bite Size Grants are designed to increase awareness and positive action for groups in NRM and sustainability in project areas such as garden development, weed control, revegetation etc.

The new ‘bite sized’ funding opportunity offers grants ranging from $200-$500 to boost small, short-term projects with a natural resources management focus. Potential projects may fund training events, purchase of resources, contracting services or development of educational materials.

Applications will be regularly assessed throughout the year.

For more information or to download an application form visit the Natural Resources Northern and Yorke website;

Volunteer Support Fund open for 2015

Each year, more than 900,000 South Australian volunteers dedicate their time and skills to helping others, providing a vital range of services across our community. The State Government recognises the importance of supporting our volunteers by providing one-off grants through the Volunteer Support Fund to assist volunteer workers in community organisations.

Grants of up to $3,000 are now available for community organisations to help provide support for volunteer training and resources. Community-based, not-for-profit organisations incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1985 are eligible.  Grants have been provided in the past to help train volunteers and provide them with safety equipment.

Who can apply:
Community based, not-for-profit organisations incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1985 are eligible to apply.

How to apply:
The online application form and the grant guidelines can be downloaded from the Office for Volunteers website at www.ofv.sa.gov.au

For more information phone the Office for Volunteers:             Level 8, Riverside Centre North Tce, Adelaide SA 5000
Phone (08) 1300 014 712 Fax (08) 1300 015 965 Email ofv@sa.gov.au or Website www.ofv.sa.gov.au

Applications close at 5pm on Friday 23 October 2015.

Morialta BioBlitz

18 and 19 September 2015

The BioBlitz will involve teams of scientists working with the public in a race against the clock to discover and record the life at Morialta.

They are a fun opportunity for members of the public to have a hands-on experience and to contribute to scientific research through Citizen Science. This event will target the local community and encourage visitors to the park to discover the fascinating wildlife on their doorstep.

The BioBlitz will run over 2 days and will commence on a Friday morning with a series of hands-on activities for local school classes. From Friday afternoon through to Saturday afternoon, scientists will work with the public to survey the local biodiversity of the park.

Surveys will include searching for and recording mammals, frogs, reptiles, bats, insects, plants and birds.

Read more about Morialta Bioblitz on the Discovery Circle website.

Register online to book a session. Its free!  The agenda is also available on the registration page. Come along to one session, or stay for a few!

Adelaide Flyway Festival

The Adelaide Flyway Festival will be held on Saturday 17 October at St Kilda foreshore and is about celebrating and raising awareness of migratory shorebirds.

The Adelaide Flyway Festival will introduce the community to the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary and encourage the community to visit, appreciate and promote the Bird Sanctuary and in particular the migratory birds that visit.

The Adelaide Flyway Festival is about:
• Celebrating the arrival of shorebirds into the Sanctuary for the season;
• Promoting local businesses and the community around the Sanctuary;
• Raising awareness of the contribution of the region to the food and culture of South Australia; and
• Encouraging active participation in the local environment.

The Adelaide Flyway Festival will include:
• A Shorebird Nature Trail being organised by BirdLife Australia:
• Wild at Hearts Foodie Market;
• Kaurna dancers and workshops;
• Shorebird education presentations;
• Guided bird watching tours by Bird Tours SA;
• Community backyard bird count activities;
• Cooking  demonstrations with celebrity chef Callum Hann from Sprout using local produce;
• A range of kids activities such as kite making and Cirkidz workshops;
• The St Kilda Adventure Playground and more!

The Flyway Festival needs volunteers! If you would like to become an Adelaide Flyway Festival volunteer please contact us by ecoconscious@internode.on.net