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MAY 2021 EDITION
More than a word 💬
Dear friends,
This week is National Reconciliation Week and the ARRC team would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Australia and pay our respects to Elders past and present of the nations on whose land we live and work on.
This newsletter has a focus on reflection and action. We believe National Reconciliation Week is a time to learn about Australia’s history, and to strengthen the voices of Indigenous Australians. We believe reconciliation takes action.
This month has been a big one here at the ARRC, and we’re excited to share our work with you in this newsletter!
First of all, a big thank you to Bart Fokkens, Sue-Ellen Smith, Ann Milligan and Streamology for their donations. We appreciate your continued support in keeping the ARRC operating and sustaining Australia’s rivers and ecosystems.
Richie Allen has designed an incredible piece of artwork for the ARRC, and it is one step in the ARRC’s Reconciliation Action Plan. Richie’s piece was unveiled at the Rivers of Carbon‘Looking through different eyes’ Field Day, which was held at Garry Kadwell’s Rosedale property. The Field Day was an eye-opening insight into different management perspectives of riparian land from farmers, riparian management practitioners and Indigenous owners.
This month, we also share with you the story of the Cadfor property, which is operated by two of our Rivers of Carbon landholder collaborators. Our team has also been working hard on another Riparian Real Estate Guide focusing on blackberries and the importance of managing these weeds, particularly in the aftermath of bushfires. To discuss blackberry management issues we also recently held a blackberry workshop for Murrumbidgee landholders.
Last but not least, we are also excited to introduce a new team member! Mikayla will be supporting Lori in the Rivers of Carbon project.
We hope this newsletter gives you time to reflect and learn.
- Siwan, Lori, Pat, Kate, Mikayla, Masha, Matt, Ian and Antia 😊
National Reconciliation Week - Share Our Pride
Reconciliation Australia built a website called 'Share Our Pride' as an introductory site for Australian workplaces and teams to work through the site, and reflect on the following questions:
- What might I do differently and what might my organisation do differently to build better relationships with Indigenous peoples?
- What might I do differently and what my organisation do differently to have and show respect for Indigenous Australians?
- What might I do differently and what might my organisation do differently to create opportunities for Indigenous peoples to help close the life expectancy gap and build a stronger Australia?
We enjoyed exploring this interactive website, and we recommend you take a look.
ARRC - River Dreaming
This fabulous artwork by Richie Allen is one we commissioned as part of our Reconciliation Action Plan activities.
Richie is a Ngunnawal Kamilaroi custodian who was born in Ngunnawal Country and raised on both Ngunnawal and Kamilaroi Country. He is Cultural Director of Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation where he manages cultural awareness, education and Ngunnawal relationships. He is our Ngunnawal expert and provides valuable advice to the ARRC on culture and creating safe workplaces for Aboriginal people to thrive in. Richie is working with us to develop our Reconciliation Action Plan and this beautiful artwork represents our journey together with Aboriginal people as we protect and care for our beautiful rivers.
Welcome to Mikayla 👋
"Hello, I assist in content creation, field visits and carbon sequestration projects! Working with ARRC has helped me connect my earth science and geography studies with real world experience and applications. As a Project Officer for Rivers of Carbon, I’m most excited to learn about how engaging landholders can create better outcomes for land, wildlife and people. I’m looking forward to collaborating further with enthusiastic people working towards a sustainable future."
- Mikayla Hyland-Wood
Rivers of Carbon
Grabben Gullen: Looking at Waterways Through Different Eyes
This year, Rivers of Carbon embodied the NRW 2021 theme of “More Than a Word: Reconciliation Takes Action” by hosting a field day in Grabben Gullen. This event sought to bring together indigenous voices, local farmers, scientists, environmentalists and the broader community in a conversation around river care. We were grateful to meet on Ngunawal and Gundungurra lands at Garry Kadwell’s ‘Rosedale’ property.
The Cadfor Story: Rod Hoare and Heleena Warren
One of the pleasures of our work at Rivers of Carbon is having landholders who are keen to collaborate with us to care for waterways. Rod Hoare and Helena Warren are two such landholders. They live on their beautiful property ‘Cadfor’, at Binda in the southern tablelands of New South Wales. We first met them when we were looking for examples of chain-of-ponds for a film we were doing on that topic.
Since then, we have continued our work at ‘Cadfor’, and Rod and Helena are now part of our Rivers of Carbon – Grabben-Gullen project. As you know, at Rivers of Carbon we love stories, so we asked Rod and Helena if they would share the story of ‘Cadfor’, fortunately they said ‘yes’, so here it is for you to enjoy.
Riparian Real Estate Guide - Managing blackberries
around waterways
Blackberries are widespread weeds in Australia – noxious in all states and territories and listed as a Weed of National Significance. Blackberries infest large areas very quickly, growing vigorously and smothering native vegetation under its dense canopy.
They are predominantly found in the temperate regions of Australia, around Tasmania, Victoria, NSW and South Australia, as well as some parts of Western Australia. Climate modelling indicates that some regions will see a significant increase in presence such as Tasmania and the Alpine regions in South Eastern Australia. This guide plus video will help you manage these difficult weeds around waterways.
Workshop in the upper Bidgee on controlling blackberry post-fire
Large scale bushfires are devastating and their effects may continue to be felt many years later. For our river landscapes, bushfires can cause big disturbances which exacerbate existing, or create opportunities for new weed incursions. Getting on top of these weeds can be a process that takes years, placing an added burden on communities that have so much to do on the slow road to bushfire recovery!
Blackberry is one weed that will surge after bushfire. Their deep root systems are protected from fire so they will resprout vigorously, outcompeting native plants as they recover, even if the top of the blackberry plant is completely burnt. This is a situation we are seeing in the Bumbalong Valley (NSW) which was directly and heavily impacted by bushfire in February 2020.
Please consider making a donation
Have you enjoyed reading our newsletter? If so, you might like to give us a donation that reflects what you feel this newsletter means to you. We rely on donations to keep sharing knowledge and staying in touch. As a registered charity recognised under the ACNC, we report to them every year about the contributions people have made in the form of donations. When you donate we can demonstrate that we are valued, and that people are willing to support to us so we can continue to build future resources for you and others alike.
OR send your donation via Direct Transfer:
Westpac Bank
ARRC Public Fund
BSB: 032-730
Account: 198844
If using direct transfer please have as the reference your name & date of donation. I can send you a receipt if required, just email enquiries@arrc.com.au with the details of your donation. Thank you 😊