Nature's Voice edition 8
Welcome to the second edition of Nature's Voice for 2011. Nature's Voice arrives as an easy-to-read email and aims to keep you on top of important nature conservation issues throughout Victoria. You can also read Nature's Voice online as an ebook. And if you haven't already signed up to receive Nature's Voice please take the opportunity to do so now by joining our |
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Edition 8, April-May 2011
Burke rallies alpine cattle grazing crowd
More than 500 people packed Box Hill Town Hall on April 6 to demand permanent removal of cattle from Victoria's Alpine National Park.
Powerful speeches by federal environment minister Tony Burke, Dr Greg Moore and Dr Libby Rumpff rallied the crowd to keep up the fight against alpine cattle grazing and for better protection and management of national parks across Australia.
Victorian environment minister holds to shaky ground
Victoria's environment minister Ryan Smith and his department seem to be at odds over alpine cattle grazing, with the minister publicly backing a continuation of trials next year while his own department says a decision on future trials is yet to be made.
The confusion surfaced just days after the Victorian Government ended this year's alpine cattle trials.
Speakers back calls for park protection
Federal environment minister Tony Burke wasn't the only speaker to rally crowds at the Stop Alpine Cattle Grazing meeting in April.
In a powerful address Dr Greg Moore, chair of the National Trust's Significant Trees Committee, said cattle have no place in the high country, in fire management or in a sustainable future for the alps.
Your support critical in cattle battle
Overwhelming support from VNPA members and the public has been critical in helping us fight cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park.
'Cattle' romp through Melbourne heritage icons
Some of Melbourne's best known heritage sites got a taste of what it's like to be treated like a cow paddock last month when four life-sized cow puppets grazed the lawns of the Royal Exhibition Building and hit the steps of Parliament House.
Burke sees first-hand evidence of damage
On Friday 25 February Tony Burke, federal environment minister for the environment, decided to see for himself the damage cattle were causing to the Alpine National Park.
With the media trailing closely Mr Burke visited the Alpine National Park where he was briefed on cattle damage in the alps by the VNPA's Phil Ingamells.
Mad March storm delivers knockout blow to the Prom
Much of Victoria's most popular Easter holiday destination may be out of action this year after flash flooding caused severe damage to Wilsons Promontory National Park, taking out sections of road and washing out walking tracks.
However, Parks Victoria says the northern section of the park will be open for day visits over Easter and it hopes there will be limited camping at Tidal River.
Gillard weakens Murray Darling plan at her peril
Conservation groups fear the Gillard Government could weaken pre-election commitments to restore the health of the Murray-Darling Basin.
Rumblings out of Canberra indicate the government could give in to the irrigation lobby by delivering a much weaker Murray-Darling Basin Plan, writes the VNPA's Nick Roberts.
Big blue returns to our waters
The VNPA's Reef Watch program has been busy helping Museum Victoria verify the presence of Western Blue Gropers in Port Phillip Bay.
Known as the 'friendliest fish in the sea' Western Blue Gropers are listed internationally by the IUCN as vulnerable, and so when divers taking part in our Great Victorian Fish Count reported sightings of this fish we got very excited!
Clear gaps in marine management
A report by Victoria's Auditor-General into how the state's marine protected areas are managed has highlighted some clear gaps and failings in the way this spectacular underwater world is cared for.
Contrary to claims by recreational fishing representative VRFish, the audit did not assess the biodiversity outcomes of the existing network.
Parks development push flags new policy challenge
A proposal to open Victoria's national parks to tourism development would set a dangerous precedent, the VNPA's executive director Matt Ruchel has said.
His comments followed the release of a draft report by the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission recommending the State Government allow 'private tourist facilities' in national parks.
State listing could rein in feral horse menace
The Victorian Government could soon be forced to address the state's growing feral horse problem if a nomination to list the damage they cause to native ecosystems as a potentially threatened process is successful.
Introduced into the high country in the 1820s feral horses have become a particular menace in slow-growing alpine and sub-alpine plant communities, where they foul wetlands, trample vegetation, erode streams and spread weeds.
Duck shooting season fires up bird conservation groups
The opening of an extended duck shooting season in Victoria this year has angered bird conservation groups, who say native waterbird populations are yet to recover from more than a decade of drought. Birds Australia says that even though recent heavy rains have boosted waterbird populations, it hasn't been enough to make up for 13 years without rain. |  Photo permission: GDFL licence |
East Gippsland forest at risk
In late 2009 Victoria's then Labor Government passed legislation to protect about 45,000 hectares of East Gippsland's forests.
While this announcement was welcomed by environmental groups, there remained many areas of old growth forest still open to logging.
Weed busters tackle alps enemy
On the last weekend of February the 'WillowBusters' moved into the Alpine National Park near Falls Creek on a search and destroy mission.
The enemy, Salix sp., is a vigorous weed most often found in the wetter areas of the park and more commonly known as willows.
Caring for our country
The Australian Government has opened its Caring for our Country program for public review and is inviting submissions into how our natural environment is managed.
NatureWatch update
After kicking off 2011 by monitoring a Growling Grass Frog population in Epping, NatureWatch volunteers then spent a day helping out with research on the rare Striped Legless Lizard.
This work involved a short information session by Dr Megan O'Shea, who showed us how to identify the lizards through their unique head scale patterns - much like our own fingerprints.
VEAC celebrates 40 year milestone
Earlier this month the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council celebrated 40 years of advising state governments on public land use.
Established in 1971 under the Liberal Bolte Government, VEAC began as the Land Conservation Council, was changed to the Environment Conservation Council in 1997, and is now known as the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council.
Power of Story a big hit at sustainability festival
Streamers were thrown for the first time in the BMW Edge theatre at this year's Sustainable Living Festival when Siwan Lovett and Frank Fitzgerald-Ryan presented 'The Power of Story'.
Siwan is a social scientist with the Australian River Restoration Centre who uses storytelling techniques to link science-minded people - ecologists, agricultural scientists etc - with those on the ground, such as farmers and land managers.
What do you think of our education strategy?
Last June 60 of our members and supporters attended a workshop to give their input into the development of a new Community Engagement and Education Strategy.
A working group discussed the ideas collected at the workshop and have since incorporated many of them into a five-year draft strategy.
There's no business like snowbusiness
Brush off your beanies and wax those skis, snow trips are back on the Bushwalking & Activities Group's program starting with a social night/talkfest on Wednesday, 11 May.
Hear from a qualified cross-country ski instructor about great places to explore on skis as well as the history of this high-altitude sport.
And the lucky winner is
Thanks to everyone who filled out our recent survey about how well the current VNPA 'brand' works in communicating who we are and what we do.
We have received more than 270 responses and every single comment is very much appreciated and will be taken into account during the VNPA brand review process.
Communicating the 'VNPA brand'
You may recall an article in the last edition of Nature's Voice about reviewing the VNPA 'brand'.
The review is to help us improve and grow our profile, and effectively communicate to the community and potential new supporters the diversity of our conservation work.
We have just appointed a brand advisor to support us in this review and help us differentiate the VNPA within a very competitive market.
Water conference
The National Trusts of Australia and Australia ICOMOS are holding a national conference Watermarks - Water Heritage on 27-30 October 2011 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Bushwalking and activities
See our events page for walks, excursions, new leaders briefing, film night and corrections to the program.