Twelve people from the BestFarms network recently had the opportunity to tour Drovers Rest Organic Berry Farm, observing how environmental monitoring is used as an integral part of overall business management. Drover’s Rest is a certified organic berry farm located near Bridgetown, Western Australia, supplying fresh and frozen berries to local and interstate markets.
The owners, Errol and Irma Seymour, opened the property to the BestFarms network to allow interested people to see how the environmental management of the property has progressed over time and how these practices compliment their berry production. Errol said, “We farm in a sustainable manner, sincerely caring for our environment - and BestFarms have helped to meet this aim and provide credit for work done”. After a tour of the processing facility all participants donned sturdy shoes and suncream and walked a route across the property which included revegetation sites, bore and dam sites, wetlands and berry production areas. Errol demonstrated water monitoring for the bore, and discussed pasture, revegetation and weed management. “This day demonstrated that monitoring can be slow but is a useful process” said Jenny Gardner, BestFarms facilitator, “In the short term it can influence the farm decision making with results possibly taking several years to become apparent. The land of Drover’s Rest is responding to years of careful management as proven by monitoring results of recent years.”
BestFarms is run through the Blackwood Basin Group and is funded by the South West Catchments Council. If you are interested in future BestFarms workshops or would like further information, please contact the BestFarms team at the Blackwood Basin Group Office on 9765 1555 or go to the BestFarms website at: http://bestfarms.mysouthwest.com.au

Volunteers needed Every Thursday night at Waychinicup National Park, near Albany and other local areas, the SCRIPT funded Western Ground Parrot Recovery Project conducts “listening” surveys. The Western Ground Parrot is endemic to the WA south coast and is a critically endangered species. The Project is looking for some people to volunteer to “watch the sun set and the stars come out ...and with a little luck… hear some ground parrots!” The Thursday surveys depart Albany at 7.15pm and return at about 10pm. If you would like to participate, please contact Mike Barth at the Dept of Environment and Conservation (Albany Office) at email michael.barth@dec.wa.gov.au or telephone 9842 4519.

WA Water Reform Plans Released

The WA Government has released a range of water management reform plans as part of the requirements of the National Water Initiative which the state signed in April last year.
One of the major plans is the Blueprint for Water Reform in WA, which provided a range of
key recommendations about the State’s water management. The reforms of the Blueprint follow on from the recommendations of the Irrigation Review Steering Committee’s Report of 2005, which looked at current and forecast water use across all sectors in WA and initiated a significant water reform agenda in the State.
Also released is the final draft of WA’s Implementation Plan for the National Water Initiative, which provides detail on how the national reform agenda will be applied in WA and sets out the key time-frames for delivery.
Both the final draft of the Implementation Plan and the Blueprint for Water Reform can be found at the SWCC website http://swcatchmentscouncil.com (–under the heading News and Events – SWCC Newsletter Update 38).

Walk out the back door and go fishing?

We are looking for new producers to grow trout in inland saltwater
The Blackwood Basin Group is working with the Saltwater Trout Alliance to identify and support new producers in the South West region. The Saltwater Trout Alliance Inc is a small group of farmers that sells between 3 and 5 tons of saltwater trout a year. The production of trout is undertaken as a farm diversification activity by the landholders and we wish to increase production by increasing the number of participating producers. To assist prospective producers trial aquaculture the Blackwood Basin Group and the Saltwater Trout Alliance are offering a comprehensive support package for
a limited number of new producers. Eligibility for this support is subject to satisfactory site and water assessments.
If you are in the Blackwood or Peel Harvey Catchment, have saltwater on your property and are interested in the possibility of using it to
grow fish then we are able to provide a free site assessment.
Please call the Blackwood Basin group on 9765 1555 for a site assessment request form or for more information.
A Blackwood Basin Group Project

2007/08 State and Territory Landcare Awards

Nominations are now open for the 2007/08 State and Territory Landcare Awards. There are ten categories with awards to recognise individuals, school, universities, local councils, primary producers, indigenous groups and many others.

The winners will receive state-wide recognition, attend the 2008 State Landcare Awards Gala Dinner in Bridgetown and be flown to the National Landcare Awards Ceremony to be held in Canberra next year.

Entries for WA close on 28 September 2007. For more information, please contact Glen Brown on 9368 3191 or email: gpbrown@agric.wa.gov.au, or visit the website http://www.landcareonline.com/page.asp?pID=93

The Men of the Trees Inc 2007 Planting Schedule is on their website at www.menofthetrees.com.au under the events page. There are various plantings this year from overnight country trips to smaller day plantings. Online registration forms are now available but if you have further queries, please contact Erin Keefe (Planting Co-Ordinator) on 08 9274 4842 or 0428 593 274 or email mottplanting@iinet.au