The majority of Landcare members participating in the South East Local Land Services funded Paddock Tree project collected either their sheep or cattle sized mesh tree guards over the ANZAC weekend, and thankfully the next week the Yass region had good rain to settle in newly planted trees. Overall this project has resulted in 380 new paddock trees which will provide habitat and food sources for woodland birds. The Yass Landcare group is already thinking about a second round for Autumn 2021, which is a good reason to join your local Landcare group so that you can participate in this worthwhile project. 

During 2019 members of the YAN Climate Ready project team worked with Nola Hancock from Macquarie University, the author of the Climate Ready Revegetation guide.  This guide was a major reference document in the YAN Climate Ready project. The video below shows Nola Hancock providing an an explanation of the Climate Ready Revegetation Guide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tsHxIWz9v0%20

The second video shows members of the YAN Climate Ready team using the NicheFinder product which enables a user to determine the likely climate tolerance of defined plants - this information enables us to determine if the plant could survive in our regions future projected climate.  Further information on the YAN Climate Ready Project is available under the Project tab. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnVb3KwFHWI&feature=youtu.be

The Wilson family of Yass Landcare are using technology so that Landcare volunteers can comply with COVID-19 meeting restrictions.  Nursery volunteers are regularly required to water the historical Yass Hospital Roses located at the nursery site, to sow some of the groups native seed range, to weed or thin new seedlings etc.  Even in the upcoming cooler months plant nursery maintenance doesn't stop.  So if your Landcare group has a vital project that needs regular maintenance this SignUp product may assist you to comply with COVID-19 meeting restrictions but keep vital projects progressing two people at a time.  

Over the very hot Summer of 2019-2020 while our region had drought and other regions had extensive fires, some the YAN nursery volunteers expressed an interest in identifying plants which have fire retardant attributes. This list is our first attempt of such a list for our region using references mainly from the Australian Native Plant society.  

Bowning-Bookham Landcare members are also keen to expand our regions fire retardant list to include exotic plants.  Exotic seed has been ordered and will be grown at a Bowning-Bookham site over Autumn-Winter. If you have a keen interest in the identification and confirmation of fire resistant plants for our region please email Kath McGuirk YAN Chair, Kath McGuirk. 

  Acacia buxifolia is one of the fire retardant acacias grown across YAN nurseries.