Correspondence Agenda - Ordinary Council Meeting - 9 July 2013

2013 Queensland State Landcare Conference | Healthy Habitats … Profitable Production
Field Trips & Workshops
Please note that this field trip and workshop program is a preliminary program only and is subject to change. To offer variety in the
programming, we have options for five field trips and three on-site workshops. Field trips shall be limited to 30 participants and workshops have
a maximum capacity of 20. Places shall be allocated on a first come first served basis, so please don’t forget to indicate your preferences on the
registration form.
Field Trip & Workshop Options:
1. Holistic Grazing
Management – Treasure
Hunt
(Hosted by Helen Lewis)
2. Conservation Farming –
Technologies in Modern
Farming Enterprises
(Hosted by Rod Petersen)
3. Allora Mountain
(Hosted by Allora Landcare)
4. The Challenge of Regrowing
Rainforest
(Hosted by Killarney Bushcare)
Come out to Cunningham 20km west of Warwick and see if you can you find all the ‘treasure’ first. Get
down at soil surface level, discuss the environmental indicators, the root cause and management
options.
This visit shall consist of finding certain things in the paddock with a prize being given for the winner. A
paddock discussion will then be held about what we have found and why; what environmental
conditions or management decisions have caused and the result.
This field trip will demonstrate how technology is improving sustainable farming practices by energy,
fertilizer and chemical use reductions as well as innovations which are enhancing the working
environment of the modern farmer. Come and see controlled traffic farming the machinery and the
results, 20 row row-crop machines with variable rate control and farm mapping for production
enhancements. You will also learn about some of the future developments for technology in the farm
enterprise.
Allora Mountain Flora & Fauna Reserve has been well known by the Allora community as an area of
significance and worthy of promotion for its conservation values. It occupies an area of 210 hectares
adjacent to the town of Allora.
This visit shall explain the project plan aimed at developing it as a highly valued recreational and
educational space for the local community as well as an attractive tourist destination for those travellers
seeking an experience of local landscape and flora and fauna.
This field trip will go into the scenic mountains east of Warwick. Much of this area was once covered in
big rainforest trees. Killarney Bushcare has been working on re-vegetating and protecting a small patch
of Rainforest at Spring Creek Mountain Cafe. This project presented many challenges that have helped
us learn more about this process including raising the locally sourced seeds. We can now share this
with you.
To walk around the site we recommend a moderate level of agility but all are welcome.
5. Indigenous Culture –
Aboriginal Culture & Plant
Use
(Hosted by
Brenda & David Parsons)
This visit takes you 40km out of Warwick to Nyalar Mirungan-ah Nature Refuge where Cicada Woman
Tours will help you learn about Aboriginal spirituality, Aboriginal plant use and traditional culture, or
Tjukurpa. Tjukurpa is the traditional philosophy of life of Aboriginal people. It explains the meaning of
life and how to care for other people and the land. This tour will give you a feeling for the role of
landscape and country in Aboriginal life and for its potential as a way of thinking about our management
of land.
You will also be served a cup of tea or coffee with delicious nibbles made with traditional ingredients
such as Wattleseed, Nettle, Warrigal Greens & Bunya Nut.
6. Soil Chromotology
(Workshop delivered by David
Hardwick, Agricultural Ecologist,
Principal at Soil Land Food)
The "Day in the life of a Soil" Workshop is an innovative, effective and hands on way to learn about the
complexity of the soil. Using roleplays where participants become soil microbes and organisms, the
workshop takes participants into the soil world. Key processes in the soil such as mineralisation, humus
development and how fertilisers work are revealed in an easy to understand way. This highly successful
Landcare workshop has been attended by hundreds of landholders in NSW and Queensland with
everyone having a great experience. Queensland DAFF has recently developed a teaching resource kit
based on the game for school teachers.
Page 4 | www.headwaters.ddrlandcare.org