CARING FOR OUR COUNTRY: Business Plan 2010 -11 now available

Caring for our Country is an Australian Government initiative that seeks to achieve an environment that is healthy, better protected, well managed and resilient, and provides essential ecosystem services in a changing climate.
The current business plan sets out the targets for investment in 2010-11 and following years. The business plan provides guidance to potential applicants on the types of proposals which the Australian Government is seeking to fund to address these targets.

The latest Business Plan is now available and can be downloaded at http://www.nrm.gov.au/business-plan/10-11/index.html

PLANT IDENTIFICATION COURSE: Skills for Environmental Assessment, Janet Cosh Herbarium, University of Wollongong, 16 - 19 February 2010

Designed to provide training in the basic skills needed to successfully identify vascular Australian plants and introduced weeds. This course is targeted at professionals working in the industry who wish to develop or refresh their skills in this discipline. It will be run by the Janet Cosh Herbarium at the University of Wollongong for 4 days with a maximum of 12 places available. Belinda Pellow, the Curator of the Janet Cosh Herbarium and an author of the fifth edition of the 'Flora of the Sydney Region' will be the course leader. The course will run from 9 – 5 each day and will include, parking, lunch and tea breaks. Cost: $ 1045.00. Information and a registration form can be found on the Janet Cosh Herbarium Webpage (www.uow.edu.au/science/biol/herbarium). For further information contact the Herbarium Monday or Tuesday (02) 42214340

ANPC WORKSHOP: The Translocation of Threatened Plants, Perth, 24 February 2010

Have you been involved in, or would you like to be involved in, the planning, approval or implementation of a translocation project for threatened flora? Then this workshop is relevant to you!
Questions to be addressed include:
• What is translocation?
• When is it appropriate to use translocation as a tool to conserve threatened species?
• What needs to be done when planning a translocation program?
• How should a translocation program be implemented?
• What ongoing management and evaluation is required?
• Where can I go for more information?


The workshop will include WA case studies of translocation programs, highlighting lessons to be learnt.

The registration form and program are available from the anpc:
Website: www.anpc.asn.au Ph: 02 6250 9509 Fax: 02 6250 9528 Email: anpc@anpc.asn.au




Registrations close: COB Wednesday 17 February 2010

SURVEY: Restoration and Climate Change

The Institute for Applied Ecology is conducting a survey of international professionals, academics, students, etc. about their perspectives on restoration, climate change, and working with and moving organisms. Climate change may be the defining challenge to the field of restoration ecology this century. How does the wider restoration community currently approach the challenges of habitat and species restoration, and how is this approach likely to shift if the climate changes locally and globally? Understanding how people conduct or support restoration is crucial to engaging in discussions that move our field forward in the face of changing environments. We think you will find many of the questions interesting and thought provoking.

Please consider taking this survey if you have any connection to the process of habitat restoration (from policy to research to implementation) or want to make your views known. The survey is available at the following link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W3BB7HQ The survey takes about 15 minutes and will conclude on 31 January 2010 and the results will be published.

SCHOLARSHIP: The Valette Williams Scholarship in Botany, Second Round, 2010: Australian Plants Society, North Shore Group

Applications for the Valette Williams Scholarship, an award funded by the North Shore Group of the Australian Plants Society (APS), are welcomed from Honours, Masters or PhD students.

The maximum grant awarded will be $3000. The project must contribute to the knowledge of the ecology, conservation, or propagation of native plants in the Sydney and surrounding regions, must be carried out within this region. The applicant must be attached to an Australian research institute. Application forms are available from http://www.blandfordia.org.au/Scholarship.html and applications close 12 March 2010.

ANPC MEMBERSHIP: 2010 Membership fees now due

Australian Network for Plant Conservation Memberships are for a calendar year: 1 January to 31 December. Your membership helps show your support for the promotion and development of plant conservation and also entitles you to discounts and benefits including:

- subscription to the ANPC’s quarterly bulletin Australasian Plant Conservation (APC)
- discounts for ANPC workshops, conferences and forums
- inclusion on the ANPC members’ email list
- electronic version of APC bulletin (optional)
- discounted subscription to Ecological Management and Restoration (EMR)*

*The ANPC is affiliated with the journal Ecological Management and Restoration. ANPC members can subscribe to EMR at a special discount rate. Please note: this is only available to individual members (not to groups or organisations).

Renewal forms have been sent to those members due to renew in 2010 and these should be returned as soon as possible to ensure timely delivery of the first edition of APC for this year. If you would like to become a member download a membership form visit http://www.anbg.gov.au/anpc/

ANPC WORKSHOPS: Identifying Plants of Grassy Ecosystems, (ACT Region), 10 & 11 November

Workshop One: Grass Identification: Registrations closed
Tuesday 10 November (Canberra)


Workshop Two: Plants of Grassy Ecosystems (beginners) Registrations open
Wednesday 11 November (Canberra)


There are still a few places available for workshop two: Plants of Grassy Ecosystems. For more information and to check availability please contact the ANPC office this week on 02 6250 9509 or email: anpc@anpc.asn.au

QLD NATURAL RESOURCES AWARENESS GRANTS:Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management

Grants of up to $5000 (excluding GST) are available to community natural resources management groups for the development of small projects that promote the importance of natural resources. Grants of up to $10,000 will be considered where projects are a genuine collaboration between two or more organisations.

Grants are for one year only and this year’s theme is ‘Reducing our carbon footprint’.They are not intended to fund core, on-ground natural resource management activities. Projects should be educational and of general interest, and should encourage people to become involved in natural resource management activities during World Environment Day on 5 June 2010.

Applications close Friday 18 December 2009 and more information is available at http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/funding/nr_awareness_grants/index.html

EPBC ACT: Current finalised priority assessment lists available

The Finalised Priority Assessment List (FPAL) for species, ecological communities and key threatening processes for the assessment period commencing 1 October 2009 is now available at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/pubs/priority-assessment-list-2009.pdf.

In accordance with Section 194(G) of the EPBC Act, the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the Committee) considered all nominations that satisfied the regulations, and prepared a Proposed Priority Assessment List (PPAL). The Minister established the FPAL after considering advice from the Committee. The nominations on the FPAL will be assessed by the Committee within the scheduled timeframe (see list), and the Minister will decide whether each species, ecological community or key threatening process warrants listing based on the Committee’s advice.

COURSE: International Certificate in Botanic Garden Management in the Asia Pacific Region, Singapore, 5 - 20th March 2010

Working individually and collectively botanic gardens are in a strong position to help address the primary conservation and development challenges of our time: biodiversity loss and climate change. This new two-week training course covers major present-day themes of practical conservation work at botanic gardens. It is designed to help representatives from the Asia Pacific region involved in botanic garden and arboretum management (in particular horticultural staff and mid-level managers) refresh their existing skills, understand global environmental policy, explore new ideas and engage with botanic garden experts from around the world.

The course is run by BGCI, BGANZ and Singapore Botanic Gardens. The deadline for receipt of course and scholarship applications is 30 November 2009. For more information click here .

PLANT IDENTIFICATION WORKSHOPS: 10 & 11 November, Canberra

Australian Network for Plant Conservation Inc.

presents

Identifying Plants of Grassy Ecosystems

(ACT Region)

Workshop One: Grass Identification for beginners
Tuesday 10 November (Canberra)

Aim: To introduce participants to the characteristics of grasses, and provide the skills and information required to positively identify some common genera. The first half of the day involves presentations, microscope work and identification keys. The afternoon session includes a field trip to an ACT Reserve, where participants will become familiar with field characteristics. By the end of the day participants will be become familiar with at least six abundant and widespread genera of the ACT.

Venue: Australian National Botanic Gardens & an ACT conservation reserve


Workshop Two: Plants of Grassy Ecosystems for beginners
Wednesday 11 November (Canberra)

Aim: To introduce participants to grassy ecosystems, their diversity and ecology. We will use some of the most commonly encountered plant groups: daisies, lilies, orchids, wattles and eucalypts to introduce you to the best identification resources (printed, on-line, and interactive). You will also learn how to access the experts through the identification services of the major herbaria. Along the way we will de-mystify identification 'keys', and introduce you to useful field characters to look for. The afternoon session includes a field trip to an ACT Reserve.

Venue: Australian National Botanic Gardens & an ACT conservation reserve


Workshop Fees - per workshop
(includes catering, transport, information pack, hand lens & GST)

ANPC member: $110/day *Concession (ANPC member): $85/day
Non-member: $120/day *Concession (non-member): $95/day

*Concession is for non-employed: volunteer community group members, full-time students, pensioners.


Registration forms available from the ANPC:
Ph: 02 6250 9509
Fax: 02 6250 9528
Email: anpc@anpc.asn.au


Registrations close: 5:00pm Wednesday 4 November 2009
(numbers are limited so register early)


Workshops supported by an ACT Environment Grant, the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, The Australian National Botanic Gardens and Friends of Grasslands

AVAILABLE NOW: Plant Germplasm Conservation in Australia

On Friday 4 September Professor Lesley Hughes, Professorial Fellow, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University; and the Australian Representative on the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Biodiversity and Climate Change launched Plant Germplasm Conservation in Australia, at the Native Seed Forum at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne. The following has been taken from Professor Hughes' Speech in launching the book:


"we need many tools in our arsenal to deal with the inevitable impacts, many of them negative, that climate change will bring. This book is one of those tools, and an incredibly important one.

One of the important features of the book is its emphasis on the role of germplasm conservation, in all its forms, for conservation practice, both now and in the future. Ex-situ conservation will never take the place of good in-situ conservation practice, but aims to complement and enhance it, with the ultimate objective being to support the survival and continued evolution of species in self-sustaining populations in the wild.

We won’t be able to save everything, but tools like these will give us a much better shot".

Plant Germplasm Conservation in Australia
Edited by C.A. Offord and P.F. Meagher
Published by Australian Network for Plant Conservation Inc. (ANPC) in partnership with Australian Seed Conservation and Research (AuSCaR)

Available now from ANPC for AUD $39.95 (plus postage and handling)
Ph: 02 6250 9509 or email anpc@anpc.asn.au