Register for upcoming events and see past events for the Healthy Landscapes: Practical Regenerative Agricultural Communities program.
The Healthy Landscapes: Practical Regenerative Agricultural Communities program aims to raise awareness in their community about sustainable land management practices that improve soil health, reduce exposure to climate risk, enhance biodiversity and increase on-farm productivity.
This program is being delivered as a partnership between Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Hepburn Shire Council, the City of Greater Bendigo, Mount Alexander Shire Council, A Healthy Coliban Catchment project (North Central Catchment Management Authority and Coliban Water), Melbourne Water and the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network.
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Healthy Landscapes events
Do you want to know the tricks of the trade to identify grasses?
This webinar will step you through how to use the guide to the Grasses of Central Victoria in the farm paddock or bush to help identify common grass species.
The guide is an easy reference guide designed for beginners to help identify the more common grass plants in the Central Victorian region. The guide uses the flower structure of grasses as the quickest way to narrow down and identify most species. Free copies are available at the City of Greater Bendigo offices upon request.
Webinar zoom details will be emailed out 48 hours before the event, followed by a reminder email 1 hour before the event to all registered participants.
Time: 7.30pm-8.30pm
Date: Tuesday November 19, 2024
Join us in the field for a practical session for beginners to learn more about the grasses that populate your property and surrounds.
Using our Grasses of Central Victoria guide, our skilled grass identification practitioner will show you:
- how to use our new grass identification guide in the field
- traits of grassland plants
- how to identify native and exotic plants in the field
- how to identify important weeds in the region.
What you need to know:
- Wear weather-appropriate clothing and footwear
- These walks are weather-dependent. We may cancel an event at short notice due to severe weather conditions such as extreme fire danger, wind and rain. We will give you as much notice as possible
- Numbers are limited and bookings are essential
There are sessions available in three locations:
Session 1: Greater Bendigo area
Thursday November 28, 2024
10am-12pm
Register
Session 2: Macedon Ranges
Wednesday December 4, 2024
10am-12pm
Register
Session 3: Clunes
Thursday December 12, 2024
10am-12pm
Register
Once registered, the property address will be sent to you prior to the event.
Short courses
The Holistic Grazing Management Short Course has been designed to assist landholders in the Macedon Ranges Shire, Hepburn Shire, Mount Alexander Shire or the City of Greater Bendigo, to improve their skills and knowledge about grazing livestock. Register your interest by July 28, 2024 for the upcoming course.
Sessions will be delivered between August 2024 and May 2025 over six sessions.
Course dates:
- Day 1 - Friday August 2, 9:30am-4pm
- Day 2 - Friday August 23, 10am-3pm
- Day 3 - Friday September 13, 9:30am-3pm
- Day 4 - Friday November 15, 2pm-8pm
- Day 5 - Friday February 14, 9:30am-3pm
- Day 6 - Friday May 16, 9:30am-3pm
Visit Macedon Ranges Shire Council to download the course outline and timetable.
The cost of the course is $150 per property.
To register you interest, fill out the Expression of Interest Form and you will hear from our team in the next week.
The course has been designed to assist land managers to improve their skills and knowledge about grazing livestock, resulting in an increase in soil carbon and perennial pasture species, including native species.
It is structured for small landholders (2-20Ha) with grazing livestock (including horses, sheep, cattle, alpacas etc.).
Landholders in the Macedon Ranges Shire, Hepburn Shire or the City of Greater Bendigo are eligible to attend.
The course is presented by Jason McAinch, Council's Private Land Conservation Officer and will incorporate:
- A four-hour face-to-face theory learning session
- An online theory learning and support session
- A two-hour practical on-property learning
- An optional one-hour, one-on-one practical on property session
Cost: $75 per property.
To register you interest, fill out the Expression of Interest Form and you will hear from our team in the next week.
Do you want to improve the health of your horse and your land?
Council and Melbourne Water are offering a $100 discount on an online equiculture course from renowned equine experts, Jane and Stuart Myers. The discount is available to land owners in the Macedon Ranges Shire and City of Greater Bendigo areas.
Equiculture - short for equine permaculture - is a holistic horse property management program that promotes sustainable farm and pasture management techniques designed with your horse’s welfare and natural behaviour in mind.
The program is delivered digitally, with participants able to learn at their own pace. Fifteen modules teach participants all about healthy soil and pasture, managing weeds, mud and erosion, property design and layouts as well as managing optimal equine health.
To get your discount code, you must fill in the Expression of Interest form. The discount code is required at the point of registering for the equiculture course. Discount code will not be given out retrospectively.
Places are limited and are given out on a first in basis.
Completion of the Equiculture course can also be incorporated into the Pony Club Australia K or C certificates. Find out more