BioBlitz 2013 at Woomargama

This year's local BioBlitz was a ripper, with some unexpected spring sunshine to keep us cheery and the bonus of a photography workshop with nature photojournalist Esther Beaton as icing on the cake.

In case you're not familiar with the BioBlitz concept, it involves a bunch of folks "surveying" a particular area and noting the various species that are spotted. An internet search for 'bioblitz' will show they are held around the world. This one was co-ordinated by the Slopes to Summit partnership within the Great Eastern Ranges initiative and involved a stack of partners and contributors. It was based in Woomargama, with surveys undertaken over three days, in the national park as well as on nearby private property.

A wander in these parts is enjoyable at any time, but this event provides an opportunity to share in the knowledge of the ecologists and specialists who participate ... and you'd be amazed how much more you'll see and how much you can learn by joining in a two-hour survey or two. In addition to surveys, both traps and cameras were also placed in the park with more than a few cute critters captured (and released!) or caught on film. On Friday and Saturday nights, spotlighting surveys also revealed some of the nocturnal residents.

The photography workshop was held at Slate Hill and drew on some of this private property's features, including woodland, orchids and spectacular views. Esther's tips were useful for both beginners and more experienced photographers alike and the four-hour session breezed past quickly as we chatted and clicked and laughed our way along.

Images: Some shots taken during the photography workshop, where we were encouraged to play with perspective, texture and light. Click the image to view more and/or larger pics from the BioBlitz.

It was also a treat to be in a survey group with Esther the next day, and to see her in action in the field photographing people, the landscape and the other species within it. 

Nigel Jones and Tiffany Mason from Nature Conservation Trust were on hand to enlighten us on this survey and gave excellent context to the Woomargama Station bush we visited and many of the species we spotted.

For me another highlight was seeing this lace monitor. It climbed one tree but decided we were still too close so it returned down the trunk, ambled along the ground and then up into the relative safety of a much taller tree. Our guess was it was at least 1.2 metres long. We marvelled at the "lace" pattern of its skin and its dinosaur-like features.

You can read more about this BioBlitz here or view some more of my photos at this event here.

Update on 2013-10-31 11:15 by Karen

Thanks to Sam Niedra from Slopes to Summit, I've also found out that you can view a selection of photos from many participants in the BioBlitz (and nature photography workshop) including some by Esther Beaton on Flickr here.

Bioflix competition - give it a go!

Have you seen the Slopes to Summit (S2S) film competition? It's about amateurs creating short films (less than eight minutes) on biodiversity within the project area. That's Mount Kosciuszko to Corowa along the Murray and north taking in the towns of Culcairn, Holbrook, and Tumbarumba. Woo hoo - Albury's in that mix! They suggest films might depict a particular native animal or plant, a special natural place, or what you or someone you know is doing to conserve local biodiversity.

They're offering $5,000 in prizes across four categories: Open (amateur), Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, and Tertiary (Uni/tafe). Entries close 5pm, Friday 31st of May - which means there's still about five weeks to get something together.

I'm excited as it gives me an excuse to spend some time putting together some photos and thoughts that I'd like to share. And with the best entries being screened at Albury cinema in June, I'm even more thrilled to think about the great films we're bound to see. Whispers from others working on their entries suggest there'll be tales of regeneration, favourite critters, folks doing awesome work and more. Afterwards the organisers plan to share the collection of local films online too. 

You don't even need lots of film-making experience. I'm using mainly still photos and maybe a little bit of video (pushing my skills there!), some sound and the help of some software to create my 'film'.

If you need some inspiration, or aren't likely to enter but wonder what all the fuss is about, take a squiz at the links provided by way of background for the competition ... lots of ideas and inspiring tales, plus some tips on making a short film.

All the official stuff and more info about the competition is at: http://www.greateasternranges.org.au/s2s-bioflix-2013. Note that entries need to be shot in, or depict the biodiversity of, the project area.

I'm going to give it a whirl and I think you should too!

Update on 2013-04-30 08:02 by Karen

But wait, there's more. I was asked to help spread the word about the competition, and here's the resulting article from Saturday's Border Mail.

Border Mail, 27 April 2013, p.27.

At school for National Tree Day

National Tree Day is on Sunday 29th of July and this week schools across the country did their bit, hosting events during school hours.

At Frayne College, Baranduda students and staff teamed up with Glen from Baranduda Landcare for their event. Also along to lend a hand was Sue from the National Environment Centre and her students studying conservation and land management. In all, over 500 trees, shrubs and grasses were planted in the school grounds. They add to an already impressive array, planted during similar events over many years.

Photos by Glen Johnson

Lots of fun! You can do your bit on Sunday at one of the many community planting events. There are plenty of local events listed on Ecoportal for Sunday, including at Willow Park, Baranduda, Table Top, West Albury, and Yackandandah. Nationally there are thousands of events scheduled. Search all locations at http://treeday.planetark.org/. You may need to pre-register (in some cases they even offer you a feed!), so be sure to check the full details.

Ecoportal website: new local resource

We're super excited about the new Ecoportal website, featuring local community groups and events related to sustainability. It’s at www.ecoportal.net.au. 

The site is a collaborative project created and maintained by volunteers from a range of community groups and built by Jaime Schmidt. It features group listings as well as a calendar of events. It aims to offer a central place to find out about the many wonderful sustainability-related things going on in North East Victoria and Southern NSW.

There are plans to add to the features of the site over time, but for now it’s great to have it live, even in a simple format. The site went public on Friday (30th March) and there are currently 23 community groups listed! 

Well deserved thanks and congratulations go to the many people who contributed and supported the project to get it to this stage. May it continue to grow!