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Hotspots Workshop Update June 2023
Wednesday, 28th June 2023
With the addition of a few new Hotspots team members, workshops have been rolling out across the state, including in Goolawah, Yarramundi, Still Creek, Bombay and Goobarragandra.
North
In the north of the state, RFS Facilitator Jamie Bertram and NCC Ecologist Kevin Taylor successfully delivered a workshop series to the Goolawah community on the 9th of April and 3rd of May following community interest built during a Hotspots information session, delivered late last year.
The Goolawah workshop was held on a community co-operative with a strong environmental focus and a history of weeding programs delivered by Landcare. The property also had a resident koala population, after spotting koala scats during the first workshop, participants were delighted to see a koala during the second workshop! The community is now keen to set up a Hotspots café, where they are planning to learn pumping and hose techniques.
The northern team are currently planning for a workshop series near Roseberry Creek, at the top of the state on the edge of Toonumbar National Park. Workshops will be held 15th of July and 5th of August, so if you are interested in attending check out the Hotspots website for more details on how to register.
Central
In the Hawkesbury Nepean region, RFS Facilitator Bruce Hansen and NCC’s new Ecologist Belinda Kenny delivered a workshop for the Yarramundi community, located west of Winsor, on the 4th and 18th of May. Over 19 landholders came along and heard from representatives from the local RFS District, Local Land Services, Hawkesbury City Council and National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Belinda and Jamie Bertram are now delivering a workshop for the Still Creek community around Hornsby, with their demonstration site allowing participants to see clear examples of time since fire with vegetation having been burnt as part of a hazard reduction burn 3-years ago. Participants also heard from their local Landcare and Streamwatch projects, along with a presentation by the Hills-Hornsby Rural Koala Project which gave them insights into the local fauna. Workshop 1 was delivered on the 15th of June with workshop 2 scheduled for the 29th of June.
South
Down south, RFS facilitator Jason McWhirter and new NCC ecologist Neale Watson delivered workshop 2 for the Bombay community on the 29th of April, after the workshop was postponed last year due to flooding of the Shoalhaven River. Bombay had been severely affected by the 2019-20 fire season and many landholders shared stories of how the fires had affected them and their properties. The community were keen to learn how they could work collaboratively with their neighbours to best prepare for future fire seasons. Unfortunately, a demonstration burn wasn’t able to be carried out due to poor weather during the second workshop, but the community came back together on the 24th of June to participate in a demonstration burn.
Further out west, near Tumut the team delivered a workshop to the Goobarragandra community on the 11th of March and the 1st of April. Here participants learnt about a locally endangered Grevillea species, the Tumut Grevillea (Grevillea wilkinsonii), and how best to protect it when planning for fire on their properties. Favourable weather conditions also allowed for a successful demonstration burn during the second workshop.
Check out the Hotspots website for further details on upcoming workshops in your local area.