Dissemination Program
Adding value to Environmental Trust grants
The Environmental Trust has a dissemination program which collaborates with grantees to add value to successfully completed grant projects. The aim of the program is to extend the knowledge and experience gained through previous grants to a wider audience, and distribute innovative environmental resources from these projects throughout NSW.
Current dissemination projects
The Environmental Trust is currently funding a diverse range of dissemination projects. For more information on any of the projects listed below please contact the Senior Dissemination Officer on 8837 6093.
Project name | Project leader | Product | Participants | Dates/locations |
|---|
| Coastal Ambassadors - protecting our coast | Pittwater Council | Brochure, workshops and seed funding | Surf Life Saving clubs, Surfrider Foundation and other coastal community groups | To be determined |
| Nutrient dynamics in riverine estuaries | Office of Environment and Heritage | Conference and workshop | Researchers, state and federal government | To be determined |
| Predicting and preserving preferred habitat | Bangalay (Ecological and Bushfire) | Articles and fact sheet | CMAs, councils, state government and land managers | |
| Regenisis – expanding the vision of future proofing NSW | Blacktown City Council | Workshops | All Land Manager – Local Government, State Government and CMAs | To be determined |
| Mentoring – expanding sustainability knowledge | Central West Regional Organisation of Councils | Mentoring program | Local Government, Regional Organisations of Councils | |
| Stop Salvinia strangling our waterways | Department of Primary Industries | Manual, field days and training workshops | Local and state government, land managers, CMAs | 1/2 Day Field Days to be held on:- 20 March - Pittwater 22 March - Camden 3 April - Tea Gardens 4 April - Wyong |
| Sustainable future for small business | SD Environmental Management | Centre management workshop and retailer workshops | Stockland, Westfield and retailers | Centre management workshops March 2012.
Retail workshops to be held in May 2012 |
Completed dissemination projects
| Project name | Project leader | Outcomes |
|---|
| A network of Educators delivering "Starting in your Backyard" | WetlandCare Australia | Workshops and webinar |
| The Biodiversity Incentive Tool - Better Knowledge Better Bush | Biobroker | Workshops and user kit |
| Foreshore erosion field day and interactive learning package | Pittwater Council | Open day, fact sheet, online virtual tour and blog |
| Fishing line recovery for inland waterways | Ocean Watch Australia | 43 Fishing line recovery bins (TAngler bins), flyer, sticker and poster |
| Preventing further degradation of freshwater mussel populations | Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water | Brochure, workshops, fact sheets |
| Minimise and manage the spread of Phytophthora cinnamomi | Botanic Gardens Trust | Brochure, poster, workshops, fact sheets |
| Biodiversity responses to fire regimes under climate change | Department of Environment and Climate Change | Booklet and factsheet |
| Cape Byron sustainability trail | Cape Byron Headland Reserve Trust | Educational signage and brochure |
| Eco-friendly youth centres | North East Waste Forum | Workshops |
| Bush Stone-curlew conservation enhancement | Nature Conservation Working Group | Workshops, Bird Fair, posters and stickers |
| Environmental management training for tourism businesses | University of Western Sydney | Manual and workshops |
| Long-stem planting guide | Gosford City Council and Australian Plant Society (Central Coast Group) | The Long-stem Planting Guide and field day |
| Pygmy Perch habitat rehabilitation | Department of Primary Industries and Richmond Valley Council | Workshop and factsheets |
| Rural partnerships | North Sydney Council | Workshop and guidelines |
| Shared island management experiences and restoration of seabird nesting habitat | Department of Environment and Climate Change (Parks and Wildlife Division) | Workshop, booklet and case studies on island management |
| Rainforest remnant rehabilitation training and rainforest walk interpretation | Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group and EnviTE | Workshop, documents on rainforest rehabilitation and interpretive walk |
| Koala habitat management and restoration | Lismore City Council and Friends of the Koala Inc. | Brochure on koalas and koala habitat and interpretive signage at restoration sites |
| Birds in Backyards in regional NSW | Birds Australia | Series of eleven workshops and resource kit on enhancing urban bird habitat |
| Stories of Experience | Council on the Ageing (COTA) | Book highlighting the environmental practices of older Australians |
| Providing automated fish passage at Balranald Weir | Department of Primary Industries | Workshop for fisheries and river managers and information on the operation of the fish lock |
| Estuarine wetland assessment techniques workshops | WetlandCare Australia | Workshops and support material for asssssing wetland health |
| Agricultural education for non-English speaking background (NESB) market gardeners | Department of Primary Industries | Workshops and fact sheets for NESB market gardeners on fostering effective relationships with council |
| Know your garden natives | Environmental Trust and International Weeds Foundation | Booklet and magazine cover display for Gardening Australia magazine July 2008 that promoted the updated 'Know your garden natives' booklet |
| Local living - Sustainable living for local communities | Blue Mountains City Council | A training workshop and support materials for local government on creating and facilitating sustainable living community workshops in their own council areas |
| Aboriginal tour guide training | Department of Environment and Climate Change (Parks and Wildlife Division) | Workshops and associated training materials to support the training of Aboriginal tour guides |
| Aboriginal bushfoods | Purfleet - Taree Aboriginal Land Council | Website of traditional bush foods and their uses |
| Acid sulfate soils in inland catchments | Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre and CSIRO | Workshops and a range of educational tools for Catchment Management Authorities and land managers on the occurrence of acid sulphate soils in inland wetlands |
| Ecologically sustainable development workshops | Local Government and Shires Associations | Workshops showcasing sustainable practices in specific Local Government areas |
| Road crossings and fish passage workshops | Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries Management) | Workshops in coastal catchments on addressing the impacts of road crossings on fish passage |
| Biodiversity education for culturally and linguistically diverse communities | Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai, Sutherland, Liverpool, North Sydney and Canterbury Councils | A series of workshops for Non-English speaking communities to improve understanding of biodiversity and native plants and animals |
| Privet control workshops | Shoalhaven City Council | Workshops on techniques for safe removal of privet |
| Revegetation of native plant communities | Australian Network for Plant Conservation | Two workshops on the rehabilitation and management of disturbed native vegetation |
| Waste trailer regional roadshow | Northern Inland Regional Waste | Education program throughout the New England area |
| Four-wheel driving with the environment in mind | TAFE Western Institute and Dubbo 4WD Club | Booklet and training on responsible four-wheel driving |
| Greek environmental education training | Greek Welfare Centre | Workshops for the Greek community on green cleaning and energy conservation |
| Floodgates | Department of Primary Industries and Wetland Care Australia | Regional workshops on the management of floodgates and wetlands |
| CatchMODS modelling tool | Australian National University | Workshops that demonstrated a new catchment modelling tool |
| Translocation of threatened plant species in Australia | Australian Network for Plant Conservation | Workshops and 2nd edition Guidelines on latest techniques for translocation of threatened plants |
| Eco-OOSH - A whole of centre approach to sustainable living | Network of Community Activities | Workbook and training for Out-of-School Hours (OOSH) childcare centres |
| Grow Me Instead–A guide for gardeners in the greater Sydney district | Nursery and Garden Industry, ACT | Booklet on alternative native plants to replace invasive garden species in Sydney |
| Getting started in bush regeneration | Environmental Training and Employment, NSW | DVD and video to assist community groups starting out in regeneration |
| Successful farming incorporating native vegetation | Learning from Farmers | DVD of inspirational stories from farmers |
| Handbook for sediment quality assessment | Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research, CSIRO | Conference and handbook on the latest science for assessment of contaminated soils |
| Restoration of grassy White-box woodlands | Charles Sturt University | Media and scientific dissemination of new techniques for restoring grassy box woodlands |
Current dissemination projects
Pittwater Council through its Coastal Environment Centre recently completed an Education grant that worked in partnership with Surf Life Saving Northern Beaches to train volunteers/ambassadors at a combination of workshop sessions, hands-on field trips and visits to rock platforms and sandy beaches. The ambassadors then shared their knowledge and promoted responsible enjoyment of the coastal environment to others in their club or group through contributions to club newsletters, environmental events and initiatives such as beach clean-ups. In NSW there is over 2,100 kilometres of coast line to enjoy, manage and protect. This dissemination project will provide Surf Living saving clubs with an opportunity, through a series of 20 training events, to gain valuable skills and have access to resources to implement positive environmental initiatives.
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Significant attenuation of nutrients is found to occur over the fluvio-tidal region, resulting in the removal of nitrogen, phosphorus and reduced nutrient input to the estuary. This project will provide researchers and policy makers in the fields of hydrology, biogeochemistry, ecology, and geology with an opportunity to assess the current state of understanding of nutrient dynamics in Australian riverine estuaries, identify areas of research priority for the future, and facilitate interactions between scientists and decision-makers. Two single day events will share and document knowledge from a range of disciplines and will compile up to date information on management options for riverine estuaries. In particular, information will be compiled that supports further development of Hawkesbury-Nepean nutrient management strategies.
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Given the rate of species extinction within Australia, there exists an increasing need to improve land managers' and consent authorities' understanding of preferred habitat for rare plant species. The proposed dissemination project will promote modeling that can assist in predicting habitat of cryptic plant species, through six articles in relevant journals and magazines and the development of a fact sheet for local land manager. This will give local government, state government and other land managers a better understanding of appropriate measures to take when determining whether or not a particular species is present during conservation assessments.
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This project will provide key local government, state government and other land managers with the foundations in rolling out and supporting the Regenesis model in their local area. Regenesis engages with communities and businesses in order to plant locally native trees, shrubs and grasses to enhance biodiversity, sequester carbon and to enable the trading of carbon certificates through carbon emission trading schemes. The Regenesis program will be broken down in to three tiers to allow for land managers to adopt the system at a level that suits their needs. Land managers across New South Wales will be trained through a series of seven full day workshops.
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This project will have two main elements an extension of the initial mentoring program to other councils in regional New South Wales and the development of a peer to peer mentoring program. This project will give councils in regional NSW access to consultants to mentor them through a journey to be better able to undertake sustainability initiatives in their council area.
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Salvinia is a weed of national significance. It is regarded as one of the worst weeds in Australia because of its invasiveness, potential for spread, and economic and environmental impacts. The proposed dissemination project, through the development of a practical field manual for weed officers and a series of 5 field days and 3 training courses will give local government, state government and other land managers a better understanding of appropriate measures to effectively control Salvinia. Mentoring will also be made available to participating land managers.
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This program offers a unique opportunity for two shopping centres to integrate environmental sustainability into their centres and to educate their tenants about ways to reduce their electricity and water consumption and the amount of waste discarded. This program will result in long term environmental benefits to the centre and reduced running expenses for the centre and the businesses within. The program will establish a collaborative arrangement that will foster business innovation and continual improvement in environmental outcomes.This project will deliver a targeted education program to improve small to medium enterprises knowledge of sustainability and the programs and resources that are available to assist them.
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Completed dissemination projects
This project developed a training toolkit and provided training on the highly successful principles and delivery method from the original Starting in your backyard program. Training was delivered to 77 environmental educators and natural resource managers from councils, Catchment Management Authorities, Landcare and other non-government groups across the state, through five workshops and two webinars (web based seminar). Feedback from participants showed that 74% found the workshops extremely or very useful and 80% said that the workshops and toolkit provided them with sufficient information to run it in their community. For further information on this project and to obtain a copy of the training toolkit please visit the WetlandCare website.
The second phase of this grant involved WetlandCare Australia assisting individuals trained at the workshops and webinar to run their own locally specific program. A total of 57 community participants were involved in the five locally run workshops.
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Through the dissemination project Biobrokers developed a series of resources including a newsletter, information kit and web site to supply up to date information on the Biodiversity Incentive and Monitoring Tool (BIT) to Catchment Management Authorities and local government. In addition, it brought together 45 Catchment Management Authority and local government staff at six workshops to provide training and support in the use of BIT. The workshops were well received with participants stating they rapidly became familiar and comfortable with using the tool for assessments. A customised version of BIT was also developed with Murrumbidgee CMA as part of Eco-Tender Assessment, this included an information sheet and customised user manual.
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This project provided coastal councils with information on the highly successful design and implementation used in foreshore remediation at Rowland Reserve, Bayview . The project showcased the success of the design in fitting in to the aesthetics of the site, whilst at the same time meeting the needs of the environment. This project made available to other land managers the systems, processes and lessons learned by Pittwater Council through a field day, educational signage, fact sheet and through online resources. The field day attracted 22 individuals and over 114 people have used the resources made available on the web, which includes a fact sheet, online virtual tour and a blog.
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This project conducted by OceanWatch Australia, encouraged inland recreational fishers to dispose of their fishing line responsibly by the installation of 43 TAngler bins with the ability to reach 1500 recreational fishers across inland NSW. The bins to date have collected a small amount of line however in regional areas it has been learnt that the educational messages attached to the bins have had a much larger impact than the amount of line in the bins suggests. 70% of land managers responsible for the maintaining bins acknowledged the value of the bins in their region. In addition to the bins, 1,600 flyers, 1,700 stickers, 32 posters and 10 T-shirts were distributed to tackle shops, caravan parks and local government offices to expand the message to locals and visitors to the region.
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This project, conducted by the Office of Environment and Heritage (formerly the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water) worked with coastal Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) to raise awareness of the importance of managing catchments in order to protect vulnerable mussel populations. Nine presentations (targeting around 100 individuals) to a range of groups were conducted along with two media articles written on the importance of mussels as environmental indicators. One of the lasting legacies of this project is the production of a fact sheet and a website on the importance and role of freshwater mussels in the environment. Over 800 brochures have been distributed and in the first month of the website being available over 400 page views had occurred.
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Phytophthora cinnamomi is a plant pathogen which can cause leaf death and branch dieback, often progressing to kill infected and susceptible plants. The Royal Botanic Gardens Trust have promoted the role each and every one of us could have in preventing the spread of this pathogen through three workshops with 58 participants in attendance along the NSW coast as well as one workshop to National Parks and Wildlife (NPWS) staff. The NPWS workshop has resulted in information being included in the National Parks Operations Manual. As well as the workshops a brochure on Phytophthora aimed at land managers, National Parks officers, Councils and Catchment Management Authorities was developed and 5,000 copies have been distributed.
To help combat the spread by the community 10,000 brochures suitable for distribution to bushwalkers through the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Centre, the Botanic Garden at Mount Tomah and at National Parks Visitor Centres across the State were developed and distributed. As an additional extra the Botanic Gardens Trust produced a magnet for people to take home as a permanent reminder of the role they can have in stopping the spread of the disease.
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This project conducted by the Office of Environment and Heritage (formerly the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water) produced a booklet entitled Vegetation, Fire and Climate Change in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, for land managers and the community. The booklet summarised research carried out on fire history and puts this in the context of other information on the vegetation, fire regimes and climate change projections specific to the World Heritage Area. The booklet was launched at the 10th anniversary celebrations of the listing of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (GBMWHA) to an audience of around 150 people and to date over 2,000 copies have been distributed. In addition to the booklet an 4 page fact-sheet summarising the main elements of the booklet has been published on the Hotspots web site.
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The Cape Byron Sustainability Trail project undertaken by the Cape Byron Headland Reserve Trust has resulted in the development of a 1.5km interactive walking trail on the high profile Cape Byron Headland Reserve. The walk includes seven innovative signs in combination with a brochure that links the signs together, provides additional information on the walk and provides the user with a take home checklist to assist them in implementing changes in their own life to protect the environment. The project was promoted during an official launch in June 2010 and since that time has proven popular with those walking the track. The project has been highly successful with a survey showing that 100% of people would recommend the walk to others and over 80% were going to change some of their actions as a result of the walk. In the 15 week period after the launch of the program, approximately 55,000 people were recorded to have accessed the site. With over 700,000 visitors to this site per year and an average life expectancy of the signs of 10 years this project may influence around seven million people.
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This project conducted by the North East Waste Forum ran a series of three workshops and presented at the NSW Youth Affairs and Policy Association conference, these events were attended by 57 different youth organisations and a further 3,300 people have accessed information on this program through its website. The conference, workshops and website provided participants with information on the benefits of integrating waste reduction and energy and water conservation into work activities, programs and youth centre management. Youth centres act as a central learning point for young people to become more environmentally aware and empowered with knowledge about how to reduce their impact on the environment. Five centres that attended the workshops participated in a mentoring program and some outstanding outcomes were achieved such as the development of environmental action plans for four of the five centres and involvement of young people in implementing sustainable initiatives.
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The Nature Conservation Working Group presented their knowledge and raised the public profile of the Bush stone-curlew breeding and habitat management through five workshops across NSW, which were attended by 88 people. The Bush stone-curlew is an endangered bird species that lives in open wooded country. In addition to the workshops a brochure and stickers were made available to Catchment Management Authorities and to the public through the Leeton Bird Fair, which was attended by 180 people.
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This project provided training for councils to assist them with implementing an environmental management training program for local tourism businesses. The program builds on the original program Environmental Management Training for Tourism Businesses conducted in Manly and the Challenging barriers to sustainability practice in NSW CCIA program conducted by the Camping and Caravan Industry Association.
A step-by-step guide was produced, which provides information on how to implement a sustainable tourism program. The Sustainable Places Training for Tourism Business - Information Kit (SustainPlacesKit.pdf, 15MB) is available for councils interested in adopting the program.
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The central component of this grant undertaken by Gosford City Council and Australian Plant Society was the development of a Long-stem Planting Guide which brought together information from previous studies on long-stem planting and outlined the techniques used in riparian, rainforest, coastal sand dune and saline environments. This method of planting, originally pioneered by Bill Hicks, enhances the plants ability to access subsoil moisture, avoids root competition with weed species and ultimately results in higher survival and growth rates. Already over 1700 copies of the booklet have been distributed and the document has already been reprinted.
The guide provides a step by step understanding of this innovative method of planting which has applications for community groups and organisations involved in bush regeneration works, land management and natural resource management across New South Wales. Through this project, the guide was promoted in The Land newspaper, with a weekly readership of over 155,000 and in the Australian Network for Plant Conservation Bulletin which is distributed to 305 member organisations. The guide has also been made available for download from the Trust’s website.
Copies of The Long-stem planting guide (Longstemguide.pdf, 5.78MB) can be downloaded or hard copies can be obtained by completing the online Order form
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This project conducted by the Department of Industry and Investment and Richmond Valley Council brought together 24 participants at a workshop on the management of stormwater drains for habitat values. In addition four fact sheets were produced and are downloadable from the Department of Industry and Investment web site. The fact sheets encourage land managers to manage drainage systems to maintain aquatic habitat. Photo by Gunta Schmida DPI
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This project encouraged Sydney based councils to develop partnerships with rural Landcare groups and councils to conduct rehabilitation works in rural locations. North Sydney have been running a program where on one weekend each year volunteers from North Sydney head out to Boorowa to assist the local Landcare group with creating native wildlife corridors for the endangered superb parrot. A workshop was conducted and attended by 14 councils and provided information on how to establish relationships with a rural council. To complement the workshop, guidelines were created and distributed providing further details on developing partnerships to another 50 councils across the state. Twelve councils took up the opportunity to participate in a trip to Boorowa to get a hands on experience of what the weekend trips achieve.
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Shared island management experiences and restoration of seabird nesting habitat - Department of Environment and Climate Change (Parks and Wildlife Division)
This project brought together 21 island managers to learn from one another and share their experiences of managing island environments. Based on the success found on Montague Island with kikuyu management and enhanced sea bird nesting habitat, Island managers shared information on what they know about managing islands. The workshop was held on Montague Island where the successful rehabilitation works were showcased, the results of which were written up as a case study. The outcome of the workshop including information from island managers on their shared experiences, methods, successes and failures in island management will be available soon.
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Rainforest remnant rehabilitation training and rainforest walk interpretation - Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group
This project ran a workshop for 36 managers of rainforest remnants and gave them additional skills to go back to their local communities and train others on the importance of rainforest remnants and the best methods of managing them. The Big Scrub Landcare Group have been highly successful in sourcing funding and managing remnants on the north coast and this project has drawn on their experience and knowledge. In addition to the workshop a series of key learning documents on site assessment, weed control, and monitoring and evaluation were developed and distributed. Educational signage was also installed at a commonly visited rainforest remnant at Booyong Flora Reserve to educate the general public about the importance of these remnants.
For further information on this project visit the Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group web site.
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This project has distributed 20,000 brochures to educate communities on the far north coast about local koala populations and how they can help to conserve koala habitat. The brochure was distributed through six councils on the north coast as well as government agencies and tourist centres. Prominent educational signage was also installed at Robinsons Lookout and the Memorial Gardens in Lismore to expand the knowledge of the general community about the importance of koala habitat management.
The brochure and additional information is available on the Friends of the Koala web site.
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Birds in Backyards in regional New South Wales - Birds Australia
Birds Australia conducted a series of eleven highly successful workshops which were attended by 303 community members and council staff. The workshops promoted seven previously produced guidelines that target different stakeholders such as gardeners, planners and landscape architects and provided advice to them on how to protect and maintain native bird habitat. An education resource kit was also developed and provided to council staff, on how to carry out and promote Birds in Backyard workshops in their region.
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Stories of Experience - Council on the Ageing (COTA)
Stories of Experience: Learning from the Environmental Experiences of Older Australians is the culmination of a previous grant to the Council on the Ageing. The book brought together a selection of personal stories from older Australians which highlight some of the environmentally sustainable practices used in the past and how these relate to present environmental issues. The book highlighted themes such as energy use, waste minimisation, transport, biodiversity, water use and reuse and chemical use.
Stories of Experience aimed to broaden the community's knowledge and understanding of the older generation's experience in protecting the environment, and provided an opportunity for older Australians to share their life experiences and promote sustainable living in their local communities. The book was distributed to non-profit organisations and libraries across NSW.
Copies of the booklet may be obtained by completing the online Order form.
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Providing automated fish passage at Balranald Weir - Department of Primary Industries .JPG)
This project developed a brochure, sign and workshop on the automation of a fish lock which provides passage for fish over the Balranald Weir on the Murrumbidgee River. The signage demonstrates the importance of fish being able to access large stretches of rivers for breeding. It has been installed near the weir which is visited by almost 20,000 people a year. The workshop, conducted in late 2008 was attended by 27 participants and covered the importance of fish passage and the unique operation of the Deelder fish lock. The brochure and additional information is available on the Department of Primary Industries web site.
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Wetland Care Australia has developed a scientifically rigorous method for assessing the health of estuarine wetlands through their research grant Estuarine Wetland Health Assessment and Investment Prioritisation. The methods were designed for use by both natural resource professionals and the community to assist in assessing and prioritising wetlands according to various health indicators. Wetland Care Australia, with funding from the dissemination program, delivered three workshops to promote the use of their Wetland Assessment Technique Manual at Nowra, Belmont and Port Macquarie, which were attended by a total of 66 participants. The workshops effectively facilitated and supported collaboration, cooperation and network building between those working in wetlands.
For further information on the project visit the Wetland Care Australia web site.
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This project worked with 184 Non English Speaking Background (NESB) market gardeners operating within the Sydney basin, to encourage effective relationships and interactions with their local councils. Four workshops were conducted for Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Cambodian market gardeners about methods and techniques to reduce their impact on the environment. Nine multilingual brochures were updated and made available to councils with NESB market gardeners. In addition to this a new brochure was put together to give councils hints and tips about working with their local ethnic communities. These brochures were made available through the workshop series.
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Know Your Garden Natives magazine cover - International Environmental Weed Foundation
The booklet titled Your hidden native garden, guides the user through how to find and look after a range of common native plants that may occur in their backyard. This booklet was distributed to over 20,000 people on the cover of the July issue of Gardening Australia magazine for its Sydney distribution. Some additional copies of the booklet were distributed to Councils at their request.
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This program built upon a successful Mountain Living course that was developed by Blue Mountains City Council. The Mountain Living course gave landowners knowledge and encouragement to better manage their land and minimise future environmental damage by providing training on the major environmental and catchment management issues in their area. A two-day workshop was conducted in March 2008 and attended by 18 environmental educators and Local Government staff, who were trained in how to adapt and implement the program for their Council area, and how to successfully engage their community. A manual to support this workshop was developed and is available for download from Blue Mountains City Council website.
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This project was based on a successful training program in the Hunter region. The original training course was been adapted with greater emphasis on interpreting the environment from an Aboriginal context and developing training session plans, to assist Aboriginal people to deliver tours. Five workshops were held in late 2007 and early 2008 with the Githabul people of Kyogle, Cadigal people of Ku-ring-gai, Blue Mountains community, Barkandji community and La Perouse Aboriginal communities to evaluate the package's effectiveness, suitability and the level of support it would receive from the Aboriginal community. The training package has been promoted and distributed to regional Department of Environment and Climate Change officers and Aboriginal Land Councils in NSW so that they can use the program to train more Aboriginal people in tour guiding.
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Aboriginal bushfoods website - Purfleet-Taree Local Aboriginal Land Council
Information from a previous project on Bush Foods and their traditional uses for medicine, food, art and culture has been made available for public use on the web. A workshop was also held with neighbouring Land Councils to make them aware of this resource and how to go about undertaking a similar project in their local area. A brochure promoting the website was produced and sent to schools, councils and other interested stakeholders across the region.
For further information visit the Purfleet-Taree Aboriginal Land Council website.
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The original research grant discovered that the prevalence of acid sulfate soils was not only a coastal issue, but was potentially a concern for inland waters. This project delivered six workshops on how to identify and manage inland acid sulfate soils. The workshops were attended by 114 participants from Catchment Management Authorities, local government, irrigation authorities and local landholders. Educational materials were developed to support the workshops and included a brochure, CD and webpages. A Decision Support Tool developed through the original grant has also been used during the project to assist in determining areas prone to acidification.
For further information on the project visit the Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre website.
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Seven general workshops showcasing environmentally sustainable practices were conducted across New South Wales for Council staff and Councillors in 2007. In addition four intensive workshops were offered and after submitting an expression of interest, Macarthur Regional Organisation of Councils, Ashfield Council, Great Lakes consortium of Councils, and Shoalhaven/Eurobodalla Councils were invited to participate in the workshops. The intensive workshops were attended by 472 participants and provided the opportunity to undertake an in-depth analysis of their Council operations and to make a plan to improve their sustainability over a 6 month period.
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This project disseminated the learnings of the previous grant project "Reducing the Impact of road crossings on environmental flow, water quality and fish passage" to those who are directly involved with waterway crossing design, construction and maintenance. Workshops were held in each coastal Catchment Management Authority area to inform participants of the impacts of road crossings and suggest better designs to minimise their negative impacts. A take home resource kit that covers the information discussed at the workshop was developed to support the workshops.
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This project delivered thirteen training events for three Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities (CALD) - Chinese, Arabic and Vietnamese. The training centred on the Backyard Buddies Program, originally conducted by the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation and then modified to be suitable for CALD communities by Bankstown City Council. The training educated 353 members of the CALD communities in understanding biodiversity, the environment and native plants and animals. Seven Sydney based councils offered the training, which involved class work, animal displays (which allowed participants to handle native animals) and tree planting.
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Privet removal training for community groups - Shoalhaven City Council
The original project worked successfully with a number of community groups to understand and target a highly problematic weed in the region. Training was conducted on techniques to safely remove privet and to ensure the environment was maintained. This program was extended with a further 5 workshops being conducted that trained a further 58 volunteers in the Shoalhaven and surrounding council areas.
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Revegetation of native plant communities workshops - Australian Network for Plant Conservation
This project offered two training courses in the rehabilitation and management of disturbed native vegetation. The workshops were tailored specifically to the Coffs Harbour and Ulladulla regions and workshops equiped attendees with the knowledge and skills required to undertake ecological rehabilitation and management of disturbed vegetation. The workshops had a mix of presentations by skilled practitioners and visits to selected field sites. The 197 participants across the two workshops expanded their skills and knowledge, exchanged ideas, worked with experts and broadened their networks.
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Educational waste trailer regional roadshow - Northern Inland Regional Waste
Northern Inland Regional Waste travelling road show took this impressively designed waste education trailer around the New England North West region of NSW. The trailer, visited by 3,800 people in 11 Council areas, presented a series of locally relevant waste messages to local schools and highly visited areas such as shopping centres. The trailer also featured at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
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Environmentally sensitive four wheel driving (Dubbo 4WD Club and TAFE Western Institute)
This project delivered two training courses for four-wheel drivers to educate them on ways to undertake their recreational pursuits whilst protecting the environment they enjoy. The course was offered across NSW and involved both class work and an outdoor component. The course was conducted over one weekend and one full week in the Macquarie Marshes and Mungo areas of NSW. The original glove box booklet produced by the 4WD Club on Environmentally Sensitive Four Wheel Driving was updated, redesigned and placed as an insert in the 4x4 Magazine in their October 2006 edition. Further 4WD training will be conducted by TAFE into the future as demand arises.
Copies of the booklet may be obtained by faxing the order form below.
Download the booklet from Our Environment Its a Living Thing or
download Word 2000 document: 4wdorderform.doc (134kb) and fax to (02) 8837 6099
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Greek Environmental Education Training - Greek Welfare Centre
This project originally worked with 700 Greek people in Sydney to educate them about four important environmental issues. Through this project the Greek Welfare Centre worked with the Ethnic Communities Council to deliver a series of 8 workshops throughout, Sydney, the Illawarra and Hunter Region. These workshops focussed on green cleaning and energy conservation.
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Floodgates - Department of Primary Industries and Wetland Care Australia
Collaborating across disciplines from the research findings of two Environmental Trust grants, the Department of Primary Industries and Wetland Care Australia produced a series of regional workshops along the NSW coast. The collaboration linked the research in a practical workshop setting, with information to assist local government and landholders to effectively manage their floodgates and wetland systems for enhanced environmental values and agricultural productivity. Feedback by participants indicated that there was an excellent mix of both technical and non-technical information and that this had increased their interest in floodgate and wetland management.
For more information visit the Wetland Care Australia website.
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CatchMODs modelling tool - Australian National University
This dissemination project furthered the learnings from a research grant on the management of diffuse source pollutants, piloted in the Ben Chiefly Dam catchment near Bathurst. Workshops were held for Catchment Management Officers from Murray, Lower Murray, Lachlan, Central West and Namoi, Border Rivers/Gwydir catchment management authority areas, demonstrating CatchMODS, the catchment-modelling tool produced as a product of this research.
CatchMODS downloads are available from the Australian National University website.
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Guidelines for the translocation of threatened plants in Australia, 2nd edition - Australian Network for Plant Conservation
Translocation is the deliberate transfer of plants or regenerative plant material from one place to another for introduction, regeneration or restocking. The Environmental Trust funded the Australian Network for Plant Conservation (ANPC) to update their guidelines for translocation with the latest science. The second-edition 80-page colour publication includes information on definitions and objectives, deciding whether translocation is a viable option, the translocation process from project proposal, development, through to monitoring, community participation, and case studies. It places more emphasis on evaluating whether translocation should go ahead, including monitoring and evaluation, and involving local communities. ANPC disseminated the guidelines through a series of workshops tailored to each location in Coffs Harbour, Queanbeyan and Newcastle.
To purchase the guidelines, download a pdf order form from the Australian Network for Plant Conservation website.
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Eco-OOSH, A whole of centre approach to sustainable living - Network of Community Activities
Network of Community activities produced and distributed a workbook to enable OOSH (out of school hours) centres to aid children to experience, enjoy and interact with the natural world and move towards its preservation, and to provide guidelines and best practice to assist OOSH carers in running centres according to environmentally sound principles. The dissemination program further funded Network of Community Activities to organise training workshops on Eco-OOSH. The workshops were conducted in Sydney, Tamworth, Leeton, Wollongong, Hunter, & Queanbeyan.
Workbooks are available for purchase from the Network of Community Activities website.
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Grow me instead: A guide for gardeners in the greater Sydney district - Nursery and Garden Industry, NSW and ACT
This booklet targets a group of plants recognised as invasive in Sydney's bushland, they are known as 'Garden Escapes'. Many of the plants that have become invasive in bushland around Sydney have come from private gardens. By careful selection of plants at your local nursery or garden centre you can avoid adding to the weed problems in Sydney's bush environments and help preserve indigenous species and habitat for native animals. The 'Grow Me Instead' booklet shows alternatives to popular plants that are causing real environmental problems. The booklet deals only with species in the greater Sydney basin and is not intended for use beyond this region.
For more information visit the Nursery and Garden Industry website.
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Getting started in bush regeneration DVD and video - Environmental Training and Employment
This video assists community groups with bush regeneration. Produced by Environmental Training and Employment (ENVITE) on the NSW North Coast, the video has three components: Site assessment and goal setting; weed control techniques; and natural regeneration and planting. This video clearly explains how a community group might set up a site, what needs to be considered and how to monitor the site by setting up photopoints to determine whether the project objectives are being achieved. It also demonstrates a range of weeding techniques. Each local council in NSW received a copy of the video for community groups to borrow. The Environmental Trust also has copies available to groups wishing to undertake restoration and rehabilitation projects.
To apply for a copy fill out and fax in the order form.
Download Word 2000 document: BushRegenOrderForm.doc (142kb) and fax to (02) 8837 6099.
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Successful farming incorporating native vegetation DVD - Learning from Farmers
This DVD tells the story of a group of diverse farmers who have all found success by maintaining and replanting native vegetation on their properties. The story is a down to earth yet inspirational journey through the lives of 12 farmers from the Riverina Murray Area who have all turned their farms around and are discovering financial, aesthetic, and environmental improvements.
The Environmental Trust is offering copies of this DVD to assist groups wishing to work with landholders to undertake restoration and rehabilitation projects, or to promote native vegetation in farming.
To apply for a copy fill out and fax the order form below. You can also visit the Learning from Farmers website for more information.
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A highly successful conference was held in Sydney in June 2005 to introduce practitioners to the latest science for the assessment of contaminated sediments. As a component of the grant a 'Handbook for Sediment Quality Assessment' was produced and published for release at the conference. At the conference, scientists from CSIRO, DEC and the University of Canberra made presentations covering topics in the Handbook. The number of participants (140) greatly exceeded expectations and they came from a wide range of commercial and government organisations. Positive evaluations were received from the participants.
The workbook is available to download from the CSIRO website.
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Restoration of Grassy White-box woodlands - Charles Sturt University
This research grant modelled restoration techniques that represent significant advances in the restoration of Grassy White-box woodlands. New management techniques were demonstrated in trials to reduce soil nitrate levels and reduce the cover of exotic annual grasses, the major barriers to woodland restoration. This vegetation type is found extensively in NSW and is in decline. The extension program has further disseminated this research to national journals, urban and regional press and scientific newsletters and radio.
Further information on this research is available on the Charles Sturt University website.
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Page last updated: 15 March 2012
