The Scoop
Relocated Fauna
Landcare sites can be the recipients of suprise arrivals when people relocate animals from their backyards into “a bit of bush”. Some of these animals may get attacked by other fauna defending territories. They may also be in the wrong habitat type. A reminder that if... read more
Ausgrid Grants for Good
Ausgrid Grassroots Grants – Up to $5,000 These grants are in support of causes and organisations Ausgrid area communities care about. Who can apply? Charities, volunteer groups, local sports teams and organisations in the Ausgrid network area can apply for support... read more
Local Legends Grants
For 80+ years, Australians have been enjoying National Pies – at pie nights, at social clubs, and at footy matches big and small. To say thanks for your support, National Pies for Local Legends launched a grants program. Any registered Australian community group,... read more
Landcare Agony Aunt – Hesitant in the Hunter
Landcare Agony Aunt: some seasonal advice for your landcaring questions Dear Agony Aunt, On my recent travels across our picturesque Hunter Valley, everywhere I look, I’ve noticed an evergreen plant. It dominates roadsides and creek-lines and ventures out into... read more
5 Ways Drones are Helping Landcarers
If you are interested in how drones could help your property management or Landcare group, we have collated some examples from the Hunter and beyond that could work for your site. 1. Drones are mapping weeds in ‘hard to get’ places. Friends of Tomaree NP... read more
A Koala Corridor for Raymond Terrace
A Koala Corridor for Raymond Terrace (written by Raymond Terrace Landcare group) Raymond Terrace Landcare Group started over twenty years ago as a volunteer Group with Port Stephens Council called Raymond Terrace Parks, Reserves and Tidy Towns. Working with the... read more
A Year of Landcare in the Hunter
Christmas Greetings from our President As we approach the end of 2025, I wanted to take a moment to reach out to you all on behalf of the Hunter Region Landcare Network Committee. Reflecting on the past 12 months, it has been a year of both significant challenges and... read more
Drought Resilience Grants on Country
Applications are now open for the Future Drought Fund Strengthening Drought Resilience on Country Grant Program. The Australian Government has committed $12 million to this inaugural grant program under the Future Drought Fund that supports place-based, First... read more
Environmental Education Grants – Environmental Trust
The Environmental Trust’s Environmental Education program aims to: drive change in people’s behaviour and practices to improve on-ground environmental outcomes and build people’s skills to deliver environmental outcomes. The program funds projects that:... read more
Rural Landholder Grants – East Coast Disaster Relief 2025
The NSW and Australian governments have announced $10,000 Rural Landholder Grants to assist communities impacted by the NSW East Coast Severe Weather event that began on 18 May 2025 (AGRN 1212). Provided as part of the jointly funded Australian Government-State... read more
7 ideas for attracting younger volunteers
Think of the specific tasks you need younger volunteers to help with. Then be realistic about who the ideal people who could help with these tasks are. What skills and availability would they need? Understand the needs of the specific age bracket you hope to... read more
Landcare Agony Aunt – Unhygienic in Underbank
Landcare Agony Aunt: some seasonal advice for your landcaring questions Dear Agony Aunt, I have great neighbours – we support each other though many ways and I enjoy our afternoon teas at the end of a long day, BUT… their paddocks are full of Scotch Thistle and... read more
Plant of the Month: I heard it through the grapevine
To my mind, there’s three kinds of people who read “The Scoop”. There’s those who would have read the title of this month’s Plant of the Month and immediately thought of the late, great Marvin Gaye, there’s those who would have thought of the original version by... read more
Les’ Landcare Legacy
It was wonderful to catch up with Les Pearson at our regional Landcare Muster last month. Les made a huge contribution to Hunter Region Landcare Network between 2011 and 2024, and his skills and good humour are still greatly missed. Les joined HRLN by a different... read more
Get to know Chilean Needle Grass
The invasive Chilean Needle Grass (Nassella neesiana) from South America, although a ‘Weed of National Significance’ and commonly found along the east coast of Australia, is currently rarely found in the Hunter Valley and is isolated to a few small sections in the... read more
Woody Weeds at McCully’s Gap Landcare
On Thursday 23rd October, Hunter Local Land Services (HLLS) held a Woody Weeds Management Workshop at McCullys Gap, Muswellbrook. The day was well-attended by locals and those further up in the Hunter, with various talks on weed management strategies from numerous... read more
North Rothbury Bushcare
North Rothbury Bushcare group commenced back in early 2021. The group started with only a few local residents from North Rothbury village – all with the passion and vision to regenerate and restore remnant pockets of native vegetation. These pockets provide... read more
Ian Potter Foundation Grants
Through its Environment program, the Ian Potter Foundation is committed to investing in efforts to better manage our natural resources and preserve threatened biodiversity and ecosystems in the face of challenges such as land degradation, limited water resources,... read more
Aurizon Grants
Are you a charity with a project in the areas of health and wellbeing, community safety, environment or education? If you are looking for funding to complete a project or have a project in mind that you can’t achieve without assistance, we’re here to help. Aurizon... read more
Landcare Australia Volunteer Recruitment Guide
Check out this comprehensive guide from Landcare Australia. From gaining confidence with social media to holding conversations to let people know about your group, this guide is packed with useful tips to increase people’s awareness of your group and help you connect... read more
Birds of Prey Guides
Australian Raptor Care and Conservation Inc. have a suite of resources to educate the community about birds of prey. They aim to have a positive impact on raptor rehabilitation in Australia by improving the techniques employed by wildlife carers, boosting successful... read more
Hunter Landcare Muster 2025
🎉2025 Landcare Muster – Wild about Weeds! The biennial Hunter Landcare Muster welcomed over 100 people to the beautiful bush setting of Earthcare Park in Tenambit on 13th September, where we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Park and the achievements of... read more
Landcare Agony Aunt – Heated in the Hunter
Landcare Agony Aunt: some seasonal advice for your landcaring questions Dear Agony Aunt, I’d like to start a Landcare group but I’m worried about what to do if people don’t get on. I want to make a difference for my local environment but I don’t want any more stress... read more
Vine, vine, everywhere a vine
“Climbing over the scenery, breaking my mind…”. Having had a haircut a couple of weeks ago I don’t currently fit the category of “long haired freaky people” (or person) but I am reasonably good at reading the vines. Ok Paul, cut it with the random 70’s musical... read more
Happy Bees at Bolwarra
We were very happy to have a beautiful sunny day for our Native Bee Hotel Workshop at Bolwarra Landcare last Sunday morning. The day was supported by Slow Food Hunter Valley and Maitland City Council. On the day twenty-five of us listened to Sophie and Lynda from... read more
Youth caring for Pebble Creek
🌿 At the recent Maitland Youth Forum, Stacy, Miranda and Marg undertook a ‘Rapid Appraisal of Riparian Condition’ (RARC) with students at Pebble Creek, Gillieston Heights. Developed by the Australian River Restoration Centre (www.arrc.com.au), the RARC index is a good... read more
ReGen Alliance: Youth in Landcare Pilot Program
Since April 2025, ReGen Alliance has been working alongside Hunter Region Landcare Network to deliver the Youth in Landcare Pilot Program with Alesco Secondary College, Elermore Vale. This eight-month project is connecting young people who face barriers to mainstream... read more
Bat Society Grants
The Paddy Pallin Foundation provides annual Australasian Bat Society (ABS) Grants of up to $3000 to support ABS members to provide research that promotes the conservation and knowledge of bats in Australasia. There will be two grants on offer, with an application... read more
Terry and the Garden Escapees
Have you heard of Terry Inkson? Terry is a bit of a local celebrity in the weeds world, being a passionate advocate for the environment through his knowledge, experience and expertise on weed identification and treatment. With over 40 years in the horticultural... read more
No worries with Weeds!
Not sure what the name of that weed is? No worries! Did you know that the Weedwise website has the option to Search by Plant Characteristics where a series of drop down boxes allow you to select options regarding what the plant looks like. For example: Plant type:... read more
Landcare Agony Aunt – Miffed About Myrtle Rust
Landcare Agony Aunt: some seasonal advice for your landcaring questions Dear Agony Aunt, I think we have Myrtle Rust on the Melaleuca quinquinervia trees on our Landcare site. This is very worrying. What do we do? from Miffed about Myrtle Rust Dear Reader, Good... read more
Plant of the Month – By Gum, That’s It!
Finally, the column you’ve all been waiting for, the last of the Eucalypt keys. Now all I have to do is put them all together, rewrite them so it’s all a fairly standard format and get more photos. Sigh! Obviously I’ll have made a few errors and things may not be... read more
Botany with a Twist at Broke Bulga Landcare
On a crisp August morning the HRLN committee and staff gathered from all corners of the Hunter to visit Broke Bulga Landcare. After our meeting and an excellent lunch of wood-fired pizzas made by Tricia Hogbin and friends, Tricia took us on a tour of local Landcare... read more
NAB Foundation Community Grants
Australian communities are being hit harder by natural disasters more often. It takes many hands to get communities back up and running after a disaster and to build resilience for the next one. The NAB Foundation Community Grants program provides funding of up to... read more
Eucalypt Australia Grants
Eucalypt Australia Eucalypt Australia is delighted to announce the release of two new grant rounds: Eucalypt Australia Research grants valued at $25,000 per annum for up to two years; and Eucalypt Australia Community Based Grants valued at $5,000 each Applications... read more
Healthy Cities Landcare Australia Grants
Applications are now open for the Healthy Cities Landcare Grants Program. Landcare Australia and Bupa have partnered to deliver the Healthy Cities Landcare Grants, as part of Bupa’s Healthy Cities Challenge. This funding will support environmental community groups... read more
IFAW Wildlife Rescue App
If you have found a sick, injured or displaced animal, this app connects you with the closest licensed wildlife rescue group at the touch of a button. It also helps identify roadkill hotspots to inform preventative measures. This free app is available nationally in... read more
Landcare Agony Aunt – Fireweed Fields of Gold
Landcare Agony Aunt: some seasonal advice for your landcaring questions Dear Agony Aunt, Everywhere I look across the paddocks of my farm, there are clumps of yellow flowers. They’re creating a far-reaching, golden horizon that is rapidly multiplying and... read more
Get Your Hands on Weeds Workshops
These training events were run by HRLN this winter with sponsorship from Local Land Services Hunter Catchment Contributions. We focused on riparian weeds and upskilling Landcarers to identify and tackle them efficiently and effectively. Why waste your efforts?!... read more
Stringybarks, Part 2. The madness continues!
So, did you manage to survive the last Plant of the Month? Slightly more manageable this time, still working on the full barks but the adult leaves are discolorous, that is, they’re different colours, or at least distinctly different shades, on each side. Eucalyptus... read more
Culturally-Informed Cool Burn Demo at Mallabula
Interested members of the community and Landcarers from across several groups including Tilligerry Landcare, Dungog Commoners Landcare and Shortland to Wallsend Landcare attended the Culturally-Informed Cool Burn Demonstration at Mallabula Community Centre at Tanilba... read more
Erosion Control
We have had some enquiries about managing riparian erosion caused by the May flooding. Local Land Services has produced some great resources to help you get started. Managing erosion before and after floods – Local Land Services It is important to note that... read more
Hamer Sprout Fund Grants
The closing date for Hamer Sprout Fund Grant applications is 30th September each year. The mission of the Hamer Family Sprout Fund is “to build communities inspired to take action for a sustainable future”. Our aim is to support projects and organisations that:... read more
Strengthening Rural Communities Grants
Strengthening Rural Communities Grants — Small & Vital | FRRR These grants are offered by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR). This is a national foundation specifically focused on the social and economic strength of Australia’s remote,... read more
Landcare Agony Aunt – Rabbits: the Return
Landcare Agony Aunt: some seasonal advice for your landcaring questions Dear Agony Aunt, We have had problems with rabbits on our property in the past but since 2020 the numbers have declined. Recently we noticed some scratchings towards the creek that seem fresh.... read more
It’s here, finally! Keys to the Stringybarks (Part 1)
Ok, first off I apologise for how long this has taken, if I’d known just how epic an undertaking developing a key to the Region’s stringybarks was I’d never have attempted it, and secondly apologies for the lack of pics, that will be an even more epic task getting... read more
Milestone for Martindale Creek Catchment Landcare
Martindale Creek Catchment Landcare is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. We were officially Incorporated in January 2015 after six months of research by a community steering committee and preparation of a Constitution for formalising the group. Our focus is... read more
Regent Bowerbird likes new Rainforest
🌿 Rainforest Revivalists were astonished to witness a giant Regent Bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus) checking out the new rainforest planted at Oakhampton last Saturday. The bird (male) was in full, regal plumage and good health. He also seemed pleased with the... read more
Flood Assistance Grants
In response to the devastating floods and storms that have impacted communities in May 2025, the Federal Government is stepping up support for those affected. Two key financial assistance programs—the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) and the... read more
Landcare Agony Aunt – Madeira Vine Madness
Landcare Agony Aunt: some seasonal advice for your landcaring questions Dear Agony Aunt, I have recently purchased a new property and there is a vine smothering the garden fence. It has fleshy, heart-shaped leaves and warty potato-like, aerial tubers. There are small... read more
Plant of the Month: Bolwarra
Plant of the Month: Not Just a Suburb in Maitland We’ve previously discussed plants named after locations but there’s also plenty of locations named after plants, there’s Geebung in Bris-Vegas, Glossodia in Sydney, Bungwahl up on Myall Lake and locally we have... read more
Community-building Inspiration: Jenny’s Landcare Legacy
Landcarers tend to think about long-term goals for nature and community connection. A Landcare Legend who was doing that thirty years ago is Jenny Castles. Jenny is a tireless community organiser who has led and championed many transformative projects for Landcare... read more
Environment Trust Grants
The Environment Trust has an Environmental Restoration and Rehabilitation grants program that supports community and government organisations to achieve lasting, positive impacts for the NSW environment. The objectives of the program are to: improve and protect the... read more
Wettenhall Environment Trust – Small Environmental Grant Scheme
These grants are for projects about flora and fauna conservation around Australia. Grants are issued four times a year, every year – February, May, August and November. These projects should involve any of the following: monitoring, recording and sharing data... read more
Landcare Agony Aunt – Potting Up Perils
Landcare Agony Aunt: some seasonal advice for your landcaring questions Dear Agony Aunt, I can’t get my native seedlings to thrive once I pot them up. I’ve tried a commercial mix for native plants. Do you think that’s the problem? What do you recommend? from... read more
Plant of the Month: Great Uncle Blue
Looking through the back issues so I’m not repeating myself, I can only find one short mention of Red Cedar. Given its role in the European colonisation of the east coast it’s a fairly major miss by me, so here goes. My first introduction to Red Cedar was around half... read more
A New Landcare Group for the Friends of Tomaree National Park
David Moore and Sue Olsson from Friends of Tomaree National Park, comparing the differences between Dianella and Buffalo grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) with Lower Hunter Landcare Coordinator Stacy Mail last week. Who are the Landcare group the Friends of... read more
Resilience-building in Upper Yango
The Upper Yango Valley is on the eastern boundary of Yengo National Park, near Wollombi. It is occupied by 22 private landholdings on the traditional land of the Darkinjung people. Its rich meadows were important pathways to culturally significant sites at Big Yengo,... read more
Birdlife Australia Volunteer Programs
“Regent Honeyeater 2” by Mark Gillow is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Landcarers with an interest in birds may be interested in the Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) Guardians project. For this citizen science project volunteers carry out health checks of key areas... read more