Are you ready for rain? What will the next rain bring you? What will you change in preparation for the next dry spell? What are you learning from this one?

These are just some of the questions that Dr Judi Earl will have local graziers investigating when she returns to the Southern New England on 26th September to run a three-day course, 'Managing Holistically Out of the Drought'.

New England residents will soon have easier access to government services as the Golden Wattle mobile services truck prepares to visit more than a dozen locations across the electorate. Find out your nearest location in our region. Pictured: The Golden Wattle mobile service centre truck which will visit the New England in the coming days.

Northern Tablelands has some great events coming our way in the next few months. What might interest you?

Registrations are now open for the biannual conference. Informative and insightful speakers, amazing workshops and field trips, as well as a number of unforgettable social events is what awaits those who venture out west to Broken Hill on 22-24 October 2019!

Southern New England Landcare encourages members and friends to take this opportunity to visit a special part of NSW for a great event on the Landcare calendar.

REGISTER NOW for the 2019 NSW Landcare and Local Land Services Conference.

Image of the Simpson Desert near Broken Hill courtesy of TripAdvisor.

For those who have experienced they joy of a Rural Women's Gathering before, you are about to be treated to one quite close to home! For those who have not, you now have a chance to get along and enjoy it in our own patch. Walcha has been working hard to put together a fabulous program of events for 1-3 November. Download the flier here.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries has developed an app that helps landholders (and landcarers) identify problem weeds. More information at https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/weeds/nsw-weedwise-app

The NSW RAA has published new Guidelines for the Emergency Drought Transport Subsidy for 2019-2020. Download the new guidelines here.

One major change is the inclusion of invoices dated from 1st January 2018 into the eligibility for the current financial year $40k cap for those farmers who have not made a previous claim prior to 30th June 2019. Prior to these new Guidelines these farmers would have missed out on claiming for that period. Note: Those farmers who have previously applied prior to 30th June 2019 will still need to get all their invoices for claims lodged by 30th September to have them included against the separate $40k cap available for the period ending 30th June 2019.

Applications are now open for round three of the NSW Government's Stronger Country Communities Fund.

Round Three will provide an additional $100 million for community projects in regional NSW, with at least $50 million for youth-related projects.

Applications close 5pm, Friday 27 September 2019. More information at https://www.nsw.gov.au/improving-nsw/regional-nsw/regional-growth-fund/stronger-country-communities/#overview.

The Grant supports grassroots organisations who are working with on-ground community groups undertaking projects that will make a positive difference to the natural living environment.

In particular, projects around:
- flora and fauna conservation
- threatened mammal conservation.

Please get your applications for the August funding round in asap. The next round begins in October.  https://wettenhall.org.au/grants/small-environmental-grants/ for more information.

Qantas is offering $5 million over five years through a new program to support regional communities.

The Qantas Regional Grants program provides financial, flight, and marketing support to community groups and organisations to help further their causes. Applicants can apply for a share of $1 million offered per year. Entry is open to Australian-based individuals, not-for-profit community groups and organisations seeking to help people in regional communities.

Apply here. Applications close Friday, 30 August 2019 at 5pm AEST.

Image by Tina on Unsplash.

The Tackling Tough Times Together grant program helps communities access the resources they need to support one another through the ongoing effects of the drought. https://www.frrr.org.au/ Round 15 closes 16 October 2019. EOIs for the $150K tier must be received by 25 September 2019.

This program is designed to provide flexible funding to support community-based activities that both help to relieve current stressors and symptoms, and most importantly, build capacity and resilience for the future. Funds could also support activities that engage your local community in being proactive, exploring options and creating something that will stand the test of tough times.

Projects must clearly demonstrate a focus on one activity from the following seven activity areas. 

Hi I am Nurul Amin, a PhD student at the University of New England. I want to speak to farmers so that I can understand what factors motivates you to build soil carbon. Is it more information? Is it increases in pasture growth? Or is it driven by other factors? Here's why...

During the 2016 - 2109 Local Landcare Coordinator Project funded by a partnership between Landcare NSW and NSW Local Land Services, our Local Landcare Coordinators produced a series of case studies as a result of some of the great work they facilitated. Here they are:

Case Study 1 - Agroforestry Alive

Case Study 2 - Arding Landcare Re-invigorated

Case Study 3 - Council Support Provides Certainty

Case Study 4 - Diversifying Income

Case Study 5 - Horses for Courses

Case Study 6 - Hosting Conversations that Matter

Case Study 7 - Landcare Legend Shares His Story

Case Study 8 - Local Member Musters

Case Study 9 - Mentoring Students Pays Off

Case Study 10 - NENW Landcare Adventure 2017

Case Study 11 - New Urban Youth Group

Case Study 12 - Season for Soil

Case Study 13 - Weed Wackers Regreen Black Creek

Case Study 14 - What Future for Chilean Needle Grass in our Region?

Case Study 15 - When Two Become One

Case Study 16 - Where was YOUR BFF Today?

In 2017 ornithologist Dr Andrew Huggett conducted surveys of bird communities in native vegetation in the Armidale to Uralla district as part of our NSW Environmental Trust 'Closing the Gap' project. Here's what he found.

Image - SNELandcare member Helen Webb enjoys her copies of the survey reports, which contain many beautiful bird images.

Native vegetation is a rich and fundamental element, vital for the health of our environment, sustaining wildlife and agriculture, as well as protecting soils, water and threatened species. Find out how a localised native plant database is proving invaluable to local landholders.

Junior Landcare has a challenge for kids across Australia to build 1,000 bee hotels in schools, homes and with community groups. With the support of teachers, parents and landcare groups, children will learn why bees are important to their local environment.

Get ready to bee involved, the campaign will launch during Landcare Week on Monday 2 September. Register your interest HERE.

Image by Damien Tupinier on Unsplash.com.