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Trust for Nature
Locust advice
3 September 2010
Victoria faces what is being described as potentially the worst locust plague for 75 years. Large numbers of eggs are expected to hatch from late September in northwest Victoria, through to mid-October in areas south of Echuca and late October in the Horsham areas.
The Australian Plague Locust has been declared an exotic pest under the Plant Health and Plant Products Act 1995. Under the declaration, all landholders or land managers are legally obliged to report the presence of locusts on their property and to provide appropriate treatment.
To report locust activity call the DPI Locust Hotline on 1300 135 559.
Trust for Nature is working in collaboration with relevant agencies on the most appropriate action and methods of treatment covenanting landowners should undertake to deal with the locust plague. These include the Department of Sustainability & Environment (DSE), the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and the Australian Plague Locust Commission (APLC).
Properties owned by Trust for Nature and properties with Trust for Nature conservation covenants have biodiversity and environmental values. DSE and DPI acknowledge this and support an approach that protects biodiversity values as much as possible.
Trust for Nature is working with DPI, DSE and the regional Incident Management Teams to determine the most appropriate course of action for locust control.
Relevant update information and links will be placed on our website progressively over the next two months.
For more information visit the DPI website
Every day you can do something to help protect Victoria’s animals, plants and ecosystems.
Celebrate the arrival of Spring by volunteering your time to help endangered species like the Helmeted Honeyeater.
Pledge now (it's free) at Act4Nature
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Actively protecting endangered species across Victoria – forever
Trust for Nature’s commitment to environmental education has been a core part of the organisation since our establishment nearly 40 years ago. But Victoria’s endangered ecologies will only be protected if there is investment in educating and supporting those volunteers who manage the covenanted land.
Trust for Nature recognises that our covenant holders and local committees are at the front line of conservation in Victoria, and are the best placed to monitor their bushland. By providing these people with information on the endangered species that call their property home, covenant holders and local committees are in a better position to actively protect the bush for everyone.
For example, wouldn’t we all like to know how to care for a Southern Brown Bandicoot, if we found one living in our backyard? And how to foster the plant species it relies upon?
The Southern Brown Bandicoot is listed as a nationally endangered species. It has also been recorded on several Trust for Nature covenants, using them as vitally important habitat. By empowering covenant holders and local committees (through workshops, publications, monitoring & specialist advice) we are able to ensure that such habitat remains available to species like the Southern Brown Bandicoot, amongst others.
The Trust for Nature supports local, small group and individual education of land managers to protect endangered species. We ask that you consider co-investing with us to ensure that current and future generations of landholders and managers know how to protect Victoria’s endangered ecologies forever.
Click here to make an investment in Victoria’s endangered species today.
Photo: Rolf Willig
Trust for Nature is pleased to release a state-wide map of conservation covenants
9 March 2010
Since the first signing of a conservation covenant in 1987, Trust for Nature has entered into over 960 covenant agreements, covering an area approaching 40,000 hectares. In addition, Trust for Nature has acquired many sites of natural significance that have either been transferred to the public estate as conservation reserves or retained as conservation properties by the Trust. Currently Trust for Nature owns about 50 properties totalling more than 35,000 hectares of native habitat. This remarkable achievement has been made possible through public support for Trust for Nature's work, through philanthropic organisations, state and federal funding, and multiple partnerships with Victorian agencies and environmental organisations over the years. Interest in Trust for Natures covenant program continues to mount.
Interest in Trust for Natures covenant program continues to increase. However, as more private vegetation across Victoria is permanently protected under the covenant program, there is a need to manage the risks associated with placement of services and infrastructure as our regional and semi-urban populations grow. Managing and minimising this risk to the privately-protected estate of native vegetation requires cooperation between governing authorities, development companies, landholders, and Trust for Nature.
Therefore, Trust for Nature is pleased to release a state-wide map of conservation covenants and Trust for Nature-owned properties. The objective of the map is to assist project development managers and contractors in flagging potential impact on covenanted land and to reduce the risk of damage to covenanted land. A higher resolution map is available for download and distribution (pdf). If you believe your project will impact upon a covenant or Trust for Nature property, we encourage you to contact Trust for Nature for referral to the relevant Regional Manager in your area. Planners may also wish to acquire a GIS layer of the covenants and properties by contacting the GIS Manager at Trust for Nature, via the head office.
Conservation Covenants across Victoria
Much of our natural bush (grasslands, wetlands, forests and heathlands), is on privately owned land and these precious ecosystems are increasingly threatened. When cleared, we will lose not only beautiful landscapes, but also the diversity of plants and animals that they support.
These remnants of natural bush contain complex ecosystems (rare in public parks or reserves) and even subtle changes can alter these, leading to a loss of diversity that is difficult to repair.
With nearly 70 per cent of Victoria cleared of bush it is crucial we act now to conserve and enhance what little remains of unprotected bush left on Victorian private land.
Australia is already witnessing the impact of climate change. Trust for Nature is ready to act but we need your help to save Victoria's natural bushlands forever.
Trust for Nature provides land protection, management support and monitoring, purchases and on-sells private land through its Revolving Fund and accepts donations of private land for conservation via gifts or bequests.
Consider donating to Trust for Nature today!
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