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Freebies & Downloads |
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This page will be used to publicise those documents, plans, freebies and public notices that become available from time to time.
About the Molonglo Catchment
We have prepared a factsheet about the Molonglo Catchment; hardcopies are available from the MCG office, Greening Australia, Environment ACT, and Council Offices.
Download "About the
Molonglo Catchment" Factsheet
Landcare / Parkcare is about community and government working together, to reduce land and water degradation to develop sustainable land use. Our environment is naturally fragile and damages easily. Sustainable land use helps keep our land and water healthy and productive, so we don’t risk
Why should I care? We all depend on the land for the food we eat, the water we drink, the clothes we wear, and our housing and recreation needs. We all need to work together to care for our land, to maintain our standard of living and to keep food costs down. The brochure is available from from the MCG office, Greening Australia, Environment ACT, and Council Offices.
Download "Getting
Involved" brochure
Lake Burley Griffin Willow Management Plan
The Plan can be downloaded, or viewed online.
Glovebox guide to frogs of the ACT region
Glovebox guide to Waterplants of the ACT region
Biodiversity in the Paddock - a land
manager's guide "The grassy woodlands of the south-east are an Australian icon. The widely-spaced eucalypt trees, dry grass, stockmen, sheep, cattle, and remote homesteads are part of Australia’s national identity." "This booklet is about the role that native pastures have in a landscape that was once grassy woodland but which now supports a range of land uses."
Download (
David Eddy, WWF "The aim of this booklet is to provide background information, guidance and encouragement to managers of native grasslands. Considerable variety is found among the native grasslands of temperate south-eastern Australia. However, many of the ecological concepts and management requirements are common to all. This booklet is based on experience of the NSW Southern Tablelands, but is written in general terms so that the information might be useful throughout the NSW Tablelands and beyond. Much of the information should also be useful to grassy woodland managers throughout and beyond the Tablelands." This is just one of many, many documents available for download from the WWF website! See www.wwf.org.au/publications.
Download (
Play Catchment Detox at www.catchmentdetox.net.au to see if you can repair a damaged river catchment and create a sustainable and thriving economy. It's an online game where you're in charge of the whole catchment. You get to decide what activities you undertake - whether to plant crops, log forests, build factories or set up national parks. The aim is to fix environmental problems and provide food and wealth for the population.
National Trust (ACT) has prepared a number of brochures for self-guided heritage walks and tours of different areas in Canberra. The brochures available free of charge in hard copy from the National Trust (ACT) Office, from the Old Parliament House Shop or downloaded from the ACT National Trust website. Tours in the Molonglo catchment include:
See the ACT National Trust website for the full list of self-guided tours.
Self-guided walks in the Molonglo Catchment by ACT Parks, Conservation and Lands
Guides for other walks are available for download from the ACT Territory and Municipal Services website
Information on native grasslands and woodlands of southern Australia can be accessed at the new Woodland Web website designed by researchers at Charles Sturt University. Visit the Woodland Web at www.csu.edu.au/herbarium/woodlandweb/
The Atlas of Living Australia has been developed to build a better picture of the Australian biosphere. It already holds over 23 million records on the distribution of Australia’s fauna and flora, in addition to maps, images and literature. Members of the public can help to build the database by contributing local photographs and information. The website at, www.ala.org.au, focuses on Australia’s amazing plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms. It provides access to an array of information, including species pages, names lists, ID keys, over 23 million records, photos, mapping tools and more. But more information about all Australian species is needed to help researchers and others protect and manage Australia’s biodiversity. You can help by contributing photos and information to the site. The Atlas project is a national scientific collaboration between the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Australian natural history collections community and the Australian Government.
Two, new tools have been developed as part of a Bureau of Meteorology project sponsored by the Managing Climate Variability program. One tool shows a range of rainfall scenarios for most rainfall recording stations in Australia and the other is an online product to find out what factors are influencing the climate in their region by clicking on an interactive map. For further details visit www.bom.gov.au/watl
Serrated Tussock National Best Practice Management Manual
This is a great resource now available to those who wish to know more about serrated tussock and keep up to date with research. The guide can be downloaded from www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/serratedtussock
Designed to help provide effective management solutions for blackberry within the context of integrated weed management, this manual brings together detailed information about the plant itself, as well as best practice information about existing control and management options. By reading this document you will discover that there is no one best method for control; instead, there is a range of factors that need to be considered and weighed up for each particular situation. The manual can be downloaded from www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/blackberry The document has been divided into seven files so that it can be downloaded in smaller sections to make it more accessible to people with slow internet connections.
National Willows Management Guide
The Sustainable Canberra Garden website has been prepared by Edwina Richardson AILA, and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) with assistance from an ACT Government Environment Grant. The website consists of a series of fact sheets and case studies illustrating how Canberra residents can improve the sustainability of their gardens. Topics addressed are about designing a sustainable garden that:
and presents 5 case studies that demonstrate these principles.
The life and times of most of these birds are described in this book, illustrated with brilliant colour photographs and abundance graphs. Birds of Canberra Gardens describes the abundance and distribution of birds, and discusses how they are likely to be found at different times throughout the year, and in different places. The book also provides some ideas on how your garden may be made more attractive to native birds. Birds of Canberra Gardens is an excellent introduction to the birds of Canberra. It demonstrates graphically the delights of nature that are available to us here in Canberra, as long as we open our eyes and our ears. The book is for sale from COG (through Martin Butterfield martinflab at gmail.com) for $25.00.
Greening Australia Publications
Aboriginal Scarred Trees in NSW : a field manual NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change
'Aboriginal Scarred Trees in New South Wales' has been written to help those who wish to record Aboriginal scarred trees or who wish to distinguish between Aboriginal scarring and scars that are the result of natural processes such as tree disease and lightning strikes. Hardcopies of the publication can are also available for $10.95; visit http://www.shop.nsw.gov.au/pubdetails.jsp?publication=7964
Download from the DECC website (
Understanding Our Native Grasslands
Books from NSW AgricultureAlthough not free, books from the NSW Department of Primary Industry offer invaluable information for prospective small area farmers at a reasonably low price. Visit www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/small-farm or click on the images below.
Books from the Institute for Rural Futures Weed Detection and Control on Small Farms: A Guide for Owners
This booklet is the result of a project led by Professor Sindel and funded by Land & Water Australia in which the ‘best practice’ weed detection and control practices used by Australian landholders and weeds officers were identified. During this research, the project team confirmed the findings of other research which suggests that owners of small ‘hobby’ farms find it more difficult than professional farmers to control weeds on their land, often due to lack of time and labour, insufficient knowledge and lack of appropriate equipment. Nonetheless, research also suggests that small farm owners are motivated to improve their ability to control weeds. The booklet is designed to draw on this enthusiasm by suggesting easy to implement methods for controlling weeds on small farms. It discusses the importance of controlling weeds, the principles of weed detection (where and when to look for weeds on the farm, how to identify an unknown plant and what to do when a new weed outbreak is found), weed control responsibilities and methods appropriate to small farm owners, guidelines for responsible herbicide use and accreditation, and available weed control assistance. The booklet is available for free download ( Weed Detection and Control on Small Farms: A Guide for Owners
(Adapted from UrbanNRM) Greywater use has become so widespread in many parts of Australia that it is now more a case of who isn’t using greywater to keep their gardens alive. This is great news for water conservation efforts. Greywater use is not an exact science, though, and successful greywater irrigation depends on a number of factors including soil type, plant type and ultimately which chemicals and elements make up your greywater. Typically, laundry and bathroom water
are the most common and safest waste waters to use depending on which products
you are using. The Alternative Technology Association (ATA), in conjunction with
Associate Professor Barry Meehan and RMIT University’s Environmental Science
Department, has completed a
study looking at the impact of bathroom products on soils ( "The study has shown that when bathroom greywater is to be used as a source of irrigation water, then the selection of appropriate products is critical. It was found that the effects of greywater on soil will vary depending on the type of soil present." A previous study by
Lanfax Laboratories
had looked at laundry greywater. Lanfax has recently updated its
study of laundry powder detergents ( Understanding the effects of greywater on soil and subsoil is important for the management of wastewater treatment systems in rural areas. "No 'safe in septic' standards or acceptable guidelines exist, and no laundry product can be 'environmentally friendly'."
Managing for and recovering from drought - factsheets The NSW Department of Primary Industries have released an updated series of fact-sheets to guide planning for drought and drought recovery. They are equally applicable in considering how to manage for the very likely climate change:
See the latest publications on www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture
The Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Coordinating Committee has produced a number of publications tailored for small property owners and managers in the Upper Murrumbidgee catchment. Look after your natural assets
Unearthing Wetlands of the Upper Murrumbidgee... Fact Sheet for Rural Landholders
In the past wetlands were seen as problem areas - land lost to production because of waterlogged soils or that created difficulties with access. It was a common practice to fill or drain boggy land without understanding its importance and value. This fact sheet is designed to assist rural landholders to identify and manage wetlands in the upper Murrumbidgee catchment. The fact sheet is available through the UMCCC's Rural Display Units in various locations around the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment, and at Cooma-Monaro Shire, Queanbeyan City and Palerang Council Offices, and the Murrumbidgee CMA Queanbeyan Office.
Download (
Living with Drought for Small Rural Blocks in the Upper Murrumbidgee ... Fact Sheet for Rural Landholders
Groundwater in the Upper Murrumbidgee - understanding your bore... Fact Sheet for Rural Landholders
Willow Management - A strategy for the Upper Murrumbidgee
There is a strong history of willow management in the upper Murrumbidgee — many of the accepted strategies and techniques began or have been tested in the region. An early ‘Willow Warrior’ in this region, Kurt Cremer, spent much of his later life observing, mapping and developing some of the management techniques that are included in this strategy. The work that Kurt began personally has been carried on by the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Coordinating Committee — documented and extended by the development of a formal position, successful application for funding, and the appointment of two project officers during the life of the project to date. Tom Nilsen began the role and Douglas Kerruish has completed the writing of this strategy. Review by Molonglo Waterwatch Coordinator, Dr Stephen Skinner: Yet another willows document ... but this one is different. The scene is set and a little historical background is added. Then there is a natural history of willows in eastern Australia and the behaviours that make them weedy. The byzantine nature of willow identification is presented well. The resourceful anatomy and physiology of the willow is summarised clearly, and the disruption this causes in Upper Murrumbidgee riparian areas is well documented. In all, Chapter 3 is a great read both as a presentation of Salix species as what they are, and as a clear exposé of what they can and will do in our waterways when we let them. There is an outline of the mapping and the strategy to control the spread. The last chapter presents the status of willows in each of the 9 catchments that make up the Upper Murrumbidgee. The reader is engaged with both local ‘what needs to be done’ and ‘who else has similar problems’ in a readable way with plenty of meaty information. The reference list is comprehensive. Read this willows document! You will come away well informed and with realistic expectations about willows management. Well done Doug and all those who contributed! A limited number of hardcopies of the strategy are available. The Strategy is available on CD from the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Coordinating Committee. The Strategy is available for download in 5 parts:
Part 1 (
Part 2 (
Part 3 (
Part 4 (
Part 5 (
Peri-Urban Weed Management Study Exploring Agents of Change to Peri-urban Weed Management Darryl Low Choy and Jo Harding
The management of invasive species is of increasing concern to land managers. National and state listed weeds are a particular threat to agricultural production and biodiversity. This study has confirmed that rural lifestyle landowners are often limited their ability to respond to weed issues on their properties. These limitations are due to a lack of awareness, lack of knowledge of the problem, different value sets from those of traditional rural landowners, and a lack of time and resources. It has, however, been noted that this new wave of rural lifestyle landowners tend to be typically well-educated, have high incomes, and value natural landscapes. To ensure that future weed management strategies are successful in this new and changing rural landscape, management agencies will need to fully engage this critical group of emergent landscape managers.
Download (
Rural Landholder’s Guide To Environmental Law in NSW - 2nd Edition
The topics covered in this booklet include:
The
60 page guide (
The Environmental Defender’s Office (NSW) Ltd is a not-for-profit community legal centre specialising in public interest environmental law. The EDO helps individuals and community groups who are working to protect the natural and built environment. The EDO is part of a national network of EDOs who help to protect the environment through law in their States. EDO NSW has recently released a number of new and updated publications:
Visit the EDO website at www.edo.org.au/edonsw/site
The Birds in Backyards website, www.birdsinbackyards.net, is designed to link old and new bird lovers alike into the magic of Australian birds. An initiative of the Sydney-based Birds in Backyards program supported by Birds Australia and the Australian Museum, the site is focused on urban birds, habitats and conservation issues and is relevant for the 85% of Australians who live in urban areas. Special Features include:
Florabank aims to increase the availability of high quality native seed for large scale revegetation projects across Australia and bring people together to share information and resources about seed management. Florabank recognises and shares the best available knowledge from research and practice in native species seed management. Florabank supports a professional and clever seed industry, encouraging quality and choice for buyers of native Australian seed. The website includes best available knowledge from research and practice in native species seed management. Florabank develops locally and regionally adaptable online decision support tools on the website for the native seed industry including a:
Foster a market of "premium price for premium seed" by recognising different standards of seed collection, handling and storage procedures. Visit www.florabank.org.au
A design and printer resource for landcare volunteers groups
Integrated Vegetation website updated The Integrated Vegetation web site http://data.brs.gov.au/mapserv/intveg/index.html contains current regional NRM boundaries for all states and territories as well as summary vegetation profile for each NRM region. Veg profiles are available as a pdf file and can be accessed through the Vegetation Profile button on the left hand side of the screen immediately below the vegetation map for individual regions (you will need to navigate to a region to see the map). The profiles provide basic stats on area, population size and trend, climate zones, major towns, land use and production value for each NRM region. Note for users - The information is potentially valuable but its presentation is rather low key. Unfortunately the web site does not provide a feedback mechanism but Gerry Maynes is happy to forward any comments on. Gerry suggests that it needs a short lead in description of what information is available through the profiles so users know it is available.
Australian Soil Resource
Information System The ASRIS site is designed as an interactive web tool to give Australian farmers new productivity gains through access to world’s best practices and technology. It will provide information to enable regional natural resource management groups to plan, monitor and evaluate their investments in soil management. ASRIS can be accessed online at www.asris.csiro.au and further advice is available from CSIRO on 02 6246 5922 or email aclep at csiro.au
Catchment Modelling toolkit
Weeds management
game and competition for schools
Understanding Canberra's wetlands A school curriculum program for the study of constructed urban wetlands
ELA 2 - The student understands and applies the inquiry process ELA 19 - The student understands and applies scientific knowledge ELA 20 - The students acts for an environmentally sustainable future These units build understanding of what a wetland is and the place of wetlands in larger systems. They explore the practice of managing urban stormwater by constructing urban wetlands. In order to understand that the Canberra region hosts a diverse array of wetlands, information is provided on sites such as the Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Ginini Flats, Nursery Swamp, Horse Park and Lake George. A case study focuses on the David St, O'Connor urban wetland, constructed in 2001. Understanding Canberra's wetlands: a school curriculum program for the study of constructed urban wetlands (2010) - can be downloaded from the ACT Department of Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water website.
Reducing the current risk of serrated tussock expansion Lori McWhirter, Agronomist, DPI Goulburn and Sherryl Broderick, National Serrated Tussock Coordinator have released a fact sheet about reducing the current risk of tussock expansion. Research indicates that serrated tussock germinates mainly in autumn but can germinate throughout the year given adequate soil moisture and temperature. When they first germinate tussocks are only one fine leaf blade and are difficult to see. However, the seedling stage is the weakest part of the lifecycle and the most effective time for preventing expansion. In the coming months, germinating seeds may have little competition for soil moisture, nutrients and light. The best chance of preventing further spread of infestations is to promote rigorous competitive pastures and to maintain a rigorous mechanical or chemical control program to prevent growth and seeding. The fact sheet advises assessment of the proportion of groundcover to enable concentration on rehabilitating areas at the greatest risk of invasion.
The Flora of South-East Yarrowlumla - A Preliminary Assessment (Peter
Barrer, 1997) The report is available for downloading - caution large file. Hardcopies are available from Carwoola Landcare Group for $10 plus postage.
The Bushlands of Mt Foxlow
- Harrisons Peak - A Preliminary Ecological Assessment (Nicki Taws, 1998) The report is available for downloading - caution large file. Hardcopies are available from Carwoola Landcare Group for $10 plus postage.
Best Practice Guidelines for Urban Irrigation In a first for the water industry in Australia, a national set of best practice guidelines for urban irrigation and home garden irrigation was developed in 2006. This major achievement for the industry is the result of a project funded by the Water Services Association of Australia and the Irrigation Association of Australia. The Guidelines come in two parts: Guide to Good Garden Watering: a 4-page publication is a simple
reference for home gardeners and provides basic information about irrigating
home gardens. Download your free copy
Guide to Good Garden Watering ( Urban Best Management Practice Guidelines : a publication intended as a guide for the commercial irrigation sector for $33 . Visit the Irrigation Association of Australia website for more information.
BUSHWISE IN QUEANBEYAN: living with bushland
The book contains information on Queanbeyan’s special relationship with bushland, local native flora and fauna, sustainable gardening and issues related to water and fire. The information in this book was compiled with the help of local scientific, landscape and landcare experts, rangers, residents, officers of Queanbeyan City Council and senior students and staff from the University of Canberra. It is based on feedback from a survey of Queanbeyan residents conducted in 2005 to determine interest in issues related to living with bushland and to identify information that residents would like to have. This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through the Our Environment – It’s a Living Thing program and is a joint initiative of Queanbeyan City Council and Carwoola Landcare Group. Bushwise in Queanbeyan: living with bushland is a free book. It will be distributed in early August 2006 to all Queanbeyan residents whose properties are next to bushland. For those Queanbeyan residents who do not receive a copy, further copies may be obtained at the Environmental Services counter at 257 Crawford St, Queanbeyan City Library, the Tourist Information Office or the Queanbeyan Nursery. It may also be downloaded from the Queanbeyan City Council website. Download
Bushwise in Queanbeyan: living with bushland ( If you have any enquiries about Bushwise in Queanbeyan: living with bushland, please contact Natasha Abbott of Council’s Environmental Services, on 6298 0268.
Horses Land & Water Management guidelines The Horses Land and Water Community of Practice is a group of like-minded people who share information about a set range of topics, in this case, horse keeping and good land management practices. The Horses Land and Water Management guidelines for whole of property, paddock management and intensive horse keeping can be accessed at www.horseslandwater.com. Other resources available include workshops, forums and newsletters.
Horse property management
Weeds website: Weeds in Australia
With the Minister for Conservation, Senator Eric Abetz, and the Assistant Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, John Cobb, Mr Ross launched a new website - www.weeds.gov.au - to help people identify which plants can be a problem in their local area, and to provide advice on how to manage them. The website is part of a national campaign to highlight the problem of weeds and to prevent their spread into the environment. “Some of the most invasive weeds in our environment have escaped from gardens into adjoining bushland, waterways and national parks,” Senator Abetz said. “Of the 20 weeds identified as Australia’s worst, 16 were introduced for ornamental purposes. “Weeds are now a $4 billion annual drain on agriculture in lost production and weed control costs.”
Weeds are a problem for everyone. We can all
take action to defeat the weed menace.
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About the Molonglo Catchment Group Contacts Links PrivacySend mail to
webmaster with questions or comments about this web site.
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Nearly
230 bird species have been recorded in and around Canberra suburban gardens over
the past 27 years in the Canberra Ornithologists Group’s Garden Bird Survey.
Sindel,
B. & Coleman, M. 2010. Weed Detection and Control on Small Farms: A Guide for
Owners. 
From
the foreword to the Strategy by Drew English:
Rural
lifestyle landowners occupy peri-urban areas—the non-urban landscape close to
urban or regional centres. These landowners do not derive their living directly
from their properties as they have chosen these locations essentially for
‘lifestyle’ purposes. Because the rural lifestyle is increasingly popular, the
landowners are key stakeholders in future landscape management.
The
ACT Department of the Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Water and the ACT
Department of Education and Training have produced a 56 page coloured booklet on
constructed and natural wetlands. Units of work are provided for early
childhood, later childhood, early adolescence and later adolescence. They focus
on three essential learning achievements: 
