Carbon Farming Initiative
One of the tasks of the Glenelg Hopkins CMA's Regional Landcare Facilitator is to speak to farmers in the catchment about the Carbon Farming Initiative.
Groups from as far east as Burrumbeet to Dunrobin in the west, Heathmere in the south and Halls Gap in the north have requested that the RLF Bruce Knee speak at their meetings.
The main question farmers want answered is whether there is a realistic opportunity under the CFI for farmers to make money out of reducing carbon emissions or increasing carbon sequestration, that is, collecting carbon in the soil or in tree plantings.
Some of the large companies being forced to pay the carbon tax are already developing projects aimed at producing carbon credits to offset their emissions. There is also evidence of smaller companies seeing opportunities and buying land specifically for the purpose of creating carbon credits.
PlaceStories
The Landcare movement is a source of many uplifting stories; not just about environmental good works, but also the people involved, the social opportunities, the inspirations and ideas.
Most of these stories don't see the light of day.
That was until PlaceStories came along. PlaceStories is a digital storytelling and communications system, which is being used by the Landcare movement to share those stories of Landcare.
Bruce Knee, the Glenelg Hopkins CMA Landcare Facilitator, funded through DAFF, has been promoting the work of some of the groups in the catchment.
The PlaceStories site uses "postcards" to tell a story, which allows the groups to use an informal, chatty style of writing, and engages the readers more readily.
The tales of building nesting boxes at Tarragal, protecting Orange-bellied Parrot vegetation on the coast and forming a community group at Lake Bolac are the first three postcards sent from Glenelg Hopkins.
Bruce says that if anyone is interested in reading these stories, the web address is www.ps3beta.com, or they can find the site by typing "placestories" in their search engine. Go to "about" and then "stories". Anyone on Facebook can also find the site by searching for placestories.
If any Landcare groups would like to send a postcard, and tell their story, they can contact Bruce Knee at Glenelg Hopkins CMA - 55712526.