True Tales of the Trout Cod – New Website and Publications

As I drift back through the years and think about my fishing in the Murrumbidgee, I can only say that it may not have been heaven, but  it was next door. — Noel Denson, Tumut

We are thrilled to be able to link you to the new True Tales of the Trout Cod website and publications.  Our team has been working on this project for the past nine months and we are delighted with what we have been able to develop.

Few people today can envisage the bountiful fish life that once existed throughout Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin. To get a true picture we have to look to the past, and Will Trueman has done just that with “True Tales of the Trout Cod”. This amazing collection of family stories and accounts of fish in different regions of the Basin, is combined with journal entries of notable explorers and settlers, rare and obscure historical references, newspaper articles and photographs from local families.

“True Tales” is an invaluable piece of work that provides a greater understanding of the fish and our rivers in the past, and the changes since European settlement.

Individual river histories have been developed into booklets for the Murrumbidgee, Goulburn, Lachlan, Mitta Mitta, Upper Murray and Lower Murray.  These booklets can be freely downloaded or hard copies ordered from the MDBA.  There are also twelve videos featuring Will talking about each of the different river histories, as well as stories about Aboriginal fish management and what Will believes are the opportunities and challenges for MDB communities, both human and ecological.

We hope you enjoy this collection of material.   We have created a range of different communication products to appeal to different audiences.  Please share them widely, as the knowledge Will gives so freely will become  enriched with the insights and experiences of others.

If you are coming to the 6th Australian Stream Management Conference please drop in and see us at our display stand as we will have all the products from the project freely available.

Siwan, Nerida, Richard, Vikki, Will, Melissa, Phil, Heleena and Allison

True Tales of the Trout Cod

Biodiversity Restoration Workshops – January 2012

Hi everyone and welcome to the New Year.

 
The Australian Government is providing support to Greening Australia to facilitate biodiversity restoration workshops across the country.  These workshops will focus on  establishing biodiverse plantings throughout the landscape, as well as providing communities with the most up to date methods for reintroducing and managing biodiversity.

Importantly, the workshops will help maximise the outcomes of existing and new natural resource management and environmental programs such as the Clean Energy Future’s Biodiversity Fund.  For more information about workshop content, dates and locations click here.

Siwan

Just a few weeks to go to the 6th Australian Stream Management Conference

The 6th Australian Stream Management Conference is just a few weeks away and I encourage you to get your registrations in for what promises to be a great knowledge sharing and networking event.

Don’t forget that the ARRC is running an interactive seminar on using narrative and story on the 7th of February -  we will have film-maker Richard Snashall and social network specialist Graham Durant-Law joining Nerida and myself to share the ways  narrative can be used in NRM.

I am also giving a keynote presentation on the Wednesday the 8th of Feb focusing on the impact ‘Managing for Extremes’ can have on people and communities, and what that means for the work and approaches we take as NRM practitioners.  We will also have a display stand and I am organising to get a number of Land & Water Australia publications to distribute so bring along a bag!  Hope to see you at the conference.

Siwan

National Water Commission Managing Wetlands Workshop Proceedings

The Managing Wetlands Workshop held in Canberra late last year provided information and tools for wetland practitioners based on best practice scientific research.  It was an excellent event and  I found it an extremely useful forum for knowledge exchange and networking.  The proceedings of the workshop are now available, with powerpoint presentations and a booklet summarising key findings presented at the workshop easy to access on line – just follow this link.
Siwan

Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes for the New Year

All the very best to you this Christmas season, we thank you for your support and hope to continue to exist in 2012, though this will depend on securing funding to keep our work going.  For the past eighteen months everything you see on this website has been done through volunteer labour and, to be honest, this is not sustainable.  We are hoping to get some support for our work in 2012 but we really need you to help us with ideas, support and a commitment to collaboration and knowledge sharing.

We are ending 2011 reasonably cheery as we believe what we are doing is worthwhile and we love working with people who are passionate about our rivers.  Rest, refresh and reinvigorate yourselves over the Christmas break and we look forward to working with you in 2012.

We would like to say a particular thanks to those that have worked as part of the ARRC team over the past year – Vikki Bell, Allison Mortlock, Melissa Gabelle, Matt Moore, Peter Rennie, Graham Durant-Law, Richard Snashall, Bruce Boyes, Sandra DeSouza, Phil Price, Ian Rutherfurd, Peter Davies (WA) and Leith Boully.

Siwan and Nerida