RipRap Edition 35: Restoring Rivers and Wetlands to Life

Siwan Lovett — Thu, 02 May 2013 01:00:25 +0000

Out Now!

Want to be inspired and amazed at the work going on around Australia to protect and restore our rivers and wetlands? Then this is a must see edition of RipRap! There are 72 pages full of the latest environmental protection, watering and research projects from across Australia. Government, not-for-proﬁt and commercial organisations provide a range of perspectives and insights – not all of them in agreement.

The edition makes a wonderful handout at conferences, workshops and anywhere you want to engage with people to demonstrate the great work we are doing to restore our riverine environments.

To order your copy online, visit the ARRC shop.

Free give away!

Want to win a copy of the latest edition of RipRap? We are giving away a few print copies to our social media fans, visit our Facebook page to find out how you can win a copy.

New Look for ARRC

Pat Gudhka — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:04 +0000

I have been having such a great time recently as Curate Bee (Pat, Sandra & Melissa), Allison (my long time designer) and the ARRC work together to update, rebrand and revitalise our look, approach and sense of purpose. For those of you who know me, I began the ARRC when my (beloved) Land & Water Australia was shut down. I wanted to ensure that the work we had done remained accessible, and the relationships I had made over many years were maintained and broadened. I also wanted to create an organisation that was not subject to the whims of politics and the political process. It has sometimes been hard to keep the ARRC ‘afloat’, however, this past six months has really seen the organisation turn a corner, with great new partnerships, terrific projects and the return of RipRap.

We wanted to celebrate the ARRC’s coming of age with a new look and logo. Allison has designed a logo that shows the ARRC being supported by two embracing ‘ark like’ curves, which could also be thought of as arms hugging and valuing all that the ARRC contains. Our purpose is to support, inspire and motivate people to value themselves and the rivers they care about. If you are reading this blog you are part of the ARRC and are being ‘hugged’ within the logo we have developed. We have also revamped our blog into a new Email Newsletter that has a combination of river research, events, happiness and social media information. We hope you enjoy this mix as it represents the themes we are interested in promoting through the ARRC. We are also gradually updating our website’s look so stay tuned for developments.

We appreciate any help you can give us in spreading the word about what we are doing at the ARRC. We really want to get RipRap out across Australia, so we can boost optimism, congratulate ourselves on the work we do, and keep great conversations and stories being shared.

Thank you for supporting us
Siwan

What is a River of Carbon? First in the new ARRC Technical Guideline Series

Siwan Lovett — Wed, 01 May 2013 02:20:02 +0000

This Guideline explains what bio-diverse carbon is, where it is found and how it relates to river management. It is easy to read and provides the science behind the carbon cycle, greenhouse gases, carbon sequestration, and how we can create ‘rivers of carbon’ for environmental and economic benefits.

Written by Jann Williams, Phil Price, Michael Rooney and Siwan Lovett, it moves beyond a simple fact sheet to provide clear, concise and accurate information about the opportunities ‘biodiverse carbon’ offers for landholders. The Guideline is part of the suite of products for the Rivers of Carbon: Southern Riparian Linkages project being managed by the ARRC on behalf of the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Future Biodiversity Fund.

You can find out more about this project by visiting the website www.riversofcarbon.org.au and joining us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Paul Humphries and Keith Walker: Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes

Siwan Lovett — Wed, 01 May 2013 02:08:55 +0000

Spotted galaxias, Galaxias truttaceus copyright Neil Armstrong

Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes is a new book edited by Paul Humphries and Keith Walker due to be published by CSIRO Publishing. This edited volume reviews the past and present understanding of the ecology of Australian freshwater fishes.

It compares patterns and processes in Australia with those on other continents, discusses the local relevance of ecological models from the northern hemisphere, and considers how best to manage our species and their habitats in the face of current and future threats. The chapters are written by some of our foremost researchers and managers, developing themes that underpin our knowledge of the ecology, conservation and management of fish and fish habitats.

You can order your copy online or via local call to CSIRO Publishing 1300 788 000

Spend some time with TED – The Happy Secret to Better Work

Siwan Lovett — Wed, 01 May 2013 01:57:46 +0000

One of the reasons I trained to be an Executive Coach last year is because I feel very strongly that people need to be encouraged, supported and inspired in their work. I am currently working with an amazing group of people who are facing the closure of their organisation. My role is to help with the all important resume writing, interview techniques and confidence building that can give us that extra optimism and energy we need to take up new challenges.

I want to share with you a great TED talk that I am recommending to all those I am working with. It is by Shawn Achor and he talks about the Happy Secret to Better Work in an engaging, funny way that will bring a smile to your face and a lightness in your step. Watch it below and let me know how you go.

Siwan

Social Media: Content That Will Wow Your Audience

Siwan Lovett — Wed, 01 May 2013 01:51:29 +0000

Social media is undeniably a great way of putting a face and voice to a company or business and build solid relationships so that you can grow a loyal supportive community of followers for your brand. By communicating with your community on a regular, more personal basis, you demonstrate to them that their comments are not only being acknowledged but their feedback, whether constructive or otherwise, is being taken seriously, and most importantly, is appreciated.

Let’s say you’ve got a community of people who like you. What’s next is getting them to rave about you so that your brand is amplified as one voice tells many. Imagine if everyone in your community brought just two more people to your website. Here are formulated 5 easy steps to give you that critically acclaimed continuous flow of traffic that many a social media enthusiast craves.

Barmah Millewa Research Conference: 30 April – 1st May 2013

Siwan Lovett — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:03:15 +0000

The Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, in partnership with Murray Darling Basin Authority, Office of Environment and Heritage, Parks Victoria and Yorta Yorta Aboriginal Corporation, is holding a research conference to bring together a broad range of researchers who have been involved with research and monitoring projects in the Barmah-Millewa Forests.

The primary audience for the conference will be researchers and natural resource managers

> from various agencies that are responsible for the management of the area.

Attendance is free with meals included during the day. Accommodation and the conference dinner costs are to be met directly by attendees.

This two-day event will be held at the Park Lake Shepparton from Tuesday 30th April to Wednesday 1st May 2013. More information here.

Water Stewardship Field Trial Report from Australia

Siwan Lovett — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:02:45 +0000

Water Stewardship Australia (WSA) has completed its report on the recent full field trial of the Australian Water Stewardship Standard (Draft 2). The trial involved working with Dairy Australia, Tatura Milk Industries and the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (GBCMA). The trial was supported by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA). The report makes a number of recommendations for ongoing development of water stewardship standards. It also observes a number of areas where existing practices in the region are good and where changes could improve current practice. Importantly, the trial has focused on how to deal with complexity of compliance requirements for small producers and how the Australian Standard can work with existing systems. The GBCMA found the water stewardship system could have considerable natural resource management benefits for the region. For Dairy Australia, the trial provided an opportunity to assess the performance of existing tools such as its Dairy Self-Assessment Tool and inform the development of targets and action plans in the industry’s sustainability

framework. A summary report is available here.

The full report will be available shortly from the WSA website.