ARRC NEWSLETTER – JANUARY 2021 EDITION
Hello everyone!
For those of you who really look forward to this newsletter, and hearing a lovely message from Siwan, Iām sorry but you will have to wait a bit longer š
Siwan is currently wishing you a warm welcome to 2021 from Tuross Heads, enjoying her annual camping trip – see the photo below. Iām Pat, and for those who may not know my role at the ARRC, I handle a whole bunch of the web and tech-related āstuffā (yes, that is the official term) ā and am wishing you a very warm welcome to our first newsletter of the year.
āChangeā is the theme of this newsletter and our early discussions this year, as we introduce two new team members who joined the ARRC late last year. Masha and Kate bring fresh faces, bubbly personalities and fantastic ideas to the ARRC, and weāre excited to have them on board.
Following the ARRC survey last year, we are also going to be focussing more on the intersection between climate change and our rivers, and how we can enable change as individuals, communities and organisations. More on this below. I hope you enjoy this newsletter š
– Pat
ARRC ā WELCOME TO MASHA AND KATE!
Hi guys! Iām a marketing and media student who is passionate about how social media can support relationships, communities and growth. I was super excited to bring what I know about digital marketing into a field that I feel strongly about. Although Iām not (yet) an expert when it comes to the technical aspects of rivers or the environment, I love that I get to educate and make an impact on myself, and hopefully others, with the work that I do š
– Masha
Hi everyone, Iām Kate and I do the content writing and research for ARRC. As an environmental science student, I am very excited to be reading, writing and learning more about what is happening in the field, and sharing that with ARRCās audience! So far, working with ARRC has taught me a lot about the importance of people and connections for protecting our environment, and I am looking forward to further combining my environmental science background with this. š
– Kate
RIVERS OF CARBON – ONLINE COURSE
For 10+ years, we have been working alongside landholders and their communities to protect and restore rivers, creeks and wetlands for the long-term. Our āRivers of Carbonā approach is founded on the understanding that the living words around us, on land and in water, is based on carbon.
We are excited to bring our āRivers of Carbonā methodology online as a course that anyone can undertake to learn more about how to protect and restore riparian areas, so that they can provide multiple values and benefits to the people, plants and animals that rely upon them.
If this course is of interest to you, feel free to complete an Expression of Interest here and we will let you know as soon as it is available.
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ARRC – CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS
In November last year, a lovely group of undergraduate students (including Kate above) from Australian National University worked with the ARRC to run a survey to better understand your experience with us. It was great to see the results (you can read about them here), and gain a clearer sense of what you enjoyed and where we could improve.
One of the key recommendations that came through from the majority of survey responders was the development of a professional development and knowledge sharing network ā one that did not require a large investment of time and effort but allowed individuals to connect, exchange ideas and have meaningful conversations.
Rather than introducing yet another Zoom invite into your diaries (weāre aware how exhausting these can get!), we are keeping it simple and introducing a new LinkedIn Group which you can join. Over the course of the year, we will have experts in various fields ā from climate change, to river restoration, to fish migration and movement, and other topics you wish to nominate ā join us to start conversations and share knowledge. These conversation threads will then remain open in the group for people to engage in when they are able to.
FLOW – MONITORING, EVALUATION AND RESEARCH PROGRAM
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office share their first story on Flow-MER, telling us how science helps them make decisions about how best to use water for the environment. We often donāt hear these stories, and we urge you to have a read.
Along with these are two fantastic new stories, on monitoring arboreal lizards in floodplain environments and protecting and recovering our Murray cod.
ARRC ā PODCAST
Upcoming conversations with Mark Howden and Rod Taylor
Professor Mark Howden is the Director of the Climate Change Institute at the Australian National University, and a Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and weāre excited to have a conversation over a cuppa with Mark in the coming weeks.
Mark has worked in climate variability, climate change, innovation and adoption issues for over 30 years in partnership with many industry, community and policy groups via both research and science-policy roles, and we are keen to hear his thoughts on retaining hope in the face of a changing climate in Australia.
We are also going to be speaking with journalist Rod Taylor, who recently published āTen Journeys on a Fragile Planetā which reflects on ten Australians interviews, where he dug deep into what people can achieve when they dedicate themselves toward changing the course of our climate and give us hope for the future. We are honoured that Siwan is the last interviewee and chapter of this book, and our chat with Rod hopes to continue this conversation.
Stay tuned!
FINTEREST
What is a blackwater event and how can we help?
We have all seen the awful photos of black sludgy water and dead fish that show the impacts of what is known as a āblackwater eventā. We wanted to understand why and how blackwater events occur, and what we might be able to do to help.
Dr Gina Newton shares an insightful article on blackwater events ā their cause, their impact and what we can do with the increasing frequency of such events.
RIVERS OF CARBON – NEW RESOURCES
In December 2020, we held a webinar on āManaging stock and waterwaysā with Rivers of Carbon Program Manager Lori Gould, and a field trip on āImproving farm roads and tracks to withstand erosionā in conjunction with Peter Fogarty from NSW Soil Knowledge Network and Ashley Bolton from the Soil Conservation Service NSW.
Feel free to check out the webinar recording, and the guide that was produced following the field day (which includes a short video of the field day itself)…
INSPIRATION
Hope underpins a new podcast called āHopecastā by Jane Goodall, which we discovered recently.
In it, she shares stories of hope and resilience, and we thought it might encouraging all of us to embrace the power of an individual to make a difference.
PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION GIFT TO KEEP US DOING WHAT WE DO BEST
Have you enjoyed reading our newsletter and watching the videos we have provided?Ā If so, you might like to give us a donation that reflects what you feel this newsletter means to you. We rely on donations to keep sharing knowledge and staying in touch. As a registered charity recognised under the ACNC, we report to them every year about the contributions people have made in the form of donations.Ā When you donate we can demonstrate that we are valued, and that people are willing to support to us so we can continue to build future resources for you and others alike.
Or send your donation via Direct Transfer:
Westpac Bank
ARRC Public Fund
BSB: 032-730
Account: 198844
If using direct transfer please have as the reference your name & date of donation.Ā I can send you a receipt if required, just email enquiries@arrc.com.au with the details of your donation.Ā Thank you š
