Ah, the long weekend is upon us! For some it will mean races, for some it will be a weekend away and for others, just a chance to sleep in and catch up. Whatever you are doing, I hope that you have a great time!

Once you have recovered from the long weekend, there is heaps to look forward to if you are hoping to get out there and make a difference.

The Central West Local Land Services (CWLLS) are holding a series of Soil Pits and Kits workshops in June. The first workshop will be held at Bedgerabong on Wednesday, 14 June, followed by Peak Hill on Friday, 16 June. We will also be working with CWLLS on 23 June when they head to Cookamidgera for their third workshop.

The Soil Pits and Kits days are held to assist landholders in gaining skills and resources to analyse their soil chemistry, biology and physical characteristics to improve the ongoing management of their land.

We will hear from Ian Packer, who has a wealth of experience to draw from. You guessed it! Ian will be getting down into the pit so that we can get in and have a good look.

To register, please contact Chris Robinson on 0447 636 129 or email chris.robinson@lls.nsw.gov.au or contact me on 02 6862 4914 or cwllpo@hotmail.com if you are joining us at Cookamidgera.

The workshops will run between 9am and 3pm and morning tea and lunch is provided, so your RSVP is essential.

Do you use a Travelling Stock Route (TSR) in your local area? Did you know that it is illegal to remove timber for any purpose from a TSR? Many TSR’s are open to the public for a range of uses as well as livestock. Most are open to the public for a range of recreational activities, including fishing, picnicking and bushwalking.

Firewood collection can damage their ecological and cultural values and can result in damage to vegetation and removal of native habitat for wildlife. I know, some people might be thinking that just cutting up one or two logs can’t hurt. If everyone did the same there would be nothing left. We could lose some important remnants.

Local Land Services (LLS) staff closely monitor TSRs and illegal activities such as firewood collection, motorbike riding and dumping of rubbish. If you require further information about TSR use, please contact the LLS on 1300 795 299.

The next meeting of the Central West Lachlan Landcare (CWLL) Committee will be held at the Forbes Services Club on Wednesday, 21 June at 6pm. RSVP for our meetings is essential. Details below.

Central West Lachlan Landcare will be holding the first Forbes Landcare Bushrangers planting event next weekend. The planting will be held near the Bird Hide at Gum Swamp (via the Newell Highway). The Swamp is an important

We will be meeting at 9am and finishing up with morning tea at 11am. Bring your thermos for a cuppa, gum boots would be beneficial and please bring a chair. This planting is part of the Painted Snipe Project to improve bird habitat at Gum Swamp and reduce weed problems, such as Noogoora Burr along the banks. This is an important water body for our region and an important stop off for migratory birds.

If you can’t plant, but would just like to be part of the morning, we would still love you to head out. Please RSVP to cwllpo@hotmail.com or ring 02 6862 4914.

For more information on anything in this article, go to our website, http://www.centralwestlachlanlandcare.org or our facebook page.

Until next week, happy Landcaring!