As we near the end of a very wet winter, the wattle blooms are well and truly out, reminding us that spring is just around the corner - a time of change and renewal.
Our small team at Biolinks has been undergoing some changes of its own, with our longstanding ecologist Chris Pocknee leaving to pursue a new and exciting opportunity. We also recently farewelled Hannah Conroy, our Nature on Farms Project Coordinator. We are very grateful for both Hannah and Chris for being part of the team and I wish them all the best in their next ventures.
It’s been a very busy year progressing our Goldfields Forest Restoration and Nature on Farms Projects, wrapping up our Deep Creek Biolink Pilot Project and running our Nature on Farms Symposium.
While the Symposium always takes a lot of work and effort to organise, the wonderful connections we made on the day, the fascinating talks and the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received from attendees reminded me why we do it and made all the hard work worthwhile.
Linked below you can find all the presentations in full, now available on our YouTube channel.
Following the success of the Symposium, I was blown away by the generosity of our community, who helped us raise over $18,000 this end of financial year to restore and reconnect habitat in Central Victoria.
The response to this campaign was heartening for us at a time when it feels like nature restoration is rarely prioritised for serious funding and attention. This showed us that Victorians want action to protect nature and are willing to roll up their sleeves and dig into their pockets to make it happen. We are so grateful for this support which really makes a difference to us as a small organisation trying to achieve change through low-cost, high-impact methods.
We recently celebrated Landcare Week in Australia, which made me reflect and feel incredibly grateful for all the wonderful people who form part of the Biolinks community and whose passion and purpose is central to the work we do. Two statistics struck me from the latest Landcare newsletter: in 2024 and 2025, Landcare volunteers contributed more than 1,000,000 volunteer hours and a total of unpaid work for public benefit valued at $56.8m for the two years.
Without our Landcare members and volunteers, our Friends groups and community working bees, none of our work would be possible and the Central Victorian landscape we cherish would be a very different place and much poorer for it.
Sophie Bickford
Biolinks Alliance Executive Director
Banner image by Cameron O'Mara
Bear and Twigg Farm. Image by Cameron O'Mara
2026 Nature on Farms Symposium
Reflecting on three days of learning & connection
Our Nature on Farms Symposium in June was the official launch of our major Nature on Farms program. Over three days in Bendigo we delved into the challenges and opportunities around bringing nature closer together with farming. We had over 200 attendees over the three days, representing three local councils, twelve Landcare groups and two Traditional Owner groups alongside a great turnout from the farming community.
Day One of the Symposium was a closed forum with Biolinks Alliance Network Member Groups, which afforded a great discussion around challenges and opportunities for bringing restoration and farming closer together.
On the main Symposium day, talks covered a wide range of topics from farm dam enhancement to natural capital accounting, the farm as a hub of ‘social biodiversity’, Traditional Owner farming projects and much more. Our team was blown away by the quality of the presentations and were thrilled to find this sentiment echoed in the feedback from attendees.
We were also very fortunate to have the renowned Anika Molesworth as our conference dinner speaker, who gave a fantastic talk on the impacts of climate change on farming and the essential role of farmers at the forefront of effective action.
The Symposium farm tour at Bear and Twigg was noted by many attendees as a highlight, demonstrating the concepts of natural asset farming in action. Jo and Greg Bear were incredibly generous, showing the tour group around various aspects of the property, from restored dams to soil testing sites, natural waterways and grassland management for shared sheep grazing and habitat for critically endangered Plains-wanderers. A huge thanks to Jo and Greg Bear for having us at their inspiring property.
We’re excited to announce that all of the talks from the Symposium are now available on our YouTube channeland on the Symposium web page. A huge thanks to our videographer Leonie Van Eyk who did a fantastic job of the filming, despite some unexpected technical challenges on the day.
If you couldn’t make it on the day, we would strongly encourage you to watch the recordings - all of the talks were incredibly informative and presented a hopeful vision for sustainable farming that works with nature, under a changing climate.
We would like to express our thanks to all our sponsors and project partners who supported this event. We’re especially grateful to our gold sponsors TREC Land Services who support of this and previous symposia has been invaluable.
Images of Bear and Twigg Farm by Cameron O'Mara
Symposium Presentations
Dr Matt Colloff (Australian National University)
Hope, Agency and Adaptation to Climate Change
Ways to generate a sense of pragmatic hope about how we can work together to adapt to climate change
➡ Watch now
Nathan Gregory (Sustainable Farms)
The Science of Farm Dam Enhancement
Findings of Sustainable Farms research and the practical steps to take when enhancing a farm dam
➡ Watch now
Dr Nathan Wong (Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation)
DJAKITJ - A DJAARA-led farming enterprise
An overview of DJAKITJ and its approach to establishing a DJAARA-led farming enterprise on Djandak
➡ Watch now
Imogen Semmler (Agricola Projects)
Healthy, Resilient and Productive Pastures
Key principles of grazing management to build healthy soils and how diversity in pasture systems can benefit production, resilience and conservation
➡ Watch now
Dr Natasha McLean (Taungurung Land and Waters Council)
Corop Cultural Waterscape Program - a Country-led approach to water management
Finding ways to work together to care for and holistically manage land and water so that all can benefit
➡ Watch now
Jo Bear (Bear and Twigg farm)
Opening the Farm Gate - A Farmer's Perspective on 'Social Biodiversity'
How nature thrives not only through biodiversity in the landscape, but also through diversity in people, knowledge and relationships
➡ Watch now
Dr Jim Radford (La Trobe University)
Natural Thinking: How Natural Capital Benefits Farm Production and Biodiversity
How we measure natural capital on farms and demonstrate its positive relationship with productivity, profitability and financial resilience, while boosting biodiversity, at the farm scale
➡ Watch now
Dr Claudia Munera (Australian National University)
Reimagining Our Landscapes: Collective Learning and Experimentation in Times of Change
Learning together and working across sectors to support adaptation and create legitimate pathways to desirable futures for our shared landscapes
➡ Watch now
Glen Norris (Mulloon Institute)
The Regenerative Power of Water
Drawing upon Mulloon’s two decades of practical, on-ground experience to highlight how landscape rehydration serves as a foundational nature-based solution for a changing climate
➡ Watch now
Meet Our New Team Member
Lucie Howson- Administration Support Officer
Lucie is the newest member of the Biolinks team, helping out with all forms of organisational administration and project support. Lucie is passionate about wildlife and biodiversity and loves to spend her spare time exploring the local bush, spending time with her horses or painting in her studio. Outside of Biolinks, she’s an artist living on her family’s property in Kyneton with her partner and a multitude of rescue animals. She is very excited to join the team.
Upcoming Events
Aspinall St Reserve - Ecology Walk & Talk
Tuesday 22 September
Aspinall St Natural Reserve, Golden Square 1-3 pm
Tea & coffee provided
Join Biolinks Alliance and City of Bendigo reserve managers for a free 'walk and talk' forest tour of the public nature reserve at Aspinall St Golden Square.
Learn about the site, the ecology and history of the Central Goldfields Box-Ironbark forest, local environmental issues stemming from mining and post-Colonial activities, and what is being done to restore these forests to health for future generations.
This event is part of our Goldfields Forest Restoration Project, generously funded by the Ian Potter Foundation. We particularly encourage residents of the Bendigo region to come along, as we will be running events throughout the Central Goldfields as part of the program, with each event tailored to the specific local landscape and ecology.
Places are limited so don't wait too long!
Citizen Science in Deep Creek Biolink
Saturday 29 September
Doggetts Bridge Streamside Reserve, Lancefield 11 am
Join Macedon Ranges Shire Council's Biodiversity Officer Jaclyn Harris and Deep Creek Landcare Group for a walk and talk at Doggetts Bridge Streamside Reserve, Lancefield.
Participants will take part in eDNA sampling to understand the fauna living in the waterway. It will also be an opportunity to learn about the Deep Creek Biolink project and how you can get involved.
Support Our Work
Your generous support helps us to continue our urgent work to restore ecosystems, partnering with local communities and landholders across Central Victoria.
Make a Once-off or Recurring Donation Today!