Desert Channels Queensland has continued its enviable record of being a champion of Landcare with recognition at the Queensland Landcare Awards ceremony at Government House on the first day of spring.

On July 31 a field day was held at Toobrack looking at the problems of gidyea thickening and encroachment on grasslands. The day was organised by the Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee and covered thickening and encroachment, what works and doesn't work, and the effect on productivity.

Wild Rivers was a hot topic at the recent Cooper's Creek Catchment Committee Information Day in Jundah.

Everything from plants to pots, solar energy to seeds, grey water to growing vegetables was on show as Desert Channels Queensland (DCQ) hosted its first Waterwise Garden Expo from 22 to 23 May at the Longreach Civic Centre.

School was in at Desert Channels Queensland last week when it partnered with Rangelands Australia to host the graduate diploma course, Sustainable Rangeland Production Systems and Regions in Longreach from the 20th to 24th April.

With the Anna Bligh Labor government re-elected, the promise to give Wild Rivers status to the Georgina, Diamantina and Cooper systems has ignited immediate concern and debate.

On the 4th March 2009 in the lead up to the Queensland election an alliance was formed between graziers and environmental groups to work for the legislated protection of the near-pristine Channel Country Rivers.

More than one hundred years of water use wisdom was tapped into at a recent information gathering day in Longreach for the innovative WaterSmart project.

The protection, restoration and management of significant Indigenous sites in the region has the strong support of Longreach-based Desert Channels Queensland with the release of $150,000 under its Indigenous Cultural Heritage Program.

Trials are currently underway in the Longreach area on the use of water-based chemicals for the control of an emerging economic and environmental threat to the region, cactus. As well as trying different chemicals, the trials include experimenting with the application rates and techniques.

Thirteen hours in a Robinson R44 helicopter has left Brett Carlsson very confident that he has mapped all the Parkinsonia south of Windorah and identified the furthest spread of this Central American invader down the Cooper channels.

Community members across the Desert Channels Queensland region were given the ‘good oil’ on how to source funding at the recent ‘How to win funds and influence a panel’ workshops run jointly by DCQ and the National Landcare Programme.