Mount Compass Area School’s Swamp Ambassadors received the Woolworths Junior Landcare Team Award last night at the 2018 National Landcare Awards which were held at the Brisbane Conference & Exhibition Centre.

The award recognises the work of a youth organisation or young Landcare team that contributes to raising awareness, knowledge and understanding of Landcare amongst young people and implements Landcare practices on its own property or within the local community.

Grace Bassett, Year 12 school captain and Swamp Ambassador, was very excited to accept the award from Matthew Franich, General Manager Queensland Woolworth’s Group along with several fellow Swamp Ambassadors who also attended the presentation.

Mount Compass Area School’s Swamp Ambassadors were one of seven finalists for this national award. The Ambassadors are a student-led environmental program where students are the custodians of the school’s critically endangered Fleurieu swamp. As custodians, the students work to increase the awareness and value of Fleurieu swamps in the local community.

The students worked hard to change the perception of the swamps, through partnerships with Fleurieu Swamps Recovery Program and undertook leadership and guide training to effectively share their knowledge and promote the importance of Fleurieu swamps in an engaging way.

Prior to the program, the swamp was seen as unvalued land area that wasn’t used, understood or promoted in any way.

“The students’ passion and commitment to the school’s swamp is epitomised by their willingness to give up their weekends and afternoons to take community groups on visits to the area,” said Jessica Sullivan a staff leader for the Mount Compass Area School Swamp Ambassadors.

Landcare Australia CEO, Dr Shane Norrish, commended the National Landcare winners on their outstanding achievements.

“It’s an honour to be able to recognise the great work being carried out by our Landcare champions,” Shane says. “The national Landcare awards offers landcarers the ideal opportunity to get together and celebrate the individual and collective achievements of the community. Landcarers across Australia deserve to be acknowledged and praised”.

Winners across nine diverse categories from sustainable farm practices to Junior Landcare, were announced at the National Awards gala dinner last night, which was emceed by ABC Landline host, Pip Courtney.

The National Landcare Awards are part of this year’s three-day National Landcare Conference, which finishes today, 12 October 2018. The conference provides the Landcare community an opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments and share knowledge. For more information on the National Conference and Awards go to
nationallandcareconference.org.au.

All finalists case studies and photos by category are available at nationallandcareconference.org.au/awards.
The National Landcare Awards is delivered by Landcare Australia and the National Landcare Network in partnership with the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

09 AUGUST 2019 – Australians are being asked to help make a tangible difference to farmers experiencing intense drought by making a donation to the Landcare Drought Relief Appeal.

Funds raised through the Landcare Drought Relief Appeal will be distributed to Landcare groups operating in intense drought-affected areas in New South Wales and Queensland, enabling them to provide much-needed support to local farmers.

Kentucky farmer and chair of Southern New England Landcare Karen Zirkler is experiencing first-hand the toughest drought on record.

“It’s shocking, absolutely shocking,” Karen said. “There are hillsides in Tamworth once covered with eucalyptus trees and now they are all dying. I have never seen it like this before and I’ve lived in the bush all my life.”

The majority of Landcare groups in the Southern New England region are made up of farmers. These groups have been integral to caring for the area; creating wildlife corridors, protecting native vegetation, and controlling weed and feral animal encroachment. Now it’s all about survival.

“People are getting tired, stressed, and anxious about the long-term forecast. As financial pressures mount, the risk of suicide and family break-ups increases,” Karen said.

It is during times like this that Landcare groups have a crucial part to play.

Karen explains: “Getting people together and supporting one another is what Landcare is all about. We could be running workshops that help farmers build their drought resilience and capacity to make decisions. As we are farmers ourselves, we know what support is needed and how to provide it.”

However, as the drought takes its toll on the entire community there is no money for Landcare groups to be able to provide this much-needed support.

According to Landcare Australia chief executive officer Dr Shane Norrish, being equipped with the right knowledge and tools is integral to these farmers surviving the drought and maintaining an income source for the future.

“While there are pressing immediate needs, these farmers also need assistance that brings long-term solutions. They need help to get through this drought and then be able to recover when seasons eventually improve,” Dr Norrish said.

Running workshops that help farmers build drought resilience is just one way Landcare groups in drought-affected areas can support their local farmers. These community groups also create opportunities for individuals to come together and provide one another with additional support, whether it be advice on supplementary feeding or just being there to lend a sympathetic ear.

According to Dr Norrish, “The emotional and social support these groups offer, especially during times of hardship, is something no amount of money can buy. But if we can raise $100,000 through the Landcare Drought Relief Appeal we can help these Landcare groups support the needs of many desperate farmers in their region.”

The Landcare Drought Relief Appeal runs until the 30 September 2018. Donations over $2 are tax-deductible and can be made at www.landcareaustralia.org.au or by calling 02 9413 1040.

Metford Public School and Hunter River Community School are two of 29 Hunter Valley schools receiving Junior Landcare grants from the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) this week.

The program invited Hunter Valley and regional NSW schools neighbouring the freight rail network to pitch their environmental ideas for funding. ARTC recently announced a total of nearly $30,000 worth of funding would be provided to deliver the exciting school projects and promote safe rail behaviours.

Students at Metford Public School hope to see an increase in the range of local native fauna by planting a native food plant garden. Their garden will provide opportunities for students, teachers and the community to learn about native edible plants and Indigenous foods.

Thousands of Victorian students at over 200 schools and youth organisations from Altona to Yackandandah, will be getting ‘hands on’ with inventive projects that help to educate children about sustainability within their local environment. These grants are made possible through Junior Landcare and Momentum Energy’s Powerful Youth Projects.

Landcare Australia and Momentum launched the Powerful Youth Projects in 2017 to seek new ideas for how children can actively learn and develop skills for protecting local environments. Through this program, Victorian schools, childcare centres, and youth groups can apply for grants of up to $1000.

Following a successful first year, which saw more than 24,000 students engaging in over 200 projects, the Powerful Youth Projects program rolled out across the state again in 2018. To encourage the enthusiasm shown by so many schools, Momentum Energy generously increased their funding to ensure that 219 schools across Victoria were awarded grants.

16 April 2018: Thousands of eucalyptus seedlings are looking for homes to be planted. The Farm Forestry Landcare Network needs unproductive land in the Coorong, Murraylands, and Riverland regions to turn into demonstration sites for sustainable timber forests.

The call out is part of Landcare Australia’s ‘Agroforestry Development Species Demonstration Sites’ project launched in Monarto South last year. Funded by Australian Home Heating Association (AHHA), the project aims to develop and share knowledge of silviculture within the farming industry and increase sustainability.

Farm Forestry Landcare Network chairman Ian Filmer said the project is a great opportunity for farmers to turn unproductive land into a commercial opportunity.