National Landcare Week 2026 Survey Findings
We all know landcare is good for nature, but do we really understand the other benefits of the work being done across the country to protect and restore our precious land and water? With more than 1,200 people responding to this year’s National Landcare Week Survey, we’ve learnt that landcare delivers far more than ecological outcomes, with a few benefits that even surprised us!
Landcare is helping Australians turn concern for the future of our environment into practical local action, while also building connections and improving wellbeing. 82% of respondents reported a stronger connection to nature through involvement in landcare, and 72% had a greater sense of purpose. 66% reported improved physical and mental wellbeing, a clear indicator that landcare is not only good for the health of our planet, but the health of our people too.
As community becomes more important than ever, and at times more difficult to find, the social impact of landcare was strongly communicated by those surveyed. 74% reported stronger local community connections, and an impressive 93% said they have made friends or new social connections through their involvement. It’s clear that biodiversity and belonging are being improved hand-in-hand through local landcare activity.
While these benefits are signs of a healthy community movement, the risks to the long-term capacity of landcare were also highlighted. More than half of respondents reported project cancellations or changes due to extreme weather events, underscoring the growing operational impacts of climate change on grassroots environmental programs. Meanwhile, 59% said volunteer participation is becoming harder to sustain, with ageing volunteer bases, competing time pressures and succession challenges emerging as key concerns.
66% of respondents pointed to reliable, consistent funding as one of the biggest needs for the future security of landcare, as groups continue to respond to the increasing impact of climate-related weather events.
At a time when organisations across sectors have a need to support resilient communities and reduce nature-related risk, landcare continues to deliver a multitude of benefits at the intersection of nature and community. The survey findings show that while climate and biodiversity challenges increase, Australians are finding hope and purpose through positive local action and collaboration.
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