International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March 2026, is the world’s largest celebration of women and their achievements
For Landcare Australia, it’s also an important moment to acknowledge the women who lead, nurture and inspire communities to care for land, water, biodiversity and each other.
The 2026 IWD theme, “Give to Gain” is a perfect reflection of what landcare represents. Generosity of time, knowledge, culture, experience and support is at the heart of every landcare story. When we give, we don’t lose, we have multiple opportunities for others.
This year Landcare Australia will mark IWD with a special social media campaign, representing remarkable women who embody our message: Landcare Is For Everyone.
Here are just some of the women whose leadership, passion and commitment show why Landcare Australia proudly gets behind IWD.
Celebrating Women Driving Landcare Across Australia
Nell Chaffey – 2025 National Women in Landcare Award Winner
For more than four decades, Nell Chaffey has been a champion for environmental stewardship and community-led sustainability. Her dedication to inclusivity has inspired generations of landcarers to take meaningful action that strengthens both landscapes and communities.
Nell reminds us that landcare belongs to everyone:
“Landcare Is For Everyone; it’s about sharing and caring for our home, the amazing planet Earth… Everything we do, every day, no matter who we are or where we live, makes a difference to our world.”
From inner-city balconies to the central deserts, Nell believes every action counts, adding: “Landcare is a ‘we movement’ so come join us!”
Annette Cavanagh – Botanist, PhD Researcher, Intrepid Landcare Chair
Annette Cavanagh is at the forefront of research linking natural capital, biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. Her work helps farmers understand the value of native vegetation while maintaining productive farming landscapes.
Deeply passionate about youth leadership, Annette also co-founded Upper Goulburn Intrepid Landcare, building a community where young people can grow their skills and confidence. Her message captures the spirit of landcare beautifully:
“I love how Landcare is all about giving back to the environment and caring for our community. Yet, there is also so much that we gain… making friends, improving mental health, increasing skill-sets and finding a sense of purpose. Landcare truly is for everyone.”
Saraya Robinson – Community Engagement Leader, NaturallyGC
On the Gold Coast, Saraya Robinson leads a team delivering the NaturallyGC program which is one of the most successful community-driven restoration initiatives in the country. Each year her team helps over 16,000 residents connect to nature and support volunteers to plant more than 50,000 trees across the region.
Her work shows what’s possible when communities come together for nature. Saraya says:
“Wherever you are and whatever your age, we can all contribute… Landcare is for everyone! It brings people together to protect, restore and sustain our natural environment and reflects the spirit of ‘Give to Gain’.”
Trish O’Gorman – Partnerships Manager and Junior Landcare Program Manager, Landcare Australia
Trish O’Gorman has spent her career using storytelling to inspire action and build partnerships that deliver real environmental and social impact. Her work across philanthropy, community engagement and sustainability gives her a unique perspective on landcare’s role in Australia’s future. To Trish, IWD’s theme and the landcare mission are deeply aligned:
“Give to Gain captures the heart of landcare… Being part of landcare, whatever that looks like for you is an opportunity to give what you can, while gaining connection, friendship and community.”
She adds:
“When we act with hope to protect nature, we’re shaping a legacy that endures – and it doesn’t get much better than that.”
Sophie George – Executive Officer, Capricorn Conservation Council
Based on Darumbal Country in Central Queensland, Sophie is an environmental advocate, educator and researcher dedicated to community-led conservation and culturally grounded environmental science.
As Executive Officer of the Capricorn Conservation Council, she leads programs that strengthen biodiversity protection, build Indigenous partnerships, and elevate community action across Central Queensland. She also teaches environmental science at CQUniversity, helping the next generation of ecologists learn through cultural awareness, collaboration and connection to Country. Sophie says:
“Landcare is for Everyone because caring for Country is a shared responsibility that strengthens all of us, communities, culture, and the places we call home. When we give our time, knowledge, or hands to restoration, we gain connection, belonging and a future where nature and people thrive together. ‘Give to Gain’ reminds me that every act of stewardship creates opportunities for the next generation.”
Julie (Kija) Williams – Aboriginal Artist and Cultural Leader
A natural bridge from community-lead conservation to cultural leadership, Aunty Kija Williams shows how art can knit people, place and purpose together.
Kija Williams is an Aboriginal artist whose generosity of spirit and cultural leadership reflects the heart of landcare. She played an integral role in a unique cross‑sectoral initiative between Landcare Australia, NRM Regions Australia and the Australian Land Conservation Alliance, helping delegates at national conferences last year create a collective, woven artwork that symbolised connection, collaboration and shared responsibility for Country.
Through this work, Kija showed how art, culture and community can come together to strengthen the landcare movement and deepen our connection to land and water. Kija says:
“Landcare is for everyone. Country heals through our shared sense of purpose and responsibility. When many hands, cultures, and ways of knowing come together to care for the spirit of the land and water, Country becomes stronger for the generations to come That’s what ‘Give to Gain’ means to me.”
Melinee Leather – Winner of the 2025 Australian Government Sustainable Agriculture Landcare Award
On the ground in Central Queensland, Melinee Leather demonstrates how giving back delivers tangible gains. An award-winning organic beef producer Melinee Leather is widely recognised for her leadership in sustainable agriculture. At Barfield Station, she and her husband Rob are global leaders in grass-fed organic beef, biodiversity enhancement and carbon sequestration.
Her mentoring and community leadership reflect the rich exchange that happens through landcare. Her message brings the IWD theme into everyday farm reality:
“Landcare is for everyone including farmers who live the connection between healthy land and healthy livestock every day. When we give back through good grazing management, soil care and climate‑smart practices, we gain productivity, resilience and pride in what we leave for the next generation. That’s ‘Give to Gain’ in action on a working property.”
Why International Women’s Day matters to landcare
Across Australia, women are working on farms, in classrooms, in boardrooms, in ranger teams, in research labs and in community groups to care for Country and community. They lead restoration projects, innovate sustainable farming practices, drive research, mentor young people, and build the partnerships that keep landcare such a vibrant movement for everyone.
IWD gives us an opportunity to celebrate their achievements, amplify their voices, and acknowledge their vital contribution to a movement built on generosity, connection and hope.
This International Women’s Day, join us in celebrating the women of landcare and the shared believe that when we give, we all gain.
Follow along with our IWD social media campaign and help us spread the message that Landcare is for Everyone.