Inspirational Boorowa grazier lands national Individual Landcarer Award
Boorowa grazier David Marsh took out the Australian Government Individual Landcarer Award last night at the 2018 National Landcare Awards which were held at the Brisbane Conference & Exhibition Centre.
This award celebrates a Landcare volunteer who has demonstrated leadership in, and commitment to improving land management practices through practical on-ground or community awareness activities. The award was presented by former Governor-General Major General the Hon. Michael Jeffery.
David is acknowledged for alerting primary producers to the fact that a healthy catchment and long-term profitability go hand in hand. He was pivotal in the early establishment of the Landcare movement, and David’s property Allendale has long been a proving ground for sympathetic land management.
David’s on-ground practices have been hugely influential in educating other landholders, and since 1989 the Marsh family has hosted thousands of visitors to their property. David was one of the first people in the Boorowa district to use direct seeding techniques for planting trees. Other landholders noticed that early revegetation work was reducing salt scalds and preserving the biodiversity of the land. The Canberra Ornithologists Group carries out bird surveys onsite, evaluating the success of plantings to create habitat for threatened species.
David Marsh was delighted to win the Australian Government Individual Landcarer Award. He said, “Receiving this award is very humbling but also makes me feel very proud to be recognised in a roomful of peers who are all doing wonderful things.”
Landcare Australia CEO, Dr Shane Norrish, commended the National Landcare winners on their outstanding accomplishments.
“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.
