Gunning District Landcare (GDL) held its Annual General Meeting in Barbour Park on Sunday 15th November. It was a glorious day – sunny, warm and still – the perfect conditions to award Life Membership to John and Jan Weatherstone, and to formally embrace the Life Members of Jerrawa Creek Landcare Group (JCLG), one of the predecessors to GDL.
John and Jan Weatherstone are much loved members of our regional community. They have received widespread acclaim for their innovative management of Lyndfield Park, John’s family property. The shocking effects of drought in the early 1980s marked a turning point on Lyndfield Park, and the beginning of a new journey for the Weatherstones that focussed on revegetation and land regeneration. John was Vice President of Yass River Valley Revegetation Project and a founding member of Jerrawa Creek Landcare Group. The work of John and Jan Weatherstone has inspired many people around Australia to engage with sustainable land management. It is a great honour to include John and Jan as Life Members of GDL.
Mary and John Walsh were the first Life Members of JCLG, awarded in 2008. They were early and enthusiastic adopters of landcare, and their contribution was exceptional and long term. Both were JCLG committee members with Mary being a very effective president. John was particularly knowledgeable about trees and plants.
Jan and Bill Granger were awarded Life Membership of JCLG in 2011. They were founding members and Jan had been a highly valued and long-serving Treasurer, reflected in her nomination for the Westpac Community Treasurer of the Year Award in 2007. Bill was a willing and invaluable contributor to many of the group’s activities.
In 2013, Bob and Rosemary Spiller were also endorsed as Life Members of JCLG for their enormous contribution to the group, including Bob’s role as Secretary for many years. Bob was also awarded Life Membership of Gunning District Landcare in 2017 for his active and effective role in the newly formed group.
Janet Heffernan was awarded life membership of GDL in 2018 in recognition of the significant time and energy that she has put into numerous Landcare activities, most recently the efforts to conserve our local and endangered Southern Pygmy Perch.
To all our Life Members - we thank you for your important role in pioneering Landcare in our region and promoting sustainable land management.
We would also like to thank Deputy Mayor John Searl for helping to officiate our AGM, and the Lions Club of Gunning for a delicious BBQ lunch. The GDL committee looks forward to another year of supporting sustainable land management in the Gunning region.