Evening seminars have long been part of Landcare culture, but the practice faded during COVID and never fully recovered in our district. Funding from Mary MacKillop Today, helped us bring them back.
As an amalgamated group covering a large area of small townships, we wanted our programming to reflect the full district. We surveyed our community for topics first, then designed four seminars, each held in a different township. Feral animals with Local Land Services in Gunning, erosion with the Australian River Restoration Centre in Dalton, biodiversity with Ray Sheil from FROGS Landcare and Goulburn Mulwaree Landcare Landscapes in Breadalbane, and planting for birds with BirdLife Australia in Collector. Every event was designed with generous time for mingling and questions, because that’s where a lot of the good stuff happens.
The turnout was really encouraging. Sixty-nine people came across the four seminars, in towns ranging from 100 to 1,000 residents, and a great many of them were completely new to Landcare. Seeing people come back for more than one seminar was a highlight.
Each event also built something lasting with our partners. Rachel from the LLS biosecurity team is now only a call away. Shane from ARRC worked closely with us on a joint grant application for habitat restoration in the Dalton area. Local Land Services offered an in-kind erosion field day as a follow up to our seminar. It was our first time working on an event with Goulburn Mulwaree Landcare Landscapes in Breadalbane, a connection we’re glad to have made. And in Collector, our seminar ran alongside a grant application we were putting together with BirdLife Australia.
All in all, the series was a roaring success and a good reminder of what’s possible when you simply show up in person.
Thank you to Mary MacKillop Today for funding the series, to LLS, ARRC, FROGS Landcare, Goulburn Mulwaree Landcare Landscapes, and BirdLife Australia for bringing their expertise, and to everyone across the district who came along and helped out on the day.