South Gippsland Landcare groups awarded

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South Gippsland Landcare groups awarded

AWARD WINNERS: (L-R) Kathleen Brack, Seb Emanuel, Jarryd Minahan and Darcy Minahan represented Gippsland Intrepid Landcare at the Victorian Landcare Awards.

SOUTH Gippsland groups took awards at the recent bi-annual Victorian Landcare Awards.

Among them was Gippsland Intrepid Landcare – a group that aims to engage youth in environmental work – which claimed the Young Landcare Leadership Award.

The commendation was in recognition of the group’s work in attracting more than 300 young people to volunteer in projects over two years.

While many of the volunteers had no experience with Landcare, the group planted more than 10,000 trees, removed more than 30 kilograms of rubbish from a Phillip Island beach and removed invasive weeds from the Sandy Point dune system.

By moving away from the traditional working bee and hosting movie nights featuring environmental films, as well as using social media to engage and recruit others, Intrepid has forged a unique and successful path.

Belinda Brennan from West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority won the VFF/Landcare Victoria Heather Mitchell Memorial Fellowship Award for over 30 years of outstanding work within Landcare.

“This is an incredible honour to be acknowledged and I’m delighted to receive the award with Heather Mitchell’s name on it, a woman who did so much to establish Landcare in Victoria,” Mrs Brennan said.

Mrs Brennan’s work has been innovative and sought to extend the reach of Landcare both locally and internationally through Australian Landcare International.

The award will allow Belinda to travel to Uganda where she will deliver a paper on Victorian Landcare at the Uganda National Landcare Conference.

More local success came with Tony Gardner winning the Dr Sidney Plowman Travel and Study Award.

In 2010, Tony began working on the Healthy Soils Sustainable Farms Project which saw 30 per cent of West Gippsland farm businesses engaged over eight years, building the capacity of farmers and increasing the change to more sustainable practices.

He is particularly proud of his work with South Gippsland Landcare Network on the Soilkee Renovator looking at innovation in soil health and production.

“I’ve been very fortunate to work in an area which matches my passions and work with the Landcare networks, industry and a farming community which is eager to embrace change,” Mr Gardner said.

He will use his award to further study regenerative agriculture practices and soil carbon markets.

The Bass Coast Landcare Network won the Landcare Network of the Year Award, reflecting its phenomenal impact over the last 10 years which has seen its groups plant more than two million indigenous plants in the region.

If you are interested in becoming involved, ring the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority on 1300 094 262 or visit wgcma.vic.gov.au/getting-involved/landcare

 

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Posted by on Sep 13 2019. Filed under Rural News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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