Landcare in the ACT
Community Landcare in the ACT Region is broad and diverse. It includes rural, urban, junior and Aboriginal people protecting and improving their local areas as well as individuals engaging in community building activities and a multitude of citizen science projects.
Landcare in the ACT is part of an Australian wide and growing international community Landcare movement. It is made up of people caring for their local environments as a way of addressing the big issues of our time, climate change, habitat and biodiversity loss, water scarcity, food security.
Landcare is increasingly being shown to have multiple other benefits beyond environmental outcomes, including health and wellbeing and social cohesion.
How we work
Landcare ACT has three key focus areas where we value-add to the work of our members in supporting community Landcare:
- Representation and influence
- Supporting diverse stewardship
- Celebrating achievements and promoting Landcare
Representation and influence
Landcare ACT works to ensure that the voice of community Landcare is influential and trusted in ACT conversations regarding the environment and related issues. We do this by maintaining strong, active relationships with key Territory decision-makers and non-government and government partners and contributing to consultation processes on Landcare-related issues. We highlight community Landcare as a critical component of environmental management in the ACT and the multiple benefits of Landcare, including in health and education.
As the representative Peak body for Landcare, we ensure strong representational processes and structures through the support of the Landcare ACT Members Council. Our organisation serves as a representative Territory forum for the identification and resolution of Landcare related issues and challenges.
Landcare ACT also participates in national discussions about Landcare. We are part of the National Landcare Network and actively engage in national representative forums providing a clear pathway for individuals to contribute and be heard from the local to national level. We also participate in national Landcare projects and policy development with National Landcare Network and Landcare Australia and build constructive relationships with local Members of Parliament.
Supports diverse stewardship
Landcare ACT supports a diverse community Landcare movement to steward the Territory’s natural resources, including natural spaces in national parks, farms, waterways, and urban areas. This stewardship is critical to meet the constant challenge of restoring, repairing and protecting our environment given declines in biodiversity, food insecurity and our changing climate.
Landcare ACT supports and works with members in engaging diverse community involvement in Landcare activities, including Ngunawal and other Aboriginal people, youth, women and minority groups. We also undertake projects and forums that resolve issues of common concern and increase the capacity of members and the community Landcare movement, such as our Wellbeing Program, Young Farmers Network, Weeds Forum, regenerative agriculture, climate change.
Supports diverse stewardship
Landcare ACT supports a diverse community Landcare movement to steward the Territory’s natural resources, including natural spaces in national parks, farms, waterways, and urban areas. This stewardship is critical to meet the constant challenge of restoring, repairing and protecting our environment given declines in biodiversity, food insecurity and our changing climate.
Landcare ACT supports and works with members in engaging diverse community involvement in Landcare activities, including Ngunawal and other Aboriginal people, youth, women and minority groups. We also undertake projects and forums that resolve issues of common concern and increase the capacity of members and the community Landcare movement, such as our Wellbeing Program, Young Farmers Network, Weeds Forum, regenerative agriculture, climate change.
Celebrating Landcare
Landcare ACT promotes Landcare and the achievements of grassroots members through frequent engagement with the media, our website and social media. We also build and promote an evidence base of the collective expertise of the Landcare movement. We also share these achievements with both Territory and Federal Governments, as well as local government departments and bodies.
Every two years the Landcare ACT recognises high and quiet achievers in the Landcare movement. These are designed to shine a light on those who commit time and effort to improve the ACT Region’s rural areas, waterways, urban areas and conservation areas, and more.
Within the ACT, Landcare volunteers have been estimated to contribute over $2 million in in-kind voluntary hours towards improving and sustaining our local areas. We are committed to supporting, celebrating and promoting this incredible voluntary work.
How to become a volunteer
There are lots of opportunities in the ACT to volunteer with a landcare group.
National Landcare Network
Landcare ACT is a member of the National Landcare Network. The NLN represents community Landcare across the country and seeks to foster, support and strengthen the knowledge, resources and capabilities of the Landcare movement and the thousands of volunteers who are at its heart.
National Landcare Network
Landcare ACT is a member of the National Landcare Network. The NLN represents community Landcare across the country and seeks to foster, support and strengthen the knowledge, resources and capabilities of the Landcare movement and the thousands of volunteers who are at its heart.
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