Merry Landcare Christmas

Western Landcare NSW Groups celebrate christmas together

Merry Landcare Christmas

Western Landcare NSW Groups celebrate christmas together

Local Links - Stronger Communities -

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The issue

Drought tends to have a dominoe affect on communities. Farmers are hit since they can't produce stock or crops at even close to their full capacity. This creates an ecomonic burden on the community on top of the environmental burden that scars the landscape.

The effects of drought have been particularly hard felt in Western NSW where the normally dry conditions are at the point of being unbearable. Many farmers have had crops die, others have had to sell all of their stock even the animals they normally breed from since there is no feed for them to eat and buying feed is expensive in the current markets.

The solution

We cannot make it rain but we can take everyones mind away from how dry everything is. Christmas rolled around and it became the perfect time of year to get people together and find things to be happy about.

Organised by Local Landcare Coordinator Henry Gregroy, Red Cross Australia funded a series of community Christmas parties across south western NSW as part of their ‘Let’s Talk’ program. The funding was given  to landcare groups so that they could provide catering, music, venue hire and the other necessary items to make each party a success.

The impact

The groups each organised their parties and invited their communities to join them in the seasons festivities. The heat didn’t deter anyone with all group parties being well attended. People relaxed, laughed and forgot about their water problems.

But the projects impacts went further than the short term. Community members and even current group members became aware that Landcare groups do more than just produce project and plant trees. They are a community asset used to solve any community issue, particularly when it concerns social and environmental wellbeing.

All groups that participated in the project are looking forward to next christmas to bring new people into their group and bring the community together again.

Key facts

  • Landcare groups are more than a project powerhouse. They solve real community issues across a broad range of themes.