Hosted on site at The Saddle Camp on Bombay Road, as well as in the field along Bombay Creek, the Landscape Rehydration Bootcamp proved very popular. The event was sold out, with 30 participants, including many local residents and those travelling from further afield. Not even the hot summer conditions and back-to-back 35 degree days could diminish the great turn out.

Led by Mulloon's team of inspiring educators, landscape planners and environmental engineers - Erin Healy, Jack Smart and Sharni Pike - the bootcamp was about learning how to catch water, read landscapes, design small-scale structures and get into the field to see firsthand some strategies to improve flood and drought resilience. 

“It was a thoroughly engaging two days of well-presented theory and useful practical advice. The event provided a marked improvement to my ability to read the landscape, as well as design and build structures to enhance my waterways”  says Damien Hart, Bombay Landcarer and host of the local project demonstration site. “The tremendous support from our trusty Local Landcare Coordinator ensured the Bootcamp logistics were all taken care of, and the catering by The Saddle Camp and Vanilla Catering were both excellent".  

The demonstration site was a key feature for the event, where the Mulloon team has spent the last few months mapping, designing and implementing a new project to address a fast eroding gully feeding into Bombay Creek. "The project involves new livestock management fencing, staggered revegetation with a focus on climate smart plantings and a small series of natural infrastructure including bank battering and a few rock and log sill structures to halt active erosion. This site has had nearly no rain over the past 3 months, which made for great construction conditions, but now the earthworks are complete the community is eager for some rainfall – which will allow the gully to regenerate and the next stage of revegetation to go ahead!" says Erin Healy, Project Manager.

During the bootcamp, participants got to try their hand at building brushpacks, using laser levels, mapping stream orders and even some fun ‘tough mudder’ experiments to manage flows in mini hand-dug waterways.

For Bombay Landcarer Sally Burrough, she found “the small scale model experiments to demonstrate water flow solutions in a creek system incredibly effective, both visually and practically. Nevertheless, it was the mapping exercise and learning how to grade waterways according to the number of tributaries from the source which was most valuable, as this affects the implementation of in-stream works and official permissions required to do so”. 

After an initial field day back in August 2025, hosting a second Mulloon event in the Bombay catchment area was very special for the local Landcare group. “We look forward to more Bombay landholders and Landcarers participating, with other local project sites and activities potentially in the works under the next phase of Mulloon Institute’s Water Stewardship Program” says Erin Brinkley, Local Landcare Coordinator.  

The Water Stewardship Program is set to continue well into 2027, with plans to re-visit the Bombay project demonstration site to monitor progress and regrowth in the next 6 to 12 months. To find out more about the Program visit the website:

https://mullooninstitute.org/projects/water-stewardship-program/