Friends, partners, collaborations.
Friends, partners, collaborations.
Friends with benefits-all working together
Community Participation -
LP12-008
The issue
Decreasing numbers of volunteers and resources
Landcare runs on the goodness and generosity of volunteers but with the increasing age of volunteers and competition for volunteer time, we have to think smarter so that we don't work harder.
Plus, some of the smaller, independent Landcare groups are now operating mainly as social groups as their membership ages and the original reason that brought them together has been resolved.
We also needed to get the Landcare brand in front of corporate eyes to enable planting of locally sourced tubestock to improve biodiverstiy outcomes in our area.
The solution
Thinking outside the square
We advertised and promoted Landcare through the usual channels as well as attending Field Days, as a result we have been developing relationships with a number of diverse groups.
Sometimes we are working with local government, community groups or private companies. Each has their own unique way of operating.
Over the period of this current Landcre program period we have begun to work with other environmental groups or local service groups to share their people power and our environmental knowledge.
The impact
We have formed a number of partnerships with various groups, be they for one-off events or ongoing projects.
Our NFP nursery is growing plants for:
- local councils, who use the tubestock in their projects and plantings,
- NSW Roads, to revegatate the roadside reserve after completion of widening the Mitchell Highway at Vittoria,
- Regis Mines, who then distribute the plants through their local community and also plant on-site. We have also partnered with them for seed collecting on their offset site,
- distribution to 10 local schools as part of an Enforceable Undertaking (mining industry)
We also hold regular planting events with the 3 Orange Rotary groups to improve biodiversity and local amenity in public areas of Orange.
We are currently in a partnership with CTLLS, DPE (Biodiversity & Conservation) & Bathurst Regional Council to monitor and record the Rockly Mount koala population.
Learnings
Key facts
- Good volunteers are hard to find.
- People are happy to participate in events that help the environment and reduce the impact of climate change.
- Forming partnerships shares the planning and organisation required thus freeing coordinator time for other things.