About our Group
The Gearys Gap/Wamboin Landcare Group operates in the western side of the former Palerang LGA, now part of the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council area, in the Greater Capital Region of NSW/ACT. Our community is on the Cullerin Uplift, between Queanbeyan and Lake George. It is a combination of rural/residential areas, i.e. hobby farms, home-based businesses and bush blocks, with some commercial agricultural activities as well.
Here on the Southern Tablelands of NSW, at an altitude of 700-900 m above sea level, the climate is harsh: cold winters, hot summers and an average rainfall of about 616 mm, with just 72 days per annum with greater than 1 mm rainfall. Caring for the land here is a challenge.
Our Group's main activities at present centre around propagating and planting out native plants that grow well in the Gearys Gap/Bywong/Wamboin area. Our focus is on plants native to our area, but we also support the use of natives from other areas that are useful here, and that do not become weeds.
Members who wish to undertake significant planting projects on their properties are encouraged and supported in developing and implementing a plan that will guide the attainment of their objectives. They manage the project, with other members filling supportive roles, e.g. propagating the plants at our nursery, repotting them until they are ready for planting, and planting them out on the member's properties.
Strategic plan
A few years ago we undertook a review of our strategic directions and agreed that the most significant activities and features of our Landcare Group are plant propagation, plantings, our nursery, plant sales, the social aspects of our Group and accessing expertise and advice through the Group.
Prominent among the key outcomes that we seek to achieve are continuing plant propagation, planting the natives that we propogate in priority areas (primarily public places), maintaining the financial sustainability of the Group, enhanced community awareness and knowledge about caring for the land, undertaking specific projects, maintaining the social aspects of our Group, strengthening our governance arrangements, having an influence on the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council, and improving members’ knowledge about local plants and our environment. We are well advanced in attaining most of these desired outcomes.
Plant sales
When we have a fair amount of stock, raised in our nursery, we sell them at the monthly Wamboin markets. Another major activity is our monster plant sale at the annual Bywong Carboot Sale.
From time-to-time we have surplus stock that is made available, at a modest price, to local community people who are not members of the Group,particularly through sales at the monthly Wamboin community markets.
The purpose of these sales is not primarily to raise funds. Rather, their purpose is to educate the local community about the value of native plants and to provide them with plants that do well here, along with advice about how to establish and care for them.
Members are always able to take home and plant out the plants that the Group propagates at our nursery.
New members are welcome or, if you are not sure whether or not you wish to join the Group, please come along to one of our monthly propagation sessions to see what we do and have a chat. You will find us a friendly lot! The contact details are on this page.
Our Landcare Group acknowledges the Ngarigo, Ngambri and Ngunnawal peoples as the traditional custodians of the area in which we live. We acknowledge their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the ongoing contributions of local Aboriginal people to the life of our community, and to caring for country in this region.
Latest News
Projects
Propagating and planting out native plants that grow well in the Bywong/Wamboin area. This is the Group's main project at present.
Radio Landcare broadcasts from 9.00 am to 10.00 am on Tuesdays on 2XX Canberra, FM 98.3