Learning from our champions

Conservation and Land Management Students from Ryde Tafe in Sydney spent the day outside of the classroom to gain valuable knowledge and insight from our local Landcare champions.

Learning from our champions

Conservation and Land Management Students from Ryde Tafe in Sydney spent the day outside of the classroom to gain valuable knowledge and insight from our local Landcare champions.

Showing the Difference -

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The issue

With three state Landcare champions awards in our Landcare region (Frogs Landcare Inc, Garry Kadwell and Ross Webster) there is growing interest from outside our community to find out more about the successful practices of our Landcare groups and individuals. Many Landcare groups, farming groups, politicians, schools and universities have been invited for tours of the Goulburn Wetlands, Yass Gorge and to Garry Kadwells property; With around 15 tours over the last year to the wetlands alone. This has been the unexpected upshot following the Landcare Awards. 

One of these groups with great interest in learning from our local champions is Sydney's Ryde Tafe. 

The solution

A party of 15 students and 2 teachers travelled to Goulburn on a wintry June day to meet with two of our local Landcare champions.

The morning was spent with the FROGS Landcare group who are the NSW champion Landcare group. FROGS president Ray Shiel gave them a tour of the wetlands and a valuable talk on how the concept for the wetlands was developed and the important lesson of how the group brought the community and council along with them in order to transform a waste land into a beautiful functioning wetland and recreation area.

The afternoon was spent at NSW innovative potato farmer- Garry Kadwell. The students braced the blizzardy conditions for a tour in his famous open air bus around his property that combines conservation and productivity. 

The impact

The head teacher, Agata Mitchell, described the experience as "incredibly beneficial" seeing conservation and land management practices outside of an urban context. They were "inspired to see innovative and best practices being adopted" and it tied in very well with the units that they are studying.

Key facts

  • Flow on effects of being named State Landcare Champions = bigger commitment/obligations
  • Landcarers love to share knowledge and inspire others
  • For the Tafe Students:
  • Benefits of seeing conservation and land management practices first hand
  • Inspiring to see successful innovative best practices being adopted
  • Everyone came away with a good feeling of hope that we can combine conservation and farming

Project Partners