Regional Community of Practice
Regional Community of Practice
Landcare Muster
Community Participation
The issue
Each year, the Hunter Region Landcare Network likes to acknowledge and celebrate the work of Landcare volunteers across the Hunter region through a celebration event. This provides an opportunity for our Landcare community to come together face to face, share their Landcare stories, catch up with each other and meet new people.
The solution
This year we held a Landcare Muster at Minimbah Teaching Place in Bulga on Saturday 1st April, the site of a significant place for the Wonnarua People.
The impact
With 80 Landcarers from across the Hunter region, we had a wonderful time learning, networking, and listening to presentations including from Peter Dixon of AABR on the Importance of integrating Assisted Natural Regeneration into Landcare Projects.
Uncle Les Welcomed us to Country with a smoking ceremony and took us on a story walk around Minimbah; Uncle Warren took us on a tour of Baiame Caves; the Hunter Valley Wine Country Landcare group showcased their work in establishing vegetation corridors, plantings for pollinators, and soil health for productive viticulture and native plantings; Kristin from Speaking in Colour led us through Interwoven, the stories and practices of weaving with plant fibres, whilst quietly listening to the surrounding country.
Learnings
Providing the opportunity for Landcare volunteers, committees and staff, to be immersed in Aboriginal Culture through a celebratory event like a Muster, adds value and meaning to our conservation efforts, looking after our Mother Earth together.
Key facts
- Celebrating Landcare volunteer achievements is an important part of building our social capital in Landcare.
- Regional celebrations enable us to reflect on the scale and breadth of Landcare activities that are underway.