Taking Landcare Online
Maintaining and building community connection to land during COVID social isolation
Community Participation - LP039-R001
The issue
As any Landcarer knows, there is so much more to Landcare then just pulling weeds. Despite the regularity of attendance, whether its pulling asparagus fern every week or attending a workshop every other month; Landcare provides opportunities for social and learning experiences regularly with like-minded individuals. It was for this reason, we held particular concern for some of our communities when COVID lockdown restrictions started. The high average age of our membership meant that this was not easily replaced with online resources like for so many others. For many of our members, this was taking away the only regular social event they had, and for others, it restricted their access to the knowledge they had only just started accessing.
The solution
The solution was to take Landcare online, but how to do this in a way that the content remains accessible and, most importantly, inspired conversation and connection, was vital. After consulting with our communities, we identified Facebook as the most accessible form for this content, as well as identifying those within our communities that needed additional support to access this.
Our coordinators quickly took on the role of social media managers, and put together a schedule of Facebook live presentations from the field with hosts sharing a range of ideas from Basic Bush Regen, to keeping Australian Native Bees and Market Farm Tours. These videos enable live interaction between hosts and attendees, with some attracting up to 60 viewers at a time, while also being able to be watched back later, amassing up to 1500 views in the following weeks; far and above the typical engagement of even the most popular workshops.
The impact
With the opportunity to take our presentation back to basics and expand our community in new ways, we have seen a surge in online engagement and overall audience. As a new organisation, MC2T grew from a brand new presence online, to generating up to 2000 views on popular videos over the course of a month.
Our presentations have been viewed from far afield of our designated region, and the short accessible format has proven so popular, we plan to continue this form of content long past COVID days.
These outcomes have brought about new conversations about the best format for future workshops; if whole days are required, or if the information is best presented to the wider audience online in short hand. While the place for farm tours and field trips will always be there, and for now we are keen to get back outside together when we can, we believe this time of social isolation has developed our engagement techniques for the good of our network, community and land.
Key facts
- Communities will adapt to be able to engage
- Short-form content produces the greatest engagement
- 60% engagement was non Landcare members