Branching out for Christmas
The planning of a very native themed Christmas party.
Capacity building - LEP23_036_LLC4_7
The issue
With the Christmas period upon us, it was time to plan for our Murrumbidgee Landcare Staff Christmas Party. Christmas parties are an important unwinding activity to reflect on the year that was, and it is an event that everyone looks forward to at the end of the year.
Having a nature-based Landcare activity was a no brainer, but thinking of a light-hearted session that we could bond and relax together took some planning. We wanted the day to have a creative, expressive capacity, so the pressure was on.
The solution
We started looking back on previous years for inspiration and it turns out our team loves a creative, hands-on activity. In past years we had all gathered to our central ‘hub’ in Wagga, so with a twist, we decided to change the venues to the furthest most reaches of the Murrumbidgee region. And enlisting the expertise of our staff members in floristry and nursery skills, Britt, Rach, Ellen and Leigh coordinated to run the session.
The impact
The Native Christmas Wreath making workshop was held in Tumut on the 1st of December at the Riverina HighlandsTumut Landcare Nursery. After a shared lunch, the Murrumbidgee Landcare Staff were surrounded in native flowers and foliage, all hand cut from Britt’s garden or the nursery. With premade willow and grape vine wreaths, the staff decorated them with a range of Gum nuts, Kangaroo paw, Leucadendron, Leptospermum, Melaleuca, Wooly bush, Geraldton wax, and more!
There was a comfortable silence that fell as everyone was busy in concentration. Once people got into the groove of the workshop, creativity took over, and it was while working with their hands that mindfulness and being present in the moment took hold. The tactile nature of creating, allowed for the team to truly switch off from the pressures of work. There was also time for rekindling relations, where staff reconnected and bonded together before breaking for Christmas.
Other highlights from the workshop were watching each person’s individual artistic flair come to life, seeing the group hold their wreaths in a staff photo and taking home our beautiful creations. The day will be remembered fondly for a very long time. The only problem now is, what on earth will we organise next year!
Key facts
- 10 staff attended
- 15 wreaths created
- 1 day held