While COVID lockdown has temporarily stifled the activities of Landcare groups in the area, it has certainly not curbed their enthusiasm for protecting and rejuvenating the local environment.
Pandemic aside, Lake Macquarie Landcare is thriving.
The group continues to expand, and a brand-new community centre, at 80 Toronto Road, Teralba, is under construction and expected to open in February 2022.
‘’It will be Landcare on steroids,’’ Lake Macquarie Landcare Co-ordinator Jason Harvey joked.
‘’The new facility will help us to support our community and volunteer programs to focus on natural areas, community facilities and other local initiatives.’’
For more than 20 years, Lake Macquarie Landcare have been active within the community recruiting volunteers for their organisation.
Jason Harvey oversees the initiative across the local government area.
‘’The Lake Macquarie Landcare organisation is a three-tiered partnership. We have our community volunteers, our Landcare network, and the council sector all working cohesively to support our local environment,’’ he said.
“It is vital that our volunteers are provided with the resources and tools they need to undertake all the fantastic work they are doing in our community.’’
The group has around 1000 volunteers, who dedicate their time planting trees and supporting the local habitat.
‘’I find it is so rewarding watching our community members seeing their hard work paying off over so many years,” Harvey said.
Lake Macquarie Landcare works with council to manage monetary grants and provide resources and support for the organisation.
‘’We want our community to ‘donate themselves’ to our organisation, not their money,” Harvey said, adding that it was a close-knit team with a real sense of purpose.
Lake Macquarie Landcare ensures volunteers have access to plants, the right tools and equipment, along with a strong action plan.
‘’By providing these resources to our volunteers, we promote a strong sense of community, an improved local habitat, and increased wildlife presence in return,’’ Harvey said.
Lake Macquarie Landcare is always looking for new volunteers. You can register your interest here.
COVID meant that National Landcare Week in August was recognised a little differently this year.
‘’Initially we organised a bus tour for the community where we drove people around and we stopped at each of our Landcare sites,” Harvey said.
“Our volunteers could introduce the sites they have been working on and explain the improvements they have made to the areas.
“It was important for our community to see all the hard work our volunteers had put in.
“Unfortunately, with restrictions implemented, we needed to adapt our celebration.
“My colleague Meg was able to create an audio/visual tour through izi.TRAVEL audio tours, which is an app you can download in the app store.
“Meg created waypoints along the way where people can stop and one of our volunteers can discuss the site a person is looking at, explain the improvements, the different types of plants.’’
The tour can be accessed year round.
You can download the app through the app store and complete the tour here.
Fern Creek Landcare at Dudley, which has been active for the past 25 years, has also adapted to the challenges of lockdown.
‘’My predecessor Peter Dalton started our organisation with the goal of cleaning up the area around his Dudley home,” co-ordinator Gabrielle Stacey said.
“From there, he engaged ecologists, horticulturists and the local community to tidy up the area and return it to the beautiful habitat it once was.’’
Fern Creek Landcare is in the Awabakal Nature Reserve in Dudley.
Stacey took on the co-ordinator position in 2019 and is focusing on engaging young people with the Fern Creek Landcare initiative.
‘’Our organisation has grown and expanded amongst the younger demographic through the power of social media,” she said.
“I am continuing to connect with our ‘Fernies’ and volunteers through our digital platforms to keep them engaged during the lockdown.
‘’I think it is so encouraging to keep our community updated on all the fantastic work our Fernies are doing, as they should be so proud of their efforts.’’
All volunteers of Fern Creek Landcare share a passion for the environment and connection to land and country.
The group focuses on the threatened species and natural fauna in the Awabakal Nature Reserve and have dedicated many years to protecting squirrel gliders and planting the appropriate flora to ensure their survival.
Stacey said lockdown had been difficult but the group looked forward to the months ahead once restrictions were lifted.
‘’I find it so important for my own motivation and accountability to keep going and continue to be a leader and role model for our initiative. It is hard being disconnected from that.
‘’The plan is to return to our work in early November where we can reconnect with our volunteers and community.
“It will be great for our community to see all the amazing work our organisation has been working on and to marvel at the correlation between people and nature.’’
You can keep up to date with Fern Creek Landcare here.
Jayden Fennell