South East Landcare hosted its Regional Community of Practice Day at Gidgleigh Stock Reserve near Bungendore, bringing together Local Landcare Coordinators, district chairs, and volunteers from across the region.
The morning offered two rich learning streams. Local Landcare Coordinators joined Rodney Freeman, Aboriginal Partnerships Officer with Local Land Services, for a cultural awareness and native plant use workshop. Participants learned about the medicinal, food, and tool uses of native plants, while also exploring how cultural self-awareness can create safe and inclusive spaces for all community members, particularly Aboriginal people. The session was well received, and coordinators left with new insights to weave into their work and was followed up with some hands-on fun, testing out traditional tools with boomerang and spear throwing.
Meanwhile, Landcare volunteers and chairs joined the COVRAM biodiversity rapid assessment team for a field session at Gidgleigh Stock Reserve. The hands-on activity allowed participants to experience the program in practice and consider how it could be applied in their own Landcare projects.
A bush tucker BBQ lunch of emu, kangaroo, native condiments, and lemon myrtle desserts brought everyone back together, hosted with support from the Local Land Services team.
The afternoon was dedicated to the SEL Network Chairs Meeting, where 11 representatives from South East Landcare and eight district networks came together in an outdoor circle to share ideas, challenges, and opportunities. Facilitated by Peter Pigott, Landcare NSW’s Community of Practice Coordinator, the discussion focused on how SEL can best support local groups to deliver on NSW Landcare Enabling Program outcomes.
Key discussion points included:
- Exploring a model for SEL to host coordinator employment on behalf of district committees, easing administrative burdens on volunteers.
- Opportunities for neighbouring groups to co-deliver events such as mini-musters.
- Strengthening regional collaboration and communication between networks.
Everyone agreed that meeting in a natural setting was a refreshing and productive way to connect, and it gave volunteers the chance to hear about the breadth of activities happening across the diverse South East region.
For the Local Landcare Coordinators, it was also a rare opportunity to step back from their usual hosting roles and simply enjoy being part of the day.
