Landcare is for everyone! Landcare Week took place in the first week of August and this year, we encouraged everyone to jump in and volunteer with our local Landcare group to make real change for our local environs. Every hour counts!

Landcare Week is here and it’s a great chance to catch up on what Landcare is up to these days and how (and why) you can get involved.

It’s been around for 25 years, connecting people from all walks of life to do something good for the environment.

There are 6000 Landcare groups and 140,000+ volunteers across Australia who come together to actively restore, enhance and protect the natural environment in their local community.

There is always more to be done, and Landcare is always looking for volunteers to get involved in this grassroots movement of Australians that actively cares for the land and water that sustains us.

Spending a few hours each month taking care of nature with the local community has made a world of difference for our environment. Every effort builds on decades of collective work from hundreds of thousands of people who collectively contribute to projects focused on building the health and resilience of their local environs.

From building habitat boxes for gliders to pulling out invasive weeds, the Landcare community invites you to spend a bit of time outdoors with friends new and old to help build what you care about.

Landcare is for everyone (…here’s what everyone means)

When was the last time you spotted a problem in your greenspace and thought, “Someone should probably do something about that”? You can be the someone, and Landcare is the something!

You don’t need to be an ecologist to spend some time in nature touching some grass, refreshing your mind, and helping the environment in one swoop. All you need is care, some spare hands, and some time.

Benefits of joining Landcare, Bushcare, Coastcare, or a “Friends of” group

Living in South East Queensland, we’re blessed with a plethora of green spaces and waterways to enjoy and refresh in, but we all have our favourite spots and our local patches. We all feel a little ownership of the places we frequent, the nice bench next to the water we sit on, the kids’ favourite play park, and the dog’s favourite swimming spot in the creek.

Did you know that there is probably a volunteer group that is helping to take care of your favourite spot…and you can do a little to help a lot.

You can also find an amazing knowledge-sharing community that can help think of solutions for your property and bring together the latest knowledge in land management in your area.

Whether you’re living out bush or in a city suburb joining your local Landcare group is an amazing way to connect with your community by spending some quality time in nature and feel more ownership of your parks and waterways.

Find your local groups on the Landcare Australia website (https://landcareaustralia.org.au/landcare-get-involved/findagroup/) Facebook groups or on your community hall noticeboards next time you go for a walk.

We are a fan, here’s some of the ways we are involved
Working in the environmental space, we have partnered with a lot of Landcare, Bushcare, Coastcare, and First Nations-led groups in our joint journey to restore and maintain the natural vibrancy of South East Queensland.

We, at Healthy Land & Water, have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside so many dedicated groups across South East Queensland and beyond.

Together, we’ve achieved meaningful restoration projects that positively impact multiple catchments, including impacts on:

1. The soils, rocks and vegetation which make up the landscape and different land type systems.
2. Surface water/quality and quantity of water in waterways (creeks/ rivers/wetlands, water storage, weirs and dams).
3. Groundwater/water beneath the surface which eventually reaches aquifers (underground water table) and can feed streams.
4. Terrestrial ecosystems/land-based ecosystems and their plants and wildlife.
5. Aquatic Ecosystem/water-based ecosystems/plants and wildlife in wetlands.
6. Atmosphere/air.

Some of the Landcare Legends @ Healthy Land & Water

We asked two of our staff who volunteer for and work closely with Bushcare and Landcare groups about their experiences in this space, here’s what they said…

Melissa Walker, Senior Spatial Analyst

Mel first encountered the group 14 years ago when she came across a planting site at the local park the day she moved into her new rental. An older gentleman came up to her and asked about her interest in the plants. She mentioned thinking of joining the local Bushcare group, and he responded with, "It's the third Saturday of the month, and I'm Des, the group leader". Just like that, Mel found herself rooted in a friendly community and built friendships that last to this day. Mel is now the group leader of her local patch’s Wishart Outlook Bushland Care Group and has coordinated and contributed to creek and riparian restoration works ever since.
“Bushcare is how I appreciate the amazing landscape we have here in SEQ. Being in nature is good for your mental health, so look after your bushland parks and they will look after you.” – Mel

Marc Leman, Senior Scientist

Marc is a Senior Scientist with a strong Agricultural background that has worked closely with Boonah and District Landcare and Ravensbourne Landcare for years and has become fast friends with members from both groups.

His shared passion with the Landcare legends allows him to provide on-ground and applied science insights into land management, grazing, soil health and pasture management, property planning, and environmental ecosystem health issues in the community. As a result, this has led to our improving the condition of environment projects finding the perfect homes, fixing longstanding issues in land degradation, riparian zones and ecosystem health and led to many joint knowledge-sharing workshops.

For Marc though, it wasn’t just about science—it was about mental well-being and connection. Events like “Yarn on a Farm” brought people together, reigniting purpose. Conversations and gained knowledge flowed, struggles were shared, and potential solutions emerged. “Whether farmers or city dwellers, they all found solace in this passionate community,” he says.

“I’ve seen firsthand how Landcare brings communities of farmers and regional landholders together, and how problems on land management can be solved together with knowledge and experience sharing.”

Being a part of a community and having a ‘why’ has done wonders for the mental health of the community. In that sense, Landcare really is for everyone.” – Marc Leman

How you can get involved

If you’re interested in the natural environment you live in, whether it’s plants, animals, or insects, you can find or start a Landcare group that suits your passions. Visit Landcare Australia for more info.
As the human ecological footprint grows, there is and will be so much more to do for the connection with the environment and each other.