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The Landcare coordinator role

The Landcare coordinator role

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 THE LANDCARE COORDINATOR ROLE IN COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN REGIONAL QUEENSLAND GUEST Bec Kirby, Millmerran Landcare co-ordinator, Darling Downs region, S.E. Queensland. Introduction to this episode: The evolution of the Landcare movement represents one of the most important developments in the history of efforts to restore degraded natural systems and physical environment quality in Australia. The founding focus of Landcare, a community not-for-profit organisation, was the mobilisation and co-ordination of local groups of volunteers working to restore and enhance nature, wildlife and the healthy functioning of natural systems. Originating in Victoria, Australia in the late 1980s, Landcare projects focused initially on agricultural farmland, but later extended to cover urban areas, coastal environments and other communities of interest. The Landcare project model implemented the then innovative concept of collaboration across sectors to achieve environmental restoration objectives. Early projects encouraged and developed collaboration between farmers, conservationists, community members and scientists, all working together to improve interconnected agricultural and natural systems quality and functioning. The Landcare model is still in operation and has extended its remit even further. For instance, It now links to the work of indigenous community members on ‘Caring for our Country’ oriented projects aimed at nature restoration on indigenous lands. My guest in this podcast episode, Bec Kirby provides a great example of Landcare in action in 2023. She has been a professional Landcare co-ordinator for over 10 years to date, and in her work she oversees a range of environmental restoration and enhancement initiatives undertaken under the Landcare program around the small regional town of Millmerran in the Darling Downs region of S.E. Queensland. In our discussion, Bec talks about her lifelong passion for land and wildlife, the challenges and opportunities that her landscape protection work provides and her positive philosophy toward achieving environmental protection and enhancement through the influential skills she brings to engaging with people and place. INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS - with approximate time elapsed in minutes. Guest foreshadow comment - 0.00Generic podcast series introduction. – 0.30Current episode and guest introduction. – 2.17Guest comments: how did your passion for the environment start? - 3.44 (value of childhood connection with nature and schools environmental education) Who inspired or mentored you in your work? - 7.23 (therapeutic/healing capacity of nature connectivity) How did you get involved with environmental conservation to begin with? – 11.14 (tips for how to develop confident communication skills & Millmerran pen picture) When did you first realise the impact of your work on restoring the environment? – 18.48Are there any environmental achievements you are particularly proud of and why? – 22.00 (Cultural burning, solution focussed and holistic working philosophy) What are some of the challenges you have faced and how did you respond ? – 30.50 (being positive, leading by example, using case study demonstration of solutions) How has your work influenced you to keep doing what you do? – 39.05 (work as a vocation and love; quality of life and satisfaction tied to better forms of work) Are you working on any current, exciting projects? – 47.12Guest takeaway message and advice for some next steps in environmental protection. – 50.06Thanks to guest, acknowledgements and episode close. – 51.56End of episode - 53.58 IDEAS MENTIONED AND RESOURCES RELEVANT TO THE DISCUSSION Child and adult health and wellbeing benefits of connection with nature Nature Connectedness research a UK source. Nature mindfulness – an Australian example. Forest bathing and forest therapy approaches. A recent academic paper on human nature interaction benefits (2020) The value of childhood exposure to nature research paper (2020) The use of green prescriptions as a nature based public health intervention. Research (2019) Application of holism principles in agriculture Example of the holistic management model Landcare in Millmerran and the Darling Downs region of Queensland Landcare in Australia generic information on the Landcare initiative nationally. The Darling Downs region of S.E. Queensland – basic information on location, history and economy. Millmerran Landcare – information from the initiative’s Facebook site Some other Landcacre groups fairly close to Millmerran. Pittsworth District Landcare Association Clifton Landcare Group (Facebook page) Schools environmental education View the Cool Australia portal website for a rich source of student environmental education content. Value of Indigenous knowledge for more holistic landscape management Cultural burning practice – a recent ABC article (2020) on ...

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.