Victorian Landcare Magazine - Winter 2026, Issue 91
In these times of challenge, the power of landcare’s local conservation action at scale gives me great hope.
No matter what happens in the broader system, people will keep taking action in their local area. People with a deep understanding of the environments in which they’re operating will continue to care for their places. That has been true for 40 years, and it will keep happening, regardless of the pressures we face. That’s something truly special and worth celebrating.
As landcare in Victoria marks its 40th anniversary, I find myself taking heart from the people who make up this movement.
Having been involved in landcare myself for more than a decade, I’m particularly aware that it takes a tribe of landcarers to make a difference. That always has been the case, and it always will be.
In this edition of the magazine, we’ve done our best to represent a cross-section of the volunteer movement and its trailblazers. We’ll never be able to acknowledge everyone who has helped shape landcare into what it is today.
I would like to express my deep gratitude for these people and their contributions.
I meet individuals who have volunteered for decades to improve their community and their place, while learning and adapting their work over time – from early efforts to address salinity, to waterway restoration, to understanding carbon emissions reduction and biodiversity protection.
What’s so incredible about landcare is this ability for people to grow and contribute over long periods of time.
Every time someone turns up to an event, activity or meeting, they make an active choice. They could be somewhere else. But they bring a willingness to have a go, learn and adapt as the challenges we face evolve, and to share that knowledge with others. That’s what makes landcare special.
I see this generosity demonstrated across landcare organisations – from the smallest groups to the largest networks.
It might be a young person just starting out, planting trees for the first time. It might be a university student getting involved in extension and the role landcare plays in connecting science, community and practice. Time and again, I see landcare people offering value – sharing what they know, supporting those just starting their journey, and strengthening the collective capability of the movement.
As chair of Landcare Victoria, I see my role as a steward of an extensive social network with a 40-year legacy.
I’m humbled to hold that responsibility at this moment in time. My task is to honour what has come before while helping ensure landcare remains strong and relevant into the future.
That means continuing to subscribe to the values that underpin landcare, particularly local leadership and community‑led action, while also supporting the movement to evolve.
Our operating context is changing rapidly, and that requires evolution in the way we work and collaborate.
At the same time, the importance of maintaining a strong community and local focus has never been more relevant. Bushfires, floods and drought continue to place pressure on our landscapes and our communities. Our work in environmental protection and threatened species increasingly intersects with wellbeing and resilience.
The challenge ahead is not to move away from local action, but to strengthen it and to connect it more effectively across regions, systems and scales.
After 40 years, landcare remains powerful because it is grounded in people and place. That foundation gives me confidence for the future.
Local people taking action, in ways that make sense for their communities, will continue to be at the heart of landcare – now and for decades to come.