Member snapshot, successful workshops and training events, more awesome upcoming events, member stories and more! Check out the April Dirty Hands for the run-down on all things Landcare. 

Landcare Tasmania's 2021 Member snapshot

What do Landcare Tas Members do?

Our members form a vast network of people across Tasmania who are making a positive difference in their natural and working environments. Once a year, after our Membership Renewal drive, we take a snapshot of our members. As of today, we have:

276 Member Groups - Community Groups, Property-based groups, and Schools

92 Individual Members - People who give financial support and/or are active in Landcaring in many ways.

2 Corporate Members - Business, Councils, or Organisations who support Landcare Tasmania with their own tailored Membership Agreements.

Did you know that 1 in 100 Tasmanians are members or volunteers with a Landcare Tas member group? So who are these people, and what are they working on?

Renewing Member Groups reported on their volunteer activity in 2020. They also told us which habitats and landscapes their activities take place in, and which activities they plan to undertake in 2021.

• 5,600 Regular Volunteers - these are the volunteers who regularly came to activities.
• 3,465 Events were held around the state, including working bees, meetings, outings, market stalls, info sessions and workshops.
• 111,656 Hours were contributed by volunteers.

That's the equivalent of 64 people working full time all year!! (However, this is close to 50,000 hours less than the hours reported for 2019, we suspect because of COVID-19)

For larger images and more information click the button below.

Worth a mention is the fact that the number of groups working on private land increased significantly from last year, from 30% to near 50%. This is a result of new members in all categories - not just property-based Landcare groups - working with private landholders, and demonstrates the strength communities can have in looking after their local environments. This is very exciting for Landcare Tasmania, as it brings us closer to our vision for all the land and coasts of Tasmania to be looked after by the community. 

Join Us!

Landcare is for everyone! We know there are more of you out there thinking of joining. As a grassroots movement, we support and empower you to address the environment and sustainability issues that are important in your community.

Annual Memberships with Landcare Tas run by the calendar year, renewing on 31 January. If you join now, your membership will be valid until 31 January 2022. Download our Membership Benefits info.

Landcare Tasmania appoints interim CEO

As a few of you may have heard, Rod Knight has resigned from his position as CEO of Landcare Tasmania.  Rod has been CEO since 2016, during which time he has led the organisation through governance reforms, ongoing growth in membership, and increased funding to support the organisation and the community it represents.

We thank Rod for his service and wish him well in the future.

Peter Stronach, Community Landcare Manager & Deputy CEO has been named as Acting CEO while the recruitment process for a new CEO is underway.

Landcare Tas Outreach Events

Our series of 2021 Outreach Events is rolling out fast!

Revegetation Training workshop, Coal Valley

Landcare Tasmania hosted a Revegetation Techniques Workshop for invited members as part of Landcare Tasmania's Landcare Action Grants (LAG) landscape project, with funding from the State Government and the Tasmanian Landcare Fund. The lucky attendees of this workshop gathered at a beautiful property in Tea Tree.  The weather was perfect, and Herbert Staubmann of Habitat Plants Nursery shared his amazing knowledge, collected in over 35 years of experience. 

If you're interested in getting involved in planting the 8,000+ plants earmarked for these projects, make sure you register as a prospective volunteer on our website to receive the planting event registration announcements in your area.

For those who were not able to attend, Herbert Staubmann has helped put together a guide on our website for Landcarers on best practices for preparing your site for revegetation.

Native Seed Collection and Propagation Workshops

Landcare Tasmania hosted two native seed collection and propagation events, in Franklin and Lauderdale.

Ruth Mollison, the seed propagating extraordinaire, was truly excellent and shared her seed-collecting and propagating secrets, and participants had fun getting some really valuable hands-on experience that they can easily put to use back in their Landcare patch or backyard.

Thanks to the support of Julie Collins MP who came to our Lauderdale workshop and is supporting our program through the Australian Government's Community Environment Program, and to the JM Roberts Charitable Trust for funding.

Weed training for new Landcarers

New Landcarers joined Convenors of the Kingston Beach Coastcare and Algona Reserve Landcare groups in Kingborough to gain skills in weed identification and eradication, with support from our partner Kingborough Council and the Australian Government's Communities Environment Program. 

Those who came along to the training were introduced to some valuable weed identification and eradication techniques.  

This was a great opportunity for the interested volunteers and the existing Landcare groups to connect.

Next events:

Rodenticide Information Sessions - South Hobart, Kingston, Huonville

Second generation rat poisons are killing our birds of prey. Owls, Wedge Tailed Eagles, Goshawks, and Peregrines are all species that are impacted by rodenticides. Their deaths have serious implications for native ecosystems and humans alike. Households, businesses, farms, schools, and councils are all examples of places that may use these harmful poisons.

There are positive choices you can take to reduce the impact of rat poisons on our native wildlife. 

Hear from specialists such as Nick Mooney who can provide an update on impacts and what you can do to help.

Choose the session that suits you best, and come along to an information session in our Week of Rodenticide Awareness.

You will learn:

• Which poisons are most harmful
• What effect these poisons are having on birds of prey
• What the alternatives are
• What you can easily do to help stop the deaths of our raptors

Dates:

18th May - South Hobart
20th May - Kingston
21st May - Huonville

Register your interest in future training

To get invites to future training events, click the button to register your interest in the topics that interest you. Your feedback drives our training program and funding applications.

Photo Competition Open!

Here at Landcare Tasmania we are welcoming in the United Nations Decade of Ecological Restoration 2021-2030 with a Landcare Tas Photo Competition, based on key areas of restoration focus.

The competition is open to all photographers; professional, amateur and aspiring regardless of your home base as long as the photograph was taken in Tasmania. Entrants under 18 years of age require written and signed permission from a parent or legal guardian through the parental consent form.

Registration is open until Monday 24 May 9am.

Click here for guidelines and how to submit:

More Member Stories:

Arthur's Story- Penguin Rehab and Release share Arthur's journey of recovery

Wynyard Landcare in The Advocate 

Seymour Wetland Restoration project gets a hand from UTAS Landcare Society

Friends of Mount Field (Wildcare Inc) - Planking and track trimming at Windy Moor

Friends of Wellington Park - work on new track linking Thark Ridge Track to Devils Throne Track

Members, we'd love for you to share more of your stories with us! Reach us by email, or tagging us on social media @LandcareTasmania. 

Welcome to our New Member Groups

Community Landcare is continuing to grow! New member groups are a great demonstration of the generosity of the Tasmanian community to get involved in caring for our bush, land, coasts, rivers, and wildlife. They're contributing to our vision for all the land and coasts of Tassie to be cared for by the community. Join them if you're in their area!

Gagebrook Primary School - School group

Rokeby Hills Community Landcare Group - Community Group

Russ Trust - Property-based group

Woodlands Road Landcare - Property-based group

Woodbanks Landcare - Property-based group

Support Community Landcare

Even if you can't get hands-on, you can:

• Make a donation to the Tasmanian Landcare Fund to help fund the on-ground work that we do
• Forward this newsletter to your friends (they can sign up here)
• Share our posts on Facebook, tag #LandcareTasmania and we'll share yours.
• Follow us on Instagram @LandcareTasmania
• Become an Individual Member to support our organisation
• If you're a business owner, consider becoming a Corporate Member. Contact us for more information.

Events Calendar

See below for a full listing of member events in the coming months. If your event is not listed please contact us.

Thanks for reading

The Landcare Tasmania Team

Peter Stronach - Acting CEO, Community Landcare Manager
Priscilla Richards - Landcare Services Manager
Rachel Larner - Finance and Administration Manager
Jenn Gason – Communications & Database Assistant
Jakob Sprickerhof – Project Officer
Kat Traill - Event Producer
Evie Drinnan - Executive Assistant
Joy Pfleger – Outreach and Engagement Officer