It was a wet and wild day for the Back Yamma Landcare Group meeting on Thursday.

After a hearty cooked breakfast and a catch up we got down to business and had a chance to reflect on some of the work that has been undertaken over the 21 years that the group has been working together. As with many Landcare groups that started in the late 1980’s and 90’s, the group completed many projects that have had a significant impact on our local area. 

As with every group that are willing to get in and have a go, there are always projects that are a raging success, some see significant benefits to other areas that weren’t expected when the project was undertaken, and all provide a good learning experience. 

Back Yamma Landcare group have taken steps to move forward and revise their method of governance and will be operating under the umbrella of Central West Lachlan Landcare (CWLL). This change will provide opportunities to landholders in the catchment to look at fresh ways to pursue funding for catchment scale projects, without the need for official positions and paperwork that can often weigh down many groups.

In September, we are planning to host a bus trip that will encompass many of the sites that have been transformed over the past 20 years to showcase what has worked, what needs tweaking and what might be done differently next time. Back Yamma have kindly offered to be part of this tour. This bus trip will be your chance to have a look at projects in your area, in a similar landscape that might provide inspiration or ideas to undertake works on your own property. A big thank you to Back Yamma Landcare Group for pursuing a positive way forward and to Brian McGee for being such our host.

I would encourage any Landcare groups in the Parkes and Forbes Shires to contact me if you have any governance requirements that need to be tidied up. I am keen to hear about any projects from your area that were undertaken over the past 20 years, preferably from a Landcare Group perspective. Our aim is to be able to offer courses and training to members for free or discounted, with the intention that decisions that you make as a result will improve your patch, which then improves our region, so let me know if you have one of those sites on your property and are keen to show case it. 

Lastly, don’t forget Earth Hour this weekend. This is the tenth year that it has been run. If you are like me, with the weather lately, I have celebrated quite a few hours with the lights out and the candles lit. Earth Hour gives us a chance to have a good think about what we could be doing to make a difference, not just with the environment. Who knows, it could spark some new ideas or spark an environmental conscience. There might be lots of things that could spark when you turn off the lights for Earth Hour on Saturday night between 8.30pm and 9.30pm.

Visit centralwestlachlanlandcare.org, facebook or on 02 6862 4914. Happy Landcaring!