Administration
Charmaine Richards
Office Administrator
I started working with Gympie Landcare in September 2023 and love it here. The work is interesting and challenging, and the staff and volunteers are all friendly and welcoming. We love learning together and sharing ideas and having a laugh along the way.
I have a Cert IV in Accounting & Bookkeeping and also in Business, and Diplomas in Management and in Business Administration.
My goal is to help build Landcare into something everyone can be proud of. To excel in customer service and have everyone want to spread the word about coming here.
A bit about me: I lived on the Gold Coast for nearly 30 years before my husband and I moved to Gympie two days before the big flood of 2022.
On the Gold Coast I worked for a recruitment agency doing relief work all over the Gold Coast for quite a few years. I also worked at several large organisations – some being Australia wide companies. All of this allowed me to learn a lot and acquire a lot of different experience and skills.
I love travelling, motor sports, reading and writing and public speaking. My dislikes include bad customer service, lack of organization and lack of communication.
I’m very much looking forward to many years at Gympie Landcare, working with the team to build our organization and help our community restore and nurture our wonderful Gympie Region environment.
Environment and Conservation
Marty McArthur
Environment and Conservation Project Lead
I started with Gympie Landcare as casual Environment and Conservation (E&C) Team Supervisor in August 2022 and am now the E&C Manager. I am lucky enough to have a job which allows me to learn about and protect the environment as well as engage myself into the community of Gympie and its surrounds.
My qualifications include a Diploma in Conservation and Land Management, a Cert III in Conservation and Land Management, a Cert III in in Horticulture, a Cert III in Carpentry, a Cert II in Business Development and all the relevant tickets and licenses to be a Bush Regenerator.
I started my working life as a carpenter for 7 years, but my love of timber was more in the preservation of it rather than its use. A love for the bush pushed me into a career change to arboriculture but my compassion for individual trees and distain for unbalanced development prevented me from furthering this pursuit. I therefore began studying and found my purpose in bush regeneration and ecological restoration. Before joining Gympie Landcare I had gained 6 years’ experience as an arborist and bush regenerator.
Through these roles and qualifications, I gained extensive Arboricultural experience and Ecological knowledge, as well extensive familiarity with South East Queensland’s diverse plant communities. I have become obsessed with the individual species and symbiotic relationships which detail a delicate dance of equilibrium throughout Australia’s ancient landscapes. I thrive to continue leaning, understanding and teaching others about the complex associations throughout the ecosystems and the underpinning geology which houses our flora and fauna.
I consider myself to be an extremely passionate person with a burning desire to protect the natural world, alleviate environmental issues and encourage ecological succession, so working with Gympie Landcare is a natural fit for me.
Nursery
Elle Hall
Acting Nursery Lead
I started with Landcare in January 2023 working in the Nursery as Nursery Assistant and am now Acting Nursery Lead. I love working with our wonderful staff and volunteers, growing Australian and local native plants and helping our customers learn which would be best for their needs.
I have a Certificate I in Conservation & Eco System Management and am currently studying a Cert 2 in Horticulture (as at Aug 2024). I also hold a ACDC Ticket, First Aid / CPR Certificate, and a Level 1 Swift Water & Vertical Rescue from the Queensland Fire Emergency Service.
I consider my strengths to include being organised, hard working, a good leader with good time management skills, and very community minded.
I have been an Auxiliary Firefighter at Imbil Station since 2012 and really enjoy being part of that community.
I have always loved working outdoors with plants, and my previous work experience included four years working on a farm growing Avocado, Figs & Passionfruit where I was site supervisor.
My goal with Gympie Landcare is to make conservation and sustainability available to everyone.