Gympie Landcare is celebrating its 30th birthday this year and will be hosting various events in the month of July, September, and October to celebrate this big milestone.
The Landcare movement started in 1985, although as early as the 1940s community groups were getting together to tackle some of the local environmental issues. Gympie & District Landcare Group was started 3 years after the movement began, in 1988, by some of our local graziers making it one of the oldest Landcare groups in Queensland. The group was established to promote responsible land management in the region covering Gympie City, Widgee Shire, Kilkivan Shire, Tiaro Shire and other small outlying communities in the region.
During the following decade Gympie & District Landcare assisted with the formation of independent Landcare groups and when Gympie City and Widgee Shire amalgamated into Cooloola Shire the group focused its activities within the new Cooloola Shire.
Gympie District Landcare Group won the Community Group category at the 1999 Queensland Landcare Awards and was a finalist at the 2000 National Landcare Awards and winner of the 2001 Queensland NHT Rivercare Award.
In March 2000 we became the first Landcare group in Australia to be inscribed onto the federal government’s Register of Environmental Organisations. We are a not-for-profit member-based organisation that became an incorporated association in 1991. We have a rich 30-year history of strong community support that enables us to fulfill our vision of leaving a legacy of sustainable land care management in the Gympie region.
Our purpose is to support and inspire landowners to practice sustainable land stewardship. We do that by providing:
- Education about sustainable land use and environmental biodiversity best practices
- Contract services & support for sustainable land care
- Native plants and knowledge through our nursery
- Insects for bio-control purposes, particularly for organic and chemical free landowners
(For more on our services click here)
We build opportunities for community engagement and relationships with the public and our other partners and lobby for more sustainable land care management systems.
We are keenly focused on engaging wider participation in caring for the natural resources (Click here to become a member or donate or volunteer), being respected by our community and partners and ensuring we have a sustainable well-governed organisation that can flourish for the next generation.
We will kick-off our celebration on 18 July when we participate in the tree decorating on Mary Street. We invite everyone in the community to come and help us decorate our tree opposite the NAB bank.
Then on the 2nd of September, we will be hosting a family fun afternoon at our nursery and office. Bring the whole family and enjoy treasure hunts, insect and bat magic and many more kids activities. This afternoon also includes food and presentation on various land care topics for the parents.
Our actual birthday is on 4 October 2018 and we will be inviting members to a morning tea. Our celebrations will culminate in a bush dance on 20 October 2018 to be held at the Chatsworth Community Hall. The ticket includes food and entertainment. There will also be a cash bar available. So put on your boots and hat and bring your partner for a night of fun, prizes and endless dancing. Click here to book
We look forward to seeing you at one of our birthday events.