Landcare (organisation)
Encyclopedia
Landcare began in Victoria, Australia in 1986 with a group of farmers near St Arnaud in central Victoria forming the first Landcare group. Since then, the Landcare concept has developed into a movement, across Australia
and now around the world. There are approximately 4000 Landcare groups in Australia, and the model is being used in about fifteen other countries.
. A catchment is an area that collects and directs water to a common point. By working together in a catchment, land degradation
problems can be tackled successfully.
Many of the first groups were setup to eradicate rabbits
and to address other specific farm
land degradation issues. The Landcare concept has now extended well beyond this, to include rural
farming, lifestyle and community development. Participants may include full-time farmers, those who farm as a hobby, urban
groups, local schools and businesses.
s for livestock protection, tackling soil erosion and combating soil salinity. Many of the tasks are carried out to correct mistakes in farming practices conducted decades ago and sometimes a project simply involve the sharing of ideas related to caring for the land. Other activities include weed removal, using biological controls and farm beautification
.
Landcare groups in Victoria are supported by the DSE and their regional Catchment management authority. In Queensland a statewide organisation, Landcare Queensland has been formed to support more than 400 landcare groups operating in the State.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and now around the world. There are approximately 4000 Landcare groups in Australia, and the model is being used in about fifteen other countries.
Aims
Landcare brings together groups of people who share a common problem and usually live in the same catchmentDrainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
. A catchment is an area that collects and directs water to a common point. By working together in a catchment, land degradation
Land degradation
Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by one or more combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land....
problems can be tackled successfully.
Many of the first groups were setup to eradicate rabbits
Rabbits in Australia
In Australia, rabbits are a serious mammalian pest and are an invasive species. Annually, European rabbits cause millions of dollars of damage to crops.-Effects on Australia's ecology:...
and to address other specific farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
land degradation issues. The Landcare concept has now extended well beyond this, to include rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
farming, lifestyle and community development. Participants may include full-time farmers, those who farm as a hobby, urban
Urban culture
Urban culture is the culture of towns and cities. In the United States, Urban culture may also sometimes be used as a euphemistic reference to contemporary African American culture.- African American culture :...
groups, local schools and businesses.
Activities
The range of activities now included within Landcare programs has expanded to include research that measures effectiveness of previous activities, fencing out stock so that vegetation can regrow, creating windbreakWindbreak
A windbreak or shelterbelt is a plantation usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion. They are commonly planted around the edges of fields on farms. If designed properly, windbreaks around a...
s for livestock protection, tackling soil erosion and combating soil salinity. Many of the tasks are carried out to correct mistakes in farming practices conducted decades ago and sometimes a project simply involve the sharing of ideas related to caring for the land. Other activities include weed removal, using biological controls and farm beautification
Beautification
Beautification is the process of making visual improvements to a person, place or thing. With regard to a town, city or to an urban area, this most often involves planting trees, shrubbery, and other greenery, but frequently also includes adding decorative or historic-style street lights and other...
.
Changes
In the twenty years since the first group formed, Landcare has become an ethic, related to the Stewardship principles where land managers work to protect or improve the land for the future. Landcare groups in Australia are supported by Landcare Australia as a national body, and also by the relevant State.Landcare groups in Victoria are supported by the DSE and their regional Catchment management authority. In Queensland a statewide organisation, Landcare Queensland has been formed to support more than 400 landcare groups operating in the State.
See also
- Conservation in AustraliaConservation in AustraliaConservation in Australia is an issue of state and federal policy. Australia is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, with a large portion of species endemic to Australia...
- Environmental issues in AustraliaEnvironmental issues in AustraliaEnvironmental issues in Australia describes a number of environmental issues which affect the environment of Australia. There are a range of such issues, some of them relating to conservation in Australia while others, for example the deteriorating state of Murray-Darling Basin, have a direct and...
- Landcare Australia