More than 150 Landcare and Bushcare volunteers and supporters made their way to Katoomba recently for the 2023 Greater Sydney Landcare and Bushcare forum and awards.
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Greater Sydney Local Land Services organises this event every two years as a way of acknowledging and celebrating all the hard work that environmental volunteers across the region contribute. The day combines presentations from experts and community groups, field trips to local sites and includes the Greater Sydney Landcare awards ceremony.
The Mountains community was well represented up on stage during the awards ceremony so it was most fitting that the event was held in Katoomba this year. The community was thrilled that Trish Doyle joined for the awards ceremony to personally congratulate all the recipients.
Farm it Forward, the local group putting regenerative farming principles and social enterprise into practice here in the Mountains won the farming award.
The Galong Creek Bushcare Group from the Megalong Valley, was highly commended in the Landcare community group category for their 15 years' of work with National Parks and Wildlife Service revegetating 12 hectares of cleared farm paddocks and reconnecting fragmented forest.
Jude Bennett, a year 10 student at Katoomba High School and most recently featured on ABC-TV's Gardening Australia, received a highly commended award in the young Landcare leader category for sharing his knowledge and passion on sustainable food production with his peers.
Organisers of the event were thrilled with the record turnout at this year's forum and believe that the program, which focused on 'connectivity', was one of the drawcards.
One of the highlights was the contributions from Gundungurra and Dharug traditional owners who shared their experiences with cultural burning and led on-Country field trips to the Gully and the Gathering Place at Echo Point. Support from the Blue Mountains City Council didn't go unnoticed with contributions to the day from their Bushcare team, First Nations Community team, Planetary Health team and the Cultural Centre.
Volunteers left with renewed energy and inspiration after catching up with fellow environmental volunteers and sharing in the knowledge, enthusiasm and wisdom that the Landcare community has to offer.
