Who are we?
Latrobe Catchment Landcare Network (LCLN) covers a large catchment area across Baw Baw, Latrobe City and Wellington Shires. The network encompasses Landcare Groups from Warragul in the West across to Rosedale in the East, from the ridge of the Great Divide in the North to the ridge of the Strzeleckis in the South.
LCLN was formed in 1999, with the aim of helping to preserve and promote natural ecosystems in the Latrobe region. Our large catchment area spreads across Baw Baw, Latrobe City and Wellington Shires. We support 19 local Landcare Groups within our Network, as well as manage projects with local partners.
The area includes significant remnants of the critically endangered Gippsland Red Gum Grassy Woodland with many old growth paddock tree remnants still remaining. Supporting these ecosystems is important to us as many threatened or endangered species such as the Greater Glider heavily rely on the fragmented pockets of good quality habitat.
LCLN’s mission is to support our 19 Landcare groups, whilst engaging with local communities to help promote and restore the local environment. Landcare is not just about planting trees, its more than that! We work with citizen science, local school groups or similar organisations to run events to help educate our community on local issues. Each of the 19 groups between the Latrobe and West Gippsland region involve themselves in best practice land management activities. Our groups are highly diverse and include many rural focused groups with a wide range of active environmental projects. We also have two urban groups and a number of local primary schools involved in Junior Landcare.
The Networks core responsibility is to provide support to the groups to enable and assist them to achieve their objectives and goals.
We hope that by joining our Network or any of the 19 Landcare Groups, you can develop new skills, meet amazing like minded people and have a bit of fun! In return LCLN is committed to supporting you and assisting in any way possible.
Thank you,
Latrobe Catchment Landcare Networks Board and Staff
FAQs
How do I sign up to a Landcare group?
Good question! We get this one a lot.
Within our network there are 19 groups, soooo… this all depends on where you are located. Have a look at the Join a Group page to see which one is closest to you!
What is Landcare?
Landcare is a community-based movement that began in Victoria in 1986 when Joan Kirner, then Minister for Conservation, Forests and Lands, and Heather Mitchell, then president of the Victorian Farmers Federation joined forces to create what was then called Land Care. It now involves thousands of Victorians and more than 600 groups working together to shape the future of our land, biodiversity and waterways.
The movement has grown from this to the adoption of a broader focus on sustainable management of all of Victoria’s natural resource assets. It now encompasses individuals and groups across the whole landscape from coastal to urban and remote areas of Victoria.
Is there a cost to be a LCLN member?
All Landcare networks and groups have a cost to cover insurance and administration for the year.
LCLN have a yearly fee of $25 which is renewed yearly. You can find out more here.
Where can I find more information about my local group?
There are a number of ways to find a group closest to you including:
The Landcare Gateway is a platform aimed at giving landcarers information about local groups and keeping the community up to date on events or projects happening in their region.
Social media such as Facebook or Instagram, is another great way to find or keep up to date with local groups.
Our website also provides a list of groups within our network with contact information and boundaries for you to find a group closest to you.
Do I have to join a group to be a Landcare member?
This is one of our top questions…..literally!
So, there are two options. You can either join your local Landcare group which can be found here.
OR
Become a member/volunteer of LCLN’s network and keep up to date with events we run as well as what other groups in our network are up to.
How do I start a project on my property?
This is a longer question… it all depends on what you want to do! To have one of our staff do a site visit for you, you need for firstly, be passionate and driven to complete the project and secondly be a part of a local group or the Network. If you tick both these boxes then get in contact with our staff.
Laura Bowles (Executive Manager)
Caroline Hammond (Network Facilitator/Project Officer)
Alternatively, you can have a chat to your group to explore options going forward. Either way, our staff are more than happy to assist.