The Great Eastern Ranges (GER) has teamed up with the National Landcare Network (NLN) to promote and expand community-led connectivity conservation efforts nationally.

GER and the NLN, the peak body for community Landcare across the country, have committed to working strongly together to deliver more effective connectivity conservation and large-scale landscape restoration efforts through promoting the benefits and impact, developing projects and resource sharing.

The partnership will reinvigorate regional partnerships within the GER corridor, harnessing mutual strengths to engage landholders, Landcare groups and community members to participate in local conservation and restoration efforts.

GER Chief Executive Officer Gary Howling says the partnership is a natural synergy for the two organisations: “Landcare has been a vital part of Australia’s efforts to protect and restore nature and natural processes such as wildlife movement, soil conservation and water quality for over 40 years.

“The Great Eastern Ranges has in turn been working closely with Landcare to involve local landholders in our mutual goal of linking community efforts and reconnecting natural areas, so they remain healthy and adaptable to change.”

In recent years the Australian public has witnessed extraordinary changes in weather patterns, with prolonged drought followed by the catastrophic 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires and east coast floods of 2021-22. The need to maintain healthy and resilient natural systems has never been more critical.

“Community collaboration from the grassroots to national level is vital if we are to achieve large-scale conservation and restoration impact,” said Gary.

“As peak bodies that support the wider community Landcare movement, GER and NLN are in the unique position of being able to work hand-in-hand to empower landholders to connect their individual efforts to contribute towards the bigger picture vision of the Great Eastern Ranges.”

NLN Chair, Dr Louise Duxbury, looks forward to working together to meet the challenges of our times:

“To make the difference to the dual issues of biodiversity loss and climate change we need strong partnerships. GER’s expansive vision speaks to all of us and has already engaged Landcarers and communities, from the Queensland Tropics sweeping down the Great Dividing Range and into South Australia encompassing large parts of NSW and Victoria.

“The National Landcare Network members are the peak bodies in each state and territory who have thousands of individuals in their member groups.  We need every person and every group to act through initiatives such as GER.  This partnership speaks to that big vision engaging Australians in positive landscape wide change,” Louise said.

Contact your local Landcare organisation to get involved.