Beechworth Landcare was formed in 2005 in response to the community’s environmental concerns. It is part of the wider Landcare community, which began in Victoria in 1975.
The objectives of the group as expressed in its Local Area Plan are to:
- encourage greater community awareness of Beechworth’s native plants and animals
- promote sustainable practices within Beechworth (e.g. reduce – re-use – recycle; water tanks, solar power, alternative houses)
- promote organic practices in Beechworth
- develop environmental education programs together with other community groups and schools
- work in partnership with other Beechworth community groups (e.g. Shire, BNC, CFA).
Our Spring Creek project aims to improve the health of that waterway, which is a tributary of the Ovens River. We are re-establishing, with the help of school groups, native vegetation along the creek, after 150 years of human activity, and in turn improving habitat for native birds and animals. We have taken walks in the bush to look at the environment in former mining areas, and at vulnerable orchid sites. We have returned to Jack’s Creek to see the emergence of a fresh and beautiful waterway from a tangle of blackberries. We have run movie nights in conjunction with Beechworth Sustainability. The events are both social and educational in nature.
Landcare is not just a tree-planting group, and it’s not in any way a political mouthpiece for the VFF. We are trying to put our principles into action by providing a way for people to become involved in the stewardship of both the public and private natural environments; this stewardship acknowledges our wider sustainability responsibilities.