Katherine Landcare Group re-vitalised

Katherine Landcare Group is re-emerging to help the local and regional community with landcare issues. The group, which formed in 1996, has recently struggled to stay active. But that appears to be changing thanks a three year grant under the Australian Government’s Biodiversity Fund which has re-invigorated the group. Former committee member Paula Moloney (below) is now the Group’s fulltime project officer.

Paula said that the group wants to work for the community. “We want to do what the community wants. We have our plans, but we want input from the community to say ‘we need help here and here…”

The group has about 60 paid members and typically attracts 15-25 people to a working bee. Paula hopes to increase both those numbers and hold working bees at least one a month.

The group’s focus is woody weeds, one of the main biodiversity impacts along Katherine River. However, they also engage in other activities.

“People think of landcare and think, do I really want to volunteer my time to spraying weeds in the bush. We don’t just want to do that. We want to make it fun.

“We have a corporate partnership with Gecko Canoeing and Trekking and take groups of people out on canoes to collect rubbish along the river. We also do native seed collection, plant propagation and tree planting, and water quality monitoring. We are also getting involved with the schools and work with the Junior Rangers, and are collaborating with Katherine Golf Club who also won a grant under the Biodiversity Fund.

Recent working bees have been held at properties where landholders are trying to control Neem and African Mahogany.

“Basal barking is hard so we come in with a crew of people to help. We have morning tea and everybody shares their issues. That’s what landcare is all about, community coming together and helping one another. It shouldn’t be up to one person to do all the work, we should be doing it together.

The group wants to help landholders manage weeds and fire on their property and aren’t limiting themselves to smaller blocks.

 “We want landholders to realise that Katherine Landcare are here to help them. It might be about showing landholders how to treat the weed properly, or just giving them a head start so they can manage the area by themselves.