One of the highlights of a recent Intrepid Landcare Leadership Retreat was a talk by Mitchell Clark, the environmental project manager from Campbelltown City Council.
Mr Clark talked about the local koala population and the value of bushland in the Campbelltown area.
Twenty young people took part in the weekend retreat held at Wooglemai Environmental Education Centre, located near Oakdale.
As a result of the retreat, a festival will be held to raise awareness about endangered ecological communities.
The retreat aimed to empower young adults aged between 16 and 35 who are interested in making a difference and restoring their local natural environment.
The retreat was organised by Elisha Duxbury, a local Landcare Coordinator at Greater Sydney Landcare Network (GSLN), which is a community organisation that supports Sydney’s Landcare community in collaboration with Intrepid Landcare.
Intrepid Landcare is a national network that supports and empowers young people in the Landcare movement.
Its co-founders Megan Rowlatt and Naomi Edwards facilitated the event.
On Saturday the participants got a taste tester of Landcare in their local area including a presentation on local Aboriginal culture and history by David King from Garguree Swamp Care and a demonstration on seed collection from Miriam Dillenskerra, a local bush regenerator.
They also participated in a bush survival skills workshop led by Wildcraft.
On Sunday the young people went through leadership and personal development activities.
In the afternoon they were joined by five local legends who either work or volunteer in the South West region. Along with the local legends, they went through a project planning workshop where they developed the idea for a festival to raise awareness about endangered ecological communities on the Cumberland Plain.
Since the retreat, the participants have put the wheels in motion to make the festival happen and form a local South West Sydney Intrepid Landcare group.
For more information visit greatersydneylandcare.org
or https://www.facebook.com/GreaterSydneyLandcare/
