Landcare Awards Winner Victoria, 2019

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Australian Landcare International was awarded the Australian Government Partnerships for Landcare Award on 30 August 2019 at Government House in Melbourne. We were represented by Board members Rob Youl, Belinda Brennan, Sandra McPhee and Liddy Nevile.

We owe so much to those original members of ALI who understood the benefits of our Australian Landcare model and saw the opportunities for this to be adopted in other countries. Those pioneers include but are not limited to Rob Youl, Horrie Poussard, Mary Johnson, Bob Edgar, Sue Marriott, Bruce Lloyd, Sandy Mackenzie, Vick Mack, Geoff Lodge, Jane Starey and Alain Purnell.

We will now strive to build on these excellent foundations as we move further into the realms of global Landcare.

Congratulations to all involved.

Andrea Mason, Chair

Celebrating ALI’s Partnership Award

We were one of 73 nominations from across Victoria for the 15 Victorian Landcare Award categories. The winners of nine categories, including ours, will go on to represent Victoria at the 2020 National Landcare Awards.

To see the list of all the winners in 2019, as well as those who received highly commended and commended acknowledgements, go to
https://www.landcarevic.org.au/state-government-news/2019-victorian-landcare-awards-winners/

The official citation for the award granted to ALI is worth reading:

For over a decade, Australian Landcare International (ALI) has promoted Landcare’s philosophy overseas – a tough arena, with surprising results and great satisfaction.

ALI was launched in 2008 … and now operates in around 25 nations.

The growth of Landcare overseas has been due to a combination of government initiative, global NGO support and ALI working with existing community workers. Networking and the exchange of information has been the key.

While in a meeting leading up to the G8 Summit in Italy in 2009, Hon Tony Burke MP sat next to the Environment Minister for South Africa. She noticed that Mr Burke was the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister for Australia and said, “Oh, you would be involved in Landcare”. She went on to say that Landcare is one of the best forms of foreign aid that Australia has ever provided South Africa.

Belinda Brennan, the ALI Secretary, won the VFF/ Landcare Victoria Inc Heather Mitchell Memorial Fellowship which she will use to travel to the Uganda National Landcare conference in November to present a paper on ALI/ Landcare.

ALI is a partnership organisation so this award is also for the many partners we have including:

Landcare Victoria Inc, Landcare Australia Limited, Crawford Fund, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Uganda Landcare Network, African Landcare Network, Kain Foundation, Secretariat for International Landcare, Landcare International, ICRAF/World AgroForestry Centre, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), RMIT University, Port Phillip Eco Centre, Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority, National Landcare Network, Global Agribusiness Alliance, World Business Centre for Sustainable Development, Australia-Japan Foundation, The Hanover & Wolverhampton Link Project, University of Wolverhampton and Beyond Subsistence, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Supporting Testimonials

In preparation for the Landcare Awards, we were overwhelmed by the testimonials from many of our partners about the work of ALI. A number of the interesting comments have helped us focus on some of our strengths. The following are good examples (edited somewhat for brevity). One significant aspect of Landcare activity is the way in which undocumented information is surfaced and shared.

Quick links: Australia, DR Congo, Iceland, Japan, Kenya & East Africa, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, Uganda, UK & Caribbean, USA, Vietnam.

USA

Dr Jerry Moles, Grayson Landcare, Virginia, USA, contributed the following comments, among others.

Australian Landcare International (ALI) has contributed significantly to the formation of Landcare in Central Appalachia. At the beginning, John Robinson spend months with continual practical advice and a host of other visitors came offering the kinds of guidance that cannot be found in books. At the same time, a literature has been shared with examples and explanations of facilitation that has hastened us along the path.

Jerry commented: “Good people these Landcare folks, friendly, kind, and positive. After all, they are Aussies.” But just being nice and Aussie is not enough. Significantly, bureaucratic and especially academic practices do not always offer what Landcare can contribute. Interestingly, Landcare’s ubiquity is a feature in itself that makes a difference – one group can contribute to another in very subtle ways.

Jerry again:

These are special times and many of us have continued along our respective paths to the point of looking back and, drawing from what we’ve learned, some pretty significant conclusions are possible. I’ve been advising on a critique of World Bank relocation policies and results and invariably policy and, far too frequently, implementation is not informed by local circumstances. There is no sense of what is on the ground at the moment not to mention the ties that bind local people together … In following Kamy’s work (SRI LANKA) …, the sophistication of what she has discovered has blown my mind. Her attention to what’s on the ground in the villages and broader landscapes has unearthed treasures many of us in the academic and bureaucratic world had no idea existed. And then, in talking to faculty here in the USA and in Australia, plus the group formed out of UNESCO called “Learning to Learn in the Anthropocene,” the idea of a relatively autonomous farming system that can produce valued products to the outside world while providing secure livelihoods within is beyond the imagination of many, mine included. And yet, most of the world used to be that way!

And in the US, Landcare is not just about little groups weeding:

Exciting times with LandCare here in the USA. Danny Boyer whom several of you know, Kathlyn Terry of Appalachian Sustainable Development, and several others including the manager of the SW Virginia Farmers Market (over $70 millions in food is packaged and distributed from here …) are involved in creating a planning/coordinating group linking markets with on-the-ground activities. This form of planning is seldom encountered. To a degree, we’re making it up as we go. Ultimately, that’s how everything happens anyway (slightly edited).

Kenya and East Africa

Dr Dennis Garrity, Senior Fellow World Agroforestry Center, Kenya, Chair, EverGreening Global Alliance and Chair, Landcare International also had some interesting things to offer. His focus was on the contributions from ALI that have helped with initiatives in Kenya and elsewhere.

We look forward with great anticipation to building together on this great record of collaboration, and together we look forward to taking international landcare to a new level of effectiveness in tackling the challenges of building a truly sustainable agriculture and environment during the coming years.

Mieke Bourne, WAC, Nairobi, Kenya – former WA Wheatbelt Landcare co-ordinator

I think one of the great benefits of ALI for me and the Landcare network in Africa has been the connection of talented Australian landcarers with the master classes we have held. The passion, experience and enthusiasm the teams from ALI bring has been great for shifting Landcare in the region with the results likely to come over many years.

Uganda

Dr Joy M B Tukahirwa, Vice Chairperson, Uganda Landcare Network:

Extremely generous, wonderful, timely, inspiring and consistent …

Joy wrote:

ALI is beyond a development partner, an ally, a friend in need and indeed but a treasured parent consistently nurturing land care movement in Uganda towards transforming livelihoods and landscapes.

For 5 years, Uganda has received grants from ALI. An initial grant supported a post deadly landslide community giving them practical hope to cope, including formation of land care platforms at watershed, parish and sub county levels; tools to construct trenches and manage runoff on very steep slopes; tree seedlings; linkages to local government for additional support including bylaw development and government-led Natural Resource Management (NRM) programmes.

Subsequent grants have supported Junior Landcare (JLC) programmes in 4 districts; training and nursery start up kits for JLC schools; scaling agroforestry trees in school compounds; exchange visits; environment and conservation awareness building through music, dance and drama. The JLC school has multiple benefits: awareness; improved nutrition among school goers; increased incomes from seedlings and vegetables. Most recent is a grant for the upcoming National Landcare Conference and Awards scheduled for November 2019.

Jimmy S Musiime, Chairman, Kabale Agroforestry Network (KAN) commented, “We remain greatly motivated by your continued support and look forward to take this partnership even further”. He reported on one activity in one of the schools with which they work:

After signing an MOU with KAN, Hornby High School Junior was supported to prepare a work plan stipulating activities to be done during the year 2019. KAN supported fencing of the school garden area of approximately 0.5 acres and provided fruit and tree seedlings for planting in the compound and school boundaries. The trees included guavas(50), Grevillea (100), and Alnus (50) that are now growing well. The school also planted beans, cabbages, carrots spinach, and potatoes in the school garden. They also planted bananas in the empty spaces in the compound earlier occupied only by flowers. The beans, spinach, and cabbages are now ready for harvesting and are supplementing the menu of the pupils and have improved their nutrition. Junior Landcare activities have been mainstreamed in the school music, dance and drama and in the entire curriculum.

Dr Prossy Isubikalu, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda:

I am writing to testify the work and partnership we as a department through the Australian Funded projects in Uganda (Especially Value Chain Innovation Platforms for Improved food security i Eastern Uganda) have been able to work with communities to improve on the productivity and usability of their land for sustainable agricultural production and environmental management. I happen to be the national coordinator of the VIP4FS project and ALI has played a significant role not only in training our farmers in Mt. Elgon region on the value of managing land but also provided a series of master classes to the facilitators of the 26 Innovation platforms under VIP4FS.

Dr. Prossy Isubikalu, Country coordinator VIP4FS project, Uganda (Value Chain Innovation Platforms for improved Food Security) wrote:

As one of the John Dillon Fellows of 2018 (Oct – Nov 2018), I happened to have been hosted and taken around to field tours by ALI’s Rob Youl to the different communities and Land care chapters in Australia. I was and remain very impressed with the great work that ALI is doing to help restore the ecosystems and fertility of the land. The work is enormous. Forests are back, animals that were once forgotten are returning, the environment is becoming more and more friendly especially in areas were trees have been planted. The creeks are a very rich ecosystem with the trees harbouring a variety of flora and fauna.

Nigeria

Ikponke Inkata, biologist and activist, Tropical Research and Conservation Centre (TRCC), Nigeria, listed projects in which ALI has been supportive, wrote:

ALI started supporting projects in Nigeria in 2008 and has provided support for six important nature conservation projects:

In-situ conservation of the Sclater’s guenon monkey (Cercopithecus Sclateri), an endemic Nigerian monkey that is becoming rare. The Sclater’s guenon is one of the critically endangered primates of African continent. ALI supported habitat restoration through tree planting. The projects were about community based conservation of

• the Red capped mangabey monkeys, Cercopithecus Torguatus, thought to be locally extinct but recently re-discovered;

• sea turtles habitat in Uta Ewa community;

• African manatee habitat in Atan community;

• mangrove restoration project in Ikot Abasi;

• Asanting Ibiono sacred grove, and

• mangrove vegetation maintenance as breeding ground for many aquatic wildlife.

Japan

Ms Misato Imase, teacher and volunteer, Nagoya, Japan visited Australia:

I was interested in volunteer groupings because I was thinking volunteering is one of the means of education. … I connected with a lot of landcare group members, and I stayed in their homes. I got really valuable experience. After coming back to Japan, I talked my experience in my volunteer group, university and so on.

Dr Tomomi Maekawa, Ph.D., Mie University Tokyo, Japan

It was five years ago that Australian Landcare International (ALI) and its then chair Mr. Rob Youl supported me to carry out my field research about Landcare in Victoria. I was a Ph.D. candidate at the Tokyo Institute of Technology at that time and had no experience to visit overseas before. Without the warm help from Rob and his family and many other ALI members, I believe it had never happened for me to get the chance to stay overseas for 1 year and carry out my field research and complete Ph.D. study. With the big help from Rob through organizing research trips and through visiting and hosting me to keep my chin up, I could meet and talk with many wonderful people who join Landcare, through which I got a lot that makes my life truly rich. Now I am teaching undergraduate and graduate students at two Japanese universities as a lecturer, and having chance to pass what I got through my research to younger people in Japan. The students are growing their interest on community activities which care for their local environment. They are learning how the community based natural resource management does work and makes difference in Australia, through learning about Landcare. I would like to express my appreciation to the warm encouragement from Rob and his family and ALI throughout my stay in Australia.

Dr Kazuki Kagohashi, SPELJ, Nanzan University Institute for Social Ethics, Nagoya, Japan

We highly recommend Australian International (ALI) as an honoree for the Victorian Landcare Awards. Nanzan University Institute for Social Ethics (NUISE) and Secretariat for the Promotion of Landcare in Japan (SPELJ) have worked closely and fruitfully with ALI since 2009. Various activities have been implemented related to Landcare through the strong support from ALI. These include the student and academic staff visits, assistance to Japanese students doing research for long periods in Australia, the 2017 Nagoya international Landcare conference (which led the publication of a report Global Resilience Through Local Self-Reliance – The Landcare Model: A Summary of the Discussion of International Conference of Landcare Studies 2017, co-published by NUISE and ALI), funding bids, project development, PR, hospitality, student-tourism business creation, a Japanese-sponsored Luzon-Mindanao internal Philippines exchange and the 2018 Murray River Paddle. We highly appreciate the support of ALI toward the promotion of Landcare in Japan and Asia.

Dr. Michael T. Seigel, President, Secretariat for the Promotion of Landcare in Japan (SPELJ), Nagoya, Aichi, Japan died in early July 2019.

Sri Lanka

Dr Kamy Melvani PhD (Charles Darwin), Neo Synthesis Research Centre and Landcare Lanka, Sri Lanka:

Australian Landcare International (ALI) extended vital support to Landcare Lanka for two seed projects. The first project established a demonstration model in land rehabilitation at a landscape scale at Landcare Lanka’s training centre at Lemastota in Sri Lanka’s highlands from 2012-2013. We drew the landscape design, planted riparian vegetation aside ephemeral streams, planted contour hedgerows to reduce soil erosion and cultivated economically valuable crops such as cinnamon, pepper and coffee, and vegetable crops using organic regimes in surrounding areas. The second project undertaken in 2014 was at the Wendakatuwa school in Pallama in the lowlands . Here, school children from grades 5-9 were trained in regenerative agriculture and cultivated vegetables, yams, fruit trees and fodder crops in the school compound. They also planted riparian vegetation around a wetland adjacent to the school, trees and shrubs around the school’s drinking well to bio-remediate water, and trees along the school fence.

Iceland

Dr Andrés Arnalds, Former assistant director Soil Conservation Service of Iceland

I have been in contact with the ALI for a long time. Followed their international work in encouraging and building community empowerment in caring for the land and benefited by visiting the leaders of ALI in Australia. Their work has had a very positive influence on the development of community engagement in improving management and restoring degraded land in Iceland.

Pakistan

Mubarak Yacub, Landcare and farming facilitator, Lahore, Pakistan

ALI is an excellent partner of Landcare Pakistan Program since July, 2017. As you know Pakistan is an agricultural country of a developing world. Agriculture of Pakistan is very poor and it is a country of small holding farmers and need Australian landcare approach.

ALI helped and supported the Landcare Pakistan financially, technically and morally in the following ways;

• Landcare studies: In this regard, in 2017 two farmers from Landcare Pakistan invited for First international landcare studies conference Nagoya – Japan, for one person, ALI paid return air ticket and pocket money; And also requested to Landcare Japan to share the hotel and food expenses. Landcare Pakistan farmers learnt a lot about Landcare studies and it was really a useful conference.

• ALI also nominated 6 Landcare Pakistan farmers for Landcare Master Class in Philippines.

• In 2018, ALI gave Institutional Strengthening and household food security grant to Landcare Pakistan Program about AUD 1300. About 250 Landcare Pakistan lady farmers in 50 villages of 7 district of Punjab Province were able to grow 11 winter vegetables 2018. The lady farmers enjoyed winter vegetables for your families, gifted to the neighbours and relatives and also sold to the street fellows. The farmers also collected stored seeds for next sowing season.

• ALI’s OLF, Landcare Pakistan received three small OLF grants in Feb., 2019 of about AUD 1500 for Landcare Khushpur, IRDC Mian Channu and DAEP organizations for Fruit and vegetable Plants Nursery, Summer 08 vegetable seeds and 5 types of fruit trees, respectively. The farmers are very happy and enjoying Summer vegetables and in coming years they will have fruits with balance food.

• ALI is also helping to Meet Pakistani Consulate in Melbourne for Landcare Pakistan in July, 2019 for fund raising and other support.

• Ali is also helping Landcare Pakistan farmers for Proposed Landcare Master class in Philippines and Participation of the farmers in National Landcare Conference Australia 2020 along with Au & NZ visit.

Last but not the least, ALI is doing tremendous work for landcare international generally and Landcare Pakistan especially.

We are wishing to ALI and its Team, the best wishes and kindest regards for their excellent services landcare globally.

 

South Africa

Francis Steyn, Sustainable Resource Management, LandCare, Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Elsenburg:

ALI and SILC before it have assisted the South African LandCare for many years since the inception of LandCare in South Africa. Training the South African team that LandCare is about building people and they will protect the resources. This excellent work has had a major impact on the SA LandCare team for more than 20 years and still it improves every year. The Study tours and research projects between ALI and South Africa have brought great insight to what the best practice is in LandCare as well as the international exposure the entire team has experienced. This international exposure has cemented the ideal of LandCare and has cumulated into the newest international study of LandCare where the Koup project in our arid Central Karoo area was highlighted as a good example of community based LandCare. The ALI team has supported us in the Western Cape with everything we have requested form study groups visits, conference visits and even supporting our farmers during this long drought we have experienced by offering employment to the young farmers.

Vietnam

Prof Nguyen Khoi Nghia, PhD, Faculty of Agriculture, Can Tho University, Lower Mekong Delta, Vietnam:

In December 2018, I was on an ACIAR study tour to Australia, when by chance I met the deputy chair of Australian Landcare International (ALI) in Melbourne (Mr. Rob Youl). He quickly introduced me to more local landcare people, including some who had worked in Vietnam. This increased the value and enjoyment I got from the trip. Rob and I are now working on obtaining funds for a study tour by several Vietnamese resource managers and academics, representing a notional Lower Mekong Landcare project, which would visit Bohol or Mindanao under the auspices of Landcare Foundation of the Philippines Inc (LFPI). This would be a very useful program for me and colleagues.

South Sudan

Godfrey Ladu, South Sudan (resident in refugee settlement, northern Uganda)

I am originally from South Sudan who studied post graduate forestry in the University of Melbourne culminating in 1991 with a Masters in Forestry Science .I have worked in Victoria forest products Industry for many years. I retain close family and business ties in South Sudan, but now reside and assist in a refugee community in northern Uganda. Over many years I have been in touch with ALI, and through that body have got to know the staff at World Agroforestry Center in Nairobi, and some of the people in Landcare Uganda. One day we hope to work together on a regional landcare project here.

Australia

Prof Alan Dale, international post-disaster specialist, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland

It is high time for the organisation to receive some national recognition for its important work.

Since Landcare Australia workers like Jen Quealy stepped in to assist north Queenslanders and my community after the cyclones and floods over the late 2000s, it has been clear to me that Landcare ideas and activities could be readily and helpfully applied to communities affected by major disasters. I saw similar responses and confirmation of this point after severe bushfires in other Australian states. Landcare networks bring solidarity, a solid administrative base, trained staff, communications networks and financial probity. The key thing is their presence and readiness within communities affected by disaster. Indeed Landcare movements should be proactively involved in official disaster planning.

ALI soon recognised that these same lessons applied overseas. The Nagoya conference in 2017, organised by Nanzan University, SPELJ and ALI, was an early and useful forum to spread the word. This event enabled a wide discussion internationally about the potential role of local self-reliance groups in managing crisis and disaster.

Timor Leste

Leo Soares, Founder & Board, Institutu Matadalan Integradu, Gleno, Timor Leste

Institutu Matadalan Integradu (IMI) is a local Non-Governmental Organization based in Gleno, municipality of Ermera. IMI was founded on 2nd February 2008. IMI works to address social issues through three main programs of Agriculture, Education, and Advocacy with the goal to achieving social transformation in the rural area.

To concretize these programs above, IMI works closely with several international organizations to support our activities in the community. So, Australian Landcare International (ALI) is a strategic partner that supports IMI’s project in the field. In this respect, since 2015 until now ALI supports IMI through a project called “Small Scale Project on Agroforestry and Land Conservation in Ermera municipality, Timor-Leste”.

This project aimed to introduce the agroforestry as an alternative for traditional farming in the upland as well as to conserves the critical and degraded land in order to prevent soil erosion and land slide in the upland. ALI committed to support IMI every year with small amount of funding to support this kind of project. Until now we have reached 4 ha agroforestry pilot gardens and 4 ha land conservation in both villages Fatuquero and Mertuto. For the future both IMI and ALI are committed to continue this brilliant project to reaching a common vision that is strengthen eco-social relations.

In summary, IMI believes that ALI is a strategic partner that has the ability to work with the local organizations across the globe to achieve the prosperity for both the community and the environment.

UK and Caribbean

Ms Keptreene Finch, Wolverhampton UK and Caribbean activist:

My initial contact with Australian Landcare International (ALI) was in 2014, when I was Secretary for a Project based in Wolverhampton, (England) called the Hanover Project. The plan of action was to have a Workshop in Sustainable Agriculture. The Lead Officers were Rob Youl, Andrea Mason and Professor Mike Fullen of Wolverhampton University, England, the venue was at Knockalva Agricultural School Hanover, Jamaica. Attendance consisted of senior students of Knockalva Agricultural School, local small holding farmers and representatives from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA). The two week workshop proved to be a great success, and relationships were established with several schools within the region.

In 2018 both Rob and Andrea again undertook workshops in the twin islands of St. Kitts & Nevis (West Indies). Through Rob and Andrea’s excellent negotiation skills, and officer Kistian Flemming from the Caribbean Agricultural Research Development Institute (CARDI) sponsorship was secured. The workshop was financially supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Ministry of Agriculture St. Kitts & Nevis; The Australian High Commission Trinidad & Tobago, (West Indies) . who sponsored 5 people from islands that were struck by Hurricane Irma & Maria in 2017. The workshop was also attended by local farmers who were eager to learn more about sustainable farming and its impact on food security on the Islands

Australian Landcare International (ALI) has shown their commitment to Landcare worldwide, and are ambassadors and champions of spreading the word about sustainable farming.

The fore mentioned workshops would not had happen without Australian Landcare International, from reading their Newsletter their positive approach to Landcare is been replicated throughout the developing world.

Professor Mike Fullen, Professor of Soil Technology, University of Wolverhampton, UK

It is a great pleasure to write a commentary, recognizing, commending and applauding the work of ‘Australia Landcare International’ (ALI). As Professor of Soil Technology at the University of Wolverhampton (UK), I have a strong interest in Soil Science, especially soil erosion and soil conservation. I have studied the development and contribution of the ‘Landcare’ movement since its inception in Australia in the 1980s. I strongly identify with the ethos of Landcare, that is adopting an integrated and holistic approach to land issues, promoting community interest and involvement in land management and advancing land education to people across the educational spectrum.

It is against this background that I advocated ALI involvement in two land management initiatives in the Caribbean region. The first was in the Parish of Hanover (Jamaica) in 2015 and the second was in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis in 2018. Participants from these countries, ALI and from the UK jointly developed a one-week course on Landcare issues. The first iteration was held at Knockalva Agricultural School in Jamaica, where most participants were students of agriculture (16-18 year old age group). The second iteration was to multiple stakeholders (farmers, government officials, students and other interested groups) in both Charlestown (Nevis) and Basseterre (St. Kitts). ALI was highly entrepreneurial in involving the Australian High Commission in the Caribbean (based at Trinidad). The Australian High Commission participated in the course and funded the involvement of five agriculturalists from other Caribbean island states.

It was both a great pleasure and highly informative experience to participate in these courses. The ALI team delivered a high-quality syllabus, which covered the very broad remit of Landcare issues in the Caribbean. Much of the focus of the meetings was on the issues of soil erosion, soil conservation and water conservation. These issues are especially pressing in the Caribbean region. The courses were complimented by very useful and interesting field trips to study Landcare issues in the environment. Again, the ALI team were highly skilled in integrating Landcare issues in real field environments.

All participants (including myself) were highly impressed by the personal commitment, dedication and enthusiasm of the ALI team, led by Rob Youl and Andrea Mason.

ALI is making a recognised and clear contribution to Landcare in the global arena. I personally look forward to further co-operation with ALI and their renowned work in advancing the causes of improved land management, soil conservation and water conservation.

New Zealand

Dr. Nick Edgar | CEO, New Zealand Landcare Trust, University of Waikato, Hamilton:

ALI was the key organisation who delivered the funding/sponsorship masterclass to NZ Landcare Trust back in 2012. This was a very professionally delivered event and well received by our trustees and staff.

The NZ Landcare Trust has greatly benefited from ALI’s support and coordination efforts to bring nations together. For example, at the national Australian Landcare Conference in 2018 in Brisbane.

NZ Landcare Trust continues to thrive, supporting hundreds of landcare group in New Zealand.

The work of ALI is greatly appreciated as it has provided landcare in New Zealand with knowledge sharing opportunities across the globe.

Ewan Mc Gregor, Waipawa, Hawkes Bay, NZ:

As a farmer, farm forester, journalist and historian, and former regional council (CMA equivalent in NZ) member, and Winston Churchill Fellow, I happily endorse and admire the work of Australian Landcare International.

I have been involved with Landcare since its inception in NZ in the mid 1990s, and am very pleased to see it gradually spreading across the Pacific.

I have worked with Australian Landcare International from time to time, starting from the days it had eTree funds for tree planting. Some went to my Te Kouka regional project growing and distributing ‘cabbage tree’ seedlings for farm revegetation projects.

Philippines

LFPI, Philippines – not available – but including a note from Noel Vock (on behalf of Mary as Project Leader), ACIAR Mindanao Agricultural Extension Project leader, RMIT University Industry Fellow, Buderim, Queensland:

Just to add to the discussion, last year Mary and I developed a short concept note on a possible Southeast Asian Landcare Forum, in conjunction with the Landcare Foundation in the Philippines and its associates. Rob, you may remember I briefly spoke to you about this at the Brisbane Landcare Conference in October. We were then thinking that we might try this in mid 2019, but we have been overtaken by many other things. So we are now proposing mid 2020, possibly combined with some sort of regional showcase of the LIFE Model we have been pioneering through the AMAEP Project – a model which has its roots in Landcare. I don’t see anything much being possible before then, as LFPI is currently going through some restructuring that will make it difficult for them to offer much in the short term.

DR Congo

Ir Patrick Kaka, ED, Coordinator and Executive Director GIERI asbl/Landcare Network, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Australian Landcare International (ALI) supports soil protection and food security initiatives in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in areas that have been affected by armed conflict.

Since 2013 ALI has been financing small projects in our country and this has allowed our GIERI / Landcare DRC network to increase activities and projects in 179 villages and to have farmer members to over 3,500 farmer farmers.

ALI funds have given us a lot of opportunity to work with international and local partners and at the moment we are in the process of implementing a project of Congolese forest protection with several partners. The strategy and philosophy of landcare reassures our partners and gives us confidence to come to the needs on the ground and solve local problems, many of our partners like this methodology of works.

Every year for the past 5 years, GIERI / landcare Network DRC has received several ALI grants to support Landcare initiatives at national and local level.

Subsequent grants have supported programs in Lake Kivu shoreline areas: nursery training and starter kits in schools; climbing agroforestry trees in school complexes; exchange visits; environmental awareness and conservation through the environmental day and the promotion of the tree day. The impact of these activities has had multiple benefits: conservation awareness; improved nutrition among breastfeeding women, youth employment, increased income from the sale of tree seedlings and vegetables. Thanks to these activities, we had an International Landcare Award in South Africa in Durban in 2014.