National Landcare awards

In August 2022 one of our ecologists and land manager, Suyanti Winoto-Lewin, was invited to the National Landcare conference as she was nominated for the Steadfast Young Leader Award for her work with the group Friends of Franklin Forest, based in the Huon Valley. Much to our pleasure, Yanti won her award, along with fellow NBES associate Karen Ziegler who was recognised for her work with the Bass Strait Islands Coastcare group (FOBSI – another project NBES are proud to support).

Friends of Franklin Forest was started by Yanti and fellow ex-NBES ecologist Carla Bruinsma in 2020, forming a community dedicated to stewarding and promoting a patch of forest close to their homes and their hearts. They started by tagging a short track through the forest and inviting community members to walk together and learn about the large trees (up to 4 m across), nurse logs, orchids, platypuses, devils, stands of leatherwood, and other ecological curiosities to be found there. Since then, they have been running monthly walks through the forest, and a crew of dedicated folk maintain and create tracks, organise community events and manage weeds in disturbed areas. A community with strength based in its sense of place has formed.

Attending the national Landcare conference was a great opportunity for our guys to meet people from across Australia working to restore and protect our natural values within a variety of different social and ecological contexts. It was inspiring to hear of the many innovative ways farmers and land managers are caring for their land and water. We look forward to more opportunities to manage and restore land in Tasmania, working in collaboration with Landcare groups, indigenous groups, and landowners.