Almost a quarter of a century since the national Landcare movement was launched, the 2014 National Landcare Awards will celebrate some of the nation’s most inspirational Landcarer.
Australians are being encouraged to cast an online vote supporting the importance of the movement via the online component for the popularly elected People’s Choice Award.
All eight 2013 State and Territory Landcare Award winners are now vying for the national 2014 Junior Landcare Team Award.
They include award finalist, Lansdowne Crescent Primary School (students pictured) - representing Tasmania for its innovative work creating an app for sister students in Indonesia through which to appreciate their unique bushland.
Lansdowne Crescent Primary School's Land to Sea leadership team developed a bilingual interpretive trail of Hobart’s Knocklofty Reserve that allows visitors to access information by using their iPhones to scan Quick Response (QR) codes, which directly link to the Land to Sea website developed by the team.
Virtual visitors such as their Indonesian sister school, Kaliasin 1SDN can access information about the Reserve by using the website.
Effective communication with their sister school has been a key motivator in developing the website – the project is called Land to Sea because this is the connecting thread between the two schools.
Student peers and younger classes have learnt about Knocklofty's biodiversity through interactive kids-teaching-kids workshops at state, national and international sustainability conferences and Lansdowne's 2012 Connecting Curriculum Open Day and 2013 National Science Week- Knowing Knocklofty walks.
Jenny Dudgeon from Lansdowne Crescent Primary School says students wanted to learn about their local Knocklofty Reserve and share this unique bushland environment with their Indonesian peers.
"Bridging the geographical and language divide between Tasmania’s Lansdowne Crescent Primary School and their Indonesian partner school, Kaliasin SDN1 became the catalyst for the innovative bilingual Land to Sea project where Lansdowne,” she says.
In the previous National Landcare Awards in 2012, a Junior Landcare team from Tasmania’s Youngtown Primary School received the most votes, eagerly supported by their local community.
This year, Landcare Australia CEO Tessa Jakszewicz is calling on all Australians to get involved in the biennial Awards.
“As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Landcare’s launch nationally, we are asking people to vote on the importance of looking after our land and waterways,” she said.
“About 5000 people voted in the last Awards; this year we’re calling on all 6000 Landcare groups – as well as Australians everywhere – to show how crucial the movement is by voting en masse. Let’s get 25,000 votes or more in this 25th anniversary year – but remember, only one vote is allowed per person!”
The event will see 69 finalists representing every State and Territory vie for the top spot in nine diverse categories - from sustainable farm practices to Coastcare and Indigenous land management.
Voting for the People’s Choice Award is open until 6pm (EST) on Wednesday, 17th September and can be done via the link below:
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