Tracee & I just returned from a two-day cultural immersion camp in the Capertee Valley with our Central Tablelands Regional Landcare Network team. As a group we’ve been building a collective Aboriginal Engagement Strategy and strengthening both our knowledge of and relationships with Aboriginal community members across the Landcare network. It was so interesting to learn a little more about the cultural practice of making medicine and skincare products, of caring for country and of making digging sticks and coolamons.

There’s so much to gain from working side- by- side & it’s been wonderful to have this opportunity to build trust and respect across cultures and it was wonderful to meet and spend time with some more like-minded people.

In terms of what this means specifically for Mid Lachlan Landcare, Cowra, Canowindra and surrounds we’ve partnered with Erambie Men’s Collective and are working on some exciting bush food and cultural burning initiatives. We’ll be sharing more updates on that in the coming months.

Regent Honey Eater

The Capertee valley has become synonymous with the Regent Honey Eater and the multi-stakeholder attempts to bring it back from the brink of extinction (It’s listed as critically endangered). While in the valley we caught up with Ross Crates from the Australian National University. He’s studying the bird for his PhD and talked us through some of the research he’s doing. We also heard from Central Tablelands Local Land Service’s Huw Evans who, among other things, has been coordinating revegetation work in the area for the bird.

A Regent Honeyeater’s nest that Ross found while conducting his research.

Talking about the mistletoe that the Regent Honeyeater likes to eat.