Landcare Awards honour our conservation champions

Community landcarers from across the state came together to celebrate their achievements at an awards night held in Kalamunda last week.

The awards celebrate the efforts of individuals and groups to protect Western Australia's natural resources, stewarding a more resilient landscape for the future.

Through her work in the South West, Margaret River resident Mrs Moir was instrumental in development of the first workshops on river restoration and best practice property management.

She was the inaugural President of the Cape to Cape Catchments Group and has served on a number of committees representing the environment, and was responsible for obtaining a National Heritage Trust grant with matching funds from the AMR Shire to produce the Cape to Cape Landcare companion.

Mrs Moir told the Mail that the landscape of conservation action had changed over her many years of work, but there was still plenty to be done.

"Joan Baez said action is the best antidote to despair, and that's very true when it comes to conservation and environmental work," she said.

"There is a lot to do, and not many keen to do it, although many more than there was back in the nineties when I first started with what is now called regenerative agriculture."

She said climate change and the impacts of the pandemic show that a global shift in thinking is needed.

"I'm one of the many, many people that believes that we can't keep living with a 'business as usual' mindset any more that focuses primarily on economic and population growth at the expense of our natural environment."

This year's individual Landcare awards finalists were all from the Margaret River region, which Mrs Moir said was a remarkable achievement.

"This place is blessed with dedicated conservationists and while they often work on many different areas, all have the same goal of looking after country," she said.

"It's a great thing for Margaret River itself to be recognised in this way, and highlights the great work done over many years by the Cape to Cape Catchments Group, and now Nature Conservation Margaret River.

"I'm also active in our own recently formed South West Capes Branch of The Wildflower Society of WA who are doing great work in both Busselton and Margaret River areas."

Wadandi-Pibulmun cultural custodian Iszaac Webb was also highly commended for his work in the region, while the Undalup Association's Wadandi Rangers Program received the KPMG Indigenous Land Management Award.

Busselton Jetty Inc was awarded the Coastcare Award, recognising excellence in activities that have contributed to the improvement of local coastal and marine environments.

Mrs Moir said it was "absolutely vital" that locals continued to work in projects focused on caring for the environment, and that small changes made a big difference.

"If we don't care for it, why should anybody else?

"The smallest things we can do matter just as much as the bigger things," she said.

"Plant some local plants in your garden. Find out what the environmental weeds are and educate your neighbours.

"Build a native bee hotel and explain to your kids which are the natives and which are the honeybees and why that matters.

"Shop at the farmers market and reduce your food miles and packaging. These things are easy and fun, and it all adds up."

Winners in National Award categories will represent Western Australia at the 2022 National Landcare Awards, to be held at Sydney's International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour, on Wednesday August 24.