Best of the West - Western Victoria Facilitator Training Event
Best of the West gathers Landcare facilitators from the Mallee, Wimmera and Glenelg Hopkins Catchments for an annual training event. Earlier this autumn we all met up at Little Desert Nature Lodge south of Nhill.
The event is funded by the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action (DEECA) and organised by the Regional Landcare Coordinators in each of the three regions.
Day 1 was a session hosted by Kim Boswell from the Forever Agenda, where we all got a chance to reflect on what’s working in our roles, as well as challenges and opportunities. The event sets aside time for us to reflect and learn from each other, and is a great opportunity to network with other Facilitators.
For our evening entertainment we were treated to a presentation from Graham and Maree Goods, Local legends and authors of Birds and Plants of the Little Desert. Graham and Maree have spent decades getting to know this patch and are often sought out by researchers as local guides.
On day 2, we had a session with DEECA to pass on feedback from Day 1 and work through a targeted session on the Review of the Landcare Facilitator Program. The review is now closed and will help shape the next stage of the Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program. We also heard from Claire Hetzel, CEO of Landcare Victoria, about new projects and upcoming changes affecting Landcare groups.
Before heading off, we all had some fun with an insect ID session hosted by Elia Pirtle, Landcare Facilitator from Project Platypus in the Wimmera.
