What does the future look like for Intrepid Landcare?
Each year, the Intrepid Landcare Board comes together at a retreat in person to catch up, reconnect, re-energise and set out our intentions for the coming year and the future of Intrepid Landcare.
This year, after rescheduling due to the bushfires, COVID-19 called our bluff and we had to move the retreat online.
But, this actually offered us with the opportunity to open the invitation up to anyone with a passion for the environment, interested in contributing to the work of Intrepid Landcare – to come together, to strengthen our community, explore new possibilities and co-create the future of Intrepid Landcare. And the retreat was full of conversations that matter!
To share those conversations, we will be posting a series of blogs over the coming weeks.
One of the questions explored was:
How do you/young people want to contribute to the future of Intrepid Landcare?
Three key themes emerged from the conversation – Share, Events and Network! While the majority of the conversation confirmed assumptions we held about how you/young people want to contribute – mostly through sharing stories and experiences and creating events to do stuff that matters – new insights regarding “the how” emerged. This is important to understand to ensure the support we offer enables you/young people to contribute.
At the heart of how you/young people want to contribute is ‘sharing’ resources, networks, knowledge, stories and experiences. Storytelling kept coming up as a dominant means – interestingly, this aligns with one of our organisational values: to inspire by sharing stories and experiences that create memories. ‘Sharing’ was also closely related to ‘inviting’, noting that Intrepid Landcare focuses on the power of the invitation, which has filtered through our projects, retreats and workshops for local tribes and communities to engage people in Landcare. The power of the invitation ‘connects to people’s own reasons as to why they are here, contributing, learning – CONNECTING WITH PURPOSE’. This confirms that we must keep sharing and inviting at all levels that we are at.
Most people shared a common purpose to support ‘events’ – online, and human to human, community to community. By focusing our energy on supporting events, it was suggested that we can expand as an organisation, expand ideas and expand stuff that matters. ‘Volunteer work needs to be regular so people can fit it in, but by the same token needs to have flexibility. That is what is good about Intrepid Landcare, there are regular events, but also flexibility so that people can dip in and dip out as they are able, rather than needing to turn up every time’.
There was also a discussion on how to spread the inspiration when groups feel limited by numbers and geography. It was broadly suggested and agreed that we need to connect local tribes and encourage them to align their events, attend each other’s events (e.g. this might be more suitable for Victorian-based tribes) and also encourage joint-events!
‘Networks’ is an ongoing theme of Intrepid Landcare. We are all about connecting people, resources and tribes via our extensive network. A key action that was highlighted included the idea of engaging universities (and TAFES) as an ongoing membership and volunteer source.
For instance, many local tribes have and do host stall events at orientations and club sign-up days. ANU Intrepid Landcare is an ongoing success being an official club of the Australian National University and is well networked amongst regional landholders, groups and organisations. Another idea was to host regional and state gatherings to encourage collaboration between and amongst local tribes. NSW-based tribes have hosted two state gatherings in recent years and there is ongoing interest in Victoria to do something similar.
How can we turn ideas and energy into actions?
More storytelling!
- We are seeking to create a comms group of about three-to-five people to create content for our blog, socials and newsletter. This might involve 1-5hrs a week depending on your availability. We are in the process of filling this position and if you are interested please give us a hoy!
- We have created a WhatsApp group to enable the connection between and amongst Intrepids – search for Intrepid image library. The idea is to share photos and ideas on the go and to be used as a repository of information and images for people to use freely for the purpose of sharing stories about Intrepid Landcare. We want this to be and remain simple.
- Share stories via a Podcast – if you are keen to contribute to this idea please get in touch.
- Create a process for local tribes to connect. We are supporting Landcare Australia’s Landcarer platform. We encourage everyone to get onboard the new social networking platform for Landcare.
Stuff we can all do!
- Ask for help to expand what you do and want to do! You are not alone.
- Continue connection between and amongst others (network, network, network)
- Share your story by writing a blog for Intrepid Landcare, a local Landcare group or another network
While you/young people might be thinking this sounds like a lot of work, we promise that you will receive more than you offer.
With every walk in nature, one receives far more than they seek. At Intrepid Landcare you always get more than you seek.
– Jayden Gunn
