Frequently Asked Questions

Landcare is a grassroots movement that connects people, organisations and the government to protect, restore and sustainably manage Australia’s natural environment and its productivity. It has been a springboard for people’s passion for the environment to do stuff that matters for our land, water and wildlife.

The name ‘Landcare’ evolved in Victoria through an initiative of Joan Kirner, (then Minister for Conservation, Forests and Lands) and Heather Mitchell, (then President of the Victorian Farmers Federation). With the generous support of community members, farmers and departmental officers, Heather Mitchell and Joan Kirner were able to launch ‘Landcare’ in a small town in central Victoria in November 1986.

Landcare began in Victoria, Australia in 1986 with a group of farmers near St Arnaud in central Victoria forming the first Landcare group. Since then, the Landcare concept has developed into a movement, across Australia and now around the world. Landcare Is For Everyone.

In 2014 Landcare turned 25! It was recognised at Landcare’s birthday that it was entering an early mid­life crisis and something new, vibrant and youthful was needed to shake up how young people were involved and leading in Landcare. Since then there has been heaps of cool ideas that have injected energy into Landcare.

Our co­founder Megan Lee developed a How To Engage Youth In Landcare kit for Landcare Australia. Take a look here!

Intrepid Landcare is not an ordinary on the ground ‘Landcare group’. We are an adventurous organisation that empowers young people to lead on stuff that matters. We stand to inspire, act and lead so that young people connect with their communities and care for the environment.

We provide a common space to inspire, connect and empower young people to act and lead with Landcare.

‘Stuff is an interest, want and need that is important and matters to a young person’

The quick answer is Australia­ wide. The long answer is everywhere there is or could have dedicated creative youth movements working in the space of environmental conservation in Australia.

Co­founded by National Young Landcare Ambassadors Megan Lee and Naomi Edwards, Megan and Naomi bring 20 years of personal and professional experience in Landcare to fill the youth engagement and leadership gap among and in between the Landcare movement. Plus an epic Board and team of mentors.

After Megan’s group Illawarra Youth Landcare figured out the word ‘youth’ was putting people off from getting involved, they thought about a new brand, a new name. They asked what was different about what they did? With adventure being the heart of what they were about, they put adventure and Landcare together to name their group, Illawarra Intrepid Landcare.

Megan and Naomi have had similar experiences in Landcare where young people were not the majority. In fact, on some occasions they were the only ‘young guns’ among the wiser souls of Landcare groups.

So after a year of Instagram stalking on Naomi’s behalf, Naomi picked up the phone and called Megan to share what she thought was a great idea – a leadership retreat to inspire and coach other young people in her community to create excitement, leadership and most of all, more youthful action. Megan was thinking along the same lines as she too recognised the need to inspire more young leaders to take the movement forward.

Press fast ­forward and the yearlong conversation for conservation mirrored into real on the ground action like nothing they had seen before. By seeding inspiration and motivation during and post the inaugural leadership retreat they co­led on the Gold Coast, the handful of lucky local youth turned their environmental ideas and initiatives into a much bigger reality.

Something that was missing or not readily accessible for young people among and in between the Landcare movement. Yet what was scarier was that many young people didn’t know what Landcare was or what the hands meant!

Intrepid Landcare exists to inspire, connect and empower young people to act and lead in Landcare (we could have given the short answer but we reckon you are way more inspired!).

Intrepid Landcare focuses on equipping young people with networks, knowledge and experiences to propel their environmental initiatives that are relevant and interesting to them. This is achieved through our signature guest presentations, workshops, leadership retreats and one-­to­-one coaching and resource pack where we provide great insights and advice on how to achieve greatness from nothing.

Sponsor a youth project

We provide an open door for corporate and private investors to sponsor and support youth­-led projects, financially or in-­kind contributions. This could involve an on the ground sustainability project, e.g. tree planting or a waste reduction and energy­-efficient project or join in on one of our signature skill­-based sharing workshops and leadership retreats to enable youth to act on what’s important to them. ­

Sponsor a youth ambassador

With a growing number of Intrepid Landcare Ambassadors who are up to some pretty amazing stuff, why not support an individual to build their capacity and open opportunities for them to grow. We believe the essence to environmental sustainability and conservation is within everyone’s own capacity to be great. Sometimes we just need support and a nudge to get that going…

­Become a mentor

We recognise that there is a wealth of knowledge and experience waiting to be untapped and shared already sitting within the existing Landcare movement. We have a crowd of young Landcarers eager to be mentored to seek advice, networks and experience. In fact, Megan and Naomi have always had access to incredible “Landcare elders” in their communities, who have helped support and guide them in their journey! Please contact us we’d love to have you as part of our mentor community. ­

Provide advice to Intrepid Landcare

We welcome advice and new ideas. If you have advice in strategic business planning, health and safety, governance, social enterprise, creative branding, communications and marketing, networking, coaching, community engagement and youth engagement insights… please contact us we’d love to hear from you.

­It’s easy, fill out the ‘Online query form’ and we’ll be in touch to answer any questions.

Yes, you can. We have since helped set up many Intrepid Landcare groups across the country! Please contact us to find out how you can kick­start your own group.