Skip to main content
When
-
Event Location
Apex/Houston Lookout, Singleton Gowrie,

Landcare Region

BCT Region

Event Description

 Healing Country - a Landcare and Cultural immersion experience - working on it and have stakeholders, venues and activities confirmed. 

CT Healing Country - a Landcare and Cultural Immersion Experience workshop - for Friday 17th January 2025, 4-8pm.

This date suits our Indigenous representatives, (Allison and Peter Warry) who we are collaborating with on this project.

Allison has identified the (council owned) site of  Apex/Heuston Lookout, Gowrie (Singleton). as an appropriate site to hold the workshop. Singleton Council are happy to collaborate with us on this workshop. We understand BCT would like workshops to be held on private land, however, in this case we are seeking permission for Apex/Heuston lookout to be used. Alternatively, could you please suggest an appropriate area. Allison is currently liaising with Council/RFS/appropriate bodies on seeking permission to have a fire on the evening.

With your permission, we would also like to engage Julia Emerson Hunter Natural Capital Advisor of LLS to talk on Natural Capital (15mins) (please see timetable below).

The rough time guide for the evening will be: 

4pm start: Welcome to Country (Uncle Warren Taggart)
- WHS/risk assessment talk etc.
4:30pm – 6pm: Kieran Fellows of Singleton Landcare leads the team on a bush regeneration
activity.
6:00pm – 6:30pm: BCT talk (with BCT representative) and Natural Capital talk (with Julia
Emerson LLS).
6:30pm – 8:00pm Dinner/Yarning Circle/ Activities with Allison and Peter.

Event Flyer
event flyer
Event Outcomes
Number of Attendees
28
Number of Landowners
2
Growth in learning measure (Scale 1 - 100)
A survey is completed by each attendee The below fields are extracted from this survey. To access the full feedback survey please refer to the attachments section below.
Attendee Level of Knowledge before event (Average)
46
Attendee Level of Knowledge after event (Average)
60
Event Outcome

Healing Country: 
A Landcare and Cultural Immersion Experience.

The Scoop February 2025

Despite the blustery weather on Friday 17th January, this workshop was fully booked out, with Landcarers gathering at 4pm at Minimbah Teaching Place Bulga, to access Cultural Knowledge. HRLN partnered with the Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT), Allison Warry and Peter Crowe of Firesong Indigenous Connection, Uncle Warren Taggart, Local Land Services (LLS) and Singleton Shire Landcare Network for a fabulous evening. 
 
The workshop began superbly with Uncle Warren’s Welcome to Country, and the afternoon just got better from there. Landcarers were led on a comprehensive guided walk and talk through the surrounding bush with local experts Allison Warry and HRLN’s Upper Hunter Coordinator, Paul Melehan. Their superior knowledge on the indigenous and endemic plants in the area fascinated attendees, who had plenty of time for questions and discussion. More expert knowledge was then imparted from the Regional BCT manager Ben Fitzpatrick, and LLS Natural Capital Advisor Eloise Haigh. 
A sumptuous Bush Tucker feast was then enjoyed by all, thanks to the efforts of Peter Crowe of Firesong Indigenous Connection, which saw most participants going back for seconds and thirds! 
 
This event was planned in collaboration with Singleton Shire Landcare Network member Kieran Fellowes, who has a huge involvement with the maintenance of  Apex Heuston lookout in Singleton. The site is an Endangered Ecological Community of Grey box ironbark of the Central Hunter Valley. Anyone interested in participating in working bees at Apex Heuston Lookout can contact Meg Drinan meg.landcare@gmail.com for more information.
 
Thank you to all who participated, making this the last of HRLN’s memorable BCT workshops for this season.

"What did you like about the event?" for the Healing Country event:

  1. Immersive Experience: Participants enjoyed the walking and talking experience, particularly with a focus on cultural burns next to unburnt areas and the native walk.
  2. Aboriginal Culture: Many highlighted the Aboriginal culture as a key highlight.
  3. Variety of Topics & Activities: There was appreciation for the range of discussion topics, activities, and teachings, which made the event engaging.
  4. Organizers and Venue: The organizers, presenters, venue, and food received positive feedback.
  5. Weather: The fact that the rain stayed away was mentioned as a plus.
  6. Community & Networking: The social aspect, including meeting like-minded people, was also valued.
  7. Knowledgeable Speakers: The down-to-earth nature of the speakers and the concrete, relevant information they provided was highly appreciated.

Overall, the participants valued the immersive cultural experience, the variety of content, the knowledgeable speakers, and the community engagement.

 "What would you like to learn next?" for the Healing Country event:

  1. Cultural Burns: Participants expressed interest in learning more about cultural burns, including demonstrations and sessions on identifying weed species that resemble native plants.
  2. Land Management: There was a desire to learn about controlling forest clearing, such as transmission lines, and more about Aboriginal cultural land management.
  3. Feral Pests and Weeds: Learning about the control of feral pests and effective ways to deal with weeds was a key interest.
  4. Local Land Services: Some participants were interested in learning more about Maitland Local Land Services and its work.
  5. Bush Tucker: Bush tucker (native food plants) was mentioned as a topic for future exploration.
  6. Sustainability and Conservation: Interest in learning more about the BCT (Biodiversity Conservation Trust) and progress in native capital was also noted.
  7. General Continuity: Some participants expressed a desire for more of the same type of sessions and content offered at the event.

Overall, attendees are looking for continued education on cultural land management, pest and weed control, native plant knowledge, and local land services.

Natural Capital Resources 

Local Land Service Website - Natural Capital in NSW 

Online Learning: Natural Capital courses and information for land managers

 

Weeds of the Hunter Region

Download the the Booklet, Weeds of the Hunter Region 2022

Event Outcome Attachments
Attachment Size
250117 HRLN Healing Country_web.pdf (128.96 KB) 128.96 KB