State Landcare Conference 2026 Wrap-Up

What an event! On Friday 16 and Saturday 17 October 2026, Landcarers from across the state came together at the Bridges Event Centre in Murray Bridge for the 2026 State Landcare Conference – the first Landcare SA conference in seven years. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make it such a memorable gathering.

We were really proud of what we were able to offer, but don’t just take our word for it – here’s what some of our delegates had to say:

“First LASA conference and I enjoyed every minute.”

“Good to be with like-minded people, no stress or challenging conversations.”

“Wonderful, comprehensive, informative, interesting and diverse topics covered. Terrific conference in every regard. Thank you to all who helped make it happen.”

“Well put together, good speakers, engaging audience and participation.”

“It was an amazing, well-organised conference that had a great vibe, great speakers and the Awards dinner was awesome.”

“Thanks for the great range of projects and topics. Great to see what is happening in SA.”

“It’s the first time I’ve been to a conference with artist’s elements, which brings a different atmosphere. I really enjoyed it, and seeing the Seal (Gurdie).”

A welcoming space to meet, share and celebrate

Welcomed by Gurdie the ghost net sea lion from Ceduna, stunning native flowers and warm smiles, the conference focused on creating a welcoming space to meet, share ideas, listen, learn and celebrate. With Sophie Thomson and Annabelle Homer guiding everyone through a carefully curated program built on member feedback and with a local group flavour, there was something for everyone. Here’s a quick snapshot.

Day one

Following an Acknowledgement of Country by Kim Thompson, Landcare SA CEO Paula Jones set the scene for LASA, sharing the vision for the next 10 years and the Care for Landcare program. Andrew Richards followed with an explanation of the National Landcare Network and how the impact of grassroots Landcare flows from the ground up to the national level.

Anika Molesworth then took the conference to a new level, weaving poetry and evocative words to paint a picture of the beauty of the landscape, the role of storytelling and the power of having hope in one hand and courage in the other. Her session ended with a standing ovation, leaving the room full of inspiration.

Kym Gladigau talked about how the New Springs Landcare Group rose like a phoenix from the ashes of the Cudlee Creek bushfire and has turned community members into mates. With a vision of improving land management and supporting landholders, the group is restoring biodiversity, learning through field trips and focusing on integrating landcare and primary production. “We share a meal at every meeting, knitting together a community through commitment, resilience and the courage to rebuild.”

Aimee Linke from Mid Murray shared how a simple idea to help the Western Pygmy Possum has grown into a community that cares. She was joined by students from Cambrai Primary School, who explained the many wonderful and diverse experiences that come from being connected to Meldanda. They are learning from nature, loving it and caring for it. To learn more about the program, watch the video below.

Youth, volunteers and weeds

Annabelle welcomed a panel of four experts to discuss youth engagement. Some of the takeaways included:

Give young people space to lead
Be inclusive to encourage young people to attend, such as supporting members to bring their grandchildren
Have a youth voice on boards to help direct engagement

Emma Vallelonga from Volunteering SA & NT discussed approaches to recruitment and engagement. Chris Brodie from the State Herbarium of SA described the importance of identifying weed species and reporting any new weeds so they can be controlled. “You come across plants you don’t know, everyone does, and it’s good to ID them so we can get on top of them.” Chris shared great stories of statewide eradication wins, highlighting that to look after native species, you need to manage weeds.

Sylvia Clarke from the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board took us through the world of citizen science, while Anika Molesworth and Rebecca O’Leary encouraged delegates to take a moment for nature journaling.

Sophie Thomson rounded out the first day talking about the power of Vitamin N (nature), with practical examples of how it nourishes us physically and mentally and builds community connections. “When we nurture nature, nature nurtures us.”

Celebrating at the SA Landcare Awards

That evening, delegates celebrated at the Conference Dinner and South Australian Landcare Awards. Winners received a handcrafted artwork designed and produced by Rebecca O’Leary from Happy Echidna Art, who is also Landcare SA’s State Landcare Coordinator. Winners of the State & Territory Landcare Award categories will represent South Australia at the National Landcare Awards in Adelaide on 7 September 2027. See the full list of 2026 winners.

Day two

Day two began early, with some delegates joining Jim Cundy for a walk around the Riverglades Community Wetlands. Jim told the story of how concerned residents put their hands in their pockets to save the area. Years later, and now council owned, the wetlands show the impact a local community can have and the value of community green space and biodiversity.

Sarah Barrett from Pinion Advisory presented on primary production, climate and risk, describing some of the challenges ahead and their likely impacts.

Kanmantoo Callington Landgroup spokesperson Rob Schoenfisch described their work with Greening the Bremer, a story that showed how to work with landholders to restore a river. Samatha Blight, Sustainability Officer for the Coorong District Council, gave an overview of the council’s strategic direction and the structure of its management programs.

Bird flu and eco-grief

The Elephant Bird in the Room was a chance for LASA to address the most recent threat to arrive on our shores, H5 bird flu, with Jason Size from PIRSA. This was followed by an introductory eco-grief session with Jane MacNaught. Ecological grief is a relatively recent term describing the sadness, anger, hopelessness and despair caused by experiencing or learning about environmental degradation, climate change and species loss. Jane talked through a simple grounding exercise, the way emotions show in the body, expanding the window of tolerance, and micro-actions to avoid burnout. LASA wants to support our members holistically, and this includes providing opportunities to learn how to care for yourself while caring for the environment. A follow-up session in partnership with the Hills Environment Centre was delivered in late October.

Partnerships, places and wildlife

In Networks and Influence, John Fager outlined the significant benefits that partnerships can bring to the environment and community. Richard Owen took us on a tour of Hindmarsh Island and the transformation the Landcare group is achieving there, complete with a local nursery. Kim Thompson, Doreen von Linde and Penny Devlin shared the valuable asset that is the Barossa Bushgardens.

Heidi Groffen took us through the Land for Wildlife KI program and the impact their action is having on threatened species, before heading outside to demonstrate trail camera installation and cat trapping. Heidi shared how technology is being used to help landholders control feral animals and monitor wildlife.

Meet Gurdie

The Far West Rangers showcased their work on the Eyre Peninsula – a program of sharing knowledge, skills and effort to improve this beautiful landscape, especially through the removal of marine debris. Their hand-woven, 2.4 x 1.5 metre pregnant Australian sea lion, Gurdie, was made entirely of plastic pollution and discarded fishing nets (known as ghost nets) collected by the Rangers during extensive beach clean-ups near Ceduna. The sea lion is an iconic animal of the Wirungu people, and the sculpture was created to raise public awareness of the devastating toll ghost gear takes on marine life. Gurdie was a wonderful part of the event, starting conversations about marine debris and admired for the artists’ talent and skill.

Growing strong together at the State Landcare Conference

Our State Landcare Conference was such a success thanks to the generosity of presenters sharing their stories, and delegates listening and connecting. The event truly lived up to its theme, Growing Strong Together: Grassroots Landcare in Action.

Key takeaways were:

Lean into being a storyteller with stories of heart
Everything we do makes a difference
There is power in collective effort
Listen to Mother Nature and let her support you
Keep talking, sharing and connecting

We would also like to thank the sponsors of the State Landcare Conference and Awards: the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board, Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, Green Adelaide, Arborgreen and The Rural City of Murray Bridge.