State Landcare Conference 2026

With a passion for rural communities and healthy ecosystems, Anika is committed to helping create sustainable and vibrant rural landscapes, now and for the future. She is a Founding Director of Farmers for Climate Action, a national network of nearly 8,000 Australian farmers taking action on climate change.

She has presented the TEDx talks “Farmers are key to a better future” and “Repairing the Broken Food System”. Her book, Our Sunburnt Country, won the Royal Societies of Australia and New Zealand Writer’s Award for Outstanding Writing on Social Change.

Her awards include Young Conservationist of the Year (2022), Young Australian of the Year NSW Finalist (2017) and Young Farmer of the Year (2015).

Annabelle is a former award-winning ABC broadcast journalist who reported on rural affairs for 12 years across Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. She grew up on a cattle station in Central Queensland and now lives in South Australia’s Clare Valley with her young family.

After a brief stint at Channel Seven, she cemented her journalism career at the ABC, first at ABC TV Landline and then Rural Radio. She spent many years presenting the South Australian Country Hour, with stints on ABC Landline, Behind the News and Local Radio.

In 2020, drawing on her journalism skills and 12 years of AMEB Speech and Drama, Annabelle launched Voice it, a communications business specialising in public speaking and media training, podcasting and personal audio memoir production. Voice it gives regional people the tools to be confident communicators through localised, face-to-face training. Annabelle also helps rural businesses and organisations promote their stories and research through podcasts.

She was a finalist for the 2025 Rural Women’s Award.

For more than 30 years Sophie has inspired Australians to garden, grow food, support biodiversity and connect with the natural world. A sought-after keynote speaker, she is known for engaging, practical and inspiring presentations.

Passionate about community and environmental action, Sophie works closely with community groups, Landcare networks, government initiatives and environmental organisations, championing rewilding, sustainable land management, biodiversity conservation and community-led programs. She serves on the Board of the South Australian Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, and is an ambassador and patron for numerous organisations.

Sophie has also supported communities recovering from bushfires, floods and other natural disasters, promoting the role of gardens and green spaces in recovery, wellbeing and resilience.

Her contribution has been recognised through numerous honours, including South Australia’s Inspirational Woman of the Year 2024 and the 2022 Pelzer Environmental Prize. Widely respected for connecting people, ideas and organisations, Sophie continues to inspire positive change for communities and the environment.

As President of the Australian Conservation Foundation (1986–2002), Peter oversaw significant increases to natural protected areas and the adoption of Landcare.

He entered Parliament in 2004. As Environment Minister he initiated the campaign to end “scientific whaling” in Antarctica, and as Minister for School Education he legislated a historic new needs-based school funding model.

Returning to music in 2017, Midnight Oil released two ARIA number 1 albums, The Makarrata Project and Resist. Garrett’s The True North debuted at number 1 on the Australian charts in 2024.

Peter is a Member of the Order of Australia and an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (France).

Mary’s career spans research, education and on-ground innovation. She is the 2025 winner of the Victorian AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award and a national finalist, and was named 2024 Cardinia Shire Senior Citizen of the Year for her work in soil health, education and farmer wellbeing. A Chartered Agriculturist with the Ag Institute of Australia, she also holds honorary membership of the Institute of Ecological Agriculture. In 2026 she was named one of 20 Great Australians of the Bush by R.M. Williams Outback magazine.

Mary holds a PhD in Plant Pathology from Monash University and is the founder and principal scientist of Agpath Pty Ltd, a leading independent biological research and consultancy firm specialising in biological solutions, soil ecology and organic viticulture. Her work includes over $2.7 million in commercially funded research, alongside major public grants from Sustainability Victoria, Landcare and GWRDC (Wine Australia) exceeding $1 million.

A passionate educator, Mary has worked on international projects from Africa to Singapore, recently speaking at the 9th, 10th and 11th Global Congress on Plant Pathology and Biotechnology and the Climate Action Forum in Singapore. Her work bridges science and practice, with contributions to composting, waste mineralisation, biological inputs and ecological farming systems, all of which she has used on her family farm for the last 40 years.

Mary sits on the boards of several national and international agricultural and environmental organisations, including the Federation of Industrial Hemp Organisations (FIFO), CORE (Centre of Organic Research and Education), the Australian Industrial Hemp Alliance (AIHA) and Circularity Australia. She continues to mentor, consult and advocate for sustainable food systems rooted in soil intelligence and ecological integrity.