40 years of Landcare Celebration with Sean Dooley ORBOST with Dinner

Far East Victoria Landcare

Friday 6 November 2026

Special Guest

Sean Dooley

Sean Dooley is one of Australia's most recognised bird enthusiasts, authors and conservation communicators. His engaging storytelling style and passion for birds provide a unique opportunity to connect the community with the Landcare story.

Event Program

Activities:

• Community Health celebration

• Art Completion Wilderness Coast Artist

• Static displays and historical Landcare displays

• Video presentation: 40 Years of Landcare Through a Bird's Eyes

• Local Bird Photography, Rob Clay & Mike Park

Theme: "40 Years of Landcare Through a Bird's Eyes"

Imagine you are a bird soaring above Far East Gippsland in 1986.

Perhaps you are a Glossy Black-Cockatoo searching for feed trees, a White-bellied Sea Eagle scanning rivers and wetlands from above, or a Powerful Owl hunting through the night.

From your perspective, the landscape has changed dramatically over the previous century.

The fertile valleys have been cleared for agriculture. Large old eucalypts have disappeared from farms, roadsides and townships. Rivers and creeks have lost much of their native vegetation. Habitat has become fragmented, making it increasingly difficult to find food, shelter and nesting sites.

Weeds introduced through gardens and agriculture have spread across the landscape. Blackberry, South African ivy, periwinkle and bridal creeper are smothering native vegetation. Small mammals that once thrived in healthy bushland are declining, reducing food sources for species such as the Powerful Owl.

For many native birds and animals, suitable habitat is becoming harder to find.

Then, in 1986, a movement begins.

Across Far East Gippsland, local people come together to care for the land. Farmers, volunteers, schools and community groups recognise the challenges facing their environment and begin taking action.

Forty years later, seven Landcare groups continue this work across the region. Alongside Friends groups, Coastcare volunteers, Trust for Nature, schools, Men's Sheds, Traditional Owners, government agencies and countless community members, they have planted hundreds of thousands of locally propagated trees and shrubs, restored waterways, protected remnant vegetation and tackled an ever-growing list of invasive weeds.

The results are visible from above.

A Glossy Black-Cockatoo flying over the region today sees thousands of young sheoaks establishing across the landscape, including more than 5,000 trees planted following the Black Summer bushfires.

A Sea Eagle soaring high above the coast sees shelterbelts linking farms, restored wetlands, revegetated creek lines and habitat corridors connecting forests to the sea.

A Powerful Owl emerging at dusk finds sugar gliders and other native mammals sheltering in nest boxes built by local Men's Sheds and installed by dedicated volunteers.

Across East Gippsland, rivers and streams are recovering. Once-cleared and heavily grazed banks are being transformed into thriving ecosystems. Native vegetation is reconnecting fragmented habitats, supporting biodiversity while improving water quality and landscape resilience.

These achievements have not only benefited wildlife. They have strengthened communities, supported farm productivity, improved environmental health and built lasting partnerships between landholders, agencies and volunteers.

The East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority, local farmers, schools, community groups and Landcare volunteers have all contributed to this remarkable story of recovery.

Looking Forward

As we celebrate 40 years of Landcare, we must also ask an important question:

What will a bird flying over Far East Gippsland see in another 40 years?

Most of today's land managers will be different. New generations will inherit responsibility for caring for this landscape.

Far East Gippsland remains one of Victoria's most important environmental strongholds. Around 90 per cent of the shire remains under native vegetation, providing refuge for many threatened species, including eagles, owls, cockatoos and countless other plants and animals.

As climate patterns become increasingly variable, the role of community-led conservation becomes even more important.

The 40-Year Celebration is an opportunity to acknowledge the volunteers, farmers, schools, agencies and community groups who have contributed to this journey. It is a chance to celebrate environmental recovery, recognise enduring partnerships and inspire the next generation of custodians.

Most importantly, it is an opportunity to look forward with hope.

Through the eyes of the birds that share this landscape, we can see both how far we have come and how important the next 40 years will be.