‘Celebrate, be inspired and share your biodiversity story’

Join us to celebrate private land conservation in south eastern New South Wales. Seek inspiration and share stories with ecologists, landholders and Local Landcare Coordinators. Learn about the Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) and how they work with partners to protect and restore biodiversity. Visit Wandiyali a property with three different types of BCT agreements.

The muster is about how we as a community work together to protect and restore biodiversity. With 60% of Australian land privately owned or managed, private land conservation presents a big opportunity to turn the tide on nature loss. Together we can make a difference.

Who should attend

The muster is for anyone interested in biodiversity. Specifically, it's a good opportunity for farmers, conservation agreement holders, Landcare members, Local Landcare Coordinators and conservation practitioners to connect and learn about biodiversity conservation.

What to expect

The morning session and lunch will be at the Jerrabomberra Community Hall (just south of Queanbeyan) with presentations from Dr Damon Oliver, Senior Team Leader – Ecosystems and Threatened Species – South East, Sally Miller and Kirrily Gould – NSW Koal Strategy, BCT staff, Local Landcare Coordinators and landholders with conservation agreements on their properties.

The afternoon session is a paddock walk with Carolyne Larcombe from Wandiyali, Damon Oliver and BCT ecologists.

This is a free event, registration is essential for catering purposes. For the paddock walk you will need to bring long pants, sturdy shoes, a hat and water bottle. You will be walking approximately one kilometer or more (uphill on the way back) in long grass. If you have mobility concerns, please let us know when you register. You will be asked to carpool to the property if possible as parking at the site is limited. At the paddock walk you will see restoration ideas including habitat augmentation and monitoring for threatened species and take part in discussions about conservation.

Meet the guest speakers

Dr Damon Oliver is the Senior Team Leader – Ecosystems and Threatened Species -South East, Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water.

Dr Sally Miller -NSW Koala Strategy, Regional Partnerships Officer – Southern Tablelands.

Carolyn Larcombe - Wandiyali Restoration Trust.

And our wonderful Local Land Care Coordinators and BCT landholders sharing their stories and experience of private land conservation.

Why it’s important

In Australian almost 1000 species of plants and animals are facing extinction, which is part of a broader extinction crisis across Australia and the world (NSW Government 2024). At this muster you will have the opportunity to connect with BCT staff and conservation agreement landholders to ask important questions and learn what is possible from people walking the ‘biodiversity talk’.

The event organiser reserves the right to document the event by audio or visual means for the purpose of creating case studies and/or promotional materials. Such content may be shared with relevant project partners, including but not limited to the Biodiversity Conservation Trust and Landcare NSW, for their use. Participant contact information collected through the event register will not be shared with third parties without your consent in accordance with the requirements of the NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP Act) and BCT Privacy Management Plan.