40 years of Landcare Celebration with Sean Dooley CANN RIVER Free afternoon

Cann River 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.

Shorter:

From above, the birds of Far East Gippsland have witnessed a profound transformation over the past 40 years. In 1986, a Glossy Black-Cockatoo searching for sheoaks, a Sea Eagle scanning the coast, a Powerful Owl hunting at dusk, or even a Superb Fairy-wren flitting through shrinking understorey would have seen a landscape under strain. Old trees were disappearing, waterways were degraded, weeds were spreading and once-connected habitats were breaking apart. Food sources dwindled, nesting hollows vanished and small mammals declined. Then Landcare emerged—farmers, volunteers, schools and community groups began restoring what had been lost, planting hundreds of thousands of native plants, protecting remnant bushland and healing rivers and creeks.

Today, those same birds see a region renewed. Glossies glide over expanding sheoak stands, Sea Eagles trace shelterbelts and revived wetlands, Powerful Owls hunt where nest boxes support thriving gliders, and Superb Fairy-wrens dart through dense native understorey restored by community hands. Habitat corridors now link mountains to sea, waterways are recovering and biodiversity is returning.

As Landcare marks 40 years, the view from above invites both celebration and responsibility. With climate pressures rising and new custodians stepping forward, the next four decades will shape what future birds see—proof that community-led care can restore landscapes, strengthen communities and inspire hope.

Activities:

• Community gathering

• Art

• Welcome and acknowledgement of Landcare achievements

• Light supper