2026 Landcare Link-up: The Adaptation Game (TAG) Session
Posted on 22 June, 2026 by Hadley Cole
On Saturday 20 June, Landcare Group representatives from around the Mount Alexander Region came together for the annual Landcare Link-up event. This year Connecting Country teamed up with Mount Alexander Shire Council to present facilitated sessions of The Adaptation Game, a tabletop game designed to prepare residents for impacts of nature disasters and climate change. According to Mount Alexander Shire Council; “The Adaptation Game is based on scientific evidence about how climate change will affect Mount Alexander Shire specifically, exploring practical ways to adapt and contribute to community resilience, as well as understand the projects and programs already being implemented by council and community.”
The game was developed to be adapted to local councils across Victoria, providing opportunity for residents and local councils to reflect on individual and community preparedness under predicted conditions of climate change. For a more detailed description of the game head over to the Mount Alexander Shire Council website – click here
Saturday’s Landare Link-up saw representatives from Guildford Upper Loddon, Golden Point, Barringhup, Castlemaine, and Maldon Urban Landcare Groups, as well as Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club, come together and play the game alongside Connecting Country staff. Participants were allocated to two groups and each played a round of the game. Each group was facilitated by trained facilitators, Darren Tinker (Connecting Country Committee Member) and Brendan Garrett (Mount Alexander Shire Council Climate Change Coordinator).
The game involves various scenarios based on scientific evidence and predictions such as a bushfire, storm, or flood. The bushfire scenario was very close to home and the predictions reflected actual events. This encouraged much discussion around what participants did and didn’t do during the January 9 fires, and how prepared people felt when responding to evacuation warnings. A total of four rounds can be played in the game and, depending on the participants, each round can take up to an hour or more. The nature of the game offers structured scenarios that encourage conversation and reflection on preparedness, connections within the community (such as Landcare), and the amount of community and individual energy input required for responding to natural disasters and climate change.
Landcare representatives and Connecting Country staff enjoyed participating in the game and showed an interest to be part of future sessions.
Connecting Country’s Mount Alexander region Landcare Facilitator Lori Arthur reflected “It was great to have Landcare representatives come together and share ideas, lessons and reflections on their preparedness for potential natural disasters and changes in climatic conditions. It was evident how knowledgeable Landcare members are in understanding the landscape, how climate change risks may play out and what actions community can take, both as individuals and as a collective whole”
The 2026 Landcare Link-up was made possible thanks to funding from the Ian & Shirley Norman Foundation and DEECA and supported by Mount Alexander Shire Council.
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