Connecting Country’s 2024 AGM: Growing our Future Together
Posted on 12 December, 2024 by Hadley Cole
On Saturday 23 November Connecting Country held it’s 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Campbells Creek Community Centre. The focus for this year was to provide an opportunity for Connecting Country members and the wider community to come together and think about what is important to our community in supporting local biodiversity and connection with nature.
After 16 years of influencing positive environmental change on 500+ properties in the region, the time has come to look forward and consider the future of Connecting Country!
Three local Connecting Country members, all from differing backgrounds, were invited to join a panel discussion facilitated by Castlemaine Institute’s Sharon Fraser. Brendan Sydes, Connecting Country Committee President and Australian Conservation Foundation’s Biodiversity Policy Advisor, Ian Higgins, local natural resource management practitioner and founding member of Friends of Campbells Creek and Ann-Marie Monda, landowner (with Carla Meurs) from Wooroomook property in Sutton Grange who integrate environmental improvements within agricultural farmland, were invited to the panel to discuss what is important to them in local biodiversity conservation and how we can shape the future of Connecting Country to achieve this.
Panel discussion with Brendan Sydes, Ian Higgins, Anne-Marie Monda interviewed by Sharon Fraser from Castlemaine Institute.
The panel discussed the current state of the environment at the broader scale of global, national and state levels and then moved on to the importance of action at the local level and how many of the actions we take locally have a direct impact on the ground. All three panel speakers spoke of the importance of Connecting Country as a network that brings the many Landcare, friends of and environmental groups together, providing a central point for people to come to share information and connect with others who have the same goals of protecting the natural environment.
AGM attendees were given the opportunity to break into groups and discuss local conservation actions they have been involved in throughout the last year and also think about what the role of Connecting Country has been for them as a Landcare, friends group member or a local Landholder over the previous 16 years. Small groups of participants recorded their visions for Connecting Country’s future that would provide financial security as well as meeting the most significant conservation needs of our local community. These ideas were recorded on gum leaves that were then displayed on branches of a beautiful tree painted by local artist Jane Rusden.
Sharon Fraser gracefully held the workshop with an open mind and sincerity and the Connecting Country committee and staff are very grateful for her input into the day. Contributions from participants on the day will be summarised and used by the Connecting Country Committee of Management in future planning.
The most important message that came out of the day is that Connecting Country remains widely respected within the community and holds a significant role in acting as a network of many branches, bringing together many local conservation groups and the broader visions for restoring and protecting the natural environment.
Leave a Reply