LandCare is . . .

A landcare group is a community-based group of volunteers working on conservation projects that contribute to environmental, social and economic outcomes. Landcare groups in Australia select and carry out their own projects, with funding assistance from corporations, government and other sources.

Origins: Begun in Australia in 1989 to restore severely damaged ecosystems “one watershed at a time,” landcare now is carried out by some 6,000 community landcare and coastcare groups in coastal, rural and urban areas of Australia. Eighty-five percent of Australians recognize the official landcare logo. LandCare Australia

Landcare in the Southern Appalachians: Developing financially viable local landcare groups and getting existing landcare-like groups to sponsor landcare conservation projects in the southern Appalachian region represents an opportunity to build widespread support for the ecological restoration and protection of the southern Appalachian landscape.

An effort is underway to start a landcare movement in the United States. Land-of-Sky Regional Council is part of that effort.
Website of the Council for US Landcare

 

Benefits of LandCare

  • A scientific, documented approach to environmental management of working lands (farms, forests) and urban lands can add economic value to the land (increased productivity & sales price, reduced environmental liability, etc.).
  • Landcare draws corporate resources into land management via national branding of its logo.
  • For every dollar of cash invested in projects, landcare leverages $3.50 in volunteer labor.
  • Personal responsibility for the land and grassroots ownership of challenges and solutions -- builds a societal land ethic or stewardship ethic.  This in turn provides broad public support for preservation and restoration of natural assets.

LandCare — an Alternative

Adopting Landcare as a healthy alternative to short term corporate profit taking empowers people, insures long term economic stability in rural communities, provides clean drinking water down stream, encourages natural products for consumers, and invites ecoTourism.