Parklands has been out and about representing our bush parks and community environmental management lately, with a presence at both the Henty Machinery Field Days and the Nail Can Hill Wildflower Walk.

The Henty Field Days were even bigger than last year, with 57,000 people through the gates over 3 days. The Landcare shed, set up by the Murray Landcare Collective, attracted a great deal of interest, with enquiries up more than 40% on last year.

The shed was attended by volunteers from Landcare and Environment groups and Networks, mainly from NSW but including a contingent from NE Vic. The Ovens Landcare Network, Mitta to Murray Blackberry Action Group, Wodonga Urban Landcare Network, Kiewa Catchment Landcare Groups and Parklands represented NE Victoria, with support from the North East Catchment Management Authority.

People involved in everything from education and community environmental action to farm revegetation and threatened species recovery found interest and information with the displays and volunteers attending the shed. Enquiries were fielded on such a broad range of topics; backyard wildlife, feral animals, environmental weeds, nestboxes, rehabilitation of all kinds of ecosystems, species identification, best practice fencing etc etc. People were cheerfully handed to the most knowledgable person in the shed according to their enquiry, and many a contact made for future reference.

Our thanks to Paula Sheehan for organising the shed, setting up our NE Landcare displays prior to the event and coordinating volunteers so spectacularly.

Parklands also held a display at the recent Nail Can Hill Wildflower Walk alongside Holbrook Landcare Network, Murray Seed Services, Albury City and the Friends of Nail Can Hill. Karen Retra’s pollinator display attracted much interest, with live examples convenient on the native wildflowers at the site. The walk were fully booked and people enjoyed the wildfowers in perfect Albury spring weather.