Richmond Riverfest is a month-long celebration that honours river systems, culture and community in the Northern Rivers. This year launched under the theme “Where the River Meets the Sea,” reminding us that the river connects us all, from source to mouth.
At the stall, Matt Smith (Project Delivery & Engagement Manager, pictured at right), Annabel Manning (Landscape Planner, pictured centre) and Brooke Cunningham (Landscape Planner, pictured at left) welcomed passersby, explained Mulloon Institute’s rehydration work and fielded questions about restoring hydrology, regenerating plant communities and building climate resilience.
Throughout the day, the Riverfest program featured talks and panel sessions from regional voices on river restoration, cultural connection to waterways and citizen science. Festival speakers included local river advocates and scientists who underlined the urgent need for cross-catchment collaboration and community stewardship of water resources.
Visitors to the Mulloon stall were invited to ‘dabble in the creek’ with our stream table model using silt and stream simulating. Sculpting miniature catchment landscapes using tools and scaled materials, participants observed the erosive force of water and experimented with ways to restore eroded and degraded creeks.
Stepping into the festival’s spirit of celebration, knowledge exchange and learning, our team left inspired, reminded that places like Ballina are meeting points not only for rivers but for ideas, communities and action.
We look forward to our next pop up at Riverfest Lismore on 26 October!
