Landscape Resilience Forum - Review
ANU’s Professor Geoff Hope discussing landscape changes at Mulloon over the last 50,000 years
The 'Landscape Resilience Forum was held in conjunction with Upper Shoalhaven Landcare on 30 May 2019 at Mulloon Creek Natural Farms, with over 120 people attending on a chilly morning, with the heaters blazing in the Barn.
The day began with a ‘Welcome to Country’ by Uncle Max Dulumunmun Harrison, who gave an insightful account of understanding the landscape, and the crucial importance and role of plants to its functioning, and to the health and well-being of humans. TMI has developed an important partnership with Uncle Max over the years and we strive to learn more from Indigenous Elders and their valuable knowledge of the landscape.
Presentations throughout the day came from Dr Steven Crimp from the ANU’s Climate Change Institute (responding to the impacts of a changing climate); Emeritus Professor Geoff Hope (landscape development of the Mulloon region over the last 50,000 years); Sue Ogilvy (links between farm profitability and biodiversity); David Marsh, Gill Sandbrook, David Watson and Martin Royds (farmer case studies of their methodologies for resilience on their properties); Noel Webster (Indigenous connections to the land and traditional practices to protect the land); and Peter Hazell and Peter Andrews OAM (Mulloon and landscape rehydration). Science Advisory Council Chair, Emeritus Professor Stephen Dovers, was MC throughout the day.
With a range of highly qualified and experienced presenters, the forum provided attendees with a comprehensive range of information on what should and can be occurring in Australia's degraded and dehydrated landscape. Overwhelmingly, the examples from regenerative farmers such as David, Gill, David and Martin says it all really, considering the extreme dry periods they have experienced and the positive results they have achieved despite this. Hopefully attendees left with a desire to take similar, positive actions on their own properties.
