Landcare supports Boorowa district landholders

And now in her role as coordinator of the Boorowa Landcare Group and the Hovells Creek Landcare Group, each based on the southwest slopes, she can let her passion address those issues to deliver outcomes for landholders.

The collaboration between landholders and Landcare has been essential in achieving positive outcomes, and Mrs Cavanagh attributes that success to the willingness of all who participate.

"As Landcare is a community based organisation, we have a special privilege, we have the flexibility to be that conduit between all the different groups in the community," she said.

"And while we have close partnerships with government who certainly support us with funding we are not constrained by our activities."

Mrs Cavanagh said the events and programs with which she is involved in are initiated by landholders and their particular concerns about the landscape.

"We go the landholders and ask them what they are interested in doing. At the moment their greatest need is support in coping with the drought, which is hurting so many," she said.

For Mrs Cavanagh, the Boorowa Landcare Group is more than simply planting trees, restoring soil health or regenerating pastures. It's equally about the landholder's ability to survive tough seasonal conditions mentally, physically and economically. In conjunction with other Landcare groups and agencies across the south-east she recently organised a forum held at CSIRO Boorowa with the theme: Exploring what and how decisions will need to be made in drought recovery.

"We wanted an event where discussions about the profitability of having an ecological part of your goal in owning land. We want people to be able to make decisions for their land as well as their business," she said.

Mrs Cavanagh came to Boorowa about eight years ago having lived on a property with husband Paul near Young for 20 years previously.

"It is only since I moved to Boorowa that I have really got involved with Landcare. As farmers we had always been involved with Landcare but it was probably one of those things that came with the Millennial Drought when I was seeking off-farm work," she said.

"Sometimes these things happen when you least expect them and they turn into great opportunities."

After four years with Boorowa Landcare Group and Hovells Creek Landcare Group, Mrs Cavanagh is soon stepping into a new role as the regional Landcare coordinator for the south-east.

"I really look forward to bringing some of feedback and experience of what is happening with the local groups to the region," she said.

In her time with Boorowa and Hovells Creek Landcare Groups Mrs Cavanagh recalled some the exciting events she has been proud to be associated with and included hosting the 'Climate Conversation' in 2018.

"During that event we had 200 people attend and listen to Charles Massy and Christine Jones talking about their experiences with landscape and soil restoration," she said.

"There was amazing energy in the room and I think that just highlighted there is a lot of people who are concerned about the changing climate and there is a real interest in regenerative agriculture."

That success led Mrs Cavanagh to organise other events such as the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal forum held in Boorowa in 2019 where the results of the National Environmental Science Program where delivered.

"That also showed that regenerative agriculture can and will be as mainstream as any other sort of agricultural function," she said. Mrs Cavanagh was asked: "Why is Landcare important in restoring the balance of diversity in our landscape?"

"There is certainly great evidence to say that those properties where they have incorporated perennial grasses and including trees and shrubs, the benefit to the nutrient cycle and water cycle actually does result in benefit to farm profit at the end of the day," she said.

"Landcare at Boorowa was formed by a group of farmers 30 years ago because they were concerned about trees dying, there was a salinity problem in the district after all the clearing that had occurred and they realised there would be a benefit to their farming systems if they restored trees and perennial grasses. I feel very lucky to have been able to work with farmers and associations like NSW Farmers in achieving NSW Landcare goals."