In essence, Landcare is about respect for the land. A realisation that we must live with nature and within the capabilities of the land which supports us. Farmers, pastoralists, communities and society suffer the consequences of being out of step with nature at first hand- salinity, erosion and other forms of land degradation are destroying the soil, the very basis of the environment. In response, they are redesigning their ideas and properties, changing their farming methods to include sustainable management practices and planting trees on an unprecedented scale.

Land degradation is not only a farming problem but affects the whole community. Humans affect their environment in many ways, whether by clearing precious natural bush or by using the fertilisers which leach from our gardens. In turn land degradation affects us all. Agricultural industries are vital to the current and future prosperity of Australia. If these industries are to continue to prosper, those managing the land need to develop new skills and attitudes, to attain a high level of production while ensuring that the condition of the land is improved. This is where Landcare came from, but we all need to make these kinds of adjustments. Australia-wide, mining industries and other land-users are joining farmers and communities in changing their techniques and they often work together. The solution is to combine our efforts to sustain the condition of the land. This is 'Landcare'. Students need to know what is happening and future generations will rely on the skills they have learnt.

Landcare is a national land conservation program; at its heart lies an intention to change our attitudes towards land, water and vegetation to halt their degradation. By involving all sectors of the community, over this decade, Australia may achieve sustainable land-use into the 21st century. City and country community-wide cooperation is vital; our rural people alone do not have the resources to overcome the combined threats of land degradation.

To be successful, such programs need the support of everybody: teachers, students, conservation groups, companies, farmers, community organisations and Government authorities. You, too, can play a key role by providing landcare education.

Landcare education - from awareness to action

The essence of Landcare education is to encourage a respect for the land. Of course, that's not something that will happen overnight, but how can we make a start?

You could use the resources in this web site to raise awareness of our dependence on healthy soil, water and vegetation, and of processes that degrade them. Further learning activities may improve understanding of why land degradation occurs and how our lives are affected. Increased awareness and understanding of land degradation may lead to personal action, however small, to help solve a problem.

Action can take many forms. One of the traditional ways has been growing, planting and caring for trees, and there are programs in urban and rural areas to cater for these actions. Some schools have started their own Landcare programs and adopted a farm, a road verge, a park or, a dune or have started composting and recycling activities. The secret of success to adopting a respect for the land seems to be to ensure that activities are relevant to the geographic area and to the individuals' interests.

Landcare education - enriching the curriculum

Local relevance of courses is essential to have the greatest impact on students and the new Curriculum Framework makes adopting Landcare as an integrated study possible. The availability and quality of resources obviously plays a role in how we achieve local relevance. As you will find, the activities in this resource can support the teaching of knowledge and skills. The landcare examples, activities and experiments can add interest and understanding to all curriculum areas and thus enrich them. The examples used in the worksheets are from Western Australia, but they could be adapted to any locality.

Finally, Landcare is something everyone can enjoy - everyone can learn about landcare.

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