The name on the 2017 Southern Gulf NRM Sarus Crane Environmental Award reads Mark Van Ryt but Mark calls it “our award” which he shares with wife Natalia.
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Mr Van Ryt missed out on getting the award in person at Mount Isa’s Australia Day event at the Civic Centre.
“No one told me, or gave me a hint to appear at the Australia Day celebrations,” Mr Van Ryt said.
“I spent my Australia Day morning in the shed trying to repair my whippersnipper.”
The Mount Isa Landcare president has a lot to be proud of having led a dormant group and changed its focus to outback areas.
“I completed scanning the old records of Mount Isa Landcare that went back to a foundation about 25 years ago,” he said.
“It was easy to see how the group was restarted a few times then fell dormant again.”
Mr Van Ryt said the group’s focus in the early years was water wise gardening, “toad busting”, tree planting and later the rehabilitation of Breakaway Creek.
The Mount Isa Landcare Group now targets the noxious weeds invading our beautiful riparian environments and range land
- Mark Van Ryt
“This latest incarnation has refocused our activities on going “out bush”,” he said.
“The Mount Isa Landcare Group now targets the noxious weeds invading our beautiful riparian environments and range land.”
Mr Van Ryt said they also lent a hand hand cleaning up rubbish in the more remote locations.
“Mount Isa has a relatively large pool of urban people and other community groups to tap into as a weekend weed warrior labour force,” he said.
“I believe as long as our volunteers continue to enjoy their landcare adventures they will keep returning. Our task to make sure we have a stimulating, fun, social, learning, time and experience in a beautiful natural setting. We also have to make sure we all are kept safe, well fed, cool and hydrated.”
Mr Van Ryt said they travelled up to 80km from Isa.
“To operate we only need small amounts of cash to feed the volunteers. With this low key model I am confident our well-motivated landcare group can continue to help pastoral landholders maintain the relatively pristine rangeland environment surrounding our city,” he said.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
