Last week the Gregory River Landcare Group members arrived at the Gregory River to set up camp then headed to Burketown to discuss with students at the Burketown State School the importance of landcare management and outdoor activities.
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President of the Landcare group, Mark Van Ryt and a Brisbane volunteer Chris Gray’s first project was a fishing activity with the senior students.
Each student received a well-stocked tackle box to take home to encourage family outdoor activity.
Mr Van Ryt said the activity was funded by the Queensland Department of Fisheries via Sunfish QLD and the Mount Isa Fish Stocking Group.
“We always fish off the old Albert River Bridge where Burke Shire Council have established a safe family fishing platform,” Mr Van Ryt said.
“The students caught four brim and a catfish and enjoyed the change from a normal school day.”
Mr Van Ryt said he took the opportunity to talk to the students about landcare.
“The environmental issues were already well understood as they were familiar with the good work of the local Gangalidda and Garawa Rangers.”
On Thursday the Landcare volunteers helped the school to refresh and replant the “Healthy Foods Garden”.
This time the whole school was involved with the junior students and seniors having one garden bed each.
“The students all love the opportunity to smell the fresh herbs and plant a wide variety of plants,” Mr Van Ryt said.
“This particular Gregory Landcare project started in Burketown in 2009. It would not have been possible without the ongoing support of our friends from Brisbane. It was our good luck a sturdy landcare group in Brisbane, Bulimba Creek Catchment (B4C) chose to befriend and support us.”
It would not have been possible without the ongoing support of our friends from Brisbane. It was our good luck a sturdy landcare group in Brisbane, Bulimba Creek Catchment (B4C) chose to befriend and support us.
- Mark Van Ryt
“These days funding is harder to find but the volunteers still keep coming, sometimes twice per year to help us do landcare.
“In May we do the School Gardens, every second year the kids go fishing and in between we work together trying to hold back the rubber vine on the Gregory.
“The B4C volunteer this year Chris Gray was a real champion. He was always ready to help with the next task and to offer solutions to problems,” he said.
On Friday morning Landcare held their Annual General Meeting at the Gregory Downs Hotel which was chaired by Megan Munchenberg.
“We were joined by landcare members Charles Curry from Southern Gulf NRM and Paul Johnson from O’Regan Partners Accountants.”
“We used this opportunity to support the North West Canoe Club by handing out enviro-bags to almost all the paddlers during the Saddle and Paddle Canoe race,” Mr Van Ryt said.
The bag contained various rubbish bags, gloves, shovel and tongs to encourage campers to dispose of waste correctly.
It also included information on weeds and advice on correct camping protocol.
“A big thank you to Pru Wharton the Regional Landcare Facilitator at Southern Gulf NRM for putting together the bags,” he said.
