Local Landcare representatives had the ear of a Parliamentary Friends of Landcare organiser at an event held in Melbourne last week.

Wooragee Landcare’s president Sue Brunskill and member Karen Bowley tripped to Victoria’s capital city to showcase the extensive work undertaken by the group.

Parliamentary Friends of Landcare in its second year for Victoria, gives representatives from Landcare groups and networks, and other environmental volunteering organisations from across the state a chance to profile their work at Parliament House.

Representatives have a chance to talk to parliamentarians about key issues as well.

Ms Brunskill said the pair spoke to a Parliamentary Friends of Landcare organiser and Member for Eastern Victoria, Tom McIntosh.

“We received a very supportive welcoming speech saying how much Landcare is appreciated,” Ms Brunskill said.

The event also shone the spotlight on Landcare groups and networks working towards future-proof community-driven conservation by engaging young people in new and creative ways.

Ms Brunskill was one of three representatives from various Landcare groups to be interviewed for a video by Parliamentary Friends of Landcare.

The president spoke about Wooragee Landcare’s variety of workshops tailored to the community such as project along Reedy Creek with the creek passing through the area covered by the group.

“We do a lot of work connecting vegetation corridors along the creek to other vegetation such as to the rail trail – an important habitat for wildlife,” she said.

“A current project is working on a rail trail planting.”

Among many other projects undertaken by the group, Ms Brunskill said biodiversity workshops had included frogs, fungi and bees.

“We've done some really good cultural burning projects for about last four years with one of the local Aboriginal communities,” she said.

With education an import part of Wooragee Landcare’s work, Ms Brunskill also spoke about its connection to the local Wooragee Primary School.

She said Landcare Australia’s Junior Landcare program worked with schools and Wooragee Landcare supported a specialist nature teacher to work with the students.

Ms Brunskill said Landcare groups have similarities with many passionate people working tirelessly to help the environment.

“We’re trying to do lots with not enough funding,” she said.

Ms Bowley said she enjoyed meeting and discussing environmental matters with the other Landcare groups taking part in the event.

“Meeting other volunteers and seeing everything that they are doing was uplifting,” she said.

Ms Brunskill said taking part at the event at Parliament House had been a great opportunity to meet with neighbouring networks and other Landcare groups across the state.

“Connecting with other Landcare groups is an important part of the event,” she said.

The Wooragee Landcare group joined forces with the Wodonga Urban Landcare Network and Kiewa Catchment Landcare Groups in sharing a site at the event.