Jessie McPherson - Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc

Case Study: Building Community Capacity for Landscape-Scale Change

LEP Case Studies, NewsBy Jessie McPherson 30 March 2026

A coordinated, region-wide approach to strengthening landholder knowledge, leadership, and networks to enable long-term, community-led environmental outcomes across the Murrumbidgee. Landholders and community groups across the Murrumbidgee region face increasing pressure from climate variability, biodiversity decline, and changing land management expectations. While interest in sustainable practices is strong, many individuals lack the confidence, technical…

Case Study: Resurrecting Defunct Landcare Groups

LEP Case Studies, NewsBy Jessie McPherson 30 March 2026

How Coleambally Landcare was resurrected after 9 years. Coleambally Landcare Group had been an active local force for environmental stewardship until a problematic grant acquittal in 2017 undermined confidence and momentum. The experience left members disheartened and uncertain about governance and compliance processes, with no clear succession plan or formal closure procedure, the group gradually…

Case study: Sharing the load to save the nursery

LEP Case StudiesBy Jessie McPherson 16 February 2026

How co-management, diversification and stronger promotion helped a volunteer run Landcare nursery regain its feet and keep delivering local native plants to the community. After more than two decades of operation, the Riverina Highlands Landcare Network (RHLN) Nursery had started to succumb to the pressures of volunteer fatigue and burnout. Funding grants were becoming less…

Case Study: ‘Local Focus’ Shining a Light on Junee’s Native Flora

LEP Case StudiesBy Jessie McPherson 22 January 2026

Developed by a passionate Landcare volunteer, this series highlights local native plants to grow awareness and appreciation of Junee’s natural environment. The Junee Shire is home to a diverse range of native plant and tree species, however, many residents are unaware of the ecological value and local significance of the vegetation around them. This lack…

Case Study: Small Grant, Big Impact on Woody Weeds

LEP Case StudiesBy Jessie McPherson 6 January 2026

Narrandera Landcare used a small Bendigo Bank grant and community support to remove woody weeds, influence 22.47 hectares and strengthen local connections through five collaborative environmental events. Narrandera Landcare faced several challenges in tackling woody weed infestations across local reserves. Increased growth of date palms and bridal creeper had spread, threatening native vegetation through commonly…

Case Study: Blitzing Away with Culture

First Nations, LEP Case Studies, NewsBy Jessie McPherson 15 December 2025

First Nations People and scientists working together to monitor Country through citizen science We are lucky enough that there are people in the world who care deeply about our natural environment. Whether they are scientists, people who work in natural resource management or First Nations People who have been caring for Country since time immemorial. However, the most common discussion that we…

Case study: Connecting Elders and Seniors with Nature

Case Studies - OLD, First Nations, LEP Case Studies, LLCi Case Studies - OLD, NewsBy Jessie McPherson 15 December 2025

Blooming Connections brought older Murrumbidgee residents together through nature-based activities, building skills, friendships and confidence while promoting wellbeing, environmental awareness and long-term community connection across the region. Across the Murrumbidgee region, many older residents face social isolation, limited opportunities for connection and reduced access to community activities. Rural living increases these challenges through distance, transport…

Case Study: Narrandera’s Koala Count – Citizen Science Driving Conservation for 45 Years

Case Studies - OLD, LEP Case Studies, LLCi Case Studies - OLD, NewsBy Jessie McPherson 5 December 2025

The Narrandera Koala Count is one of Australia’s longest-running citizen science monitoring programs, critical to sustaining the Narrandera Koala colony’s conservation over five decades. After successfully lobbying for the first koala translocation for conservation purposes in NSW in the early 1970s, the Narrandera Koala colony experienced a lack of sustained formal monitoring and an increase…

Case Study: Beloved Local Legend – sharing knowledge at 92 years old

Case Studies - OLD, LEP Case Studies, LLCi Case Studies - OLD, NewsBy Jessie McPherson 5 December 2025

About 25 years ago the Riverina Highlands Landcare Nursery was opened, under a different name, in a different time. The initial coordinator lasted two weeks, and trusty volunteer Ken stepped up to the challenge. Tumut local, Ken Stubbs, was the Nursery Coordinator and he still plays a significant part in both the Nursery and Tumut…

Case Study: Engaging a New Bush Army for the Undefendable Town

Case Studies - OLD, LEP Case Studies, LLCi Case Studies - OLD, NewsBy Jessie McPherson 5 December 2025

How Batlow rallied local community networks and Landcare groups to restore bushland and build environmental resilience after the devastating 2020 bushfires. The 2020 Black Summer bushfires devastated Batlow’s bushland, wiping out swathes of native vegetation and wildlife habitat, whilst leaving the landscape badly scarred. In the aftermath, the Batlow Environment Network (BEN) formed to bring…

Author Archives: Jessie McPherson