Upper Ovens Valley Landcare Group
The Upper Ovens Valley Landcare Group (UOVLG) began in 1997 with approximately 20 members, rising to over 180 members in 2012. In 2023, there are approximately 100 members.
The Group works with the whole community, including landowners, to protect, sustain and enhance our healthy environment in the Upper Ovens Valley, North East Victoria.
Our objectives are:
- Caring for the land: To stimulate and enhance understanding of the local environment to encourage land management practices that conserve and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services and promote sustainable agriculture with landholders.
- Membership: To build and engage UOVLG membership by providing quality experiences, a personal sense of achievement, incentives for landowners and by providing opportunities to develop skills and resources to become good environmental stewards.
- Promotion: To promote the natural values and the opportunities and achievements of UOVLG and its auspiced groups to the members, community and partners to increase awareness and participation in activities that aims to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services.
- Partnerships and Collaboration: To have strategic and effective outcomes by partnering and collaborating with community, government agencies and organisations, including developing sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and organisations to contribute to UOVLG activities.
- Projects: To use knowledge and evidence based decision making to identify priorities for seeking funding for multidisciplinary projects to care for public and private land and develop capacity within the committee and membership to apply for successful funding and manage projects.
- Governance: To have an inclusive, skilled committee that is clear on its role, provides effective decision making and strategic direction on behalf of its members and manages the business of the UOVLG and administration of the Upper Ovens Valley Landcare account in accordance with good governance principles and the Constitution.
The UOVLG Strategic Plan and Environment Plan detail the Group’s work plan and key result areas. Projects are listed here.
2024/25 Committee
President: Graham Gales
Vice President: Martyn Paterson
Secretary: Anne McEniery
Treasurer: Simon Law
General Committee: Peter Jacobs, Robyn Guiney, Rodney McCracken, Yvonne Ward, Gill Anderson, Sarah Nicholas, Charlie Pascoe, Mick Donges and Joe Kenwright.