How do we achieve our preferred future?
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How do we create a positive future for our local communities, farming landscapes and biodiversity?
These challenging and exciting questions are central to an upcoming community workshop to be held at the Cootamundra Arts Centre on May 14, 2021, from 9am to 4pm.
The workshop builds on 94 interviews conducted with people in the region in 2020 and a workshop looking at 'What could our future look like?' on 29th April.
The workshops are part of the research project The Future of Farming and Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes: the Muttama Creek Catchment Area.
The workshop is co-hosted by The Australian National University Sustainable Farms project and Leuphana University of Lueneburg (Germany), and organised in collaboration with Muttama Creek Landcare Group. It brings together land managers and local organisations to discuss how land managers, farming families and local communities can flourish and still enable nature to thrive into the future.
The Muttama Creek Catchment has been on a long road of change but is facing increasing volatility and pressures in the future (e.g. climatic and demographic changes and market pressures).
"This second workshop is about identifying opportunities for our farming community to leave a positive legacy for future generations in the catchment area." says Annie Jacobs from Wallendbeen.
"There were robust and insightful discussions about the current system and aspirations towards the future at the first workshop. Building on that, this workshop will identify action steps and resources needed for moving towards a desired future." explains Tamara Schaal from Leuphana University of Lueneburg, lead investigator in the project.
The intended outcomes of this workshop is to identify concrete actions we can take individually and collaboratively, as well as exploring how these action plans could be resourced. We will explore who will do what, as well as offer a way through which we can prioritise actions in terms of both feasibility and impact. The outcomes of the research will also feed into the ongoing work by Sustainable Farms in supporting sustainable and profitable agriculture on the South West Slopes.
The workshop will be facilitated by Paul Ryan, Director of the Australian Resilience Centre.
For further information about the workshop contact Annie Jacobs at 0417 717075. For more information about the research project or an interview contact the lead investigator Tamara Schaal at schaal@leuphana.de.
The Future of Farming and Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes: the Muttama Creek Catchment Area is a joint research project of Leuphana University of Lueneburg (Germany) and The Australian National University (Fenner School of Environment and Society). The project is supported by the Muttama Creek Landcare Group.