The New Springs Landcare Group is a registered charity run by volunteers bringing together community members from across the Charleston-Mount Torrens-Harrogate district. This collective of passionate locals works together to protect and manage the environment in their area, with a focus on sustainability and land management practices.
The Charleston/Harrogate/Mount Torrens region is a jewel of the hills – a combination of excellent farming land, important natural habitats and fantastic lifestyle.
But this isn’t by accident. Productive and sustainable farms, habitat diversity and maintenance, and fundamentals such as caring for the soil and water require knowledge, vision and commitment.
History and rebirth
Originally established in the late 1990s, the New Springs Landcare Group served the Charleston-Spring Head-Mount Torrens district for many fruitful years. Following the devastating Cudlee Creek Bushfire in 2019, the group experienced a remarkable revival. Fifth-generation landholder Kym Gladigau proposed to reinvent the group, becoming its inaugural Chair. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the community seized the opportunity to collectively address the fire’s legacy issues.
Indigenous knowledge partnership
The Landcare group maintains an active partnership with Peramangk knowledge holders, incorporating traditional land management practices into their environmental work. This collaboration brings valuable insights on cultural burning techniques, seasonal planting cycles, and identification of culturally significant native vegetation. By blending contemporary land management with traditional ecological knowledge, the community enhances both environmental outcomes and cultural heritage preservation. This respectful exchange of knowledge strengthens biodiversity conservation efforts while acknowledging the deep connection to country that has existed for thousands of years.
Working together for recovery
The post-bushfire priorities for the Landcare group are diverse and numerous. Community members collaborate on rebuilding basic infrastructure, addressing damaged soils, managing weeds, improving water management, and focusing on habitat restoration. The group embodies the adage ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ by creating a supportive environment where landholders can share their recovery journey.
One of the group’s greatest strengths is how it brings together experienced landholders with newer residents, creating a powerful knowledge-sharing network. This approach to land management ensures that local knowledge is preserved while new ideas contribute to enhanced biodiversity and sustainability practices.
The New Springs Landcare Group continues to champion catchment management through practical demonstrations and the implementation of on-ground works. Their commitment to enhancing natural biodiversity in the Upper River Torrens catchment remains steadfast, with ongoing efforts to conserve, protect and increase native vegetation throughout the region.
Our Priorities
- Connecting our district and building community
- Access to local knowledge – such as longstanding landholders with generational insights
- Access to wider knowledge – such as aligned organisations, subject matter experts, researchers, government entities
- Potential for mutually beneficial activities/projects
- Access to shared equipment and resources
- Coordination/integration of fire recovery efforts
- Navigating the effects of climate change and contributing to climate-positive efforts
- Group project funding to support local Landcare activities
- Insights into best practices in land, environment and habitat management
- Feral plant and animal species mitigation
- A combined voice on local priorities or issues which may arise