On Thursday 19 February, Southern New England Landcare hosted a Landscape Rehydration Field Day in partnership with the Mulloon Institute at Kentucky.

The event marked the first in a series of activities being delivered under the Armidale Regional Council and Uralla Shire Council Regional Drought Resilience Plan, funded through the Future Drought Fund.

More than 30 landholders attended from across the region, including one participant who travelled from Sydney. Landscape Planners Shari Pike and Annabel Manning from the Mulloon Institute facilitated the day.

“It was great to see such strong attendance and interest,” said Elizabeth Rosser, Local Landcare Coordinator with Southern New England Landcare.

“The distance people are travelling reflects the growing interest in landscape rehydration and its role in whole-farm planning,” she said.

The day began at Kentucky Hall with an introductory presentation, followed by a field walk along Kentucky Creek where participants learned practical skills in reading the landscape.

In the afternoon, the group visited Ted and Sonia Williams’ property, ‘Wilhelmshohe’, to view on-ground works undertaken along their creek and chain of ponds system.

Attendees were able to compare sections previously supported through Landcare grants with areas more recently acquired that have not yet undergone improvement works.

“The property provides a practical demonstration of the impact thoughtful intervention can have. The contrast between treated and untreated sections of the creek is clear,” Elizabeth said.

The project continues 18–19 March with a two-day bootcamp at the CSIRO Chiswick Research Station. Tickets are available via the Southern New England Landcare website.

Further activities under the Regional Drought Resilience Plan include a two-day workshop in April with David Hardwick from Soil Land Food on Reading Rural Landscapes, followed by a ‘Boots on Ground’ construction day in May with the Mulloon Institute focused on building practical structures to support landscape rehydration outcomes.

Community members can stay informed about upcoming activities by subscribing to the Southern New England Landcare newsletter.