General News
19 July, 2026
Get your hands dirty to celebrate 40 years of Landcare
PROJECT Platypus is inviting locals to roll up their sleeves and help plant thousands of seedlings at its 2026 Annual Community Plant Out in Landsborough West. Held in partnership with the Concongella Landcare Group, next Sunday's event carries extra significance as Victoria celebrates 40 years of Landcare, marking four decades of communities working together to protect and restore the environment.
Project Platypus communications and events officer Bronte Heron said the milestone was an important one.
"Victoria was the first state to really get Landcare going, so it's a big milestone," she said.
The community plant-out, which will run from 9.30am to 3pm on Sunday the 26th of July, forms part of a restoration project being undertaken by the Concongella Landcare Group and a local landholder.
Project Platypus manager Mark McLean said the site had been selected to restore habitat and address environmental challenges.
"It's part of the Concongella Landcare Group's project to one of the landholders in the Landsborough West area," he said.
"They are really keen to rejuvenate the land and plant some trees and shrubs and grasses to get the native wildlife back in the area."
The planting will take place along a creek line, helping to establish habitat corridors while preventing future erosion.
"It's a pretty amazing view, a nice rise there and you can see right across the Pyrenees and the Grampians," Mark said.
"Should be a ripping spot for a community plant-out."
Volunteers will help plant around 3,000 seedlings, with a diverse range of native species selected to suit the local landscape.
"We are creating the opportunity for people that are keen to volunteer and help out and do something good for the environment.
" We try and choose a diversity and a minimum of 15 plant species, so that we are creating a nice diverse habitat for the future."
Mark said the annual event had become as much about community connection as environmental restoration.
"We are getting 30 to 40 people that are keen to come along to these sorts of things and help out," he said.
"The one we held a couple of weeks ago was 50 people, so really positive support from the local community and we even had people coming up from Melbourne."
He added that no prior experience was necessary.
"You really can just turn up, you don't need to have any experience in tree planting," Mark said.
"Some of the people that are coming to help on the day have actually been helping with these plant-outs for decades. So it's really nice to have those people come back again and it's sort of an annual catch-up."
Following the morning's work, volunteers will be treated to a barbecue lunch, with vegetarian options, as well as hot drinks and morning tea.
The community plant-out will be start from 9.30am to 3pm. Registrations are available online at www.annual-community-plantout-2026.raiselysite.com
Read More: Landsborough