Up2Us Landcare Alliance

07/09/2026

🌿 Reflecting on a wonderful day of permaculture at Bloom at Doon

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day for our Introduction to the 12 Principles of Permaculture workshop at the Bloom at Doon market on Saturday 29 August. ☀️🌱

Led by the wonderful Kylie Smith, the workshop explored the 12 principles of permaculture and how they can be applied in everyday life – from a large farm property right through to a small balcony.

There are so many connections between permaculture and Landcare. Both encourage us to work with the natural assets around us, rather than against them, and to create productive, resilient and beautiful places. And the benefits extend beyond the land, with permaculture offering opportunities to slow down, connect with nature and support our mental wellbeing.

Kylie also sent everyone home with a weekly challenge for each of the 12 principles. Some were wonderfully simple – like taking the time to observe your space before making changes, or thinking about how you can reuse and recycle what you already have. 🌿

After the workshop, Kylie and Rhiannon from Up2Us joined Mansfield Community Radio 99.7 to chat about all things Landcare, Kylie's passion for permaculture and her farm, Compounded Pastures.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us, and to Kylie for sharing her knowledge, enthusiasm and practical ideas with us. 💚

This project is supported by the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority through funding from the Victorian Landcare Grants and the Victorian Landcare Program.

04/09/2026

Howqua lyrebirds are putting on a show 🥰

A Howqua Valley Landcare member shared some footage from a trail cam and caught their resident male in full display — up on his mound, tail thrown forward in that stunning silver cascade, dancing for two females who'd come to see what all the fuss was about.

Never gets old watching these guys work.

31/08/2026

🌿💛 Happy Wattle Day! 💛🌿

Today, 1 September, marks the first day of spring and Wattle Day — a wonderful time to celebrate the beauty, resilience and unique character of our Australian landscape.

Here in Mansfield, our wattles are a beautiful reminder that spring is on its way. Their bright golden blooms bring colour to our bushland, roadsides and gardens and provide valuable habitat and food for native wildlife. 🐝🦋🐦

Wattle Day is also a chance to celebrate the people who care for and protect our local environment. From planting native species and restoring habitat to looking after waterways and supporting biodiversity, every little action helps build a healthier landscape for generations to come.

💚 Let’s celebrate spring by getting outside, appreciating our local environment and doing our bit for nature.

Happy Wattle Day from everyone at Up2Us Landcare Alliance! 🌱🌼

25/08/2026

🌿 This Saturday! Join Kylie Smith from Compounded Pastures for a hands-on introduction to the 12 Principles of Permaculture at Bloom@Doon.

Drawing on 7 years developing her own farm 🚜, Kylie will share practical, real-world tips you can take straight home to your garden or property — big or small. 🏡

📅 Saturday 29 August 2026
⏰ 10:00am – 11:00am
📍 Bonnie Doon Community Centre (Bloom@Doon Market)
💵 $5pp, bookings essential

Whether you're brand new to permaculture 🌱 or just after fresh inspiration ✨, you'll leave with simple ideas you can use straight away.

🔗https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1993796265301?aff=oddtdtcreator

Proudly supported by the Goulburn Broken CMA, Victorian Landcare Grants and the Victorian Landcare Program. 💚

23/08/2026

Friday 18 September 2026

Farm business owners, partners and family members are invited to a free 1-day workshop to learn how to plan a smooth transition of their family farm.

Presenter Dr Kate Burke is an independent consultant with extensive experience in coaching and facilitating farm business strategy. She is dedicated to helping farm families work out what is most important to them.

Kate will work with participants to understand the success factors and common pitfalls in farm succession, ensuring the legacy continues, the business remains viable, wealth grows and families stay connected for generations to come.

She will guide participants through the windows of succession: legacy and heritage, people and relationships, business and wealth, the views of different generations, non-farming siblings and advisers.

Participants will develop their own succession timeline and create specific goals towards achieving succession success.

Farm business owners, partners and family members are invited to a free 1-day workshop to learn how to plan a smooth transition of their family farm.

23/08/2026

🌱 ONLY ONE WEEK TO GO! 🌱

Ever wondered what permaculture is really about — and how its principles could be applied to your own garden or property?

Join us next Saturday 29 August for an introduction to the 12 Principles of Permaculture with Kylie Smith from Compounded Pastures at the at Doon market.

Kylie will share practical examples from seven years of planning and developing her farm, with ideas you can take away and use in your own backyard, garden or rural property.

🌿 Saturday 29 August
🕙 10am–11am
📍 Bloom@Doon, Bonnie Doon Community Centre
💚 $5 per person

Whether you're new to permaculture or just looking for some fresh ideas, come along and discover how working with nature can help create more resilient, productive and sustainable spaces.

Bookings are essential: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1993796265301?aff=oddtdtcreator

We'd love to see you there!

Kylie is an educator, permaculture practitioner and co-founder of Compounded Pastures, a 70-acre family farm on the outskirts of Mansfield.

21/08/2026

A huge thank you from all of us at Up2Us Landcare Alliance! 🌿🏡

What an incredible day it was at our corporate working bee, bringing together the wonderful teams from AusNet and Zinfra to build habitat homes for wildlife recovering from bushfire in the Longwood and Ruffy regions.

Together, our crew got stuck in, built and completed the first layer of paint on an amazing 160 boxes, all destined to be donated to the Biodiversity Recovery Alliance and installed across fire-affected areas to give our native wildlife somewhere safe to call home.

None of this would have been possible without the hard work of the wonderful volunteers at the Men's and Women's Sheds around the catchment, who cut and flat-packed every single box ready for our crew to build and paint. What a fantastic example of community collaboration in action.

We're also incredibly grateful to AusNet and Zinfra for their generous donations, which went directly towards purchasing the materials needed to bring these habitat homes to life. Your support made a real difference on the day and will continue to make a difference for years to come, as these boxes provide shelter for possums, gliders, birds and other native species working to rebuild their homes after fire.

Thank you to everyone who rolled up their sleeves, picked up a paintbrush, and helped restore a little bit of habitat for our wildlife. This is what community and corporate partnership can achieve when we work together. 💚

20/08/2026

🌱 PLANT WITH US NEXT WEEK! 🌱

Join Up2Us Landcare Alliance and Mansfield Autism Statewide Services (MASS) for a community planting day as part of our Growing Resilience Project.

Together, we'll undertake revegetation planting to create a healthier, more welcoming environment for people and wildlife. 🌿

No planting experience is needed — just bring your enthusiasm and a willingness to get your hands dirty! All tools and guidance will be provided.

📅 Tuesday 25 August
🕙 10am–12pm
📍 Mansfield Autism Statewide Services

Please note: A current Working with Children Check (WWCC) is required to participate. If you don't already have one, we're happy to assist you with the application process, but it will need to be approved before the planting day.

🌱 Come along, get involved and help us grow a healthier landscape for our community and local wildlife.

Bookings are essential: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1994635520536?aff=oddtdtcreator

20/08/2026

160 nest boxes built and painted in 2 hours! Thanks AusNet and Zinfra 🦉🦆🌳