HRLN members and staff were treated to a visit to McCullys gap for our June committee meeting. Despite the gloomy weather, we all had a lovely time getting to know the local landcarers and hear from their experiences.
McCullys Gap is a small community of approximately 100 properties ranging from small hobby farms to a few hundred-or-so acre cattle grazing properties. It is situated just east of Muswellbrook and is surrounded by beautiful cliff faces, rocky outcrops and dense mountainous terrain.
McCullys Gap Rehabilitation Sustainability Community Group Inc. was established in 2017. HRLN committee vice-chair Therese and her husband Steve were concerned about the welfare of the community during this time of drought as morale was very low. As part of the community group, Landcare became a focus for helping the community pull through in a time when depression was rife. It wasn’t just about planting trees as water was so scarce and the ground was just bare dirt with many trees, plants and animals dying. Rather, Landcare gave local folk an opportunity to meet up monthly for a cuppa’ and discuss their concerns as they all faced the same struggles. It was about boosting morale and supporting each other when times were tough.
Nowadays, the group consists of 12 members across 8 properties, and it is slowly growing each year. They are currently working on fundraising events such as a Bush Poets Stew and Damper evening hoping to be held on 20th August 2022 and their annual Trivia night on 28th October 2022. The fundraisers will help with the costs of aerial surveillance to establish habitat corridors and an ongoing Local Environment Action Plan.
For anyone interested in joining the group, or attending their fundraisers, please get in contact with Therese via email mccullysgaplandcare@gmail.com or phone 0427 343 366.
And don’t forget that everyone is welcome to attend our monthly committee meetings! And we welcome invitations from any Landcare groups that wish to host a HRLN committee meeting near your Landcare site – then we’ll admire your work afterwards! Meetings are generally held on the 3rd Monday of the month. Next meeting is scheduled on Monday 18th July at the Wetlands Centre in Shortland. Please email hunterergionlandcare@gmail.com to RSVP.
(A big thank you to Therese Moffitt for preparing this report, and both Carmel Brown and Helen Hemmond for their photos of the day)
