Shifting perspective

I've been working on this project now since late November 2008. Until recently, my vision of the natural environment did not include people. I work with people who are passionate about preserving and rehabilitating our natural resources, I come from generations of farmers who had a vested interest in caring for the land. I understand there are people, like me who have this connection with the environment. So, why was it that I didn't picture people, even myself, in my vision for the environment?

This week I drove to Yeoval, about 70km south-east of Dubbo. On the way I stopped at the Wambangalang Field Study Centre near Toongi to speak with one of the teachers there, Matthew McKenzie. He spoke about his desire to see the kids who visit the centre connect with the environment. Then it was on to Yeoval, 20 minutes down the road where I'd arranged to meet up with two of the driving forces behind the Little River Landcare Group - Fergus Job and Pip Job. Both have a desire to engage the communities of their catchment in order to continue developing a healthy environment for themselves, their community and future generations. All with very limited financial resources and great uncertainty about future funding.

The shift in my perspective has occurred as a result of reflecting upon the interviews I conducted with Matthew, Fergus and Pip - and their insistence that humans are a critical part of the ecosystems of our catchment. It is only through human intervention that our environment stands any chance of surviving future climatic changes. From now on, my visions of a healthy environment might well be filled with happy, smiling children!