A shout out to everyone impacted by the rain and flooding. After all of the news crews and media have gone, it comes back to our community to help each other.

Even if you aren’t directly impacted by floodwater, there is a follow-on effect when one part of our community can’t pull off a crop or have to spend finances on re-instating infrastructure.

When Central West Lachlan Landcare (CWLL) applied to work with a Green Army Team we set targets that we wanted to achieve and one of those included increasing the knowledge of our group and provide a snap shot of different parcels of land.

This week the Skillset Green Army Team and myself joined the Lachlan Valley Branch of the National Parks Association (NPA) group on their walk through Cookamidgera National Park to learn more about the flora and fauna of our local area. We were certainly fortunate to have a gorgeous spring day.

The Lachlan Valley NPA group are a voluntary group that undertake walks, usually in the Forbes or Parkes Shires. Quite often they are in National Parks, but also through State Reserves and on private land with permission. Apart from the health benefits of these walks, the group also informally monitor the health of the areas that they are walking in, educate the community and provide an excellent way to get out and exercise on a bush walk.

The added bonus of walking with the group is that you learn heaps! If you are interested in learning more about our local bushland, birds, animals or even fungi (of which we have plenty around at the moment), you will extend your knowledge after spending time with the group.

The Lachlan Valley Branch are part of a larger National Parks Association that have been around for almost 60 years and have a network of 16 branches, with hundreds of active volunteers.

The Lachlan Valley Branch of the NPA will be holding their Annual General Meeting at the Central West Lachlan Landcare Office on Wednesday, 5 October from 2pm. If you are interested in finding out more about the group and would like to sit in on their meeting, please RSVP to Martin Bell on 0429 346 586.

Their next walk will be at Gunning Gap on Saturday, 15 October. Walkers are asked to meet at Forbes Railway Station at 9.15am. It is an easy five kilometre walk. Please contact walk leader, Peter Cannon on 02 6866 1225 the evening before the walk.

Please also bring enough food and water for the day as well as suitable clothing, footwear, hat and sunscreen. A good pair of binoculars and a fold up chair is also recommended.

Just a couple of reminders about some upcoming events that we would love you to be involved in…..our Compost on the Farm workshop, held in conjunction with Agriwest and ANL, will be held on Friday, 14 October at Adavale Lane Community Hall, with a 9am for 9.30am start. ANL are offering 25% off Nitrohumus compost for attendees and CWLL will be offering microbial soil testing for attendees who will be trailing compost.

We will also be having a look at the NorthParkes Mine Farm to see how they have been using compost and attendees will have a chance to talk with Matthew Burkitt, Farm Manager at NorthParkes Mine. This workshop is free and includes a delicious morning tea and lunch! RSVP essential to me on 6862 4914, 0418 611 053 or email cwllpo@hotmail.com

As usual, links to items in this article are available on facebook or on our website at http://www.centralwestlachlanlandcare.org

Until next week, happy Landcaring!