Hi Landcarer’s

National Tree Day (NTD) is upon us! The site is prepped, the trees are ready and the guards have arrived!

Have you thought about some of the benefits of joining us for NTD? A new report from Planet Ark examines how prepared the next generation is to tackle the biggest future challenges facing humanity. These challenges have been defined by the United Nations and include food security, refugees, access to clean water, population increase, and climate change the most concerning overall.

The report, Learning from Trees: Life Lessons for Future Generations, which is sponsored by Toyota Australia and released ahead of National Tree Day, asked 200 Australian teachers to identify the crucial skills students will need most to tackle global challenges, such as climate change, in the future.

Teachers (100 primary and 100 secondary) ranked the following skills and attributes in order of importance: STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics); problem solving and critical thinking; creativity and innovation; compassion; ‘grit’ (determination, resilience, perseverance); emotional intelligence and trade skills.

The results show 60% of surveyed teachers chose critical thinking and problem solving, grit and emotional intelligence as the most important skills. Interestingly 60% also ranked these skills as their students’ weakest, with grit the weakest overall. Only 4% of Australian teachers considered STEM in the top three most needed skills.

Research cited in the report shows how children can develop these key skills by learning outdoors, both during and outside of school hours, so providing opportunities for outdoor learning is a critical priority for parents, teachers and the wider community.

When you go to the Planet Ark website to register for National Tree Day, you can check out the report and find out more information.

We would love it if you could join us on Saturday, 29 July at Forbes from 11am at the intersection of The Bogan Way and Lima Road or on Sunday, 30 July at Parkes from 11am at the end of Danilenko Street.

Bunnings will be there with plant giveaways and activities and we have NTD merchandise provided by Toyota for your wearing pleasure. Please wear sturdy shoes and a hat. Go to the treeday.planetark.org to register or contact me.

Another important annual event, the Be Road Ready for Harvest Field Day is being held on Thursday, 10 August at the Central West Livestock Exchange. This is the perfect opportunity for Farmers, contract harvesters, transport companies and agricultural machinery retailers to be on the front foot and be prepared for harvest.

The Field Day is supported by the Australian Custom Harvesters Association, NSW Farmers, WFI, Roads and Maritime Services, NSW Police and the Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils, and will kick off with a free breakfast at 8am.

Presentations will include an interactive machinery inspection session conducted by Roads and Maritime Services and NSW Police. The machinery inspection session allows people to clarify what the requirements are for various vehicle and combination dimensions, safety equipment and pilot/escort vehicles.

Attendees will receive a copy of the 2017 Moving Harvest Machinery Information Kit, containing relevant notices and information about moving agricultural machinery on the road.

The Field Day will also feature presentations from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator about the National Agricultural Notice, Chain of Responsibility and other access issues.  As well as a presentation from NSW Rural Fire Service about the fire index.

For further information please contact Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, on (02) 6861 2364.

For further information and links to further information in this article, please go to our website at centralwestlachlanlandcare.org, our facebook page, cwllpo@hotmail.com or ring 02 6862 4914.

Until next week, happy Landcaring!