Future Drought Fund Extension Training — Up2Us Landcare Alliance

Drought Preparedness and Recovery

Training future extension staff

This project received funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Up2Us Landcare Alliance and Gecko Clan Landcare Network are joining together to deliver a series of workshops to educate future extension officers in drought preparedness, resilience, and recovery.

Up2Us and Gecko will engage university students in the NRM and Agricultural fields, with training underpinned by an ongoing mentor program supporting participants in extension activities, building confidence, and employability skills. In conjunction with student training the project will also provide landholders with essential information in how develop resilience within their farming system in times of drought. This program will give participants the opportunity to build networks with regional employers, promoting regional employment. Landowners and Landcare staff will also have the opportunity to participate in training of drought preparedness, technology use, resilience and drought recovery topics through a series of workshops and train the trainer opportunities. Through increasing knowledge within staff and the farming community we increase support and adoption of practice change.

In this project Up2Us and GeckoClan are collaborating to train the next generation on drought preparedness and recovery techniques, technologies and approaches proven to work in our region. This training will be delivered via an intensive five-day extension training workshop that is ideal for young adults who are currently studying or recently graduated from Agriculture or Natural Resource Management (NRM) who would benefit from extension training in drought preparedness and recovery.

The training will cover the following topics:

Drought preparedness and recovery
Extension training
Soil health and pasture
Farm visits
Water budgeting
Biodiversity on farms

There will be two options to register for the first round of training. Each week will deliver similar content, however the first week will be based within the Mansfield region and the second week within the Swanpool region. There is no need to register for both weeks as they cover the same topics. The training dates are below:

Monday 5th February to Friday 9th February 2024
Monday 12th February to Friday 16th February 2024

This is a free event for those who are currently studying, or recently graduated, from Agriculture or NRM and includes the following:

Five days extension training
Cabin accommodation for four nights
All meals, catered to dietary requirements
Transport provided during the event (please note that you will be responsible for your own transport to and from the accommodation at the beginning/end of the training).
Access to people in industry/mentors

To register for this training please follow the link: www.trybooking.com/CKVFQ

For further information please contact us on 03 5779 1593 or projects@up2us.org.au