Our Representatives

John has been involved with Landcare in South Australia since the beginning of LASA and was also a key driver in the conception of the NLN. He is a strong advocate for Indigenous Australians and their right to Care for Country and provides valuable insights and experience to the NLN Board.

Beth is an active Community Landcare leader, receiving an OAM for her work in conservation and environment. Serving on the Board of the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail, she is also President of Avon Landcare Group and Lakes Entrance Community Landcare Group. Beth is a former Wellington Shire Councillor and Mayor, promoting sustainability through roles in Wellington Sustainability Group, Segue Community Hub and Arts Cafe and Gippsland Climate Change Network.

A Community Landcare advocate since the mid-1990s, John served over a decade as Secretary of the Mitchell River Watershed Management Group. Passionate about grassroots principles, he champions innovation, resource conservation, and synergy between conservation and agriculture. Previously a long-serving Board member of Community Gardens Australia, John has also contributed significantly to the Regional NRM sector as CEO for the NT NRM Board and Gulf Savannah NRM.

Dr Cooper is the Chair, ACT Landcare, Chair ACT and Region Catchment Coordination Group, former ACT Auditor-General, and a former ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment. She has led organisations responsible for land management, parks, urban and regional planning, transport, sustainability planning and auditing for over 30 years.

Steve serves as the Treasurer of Boorowa Community Landcare Group and is a member of the South East Landcare Regional Landcare Coordinator steering committee. He balances a management and finance consultancy with managing a wool and sheep trading property in Boorowa. Actively engaged in local Landcare and Regenerative Grazing Groups, he is passionate about impactful revegetation projects, emphasising sustainability and community stewardship.

Melanie has extensive experience in community and environmental resource management and education and bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders. She has worked for Landcare NSW in the role of State Community of Practice and Events Manager, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and for the Department of Education. Melanie has a BA DipEd and a Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Studies.

Jen is a social geographer, author and editor, a project developer, Landcare facilitator and researcher, with over 34 years in community Landcare. Jen’s skills and experience come from years of working closely with regional, rural and remote communities, landholders, volunteers and members of Landcare groups. Jen loves sharing connections and helping build networks of Landcare projects and practice. Jen’s experience includes postgraduate research practice and methods, and co-designing projects and plans to bring support for community-led projects.

Kim brings extensive experience from across the globe in community engagement, fundraising and volunteer program management. Kim’s first Landcare chapter was as a Landcare Facilitator in Victoria in 2009, her second as a volunteer committee member and since then she has served in a number of supportive and strategic roles at a local, state and national level.

Darryl brings extensive experience in the non-government, community and environment sectors and has been involved with the National Landcare Network since its formation in 2009. Darryl is actively involved with many organisations as a volunteer or member, including committees and boards at a local, regional, state, national and global level. His main focus has been mobilising people to achieve long-term sustainable outcomes through projects in their communities.

Gerry has been involved in Landcare since its inception in South Australia in 1989 working at grass roots and peak body levels. Gerry was a Foundation Member of the NLN in 2009 following the reinvigoration of the Landcare Association of SA in 2008. Gerry is a Life Member of LASA and enjoys leadership roles in The Gums Landcare Group, Butterfly Conservation SA and many other environmental groups. Gerry is currently the NLN Company Secretary and a member of several NLN committees.

Brian has provided bookkeeping services to the National Landcare Network since 2012. Brian first connected with Landcare Tasmania working as their Finance Officer for 7 years. While in Tasmania he also worked as a Home Energy Assessor with Sustainable Living Tasmania and more recently as a Finance Officer and Community Grants Officer in Local Government. Through his work Brian seeks to support principles of sustainability, environmental care, community and the value of volunteering. He holds an Associate Diploma in Applied Science-Horticulture from the University of Queensland.