Gerry Butler – Landcare Facilitator / Coordinator Award

Project Profile

Issues

Gerry Butler has made a substantial contribution to Landcare over the past 20 years, holding volunteer positions in numerous industry and community organisations prior to joining the Upper Torrens Land Management Project (UTLMP) in 1998 as Project Officer.

Throughout his career Mr Butler has been involved in the coordination of hands-on activities to address on-farm natural resource management issues by working with individual landholders and other stakeholders. In his role with UTLMP, Mr Butler initially worked with 25 local farmers and stakeholders on a pilot project over an area of 3500 hectares and later expanded to a project area of 20,000 hectares working with 35 landholders each year.

Project Detail

Mount Pleasant local Gerry Butler has been nominated for a National Landcare Award for his 20 year contribution to driving Landcare initiatives and building the capacity of the community to manage the region’s natural resources.

Mr Butler has made a substantial contribution to Landcare over the past 20 years, holding volunteer positions in numerous industry and community organisations prior to joining the Upper Torrens Land Management Project (UTLMP) in 1998 as Project Officer.

Throughout his career, Mr Butler has been involved in the coordination of hands-on activities to address on-farm natural resource management issues by working with individual landholders and other stakeholders. In his role with UTLMP, Mr Butler initially worked with 25 local farmers and stakeholders on a pilot project over an area of 3,500 hectares and later expanded to a project area of 20,000 hectares working with 35 landholders annually.

The project enabled a regional whole-of-landscape approach to natural resource management through Landcare. It involved workshops and field days, soil sampling and water monitoring driven by Gerry with rural landholders in the upper Torrens and financial and technical support through a grants program.

Mr Butler has assisted many farmers and farming groups in the Torrens Valley and near environs to access soil testing, lime supplies and contractors. He has undertaken this in a coordinated and consistent way to provide an equitable, transparent and independent support service to local landholders.

Mr Butler has utilised his contacts in a number of organisations to ensure that Landcare Australia Limited and Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) also work with the Upper River Torrens Landcare Group (URTLG) and UTLMP and provide funding support and other resources for on-ground projects, often funded by corporate partners.

Maintaining a high level of respect for the timely distribution of information to farmers and farming groups in the project area, Mr Butler has worked with local consultants from private industry and the government ensuring that farmers are receiving up to date information and gaining the skills needed to run successful enterprises.

In 1998 the Executive of the URTLG, including Mr Butler, was instrumental in forming a partnership with the Department of Agriculture, the Torrens Catchment Water Management Board and the Barossa Council to undertake a land management project, which would “Accelerate the implementation of the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT)” in the region.

He also successfully coordinated visits to the upper Torrens Catchment region by Minister John Hill in August 2004 and Minister Jay Weatherill in January 2010 to enable the Executive level of State Government to appreciate the strong contribution that landholders in the region were undertaking in their work on natural resource management.

Mr Butler remains enthusiastic about what Landcare can achieve and is dedicated to helping the community manage natural resources in the local environment.

Gerry Butler is one of 88 finalists in the National Landcare Awards to be announced in Canberra on 24 June 2010. Commencing in 1991, the Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals and groups that make a valuable contribution to the land and coast where they live and work.

Photography

Gerry Butler