Lake Macquarie Landcare volunteers to be thanked at Booragul on May 10

The event is part of National Volunteer Week, and will be held at the Landcare Resource Centre.

Lake Macquarie Landcare coordinator, Jason Harvey, said the event was a great opportunity to show gratitude to the environmental volunteers of Lake Macquarie.

“Our volunteers are all part of a strong community contributing to the city’s wellbeing and environment,” Mr Harvey said.

“Therefore it is very satisfying to recognise the health and social benefits that come back to people who volunteer.

“Last financial year alone, our volunteers recorded more than 25,000 hours of work, weeded 104,000 square metres, and planted 10,500 native plants across Lake Macquarie City.”

According to the 2016 State of Volunteering in Australia report, 93 per cent of volunteers saw positive changes as a result of  their volunteering efforts.

These positive changes included feeling appreciated by their community, improved wellbeing of others, and an improved sense of place in the world.

Council’s senior sustainability engagement officer, Margo Smith, sees the positive impact that spending time immersed in nature has on volunteers in the Community Ecosystem Monitoring program each year.

“The volunteers’ participation in the biannual community ecosystem monitoring surveys assists our natural environment, and we all win: through data collection, shared learning, socialising and the mental and physical health benefits of being outdoors.”

All Landcare and Community Ecosystem Monitoring volunteers are invited to attend the morning’s celebrations, which will include a line-up of engaging guest speakers, morning tea and lunch.

Volunteers will be presented with appreciation certificates for their hard work and dedication to the environment. There will also be a native plant giveaway for all volunteers who attend.

The featured guest speaker of the day, Vicki Mansfield, is a Cardiff-based social worker with more than 20 years’ experience working in health and community services to  promote the mental, physical and social health of individuals and communities.

She will lead an interactive photo-language session on ‘What Helps us Flourish’, exploring the value of volunteering, community connection and nature.

To RSVP to the event or learn more about volunteering with Lake Macquarie Landcare, see the website lakemacquarielandcare.org or phone 4921 0392.