RMIT student strategies to make Riddells Creek Landcare stronger

We're some months on from our project with RMIT, where students doing a strategic management unit used RCL as a case study. They invented strategies for us. We sat and listened to some of their presentations, then read some of the better reports.

What did we learn? There were three big messages—

• support our members,

• invite in more members,

• form alliances for protection of Barrm Birrm.

 Support our members

1. Give your members opportunities to do the things they want to do. Keep the focus on protection of native flora and fauna, and education.

2. Support members in forming into teams around specific projects that they manage themselves.
   
   
3. Make the most of the skills and innovations within RCL, in particular its knowledge of and tools for recording flora and fauna.  Do a skills audit to understand what members can bring to RCL.

4. Keep track of how happy members are in their projects, because enthusiastic people will spread the word about RCL, and bring in new ideas.

Invite in more members

5. Reach out to residents of Riddells who aren’t yet members, and invite them into your activities.

6. Emphasise the values and beliefs behind what you do – that we have a responsibility to look after our environment, and that learning about the flora and fauna of Riddells is enjoyable and part of being a true resident of this place.

7. Learn from what we do, feeding back from each project to all members and to the community – think of ourselves as a learning organisation.

Form alliances for protection of Barrm Birrm

8. Find corporate partners willing to fund you (or resource you with their expertise eg RMIT) for several years to make BB part of a wider wildlife corridor. Don’t wait for government funding to start this process.

9. Build alliances with other groups working on large scale landscape protection, like Deep Creek Landcare & Australian Wildlife Society.

This gives us plenty to work on as we head into the new year (after our AGM). Thanks to all at RMIT, and especially Jason Downs, who believed in the value of giving students real-world experience and supported the students right through. Thanks also to Russell Best and Ross Colliver for presenting Riddells Creek to the students, to Bill Hall for making the connection with RMIT School of Management, and to Gill Best for urging us on and coming to the final presentation of strategies.