About Us
Learn More About Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare Group
History of Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare Group
Landcare began in the 1980s, bringing together farmers, community members, conservationists and government to tackle practical local land management challenges.
While early efforts to form a group east of Albury started in the 1990s, the Woolshed Landcare Group was officially established in 2000 with support from the Upper Murray Landcare Groups Board and facilitator Kim Krebs. The group took its name from the main creek in the catchment, which ran from the Hume Dam to Table Top. Group members included people from long-established agricultural enterprises, smaller "lifestyle" properties, and from the growing suburb of Thurgoona.
Early activities included a community planting day at Bowna Reserve and a bus tour of the catchment, which sparked a connection with the TAFE National Environment Centre (NEC) in Thurgoona.
Through the 2000s, members delivered on-ground works across local properties and public sites, supported by organisations including Greenfleet, the Bundy Bush Fund, the NEC and the Murray Catchment Management Authority.
In 2006, Woolshed Landcare merged with Thurgoona Urban Landcare to form the Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare Group. Since then, the group has continued community revegetation projects and partnerships, including with Trinity Anglican College and Charles Sturt University, to strengthen the health and sustainability of our local landscapes.
Building on this foundation, the last decade has seen the group shift toward a range of biodiversity projects. In 2015, the group launched an annual native plant giveaway to encourage residents to increase biodiversity and attract wildlife to their own gardens. This was followed in 2016 by a partnership with BirdLife Australia for the "Breakfast with the Birds" event.
Support for local threatened species came into focus with members establishing permanent monitoring for the endangered Squirrel Glider with nest boxes provided across Lake Hume, Wirlinga, Corry's Wood, and Table Top. Interest also grew in the endangered Sloane's Froglet, leading the group to implement the citizen science project 'Sloane's Champions'.
In 2021, the group initiated the 'Connecting Landscapes' project, an ambitious effort to create a continuous corridor of trees stretching from the Murray River to Table Top Mountain. The group's enduring impact was officially recognised in 2025, when a long-time member was honoured as Albury City's Environmental Citizen of the Year.
As of 2025, the group has turned its attention to heat mapping of our area and looking at how local landcare can improve the cooling and liveability of the community as weather events become more severe.
Meet Our 2026 Team
This year we have an enthusiastic, collaborative group whose combined skills will help our Landcare Group operate more professionally and continue to build relationships with our growing Albury community.
Office Bearers
Janice Frey
Vice President
Volunteer
Committee Members
Elizabeth Leathbridge
Committee Member
Volunteer
Alison Shilling
Committee Member
Volunteer
Lyn Ashford
Committee Member
Volunteer
Nicki Hirst
Committee Member
Volunteer
Paula Sheehan
Albury Landcare Coordinator
Funded by NSW Government Landcare Enabling Program
Woolshed Thurgoona Boundary Map
Our Vision
Community working together for a healthy natural environment
Our Mission
To maintain the health and productivity of land and water within the boundaries of the Woolshed Creek/Thurgoona area. This is to be achieved through:
- Setting clear, timely and measurable biophysical and social objectives.
- Collaborating with other organisations to achieve common goals.
- Information exchange to increase the general community’s awareness of native flora and fauna and ecosystem processes within the region.
- Information exchange to increase the general community’s awareness and of ways to achieve sustainable living in the local area.
- Promoting the Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare Group’s profile within the community.
Our Values
Respect for Both People and the Environment
Balance Between Needs of Humans and the Environment That Supports Them
Statement of Purpose
“To engage the local community in order to protect, and enhance native vegetation, fauna, water quality and general environmental health within Thurgoona and surrounding Woolshed Creek area, thus improving the region’s overall biodiversity and natural character.”