This required buy in from landholders and Bryan’s advocacy and hard work greatly contributed to this success.

Bryan Watterson was one of this project’s key community champions – planting extensively on his own property and inspiring others to do the same.

A member of Corner Inlet Landcare and absolute leader for the region, Bryan is a passionate, inspiring and influential Landcare member. He has supervised the planting of 70,000 trees on his own property alone and inspired many neighbours and landholders to get on-board, leading to hundreds of thousands of trees planted in Gullies of the Strzelecki Ranges.

Despite his many decades of Landcare, Bryan is still organising monthly community plantings bringing together school kids, new lifestyle property owners and traditional dairy farmers.

Sculpture parks, platypus viewing areas, restored gullies and a river that is fenced and revegetated along its entire length are just some of Bryan’s contributions on his own property and within his community.

“As the habitat is restored and reconnected, I dream of lyrebirds returning to the property,” said Bryan.

Bryan was awarded a 2024 Lyrebird Award. Presented by West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority, the awards were launched in 2005 and were born out of a desire to celebrate the significant achievements made by individuals and groups in protecting and enhancing West Gippsland’s catchment.