Protecting the heart and soul of our community: The RiverConnect initiative

By Khadija Hadjab

Jul 10, 2024

One Child Per Tree co-ordinator Kylie Hoskin and RiverConnect education project officer Emily Lange. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

RiverConnect was founded in 2005 by Shepparton-Mooroopna community members who, according to their website mission, “were motivated to find solutions and understood the need for a whole-of-community approach to reconnect people to the river environment while protecting and enhancing these spaces”.

Cub Scouts of 1st Tatura Katrina McMahon, 9, Sophia Pollerd, 10, and Cub Scout leader Wayne Pollerd. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

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It also aims to raise environmental awareness and protect the “heart and soul of the community” — the Goulburn and Broken rivers.

One Child Per Tree co-ordinator Kylie Hoskin, Cub Scout of 1st Tatura Katrina McMahon, 9, and Lisa McMahon. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Did you know?

According to RiverConnect Education Officer Emily Lange, only 30 per cent of native vegetation remains in Victoria.

Trees are vital to the health of our planet and to the environment because:

Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their biomass and soil, helping mitigate climate change.
Through photosynthesis, trees release oxygen, which is essential to humans.
Trees absorb and store water, helping maintain groundwater levels and reducing the risk of floods and droughts.
The roots of trees help bind the soil, preventing erosion and promoting soil health.
Trees help moderate the climate around them as they provide shade, reduce temperatures and influence rainfall patterns.
Trees absorb pollutants and improve air quality.
Trees provide shelter and food for wildlife, including pollinators, insects, birds and mammals and promote biodiversity.

Erin Calleja, 14, takes aim. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

With these facts in mind, RiverConnect regularly organises various programs throughout the year to revegetate the Goulburn Valley and create more nature corridors by planting shrubs and native trees.

Local primary and secondary schools regularly participate in RiverConnect programs, which contribute to their volunteering requirements and foster a deeper connection to the environment.

The Adopt-a-Reach program, launched in 2008, exemplifies this initiative.

“It is our hope that this community will feel really connected to the river and to each other,” the program’s launch affirmation states.

Each of the participating 18 local schools, along with Berry Street, is allocated a section of the Broken and Goulburn rivers.

These schools annually engage their students in various activities along their designated river sections, promoting environmental stewardship, bonding and community connection to nature.

RiverConnect also organises tree-planting events with One Tree Per Child, a program founded by Olivia Newton-John and Jon Dee that “aims to get every child to plant at least one tree before they leave school”.

One Tree Per Child has planted trees in 10 countries around the world.

However, RiverConnect programs extend to the broader community, as it regularly organises community tree-planting events in local towns of the Goulburn Valley.

Here are a few snaps shot by The News photographer Rechelle Zammit of the event run by Ms Lange and One Tree Per child environment officer Kylie Hoskin in Murchison on Thursday, July 4.