Kristin den Exter – Wilsons River Landcare
After making a recent donation to Wilsons River Landcare, we had a chat to Kristin den Exter. She’s volunteered for the grassroots community organisation for almost thirty years! Kristin was overjoyed to hear about the financial assistance and informed us that the $$ could be spent on trees for an upcoming planting. We emailed Kristin some questions to answer in her own time – here’s what she had to say.
Hey Kristin. Thanks for having a chat with us! To start off, we wanted to know when your relationship with the Wilsons River began?
I grew up in Lismore – the river was my greater backyard. At Richmond River High we made canoes and tested them in the river where the Wilsons River Landcare Group now plants trees. I joined Wilsons River Landcare Group as a 20 something studying enviro. science at Southern Cross – 1993/4 I think it was 😊
Where’s your favourite spot on the Wilsons River?
On the river itself is magic – if you have never canoed on the river - do it. When I first joined the Landcare group we met on the Bennelong – a floating restaurant that used to be a Sydney tug. The Sheldons ran the boat and were instrumental in landcare. How I miss that boat.
Currie Park, Boatharbour and Booyong are total spots, followed by the section we have planted at Pritchard on the left, Colemans Point on the right. We have spent over 25 years trying to re-create gallery rainforest.
Why are rivers so important?
Rivers are the veins of Country – water is life and rivers flow through country sustaining us all.
What are the origins of Wilsons River Landcare? When was it formed?
Good question – Wilsons River Landcare is one of the oldest Landcare Groups in NSW. Started by Mark Jackson, then Gray Wilson and Laurie Axtens. When I joined, the group went through a lot of change. For a couple of years there were just 3 of us – holding it down with a mower and a whipper-snipper – maintaining some of the sites in town. Looking at you Anne Boyd and Sarah Carter!
What have you been most inspired by while volunteering with Wilsons River Landcare?
The way the riverbank responds to us – this country needs us, our rivers need us to take action – it’s not hard to plant trees but it does take dedication to maintain sites and keep on planting when plantings struggle (think long hot summers, weeds and floods).
The way the community shows up for plantings inspires me, and the dedication and community we have in the Landcare Group absolutely sustains me – to this day.
Do you feel like Lismore has turned its back on the river?
Yes and no. Lismore people love the river – we have had 400 people turn up to plant trees with us. But do our governments invest in the rivers? Sadly no. The river, as with so much public land - is poorly invested in. So for me it is tragedy of the commons – you see it with rivers, but you see it with bushland, wetlands and other areas too. Unless you want to build a flood levee of course. I guess it is an expression of societies overall values really.
Over the years the Wilsons River Landcare has had to crowdfund, scrounge for resources to do the work we do. We work mainly on public land, doing work everyone knows needs doing, which is a little crazy. Council sponsors Landcare these days at $1000/year/ Every Landcare group is grateful for that money but it basically just covers our insurance.
We are lucky the community is so supportive of what we do – sometimes community donations are all we have to do our plantings – so the Lismore community itself has not turned its back on the river – even if the CBD, the buildings and our systems of government have.
One cool fact about the river that people may not know?
The River is tidal to Boatharbour – which means the river is still technically an estuary at Lismore.
Lismore is more coastal than most people realise!
What’s the most important thing for people to lobby govt about in order to improve river health?
We need a catchment-wide approach returned to the governance of our natural systems – especially our rivers. The Richmond River system – of which the Wilsons River is a part (think the “North Arm”) - supports our towns, villages, agriculture on the floodplain and fisheries at Ballina. It has been treated badly and now needs serious attention. No more plans – we need holistic governance and investment.
We know enough – we need now to invest in action – we need to give resources the land stewards who are investing in on-the-ground works. These local actions make the cumulative difference, be they farmers, renters or Landcare Groups.
What’s your favourite Northern Rivers species?
I really have to pick just one? Flying foxes are keystone species and much misunderstood. I did some years with WIRES Northern Rivers and specialised in flying foxes – you actually need to cuddle and nurture flying fox pups or they don’t thrive – then they become teenagers go with the others in the creche and forget all about you. Trees need flying foxes and flying foxes need trees. I am obsessed with the feedback loops of ecology so Im going to say the Grey headed flying fox Pteropus poliocephalus (listed vulnerable). Then comes the Sweet Myrtle Gossia frangrantissima (listed Endangered) and Thorny Pea Desmodium acanthocladum (listed Vulnerable) – both iconic Lismore riverbank locals.
You’re on the Wilsons River and its 2050. What do you hope to see?
I pay my respects to the Widjabal Wiyabal people of the Bundjulung Nation who understand the significance of the river and waterways that characterise Gundarimba (Lismore) – I sincerely hope that by 2050 we have come a lot further in our appreciation for the River and water in general.
I imagine a subtropical rainforest paradise with kingfishers and bass. The water is clear because we have learnt to use ground cover to keep precious soil held back in the landscape where it belongs. Most of all I hope the river is given the respect she deserves.
If the Wilsons River had a voice what would it say for its own future?
And if I might just shout out to all the Landcarers out there! To every single person that has ever come to plant with us. That is an estimated 50,000 grasses, shrubs and trees over the past twenty five years. YOU ALL ROCK. I’ve been listening – and the River thanks you!