Land, air and water are basic foundations of our existence. Without them we would not have food to eat, liquid to drink, materials for clothing and shelter, oxygen to breath, or the solace of life shared with other forms of biodiveristy.  A popular but misguided notion among many cultures, is that “if left alone, nature will take care of itself.” This notion may have been true at some point in the past, but centuries of human influence and a growing human population have altered most all land, water, and climate on Earth.  If we want to thrive in the future, then many places will require wise management by people that care.  That is landcare.

Landcare practices:

• Can be applied in rural, suburban, or urban areas -- anywhere there is land to care for.

• Recognize that in an increasingly diverse landscape, the boundaries between forests, fields, lawns, gardens, farms, and even parks etc. may be blurry.  Rather than asking for more clear distinctions, landcare is caring for the land as a whole.

As pressures increase on forest land from development, timber markets, and privatization, the importance of profitably managing for healthy and productive forests becomes ever more important.  But even if a landowner recognizes this need, who is trained and available to provide the necessary services to ensure the forest will remain healthy into the future?  Forest landcare is one approach that is building the workforce to address these needs and providing the networks and forums to inform forest landowners of their opportunities and the resources available to them. learn more

Sustainable and holistic farming practices that recognize the natural capabilities of the land are a long tradition in agriculture.  Landcare farming champions these approaches and practices as a way to not only care for the environment, but also to increase the profitability and resiliency of farmers and farming communities. 
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Lawns and residential landscaping is a fundamental part of our urbanizing landscape.  The careful management of these lands must recognize environmental impact as well as aesthetic quality to ensure a healthy landscape.  Residential landcare strives to educate landowners of their role in caring for the land and best practices and resources to do so.  Part of providing this care also creates an opportunity for service enterprises that can deliver environmentally sustainable landcare. learn more

Though the issues and challenges may be different, the importance of managing and caring for urban land, water, and air is equally important to the environmental, social, and economic conditions of communities.  Urban landcare recognizes the need to care for the ecological and environmental features within our built environment.  learn more

Water connects us all.  An integral part of caring for our lands is caring for the water that runs through it.  From the thousands of Coastcare groups that exist in Australia to focus on issues specific to coastal areas, to the river and stream bank restoration projects taking place on private and public lands around the world, water-focused projects and practices form a fundamental element of landcare. learn more

Truly caring for our land, water, and air means also focusing on the impact our lives has on the world around us.  Climate change is the biggest challenge we will face in terms of caring for our land and our world in the coming decades. ClimateCare is an emerging practice of landcare that can guide and further educate our decision making.  learn more