Turning knowledge into action across SA Arid Lands
Her job title might be mouthful, but the essence of Jade Leyden’s role is clear-cut. Boiled down, Jade’s work is about education.
As a Carbon Outreach Officer and Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator for SA Arid Lands Landscape Board, she links land managers and pastoralists across the remote region with the practical tools and training they need to care for Country – particularly when it comes to carbon farming and regenerative practices.
But it’s not a one-way exchange.
“I’m always learning and looking for ways to provide value and connect pastoralists to meaningful learning experiences,” she said. “If I’m doing my job well, land managers are empowered to implement regenerative land management principles. But let’s not get it confused – the land managers are doing the amazing work on ground.”
For Jade, seeing a land manager connect the dots is the most rewarding part of her job.
She recalls a workshop she helped to organise in Quorn where producers were introduced to a range of practices, including new fencing technology to help manage overgrazing.
“A land manager saw this tech, applied for a grant with us and is now using it to aid in their adaptive grazing management,” she said.
Working in some of Australia’s toughest conditions, Jade is constantly inspired by the resilience of both the landscape and the people who care for it.
“I get to work on amazing Country that has some of the most intact ecosystems and remnant vegetation in Australia,” she said.
“The Country is pretty harsh when there have been weeks of 40-degree heat and no rain.
“But the landscapes are some of the most spectacular you have ever seen after rain and the people are some of the hardest working people you’ll meet.”
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