An accomplished landcarer and member of the Upper Hopkins Land Management Group (UHLMG) since its inception, Don Rowe has been an agricultural and conservation trailblazer in the Upper Hopkins region for over 30 years.

Well before UHLMG was formed, Don and his wife Goldie were transforming their property, fencing for windbreaks and biodiversity planting and encouraging the return of native insects, birds and mammals. Many of the trees and shrubs on the farm have been grown from seed Don has collected himself, and he has pioneered the use of direct seeding in the region as a way of sowing large areas with indigenous trees.

In addition to his on-farm work, Don is well known for his dedication to supporting and educating future generations of landcarers. As a teacher at Ararat Secondary College, he provided opportunities for students to work on local tree planting projects, promoted sustainable farming practices, and taught the importance of constructing a whole farm plan with a focus on fencing for the appropriate land class- a method he notes is now used on many Ararat farms to improve on-farm sustainability.