Resources and Invormation for environmental volunteers and landcarers

In this edition:

Five years of the Environmental Volunteering Plan
Grants
Awards
Landcare for Country
Training
Opportunities
Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program workshops
Resources

Environmental Volunteering Plan achievements

In 2018 the Victorian Government released the Victorians Volunteering for Nature: Environmental Volunteering Plan which set out a new direction for environmental volunteering across Victoria. Since then, we've worked towards the objectives in the plan to expand and revitalise the sector.

To showcase our progress over the past five years, we've compiled a Summary Report that highlights actions and achievements in supporting Victoria's environmental volunteers. These include delivery of grants, training, forums and creation of resources.

Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of Victorians who volunteer their time and expertise helping to protect the state's precious environment and biodiversity.

To have a look at what has been achieved, visit our Summary Report.

Grants

2024 Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants - close 15 March

Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants offer primary schools and early learning centres a $1,000 grant to engage students in hands-on projects to support the environment.

The projects can include planting a vegetable or bush tucker garden, creating a sensory or butterfly garden, installing a yarning circle or tackling waste through composting or recycling.

For further information and to apply, please visit Junior Landcare.

Awards

2024 Victorian Tidy Towns and Cities Sustainability Awards - close 17 May

This is your opportunity to showcase the remarkable efforts you've made towards sustainability and environmental stewardship within your local community.

There are 10 categories to enter and we look forward to recognising, celebrating and sharing your stories.

For more information visit Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria

Landcare for Country webpage

DEECA (Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Actions)'s Victorian Landcare Program is in the process of creating a new Landcare for Country webpage.

The page will include resources, guidelines, protocols and factsheets to assist community groups to identify their local First Nations group and navigate Cultural Heritage Assessments for grants, engagement practices, Welcome to Country, Acknowledgement of Country and more.

To get an understanding of what would be most useful for you, please complete this survey.

We will share the information when it's ready, so watch this space.

Training

Online Cultural Safety - Monday 29 April 10am

Learn about Cultural Safety to create inclusive, safe and welcoming spaces.

Delivered by VACCHO (Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation) this is an opportunity to give you knowledge and awareness on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, identities and cultures while exploring the basics of cultural safety and simple ways to put it into practice.

Arranged by Melbourne Water, register via Humantix.

Opportunities
Nillumbik Environmental Volunteer Expo - Sunday 24 March

Want to get involved? Come along to learn, connect and be inspired.

Find out more about local environmental volunteering opportunities that suit your interests and availability.

For more information and to register visit Nillumbik Council.

National Strategy for Volunteering co-design workshops

You are invited to share your perspective in a guided online workshop that will contribute to the design of the first Three-Year Action Plan for implementation of the Strategy.

The National Strategy for Volunteering is for everyone, whatever your role in the volunteering ecosystem, we want to hear from you.

The sessions are on:

Tuesday 5 March
Wednesday 6 March
Friday 8 March

For more information and to register, visit the National Strategy for Volunteering

Victorian Landcare Forum - 9 & 10 May

The 2024 Victorian Landcare Forum provides an engagement opportunity for the landcare community to promote best practice, share stories and to grow landcare across the state.

For more information and to register visit Humantix

Review of the Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program

The Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program is an important part of supporting landcare and environmental volunteers around Victoria.

Online workshops are being held in March to explore what aspects of the program are working effectively and where there is room for improvement. The workshops will inform the DEECA's review of the Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program.

Reserve your place by registering through the links below.

Groups or networks supported by a Landcare facilitator or employers of a Landcare facilitator

Session 1: Thursday 7 March, 9.30am - 11.30am. Register for Session 1
Session 2: Wednesday 13 March, 5.30pm - 7.30pm. Register for Session 2
Session 3: Tuesday 19 March, 5.30pm - 7.30pm. Register for Session 3

Additionally you can have your say via the online survey before 20 March. Visit the Engage Victoria website for more information and details of additional workshops for Landcare Facilitators.

Resources

Updated National Standards

The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement have been refreshed to ensure they are contemporary and inclusive of the diversity of volunteering and volunteers.

They are a best practice framework to guide volunteer involvement and can be used flexibly, recognising that volunteering takes place in highly diverse settings and ways.

The State and Territory Volunteering peak bodies are leading the implementation of the refreshed National Standards and will be offering training in the coming months.

Want to know more? How to get in touch...

There's a lot of information on our website, so take a look at some of the great resources, research and reports.

Need assistance or want to share a great story of environmental volunteering in your area? Send us an email.

Resources for the Victorian Landcare Program are available on the Victorian Landcare Gateway. You can find information on the Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program, events, training and more. If you have a specific question on the Victorian Landcare Program, send an email.

We acknowledge Victorian Traditional Owners and their Elders past and present as the original custodians of Victoria’s land and waters and commit to genuinely partnering with them and Victoria’s Aboriginal community to progress their aspirations.

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