A community Microforest, woodland restoration at Blue Gum Point, and tracking the movement and behaviour of brown snakes on the urban fringe are just a few community-led proposals that will be funded through the ACT Government’s 2022-2023 Environmental Grants Program.
This is the 25th year the grants have been run, and 32 proposals will receive funding to increase biodiversity, protect native flora and fauna, assist with urban cooling, and improve the capabilities and capacity of volunteer groups.
“The ACT Environmental Grants program provides opportunities for the community to address environmental issues they are concerned about, restore and conserve natural places that are special to them, and engage with other members of the community to do the same,” ACT environment minister Rebecca Vassarotti said.
Volunteers from the Macquarie Native Restoration Landcare group, for instance, will create a woodland meadow of native grasses, beautiful flowers, mid storey wattles, healthy soil and healthy trees, project manager Alice Hathorn said. They will follow the example of ACT Urban Woodland Rescue, which breathed life back into a Weston park using simple, low-cost methods.
“The planting of native grasses, flowers and shrubs with their deep roots and capacity to repair local soils is expected to return moisture and provide habitat for local butterflies and small birds,” Ms Hathorn said. “This knowledge and experience will be shared with the local community so everyone can enjoy the benefits by adding beautiful native species to their own gardens.
“This space will be a gift from a caring community which will provide an enriching experience for young children and families visiting the playground, food and shelter for local wildlife and a resilient plant community which has evolved to cope with climate change.”
The funded projects will restore landscapes, rehydrate soils, plant trees in the city, protect threatened species, control weeds, and foster citizen science.
“Our community plays an important role in conserving, promoting, and protecting our environment, and the Environmental Grants program empower Canberrans to undertake that environmental stewardship,” Ms Vassarotti said.
“Today is a celebration of the Canberra community’s amazing efforts to care for the environment of the bush capital that we all love.”
The 32 successful project proposals comprise:
• 18 Environment Grant recipients with a total value of $353,960
• Nine Nature in the City Grant recipients with a total value of $121,267
• Five Environmental Volunteer Assist Grant recipients with a total value of $25,000
The Government halved the paperwork and simplified the language to make it more readable, Ms Vassarotti said.
The government increased funding to the Environmental grants program this year, allocating an additional $128,000.
For the first time, too, the government will award Environmental Volunteer Assist Grants.
“We heard from the community of the need to improve volunteer groups’ capabilities and capacity to deliver their important work,” Ms Vassarotti said.
“I would like to extend my congratulations to all recipients and thank them for their tireless efforts to enhance our natural spaces for all Canberrans.”
You can find more information, including the successful grant proposals, on the ACT Government Environment website.
