On Monday, World Environment Day, 28 community groups received ACT Government grants to implement projects that protect, conserve, and enhance the ACT’s natural environment and biodiversity.
Rebecca Vassarotti, ACT Minister for the Environment, said the grants underpin the important role that community groups play in assisting conservation efforts in the ACT.
“We are in the middle of an extinction crisis,” Ms Vassarotti said. “The ACT continues to face significant challenges to the conservation of its native animals. Everyone has a role to play in reversing the decline of our threatened species and ecosystem.
“These grants build the capacity of our volunteers, facilitate important research and monitoring activities, and create connections between our natural areas and the community.
“From comprehensive weed control measures and the preservation of threatened species habitats to innovative strategies to mitigate the human-snake conflict in urban areas, these winning projects exemplify the transformative impact that can be achieved through collaborative efforts.”
The ACT Environmental Grants have been funded annually since 1997. The 2023-2024 round funds:
Environment Grants
16 projects to the value of $386,448 under the Environment Grants stream:
A/Prof Gavin Smith & Ginninderry Conservation Trust: Reducing the human-snake conflict in the urban environment: $35,000.
This project is a world-first ecology study of eastern brown snakes living on the urban fringe, monitoring how climate fluctuations impact them.
Landcare ACT: Diversifying Landcare: Roving Youth Landcare Group: $34,930.
Young people aged 15 to 30 will become involved in restoring and maintaining natural environments.
Ginnniderra Catchment Group: Journeying Ginninderra, Listening to Country: Exploring the Indigenous History and Changing Landscapes of Ginninderra Creek through Time: $34,623.
Collective guided walks through Ginninderra Creek, and ‘yarning circle’ discussions about its culture and environment.
Landcare ACT: Diversifying Landcare: LGBTQIA+ Roving Landcare Group: $33,750.
Sexually diverse people will work with Landcare groups and other conservation organisations to care for nature.
Mt Taylor ParkCare Group & Southern ACT Catchment Group: Protecting Pink Tailed Worm Lizard habitat on Mt Taylor: $29,570.
The pink-tailed worm lizard is a vulnerable species; this project will monitor the condition of habitat, treat weed incursions, and educate reserve users about the value of rocky habitats.
Red Hill Bush Regenerators: Red Hill Nature Reserve Regeneration: $29,400.
By 2039, the Regenerators’ fortieth anniversary, the Red Hill Nature Reserve will be cleared of verbascum, thistle, and St John’s wort weeds.
Friends of Grasslands: Blue Gum Point woodland restoration, Yarralumla (year 4): $29,185.
Eight hectares of box-gum grassy woodland will be restored: invading weeds will be controlled, and the disturbed lake shore revegetated.
Hall Landcare & Ginninderra Catchment Group: Improving Urban Landscape Health in Hall: $27,940.
A management plan will be developed for the open space areas surrounding Hall, including Hall Village Reserve and Halls Creek.
Southern ACT Catchment Group: Ecology services and ecological advice for Landcarers within Southern ACT Catchment zone: $26,650.
A qualified ecologist will advise Landcare groups, and develop an ecological plan for Parkcarers of Southern Murrumbidgee.
Woodlands and Wetlands Trust: Movement and Management of Latham’s Snipe: $22,825.
Latham’s snipe is threatened by habitat loss and disturbance; its population size in the ACT will be formally assessed, and its wetland habitat restored.
Molonglo Conservation Group: Oaks Estate Riparian Improvement: $22,750.
Woody weed and control control, and planting along the Oaks Estate River Corridor Heritage Walk.
Ginninderra Catchment Group: Invasive Species Weed Warriors: Restoring our Parkcare reserves through targeted weed control: $20,790.
This project will control and manage the spread of African love grass, blackberry, and St John’s wort in Belconnen and Gungahlin.
Mt Pleasant Parkcare Group: Controlling vinca, the scourge of ACT Conservation Reserves: $14,556.
Control of vinca at the Mt Pleasant reserve, using a spray, mulch, vegetate, and monitor approach.
Ainslie Volcanic Volunteer group & Molonglo Conservation Group: Ainslie Volcanics: $14,288.
Restoration of native grasslands at the foot of Mt Ainslie Quick Street.
Friends of Black Mountain: Reprinting Interpretive signs at Black Mountain Forest Loop Walk: $5,192.
Upgrading interpretive signs about Black Mountain’s biodiversity and Ngunnawal use of plants, and a Ngunnawal elder will lead guided walks about the flora, fauna, and stories of Ngunnawal culture.
Hughes Garran Woodland Group and Southern ACT Catchment Group: A comprehensive Ecological resource for Hughes Garran Woodland to improve environmental outcomes: $5,000.
An online publication will help the public to identify, protect, and conserve native plants and animals in the Hughes Garran Woodland and similar biomes.
Nature in the City Grants
10 projects to the value of $99,790 under the Nature in the City Grants stream:
Taylor Primary School Parent and Citizens Association (P&C): Taylor Primary Community Garden: $16,796.
The school is renovating its garden space, including an indigenous bush tucker and native garden and a frog pond.
Curtin Native Plant Gardeners & Woden Valley Community Council: Revegetation of Curtin Parkland: Applying Woody Meadow principles to Curtin: $15,216.
Restoring 220 m2 of weedy, mown parkland in the Dawson Street gardens and the Curtin western open space.
Ginninderra Catchment Group: Frog-friendly habitat workshops: $12,660.
A series of demonstration workshops to create frog-friendly habitats in suburban gardens.
ACT and Region Frog Watch Program, Ginninderra Catchment Group: Creating frog-friendly habitat (in Canberra) Brochure: $11,300.
The frog-friendly habitat brochure will offer a rationale and easy instructions on why and how to create much needed frog refuges in any suburban garden, replacing an outdated and out-of-print brochure from 2005.
Friends of Yerrabi Pond Landcare Group & Ginninderra Catchment Group: Land and Water: The Yerrabi Pond Restoration Project: $11,000.
A community-led initiative to enhance the ecological and social values of the urbanised constructed wetland surrounding Yerrabi Pond.
Margaret Hendry Parents & Citizens Association Incorporated: Native Flora, Birds & Bees Regeneration Project @ Margaret Hendry School: $8,900.
A collaborative project with the school to create a dense planting space with a large variety of native species; currently, there are only three native species in the space.
Giralang Primary School P&C: Yarning Circle Planting: $7,500.
Planting native plants in the newly built outdoor teaching space.
Oakey Hill Parkcare Group & Southern ACT Catchment Group: Restoring Woodlands on Oakey Hill: $6,961.
Establish island plantings to restore connectivity and the woodland structure to a degraded part of Oakey Hill Nature Reserve.
Friends of Mawson Ponds & Woden Valley Community Council: Extending the Mawson Ponds Wildlife Corridor: $6,207.
The wildlife corridor, covered in vinca major and decaying mulch dumps, will be extended by 124 metres.
ACT Rescue and Foster: ACT Rescue and Foster Land Revegetation: $3,250.
Last year, ARF signed a three-year lease with the ACT Government over land in Holder to train and rehabilitate dogs in foster care. However, the property is covered in weeds that are toxic to dogs, and there is no shade. The project will remove the invasive species and plant native trees.
Environmental Volunteer Assistance Grants
2 projects to the value of $10,000:
Friends of Mawson Ponds & Woden Valley Community Council: Signs at Mawson Ponds: $5,000.
The project will erect signs where wildlife corridors have been planted to explain how the corridors help native plants and animals, and how to get in touch with the organisations.
Ginninderra Catchment Group: ParkCare Groups Training Program: $5,000.
Funding for training courses to support ParkCare volunteering groups in Belconnen and Gungahlin, including weed and native plant identification, weed management, and revegetation.
“The Canberra community plays an integral stewardship role in protecting our natural and urban green areas,” Ms Vassarotti said. “I am committed to working collaboratively with these community groups to achieve meaningful change together.”
More information about the Environmental Grants program including the successful recipients is available at: www.environment.act.gov.au.
