Environment Minister Reece Whitby has presented a Lotterywest grant of $505,129 in a major boost for environmental volunteering in the State's Great Southern region.
The funds will go towards an 18-month project to encourage, support and coordinate environmental volunteering, led by Albany-based organisation South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc.
Project coordinator roles will be created in Albany and Esperance to work with participating community groups in helping to deliver events, workshops and community education programs.
South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc will partner with Volunteering WA and Bush Heritage Australia to support community groups with training, governance, resources and mentoring opportunities.
Aims of the project include delivering:
- an online volunteer management platform;
- a best practice model to build volunteer capability;
- contributions to the Great Southern Great Science Symposium; and
- volunteer recognition events.
Some of the proposed hands-on volunteer experiences include planting, weeding and beach clean-ups, as well as on-country field days - co-designed by Noongar Elders - to share traditional ecological knowledge and practice between generations.
There will also be citizen-science-based opportunities to monitor malleefowl nests, western ringtail possums and marine mammals.
South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc was established in 1994 with the aim of achieving positive social and economic outcomes and the sustainable long-term management of the natural environment. Since 2009, the organisation has received seven Lotterywest grants totalling $3,506,126.
As stated by Environment Minister Reece Whitby:
"South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc has a thriving base of volunteers who care passionately about our environment - whether it is restoring habitats, identifying native species or searching for rare plants.
"These funds will help to create jobs to support additional environmental volunteer opportunities and improve the sustainability of existing programs in the Great Southern region."
As stated by Albany MLA Rebecca Stephens:
"I am grateful to Lotterywest for this funding boost which supports community education and improves the capacity of volunteer groups to care for our natural heritage.
"South Coast Natural Resource Management does such wonderful work protecting our environment and I am thrilled that this grant will help them enhance what they do."
