- $505,000 Lotterywest grant for community education and environmental volunteering
- Project coordinators needed in Albany and Esperance
- Citizen scientists are needed to monitor wildlife in the area
Reece Whitby, Environment Minister has presented a Lotterywest grant for $505,129 as a major boost to environmental volunteering in the Great Southern Region.
The funds will be used for an 18-month project to encourage and support environmental volunteering. It will be led by South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc. from Albany.
Albany and Esperance will have project coordinator positions to help with community groups and deliver workshops, events, and community education programs.
South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc, Volunteering WA, and Bush Heritage Australia will work together to support community groups with mentoring, governance, training, and resources.
The project’s goals include delivering:
- an online volunteer management platform;
- a best practice model to build volunteer capability;
- Contributions to the Great Southern Great Science Symposium
- volunteer recognition events.
Some of the volunteer activities include planting, cleaning up after weeds and beach clean-ups. Noongar Elders co-designed the on-country field day to share traditional ecological knowledge among 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 a goal to achieve positive social and economic outcomes as well as the sustainable long-term management the natural environment. The organisation has received seven Lotterywest grants in the amount of $3,506,126 since 2009.
Comments attributed Environment Minister Reece Whitby
“South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc has many volunteers who are passionate about protecting our environment.
“These funds will be used to create jobs and support more environmental volunteer opportunities, as well as improve the sustainability existing programs in Great Southern.”
Comments to Albany MLA Rebecca Stephens
“I am grateful for the Lotterywest funding boost that supports community education and improves volunteer groups’ capacity to care for our natural heritage.
“South Coast Natural Resource Management does an amazing job protecting our environment. This grant will help them increase their efforts.”
Minister’s Office – 6552 6300