Art show fundraiser helps reforest the Bellarine

A BLANK canvas art show in Ocean Grove has raised more than $2500 to help reforest the Bellarine.

With the contribution of artists from Portarlington to Bellbrae, the Greens Blank Canvas art show was held at Driftwood Cafe over Easter.

Organiser John Bowman said $1,000 was donated to the Bellarine Catchment Network to plant trees along the Bellarine Rail Trail, a great community driven east west wildlife corridor.

Mr Bowman said $1,600 would also be donated and matched by the City of Greater Geelong to plant 500-600 trees to create an urban woodland on Ocean Grove’s Lake Avenue Reserve.

He said Ocean Grove Coastcare’s 50-strong volunteers would be planting on Sunday July 28 – National Tree Day – from 10am to noon.

“Lake Avenue Reserve is a grassed floodplain, a blank canvas,” Mr Bowman said.

“Council’s wonderful Parks department is mapping and mulching beds in readiness for the big day.

“They will also use this project as a model for planting other spaces with other communities.”