Caring for nature is good for everyone

MOST of us don’t need reminding that we live in one of the most naturally beautiful parts of Victoria. But we do sometimes need a reason to stop, get outside, and properly take it in.

That’s exactly what the Geelong Nature Festival 2025 offers. Running from July 12 to July 27, it’s a chance to step out of our routines and into the landscapes to appreciate the unique biodiversity that makes the Bellarine such a special place to live.

As someone who has studied botany, zoology and genetics in my Bachelor of Science, I’ve always been fascinated by how everything in nature connects.

But you don’t need a science degree to understand why this matters; you just need a sense of curiosity and maybe a good pair of walking shoes.

The Nature Festival is a community effort in the truest sense. It’s delivered in partnership with the Geelong Field Naturalists Club with support from the Bellarine Catchment Network, the School of Lost Arts and our many wonderful community nature volunteer groups.

The result is a line-up of more than 50 events across the region offering an array of activities from garden and sanctuary tours to nature play sessions, workshops, and celebrations of Geelong’s more unusual wildlife.

There are plenty of highlights on the Bellarine. You can join the Wild Walkabout at Ocean Grove’s Nature Reserve for a guided tour to discover incredible plants and creatures, including wallabies and echidnas, birds, lizards, insects and more.

If hands-on work is more your thing, there are many Plant it Forward events across the Bellarine, including at St Leonards, Bellarine Bayside, Blue Waters Lake Reserve and Ramblers Road Foreshore.

These community planting events make a real impact to revegetation efforts and they’re also a good way to meet others who share common interest in our environment.

Art lovers won’t want to miss the Woodlands of the Bellarine Art Exhibition, a stunning exhibition of paintings, pottery, sculptures, mosaics and metalwork in Curlewis.

If you’ve been meaning to see more of our beautiful coastline, you might like to join the Coastal Orienteering event to explore the local coast with a map. The event kicks off at The Dunes Café in Ocean Grove.

The Nature Festival all wraps up on National Tree Day, Sunday, July 27. It’s a fitting end, planting trees is a small act with lasting value and a reminder that protecting nature starts right here, in our own communities.

A huge thanks to the volunteers whose time, energy and heart make this festival possible. Their quiet work keeps these spaces thriving.

So, if you’ve been meaning to get outdoors more, learn something new, or just reconnect with where you live, this is your chance.

Let’s make time for the places that make this region so unique. Because looking after nature isn’t just good for the environment – it’s good for all of us.

For more information and the full program, head to geelongaustralia.com.au/naturefestival

Cr Rowan Story

Murradoc Ward, City of Greater Geelong