Landcare grants keep groups growing

SEVERAL Landcare groups and other environmental volunteers from the Geelong region are among those sharing in almost $2 million in the latest round of the Victorian Landcare Grants program.

In this round, the state government has funded 363 applications, including 143 project grants, 218 support grants and two start-up grants.

The funds are used to support on-ground works and community projects including weed control, pest animal control, protection of habitat, revegetation, and community education.

Local recipients include:

• Alvie Tree Planters – $12,600 for Drake’s Lagoon: Connecting Communities and Habitats
• Bamganie Meredith and District Landcare Group – $2,622 for Meredith: Flora, Fauna, Forestry and Farming
• Barongarook Landcare Group – $9,195 for Celebrating Agro-ecology at the Otway Food and Fibre Showcase 2019 and $18,860 for Nature set in Stone: Stony Rises Bio Blitz Stage 2 – Stories, Snapshots and Surveys
• Barrabool Hills Landcare Group – $19,935 for Mapping and enhancing the biological infrastructure of the Barrabool Hills
• Bellarine Landcare Group – $11,802 for Koala Country – fostering a nature-caring community in Bellarine’s Heathy Woodland
• Heytesbury District Landcare Network – $19,846 for Building community and biodiversity with Biofund
• Leslie Manor Landcare group – $11,950 for Filling in the gap across Leslie Manor to connect Northern Woodlands to Southern Forests
• Woady Yaloak Catchment Group – $19,983 for Linking vegetation corridors in the Woady Yaloak Catchment, and
• Yarrowee Leigh Catchment Group – $ 6,495 for Trekking the Mount.

There were also $500 support grants to assist Landcare groups with insurance, incorporation and operating costs presented to ANGAIR, Apollo Bay Landcare Group, Bellarine Catchment Network, Birregurra Landcare Group, Cundare Duverney Landcare group, Friends of Black Hill Reserve, Friends of Canadian Corridor, Geelong Landcare Network, Otway Barham Landcare Group, Otway Coast Regenerative Farmers, Southern Otway Landcare Network, and Torquay Landcare Group .

“We’re investing in the work of volunteers because they’re at the front line in protecting Victoria’s environment,” Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio said.

“These grants will allow our volunteers to keep making a big difference at a grassroots level.”

For the full list of successful Landcare grant recipients, head to environment.vic.gov.au/grants/victorian-landcare-grants-2018-19.