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10 Reasons to Create a Nature Block

Australia is a home to some of the most unique and incredible biodiversity in the world, but it’s facing many threats and challenges. These include habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, climate change, and pollution. The good news is that we can all take action to help protect and restore biodiversity, starting in our own backyards and homes.

By making space for nature in your garden, on a windowsill, or on your balcony – you can join a community of nature conservationists who are planting Nature Blocks.

Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) launched the Nature Blocks initiative in 2023 in partnership with the Bupa Foundation to build back nature in cities across the country.

Getting involved in creating your own Nature Block – a small space that creates habitats for nature – is as simple as downloading the CVA App where you can find resources about which native species to plant, and a community of nature stewards to inspire you to get planting.

Find out more about our Nature Blocks initiative here: mynatureblock.org.au 🌷

Top 10 Reasons to Create a Nature Block

If you’re looking for some inspiration about why creating a Nature Block is a good thing, we hope this list below will help you!

Remember – every small action for nature counts, and together we can create a healthier and more resilient planet.

Join more than 83,743 people who have engaged with our Nature Blocks initiative over the past year since the initiative was launched.

 

1. Nature Blocks Boost Biodiversity 🐝

Australia is one of the world’s most megadiverse countries and home to an astonishing variety of unique plants and wildlife. By planting native species in your Nature Block, you can help to boost biodiversity and provide a source of food and shelter for wildlife.

Whether you install an insect hotel for bees, or a frog bog, or you sprinkle seed bombs in your backyard – you can help support biodiversity by creating a Nature Block.

2. Nature Blocks Create Corridors for Wildlife 🐾

If you fly over any Australian city, you will see a network of gardens, protected areas, parks and green spaces – all of which create a network of wildlife corridors that help animals like birds, bees, butterflies and many threatened species move, find food and shelter, and connect with other wildlife.

By creating a Nature Block you can help provide an important stepping stone for wildlife and support the survival of many threatened species. And, because about half of all Australia’s threatened species live in urban areas – Nature Blocks as habitat corridors can cumulatively make a big impact and transform cities into havens for biodiversity.

3. Gardening is Fun! 🌸

People of all ages can have heaps of fun spending time outdoors gardening. Get your hands dirty and get closer to nature when you plant and care for your Nature Block, and be rewarded by getting to watch nature grow in your very own garden or home.

If you need some inspiration about what native species to plant in your Nature Block, our CVA App provides you with resources to get started. We also have some blogs about native Australian plants to grow such as Eucalyptus, Acacia, Banksia, Melaleuca, and more.

4. Reap the Health and Wellness Benefits of Nature Blocks 💚

There are various studies that show how spending time in nature improves mental and physical health and benefits general wellbeing.

And when you spend time outdoors tending to your Nature Block, it’s also an opportunity to get some gentle exercise and connect with a community of like-minded conservationists.

5. Foster a Sense of Place, Community and Belonging 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

By spending time outdoors in your garden or community planting native species, you can feel a greater sense of place, community and belonging.

Being connected with nature helps us remember that we’re all part of larger ecosystems that need to be healthy, protected and restored so they can function optimally and continue providing us with clean air, food, shelter, places for recreation and protection from storms and severe weather, amongst many other ecosystem services.

Find out more about the importance of placemaking and community connectedness in our blog that inspires people to bring nature back into social spaces through the creation of Nature Blocks.

6. It’s Easier Than You Think 😌

Creating a Nature Block is both fun and easy! Your Nature Block can be as small as a few square metres and as simple as planting a few native species in a pot. Many native plants don’t need too much fussing over to grow, and many are drought tolerant so they don’t need too much watering.

There’s loads of useful information on how to create a Nature Block on our website and in our CVA App to help you get started. We also share tips on our social media pages (you can find us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube), and in our newsletter.

Local plant nurseries can also provide you with useful information and tips on how to grow different types of plants and flowers, depending on how much sunlight or shade you have, and where you live.

7. Build Resilience to Climate Change 🦾

Native plants help to build resilience to drought and extreme weather events as they have adapted to local conditions and they help to support local ecosystems.

By creating a native garden or Nature Block, you can help your local ecosystem to thrive and withstand some of the impacts of climate change. And, your Nature Block may also help mitigate climate change by absorbing and storing carbon from the atmosphere.

8. Help Keep Your City Cool 🏖️

Cities around the world are heating up due to climate change and the urban heat island effect. At CVA we have a programme dedicated to creating Urban Shade Forests to help cool cities.

You can also help to keep your city cool by planting a Nature Block. That’s because natural habitat (i.e. the plants in your Nature Block) can help to cool surrounding areas of the environment through transpiration.

9. Help Prevent Flooding 🌊

Plants and natural ecosystems help maintain the water cycle and can help mitigate the impact of flooding and stormwater runoff. Plant’s roots help absorb rainwater and stabilise the soil thus preventing erosion.

By bringing nature back into your garden, you can help mitigate the impacts of severe flooding events.

Many governments are now acknowledging the importance of ‘sponge cities’ as nature-based solutions to flood management in urban areas, which includes green infrastructure like parks and gardens.

10. Help Achieve the Global 30×30 Goal 🌏

Australia, like many countries around the world, has committed to protect and restore 30% of its land and oceans by 2030. This goal aligns with target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

You can help Australia achieve this goal by restoring biodiversity in your backyard or on your balcony when you plant a Nature Block.

Nature Blocks help enhance biodiversity, provide habitat for wildlife, and help to support natural ecosystem services.

Will You Join Us in Taking Action to Protect Nature?

At CVA we strive to protect our natural environment by empowering everyone to get involved in conservation volunteering, planting Nature Blocks and collaborating to create positive change.

From tree planting and habitat restoration to wildlife monitoring and citizen science projects, we make it easy for everyone to participate in restoring Australia’s biodiversity.

Will you join us in protecting nature? We hope so! Get started by downloading our CVA App, checking out our upcoming conservation volunteering opportunities, and planting your very own Nature Block.