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COVID-19 Update – Suspension of In-Person Volunteering

Today we are announcing that we are joining the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and give our health systems the best chance to care for people affected by the coronavirus.

Effective from 18 March 2020, Conservation Volunteers Australia will be suspending our regular in-person volunteering activities across the country.

“Our top priority is the well-being of our volunteers, staff, and the wider communities in which we live and operate. We’re implementing this change to enable social distancing, based on the latest advice from health authorities around the country.” – Phil Harrison, CEO, Conservation Volunteers Australia.

This announcement means that any volunteering activities which you may have booked onto in the next month will be cancelled, and you should hear from our teams about that soon. This also includes our corporate volunteering program. We will also be in touch with our project partners in the coming days around on ground activities. We will be reviewing any events in April and beyond and communicating further as the situation unfolds.

Visit the Australian Government’s Department of Health’s alert page to learn more about COVID-19.

We have also sadly had to cancel our exchange program with the California Conservation Corps, which we had been promoting until the recent spread of COVID-19 meant that the required international travel was unrealistic.

Traditionally, we have proudly operated most days of the year, providing opportunities for people to get involved in practical environmental conservation activities in the outdoors, delivering on our purpose to nurture stronger communities and resilient ecosystems. So, what can a practical conservation organisation do for the environment when we’re not able to engage communities in these activities? Well that’s the challenge we have some ideas about – stay tuned on Facebook and Instagram channels to hear some of the ideas we have in the pipeline.

As a valued part of our community, we would love to keep you involved in our mission to nurture stronger communities and resilient ecosystems despite these choppy waters, so please help us explore these new waters together.

Please stay safe out there, wash your hands, and be compassionate to others. We’re in this together.

For more information about COVID-19, see information from the Department of Health and the World Health Organisation.