Local leadership and biodiversity conservation

Enhancing local leadership and biodiversity conservation during bushfire recovery and mitigation 

 

The Bushfire Local Economic Recovery (BLER) project is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and the New South Wales Government under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. The project aims to restore and protect fire-affected bushland, identify environmental and social needs for recovery and deliver enrichment programs for community members and leaders. 

The project is being delivered in three bushfire–affected regions, Richmond Valley, Tweed Shire and the Blue Mountains LGAs. Conservation Volunteers Australia, working together with communities from those regions, aims to tailor the enrichment program to the needs of the three communities whilst working closely with regional councils and local organisations to better understand how communities can unite for a resilient future. 

 

The Grass Tree Fellowship: Driving positive change through leadership 

Working on a collaborative approach, we’ve been out talking with rural communities affected by challenges such as bushfire and flood and gathering information on what’s most important to them. Through community consultations, we developed a program that builds social-ecological resilience in disaster-impacted communities, focusing on capacities that the communities have identified as important to be prepared for the future.  

The Grass Tree Fellowship program has been developed for community members, with community input and feedback built into the design. Our goal is to support local people to give them a leg up, provide skills training to better support their communities.    

 

Grass Tree Fellowship – Tweed and Richmond Valley LGAs

Find out more about the Grass Tree Fellowship Program for the Tweed and Richmond Valley communities. 

Learn more

 

 

Grass Tree Fellowship – Blue Mountains LGAs

Find out more about the Grass Tree Fellowship Online Program for the Blue Mountains Communities.  

Learn more

 

 

Strengthening the environment and communities in bushfire-impacted regions

Though community consultations, several needs were identified as important to improve environmental restoration efforts while supporting community connectedness.  We are gathering with community to support and strengthen the environment for future disasters through building practical skills and knowledge towards creating healthy systems to cope with disasters. 

 

Completed events

 

Richmond Valley Event 1

What: Habitat and Wildlife Recovery: Nest Boxes for Wildlife

Date: April 27, 2023

 

Richmond Valley Event 2

What: Habitat Recovery: Community Grass Planting

Date: April 29

 

Richmond Valley Event 3

What: Habitat Recovery: Lantana Removal and Weed Control Methods

Date: May 26

 

Richmond Valley Event 4

What: Habitat Recovery: Coral Tree Weed Control Methods

Date: 19 June

 

Tweed Shire Event 1

What: Habitat and Wildlife Recovery: Native Seed Propagation

Date: April 16, 2023

 

Tweed Shire Event 2

What: Habitat Recovery: Open Forests and Native Grass ID

Date: April 28

 

Tweed Shire Event 3

What: Habitat and Wildlife Recovery: Nest boxes for Tweed

Date: May 25

 

Tweed Shire Event 4

What: Habitat Recovery: Weed Biosecurity Threats and Management

Date: June 9

 

Tweed Shire Event 5

What: Habitat Recovery: Community Tree Planting at Wooyung

Date: 16 June

 

Tweed Shire Event 6

What: Habitat Recovery: Community Tree Planting at Sleepy Hollow

Date: 21 June

 

Blue Mountains Event 1

What: Fire and Wildlife Recovery in the Blue Mountains, Allendale Landcare Reserve (Blackheath)

Date: April 19, 2023

 

Blue Mountains Event 2

What: Fire and Wildlife Recovery in the Blue Mountains

Date: June 24, 2023

 

 

Project Team 

This project is managed by the Wild Futures Team: Kavitha Chinathamby (Project Manager), Renae Riviere (Campaign Director), Jessica Miller (Campaign Director) and Shonnelle Post (Project Officer). 

 

The Restore bushland and enrich local leadership project is jointly funded by the Australian and the NSW Government under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conservation Volunteers Australia respectfully acknowledges Traditional Owners and Indigenous Peoples, their rich and dynamic cultures and their continuing unique affinity and cultural obligations for land and sea. We pay our respect to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present.