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Nature Blocks: CVA launch a new ‘action for nature’

 

 

Conservation Volunteers Australia and campaign partners Yarra Trams and the Bupa Foundation launched the Nature Blocks™ campaign in Melbourne on 24 August.

A tram wrapped in inspiring and creative, colourful illustrations and the call to “Build Back Nature” rolled onto Melbourne’s tram tracks on Thursday and will be rolling around Melbourne through until December.

Nature Blocks is a national campaign designed to encourage every Australian to assist in rejuvenating and restoring Australia’s unique biodiversity by connecting with nature.

 

 

Iconic Australian musician Clare Bowditch, CVA’s Nature Blocks ambassador, shared her personal connection to nature and her passionate support of Nature Blocks.

“We start small. We fall in love with nature. Then we’ll fight for it for the rest of our lives,” she said.

CVA Chief Executive Officer Phil Harrison said the Nature Blocks campaign was designed to inspire and support all those who wish to take simple actions for nature. As little as one square metre can make a difference.

“As Nature Blocks are built, these create micro-habitats and can contribute to connectivity corridors, which are critical for the native wildlife that make their home in our major cities,” Phil said.

“By creating Nature Blocks, each person can take a positive step to support Australia’s precious biodiversity and help our cities and towns to be healthier places for us all to live.”

 

 

The Bupa Foundation Partnership

 

 

Roger Sharp, Chief Sustainability & Corporate Affairs Officer, Bupa Asia Pacific, said the Nature Blocks initiative aims to support people in taking simple, tangible actions to help create the healthy planet people want to live on.

“As a health and care company, we know the link between the health of the planet and the health of people is undeniable and that we all have a role to play in protecting and regenerating nature, particularly in our cities,” Roger said.

“When it comes to sustainability, collaboration is vital to creating meaningful change. That’s why our Foundation has partnered with organisations such as Conservation Volunteers Australia to deliver meaningful, healthy, and practical programs such as Nature Blocks,” he added.

“Together, we want to help build a national movement of people who understand, value and benefit from connecting with and nurturing our environment,” Roger said.

 

The Yarra Trams Partnership

 

Yarra Trams supports six not-for-profit organisations each year through the Community Partnerships Program by offering the opportunity to promote a campaign on a tram that travels on the world’s largest tram network.

CVA and the Nature Blocks initiative align with the 2023 program theme of ‘Building a resilient and sustainable Melbourne’, focusing on climate resilience, environmental sustainability and creating a more sustainable and environmentally conscious society.

Chief Executive of Yarra Trams Carla Purcell congratulated Conservation Volunteers Australia on their Nature Blocks initiative and its important effort to introduce green spaces into our cities to build climate resilience.

“Our trams – fully offset by solar-generated power – are already one of the lowest emission ways to get around Melbourne, and I’m thrilled that one of our trams will be promoting this brilliant initiative.”

 

 

How to Get Involved

To get involved, you simply download the app, choose a block, get the ingredients, and start building a native garden of any size in your backyard, on your balcony, in your office, or in your local environment to provide a source of food and shelter for native species.

The CVA app and Nature Blocks feature is still in development, and we’re working hard to bring you more exciting things to the experience every day. Thank you for learning with us; please get in touch if you have any questions or feedback at [email protected].

The tram will be on the 109 Route until December. You can catch its location in the tramTRACKER app by entering 3003 in the myTRAM tab.

 

FIND OUT MORE: www.mynatureblock.org.au