Coastcare Victoria Community Grants

Friends of The Prom

Restore Hooded Plover Habitat at Picnic Bay – Stage 2

Friends of the Prom will continue its successful Coastcare-funded program of Sea Spurge removal and restoration of threatened Hooded Plover habitat at Picnic Bay, Wilsons Promontory. To date, weed density has been reduced by 55% overall, including an estimated 80% reduction in foredune weed density which is the Plover's preferred habitat. A scientifically proven systematic program of spraying and repeated hand-weeding must continue to maintain this habitat, particularly given the seedbank in the beach’s cultural heritage exclusion zones. Without spraying, control by volunteer hand-weeding alone is impossible. Sea Spurge removal also helps dune stabilisation and subsequent protection of cultural heritage assets.

Friends of Rye Foreshore / Rye Historical Society

Rehabilitating An Ancient Coastal Vegetation Site on Rye Foreshore

The aim is to rehabilitate remnant areas of coastal headland scrub (EVC161) coastal dune scrub (EVC160), berm grassy shrubland (EVC311), coastal alkaline scrub/moonah woodland (EVC858) on this Pleistocene dune-limestone (Aeolian calcarenite) Rye foreshore site.

Selective planting of EVC areas will be undertaken along with further removal of woody and environmental/noxious weed infestations to allow the regeneration of indigenous species.

This project will assist to meet the overall aim of creating an education and cultural heritage precinct. The site has cultural heritage and historical significance, and we will continue to consult with Bunurong Land Council. Community engagement activities are planned.

Sandy Point Community Group Inc

Coast Banksia Woodland Project

The project site was inhabited from the 1930’s through to the 1970’s through Permissive Occupancy. The area of disturbance contains remnant Coast Banksia Woodland EVC2 and Coastal Dune Scrub EVC160, with large infestations of weeds. The infestations are a highly visible ‘eyesore’ to the many locals and visitors who use the adjacent track and road for recreational purposes. The removal of weeds to allow for natural regeneration and supplementary planting will improve the site’s biodiversity and aesthetic outlook. Complementary resources will be produced to educate the community about the species present in the reserve and the importance of this project.

Swan Bay Environment Association

Coastal restoration near Swan Bay through removal of woody weeds

The project will (1) improve cooperation between groups removing woody weeds in BoQ (BoQ, BCN, SBEA), by using mobile phones and state-of-the-art Mergin maps software to map areas weeded by all local groups and to record the resources used in doing so. The mapping helps prioritise weeding locations and ensures timely follow-up of previously weeded areas. (2) remove weeds from two regions within the BoQ. These areas are near Pt Lonsdale and Queenscliff and will engage local residents from each area (3) increase the visibility of the weeding and promote the engagement of more people in the removal of weeds.

Otway Ocean Care

Waste, Pollution and Coastal Monitoring

A series of talks on threats to marine life (including workshops on making DIY non-pollutant, cleaning products, waste reduction, reusing materials to make household necessities and a group beach walk to pick up rubbish) Partnering with Reef watch and the VNPA to do invasive species monitoring around the coastlines of Apollo Bay and neighbouring towns (including the Marengo Reefs Marine Sanctuary). A small amount of the grant would go to organizing a ‘Marine Bingo’ event around Christmas time for the local community take part. Supplementary to the project we'll repeat our most popular educational workshops (Fish, Seaweed and Shells).

OzFish Unlimited

Mangrove Mates: restoration with the next generation

Mangroves are critically important coastal fish habitats, sequestering carbon and providing coastal protection. Westernport mangroves are amongst the world's southernmost forests and play a significant role in the health of the Ramsar-listed wetland area. However, multiple impacts have resulted in mangrove decline. OzFish and St Joseph’s Primary School, with support from the Mornington Peninsula Shire, aim to restore an area of mangroves along the Hastings foreshore. Through on-ground restoration action, engaging workshops, and citizen science monitoring with local students, the project will provide on-ground restoration outcomes, environmental engagement with local youth, and increase ocean literacy in the local community.

Portland Coastal Cliffs Inc.

Native Grasses to support Butterflies, birds, bees, and bush rats

This project aims to enhance and protect existing revegetation by introducing a native grass layer for foraging birds, bees, butterflies, and bush rats. This project site provides an excellent opportunity to demonstrate how native grasses can be used to support not only biodiversity but also to achieve amenity goals. Native grasses are uniquely suited to the environment and can be used as an alternative lawn in many applications. This project will highlight the use of native grasses as lawn and biodiversity buffer for many foraging native animals.

Friends of Cape Nelson Landcare Coastcare Inc.

Unique and endangered Plants of Cape Nelson Arboritum

This ambitious project was set up prior to COVID, an aboritum that showcases the unique plants and of our beautiful Cape Nelson. Cape Nelson is home to an amazing array of endemic wildflowers that will all be show cased in our arboritum. Through engagement with Scouts, local schools, Rotary and Probus this project will educate and inspire our community to not only volunteer in our coastal programs but also encourage and promote the role of endemic plants is urban and rural gardens.

Apollo Bay WORDfest

Stories from the Sea

Stories from the Sea will bring two exciting events to Apollo Bay WORDFest 2023: the Portable Seaweed Library and Whale Dreaming. The Portable Seaweed Library is a mobile library of algae-inspired texts presented by Lichen Kemp and the Seaweed Appreciation Society, stimulating conversation about our seascapes and creative ways of writing about nature. Whale Dreaming presented by Gunditjmara Custodians involves discussions about the Whale Songline and an understanding of this Songline being the foundation of the Southern Ocean, and why we need to protect Sea Country. These beautifully woven narratives will bring a deeper appreciation of our coasts and oceans.

Southern Otway Landcare Network (SOLN)

Otway Fungi Discovery Forays for Fun and Science

This project will provide expert interactive workshops and fungi forays into coastal forest and woodland that incite curiosity and satisfy interest. People attending will learn about types of fungi and ecosystems in which land care can support soil health and fungi. It will take some volunteers further by equipping them with the tools and concepts to make responsible scientific collections of fungi that will contribute to The Botanic Gardens Herbarium collections for the Otway’s region in Victoria.

Otway Bird Observers

Fostering community care for coastal birds in the Southern Otway’s

The Otway Bird Observers volunteer group, with the assistance of the Southern Otway Landcare Network and the Threatened Species Conservancy, will facilitate shorebird and sea bird identification training for the Southern Otways community to increase community knowledge and engagement in long-term monitoring projects, conservation activities and general care and interest in local shore bird and sea bird species. An appropriately qualified ecologist will be engaged to deliver a two-day workshop in Apollo Bay in September 2023 focusing solely on shore bird and sea bird identification skills.

Friends of Williams Roads Beach

Ongoing Habitat Restoration /Public Education: Caring for site and Environment

Further to 19 years of ongoing restoration in 3.4 hectares of foreshore habitat (with Vulnerable &/or Endangered EVCs) this project will involve skilled bush regenerators in working in steep locations. Work will involve spraying and manual removal of re-emerging woody /scrambler/annual weeds and site indigenous species on areas treated in 2022. Contractors will when/if required, utilize ropes. The grant will also support education for scouts on how to care for the environment and wildlife. In kind support comes from Friends weekly weeding sessions and assistance at events.

Lara Primary School

Lara Eco Warriors

This project will spread awareness of marine ecosystem conservation and educate students and community about the importance of protection and preservation of our seas and oceans. The project includes excursions to local coastal sites, incursions, and the use of Coast Care Schools kit to educate students on how to contribute to protecting our local coastal and marine environment. Students will develop a plan and implement a waste management system for Lara Primary School to collect, sort and reduce litter to prevent it from making it way to our local coastal zone.

Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network Inc.

Collaborating on coastal revegetation works in a cultural landscape

A community education project encouraging community members to enhance and link coastal vegetation near Lake Gillear, east of Warrnambool. In addition to identifying appropriate native species, it will focus on habitat mix to optimise food sources for fauna species including the critically endangered Southern Bent-Wing Bat. The community education program will incorporate Aboriginal indigenous heritage looking through a cultural landscape lens. Proposed project partners include Nature Glenelg Trust, Glenelg Hopkins CMA, Warrnambool City Council, Eastern Maar and Trust for Nature. The next phase will be to secure additional funding to undertake on-ground works, including co-investment from land managers.

Edible Gardens Group

Macroalgae and Edible Seaweeds of the Apollo Coast

Our coastlines are a source of wonder, enjoyment and also food.  Most of us understand ‘seafood’ to mean fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, but ‘seafood’ should also encompass the vegetarian food found in the sea.  This project seeks to educate the general public on the value of macroalgae found along our coastline: what species are present, invaders and threats to our native species, and how we can harvest this resource safely and considerately for our consumption.  A free event, open to all members of the public, will be held to educate and enjoy macroalgae of the Apollo coast.

Jawbone Marine Sanctuary Care Group

Connecting with the sea and indigenous culture

Through excursions and community days delivered by marine educators and a Boonwurrung elder, community members and students from disadvantaged schools will connect with nature and indigenous culture.

They will learn about how their catchment links to the bay and local action they can take to protect the marine environment.

Community members will also take part in citizen science activities, monitoring the local mangroves and gathering litter data through regular beach clean-ups.

Friends of Flinders Coastline

Flinders MPNP Coastal Habitat Restoration & Community Engagement Project

This Bushland Regeneration Project is an extension of work undertaken along the coastline between West Head and King Street since 2004. Work has involved Woody and herbaceous weeding allowing regeneration of local native flora with strategic planting particularly of grasses. In 2022-2023, FoFC received a Coastcare Grant of $9,990 to extend our work west of King Street toward Double Creek as well as maintaining all previous works. This application will extend the work to Double Creek whilst continuing ongoing maintenance in previous areas. Funds will allow us to continue to employ our longstanding contractors, essential to our work.

Western Port Seagrass Partnership Inc.

Mangrove restoration Western Port: Grantville

WPSP have been planting mangroves in Western Port for more than a decade to reduce coastal erosion. We have used many volunteers to plant many thousands of mangroves and have trialled many different planting techniques. We have carefully documented our successes and failures and are the only group with significant expertise in this area. In 2023-24 we plan to compare the two methods that have shown the greatest success: seeds and 9-month-old seedlings (November planting) under different conditions.  Survival of seedlings appears to be higher when they are planted in November, when annual growth resumes and winter storms are avoided.

Nelson Coastcare Incorporated

Livingstone Island Guided Nature Walk and Habitat Restoration

Livingstone Island lies at the estuary mouth of the Lower Glenelg River within the Lower Glenelg/Discovery Bay National Parks and Ramsar site.  It is a high value tourism site with spectacular views of the estuary and adjacent wetlands.  The area is, in parts, heavily infested with woody weeds which detracts from its potential ecological and educational value. This application seeks to follow-up and expand prior weed work.  Educational values will be enhanced in a new take on a disused “Nature Walk” using a download-able audio guide.

Crib Point Stony Point Foreshore Committee of Management Inc

Assist Volunteer Group Control Blue Bell Creeper

Woolleys Beach coastal reserve is one of the largest intact coastal habitats in Western Port. The project site is an area of EVC 175 Grassy Woodland, classified as endangered and one of the most species diverse vegetation communities in temperate Australia, rich in grasses, orchids. lilies, grassland form dominated by Kangaroo Grass. Bluebell creeper is smothering over an acre of the understory, its control is the focus of our volunteer group. Interest in joining this group is growing and the grant will fund contractors to aid volunteers in the removal and will inspire the volunteer group to recruit more members

Bass Coast Landcare Network supporting Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group

Sea Spurge control between Harmers Haven and Cutler's Beach, Wonthaggi

To extend control of the invasive coastal weed, Sea Spurge (Euphorbia paralias), from Harmers Haven west to Cutler’s Beach to protect the habitat of the threatened Hooded Plover and other shorebirds.  Control of this weed has been successful at Cape Paterson and Harmers Haven with a combination of volunteer labour and contractors poisoning heavier infestations. The purpose of this grant application is to pay for contractors to poison patches within the target area where the weed is too well established for volunteer labour. Following spraying, volunteer groups will target areas where hand pulling is required.

Friends of the Hooded Plover Bass Coast

It’s a Dogs' Breakfast: community education to protect coastal habitats

The project aims to educate a key user-group (dog-owners) of the impact that off-leash dogs can have on beach-nesting birds, such as the Hooded Plover. By holding fun and educational Dogs' Breakfast events, the dog-owner community will learn about the plight of the Hooded Plover and learn how simple behaviour changes can help recover this threatened species.  Free dog leads with targeted messaging will be handed out and are a practical way to encourage leash use within critical coastal habitats. A "Where to Walk your dog" flyer will increase awareness of dog regulations on beaches.

Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club

Dune revegetation at Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club

Woolamai Beach SLSC, with Phillip Island Nature Park (PINP), have identified that vital work is needed to revegetate the dune system surrounding the clubhouse. This will better protect the sensitive coastal environment by maintaining the structure of the dunes, create habitat for Cape Woolamai flora and fauna species (e.g., short-tailed shearwater), while supporting the long-term maintenance of the clubhouse itself. With 12 Victorian Rare or Threatened Plant species having been recorded in remnant vegetation at Cape Woolamai, projects like this one are vital for building on the rehabilitation of habitats for important plants and animals.

Threatened Species Conservancy

Butterflies of the Great Ocean Road: Conservation, Education and Engagement

Butterfly conservation projects are an invaluable way to engage communities. There is little known about Victorian coastal butterfly communities, despite coastal habitats being strongholds for threatened species. During the Otway regions first coastal butterflies of 2022/2023, multiple butterfly species never previously recorded were discovered, suggesting a need to continue these successful butterfly community surveys and grow community engagement resources. This project will educate community members on butterfly species identification by training volunteers and developing an invaluable local butterfly field guide. Through this project, TSC will shape local community appreciation of butterflies and their future conservation.

Life Saving Victoria

The nature of change in Port Phillip Bay

LSV and ABM will host an event series about the nature of change in Port Phillip Bay. Events will be a mix of online webinars and in-person. We aim to strengthen knowledge and capacity in the community to understand the change processes in Port Phillip Bay – historical changes, current time and the predicted future of climate change impacts around the Bay. Our desired outcome is to normalise the conversation of change on the coastline, bringing greater awareness to the nature of a dynamic environment and the need to adapt the way we live, work and play in that environment.

Merricks Beach Foreshore Reserve Committee of Management

Cliff Road Revegetation - Community Project

Range of activities to bolster the local community awareness and involvement with the Merricks Beach Foreshore.

Activities include a community working bee for foreshore weeding and re-vegetation and a cultural walk by an indigenous representative featuring indigenous foods and medicines.

Advertising these activities will be improved by including new banners and logo stickers for signs erected for events.

Safety Beach Foreshore Landscape Committee Incorporated

Safety Beach South Coastal Dune Revegetation Strategy

Safety Beach Foreshore Landscape Committee Inc. (SBFLC) was established to improve the natural environment and amenity of the 4 km long Safety Beach Foreshore Reserve. The proposed Coast Care grant works aims to revegetate the severely eroded coastal dune area on the Safety Beach Foreshore that was the subject of 2019-20 Coast Care grant funding. The study area has been severely impacted by storm and stormwater surge erosion on the coastal dune near the creek opposite the BP Service station on the corner of Marine Drive and Nepean Hwy.

Cannons Creek Foreshore Committee of Management Inc

Endemic species preservation project

We aim to protect the valuable indigenous species by further eliminating exotic plant species, reducing competition for nutrients and light in our Ramsar rated foreshore and the Bonnie Watson Reserve.

Friends of Edwards Point Reserve Inc

Removal of Exotic Weeds from Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve

The Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve Biodiversity Protection Project will remove invasive weed species, including 12 major weeds (eight of which are listed as Weeds of National Significance) that are impacting on the biodiversity values of Edwards Point Wildlife Reserve. Weed species to be treated include Flax-leaf Broom, Boneseed, Boxthorn, Italian Buckthorn, Blackberry, Cape Wattle, Coast Wattle, Pittosporum and Polygala.

Weed control techniques to be utilised include spraying, drilling, and filling and hand pulling of targeted species. This will be conducted by both a contractor and volunteers and is the first stage of a planned regeneration project.

Clifton Springs Curlewis Coastcare Group Inc

Updating and expanding the Clifton Springs Curlewis Information booklet

Increase knowledge and understanding of marine environment and to connect Coastcare group with local community to improve and encourage involvement in citizen science, revegetation, rehabilitation, and education activities. To foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the area and promote a sense of stewardship. The booklet will be part of the Community Welcome pack for new residents, and also for all schools and available via the Library, the Community Hub and Information Centre and other outlets.

Friends of the Red-capped Plover Bellarine

Red-capped Plovers: flagships for community awareness of coastal health

Red-capped Plovers are flagship species of coastal health on Bellarine Bayside. Successful breeding can only be achieved with a healthy coastal ecosystem. High levels of beach recreationalists often tip the balance between breeding success and failure. By educating the public and beach users about local Red-capped Plovers which rely on the beach to incubate their eggs and raise their chicks, we aim to increase awareness of sustainable beach behaviours at breeding sites. Educational materials and beach walks aim to increase awareness of the beach as an important habitat for Red-capped Plovers and promote co-existence between the recreationalists and the birds.

Southern Ocean Environmental Link

Marine Coastal Citizen Science Program

- Sponsor 100 volunteers to lead a Marine Coastal Citizen Science Program in Port Phillip Bay. - The objective of MCCSP is to engage first timer volunteers from five demographic groups (Disability, Retirees, Youth, Local and Indigenous), in active programs and to monitor their uptake. - Volunteers will lead a physical (snorkel) and digital biodiversity assessment of PPB, remove micro and macro plastics from the coastline and participate in SOEL’s Plastic Recycling Workshop. - Project collaboration with other NGO's and environmental organisations will support each organisation to retain, support and grow current programs and volunteer opportunities to strengthen coastlines.

Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management

Community Red-capped Plover Monitoring and Engagement (Geelong & The Bellarine)

This collaborative project between Bellarine Bayside (BB), City of Greater Geelong (COGG) and Birdlife Australia (BA) will build on the community red-capped plover monitoring program established in 2017. The project seeks to collect invaluable data through banding sessions, community monitoring and reporting, temporary fencing and signage and volunteer training. A key component of the project is partnering with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) through providing opportunities that align with their Healthy Country Plan goals. The Friends of Ramblers Road Beach will also join the project team to help strengthen community engagement and data collection now and into the future.

NatureWest Inc.

Revegetation in the Point Cook Coastal Park

The project involves planting 1000 EVC appropriate tubestock in the Point Cook Coastal Park. Over the next 12 months it is intended to form an official Coastcare Group to continue volunteer work in the park. Part of the grant will provide handtools for groundwork. Because of the high numbers of rabbits, all plants will need to be staked and guarded. Weed control will need to be carried out as well as post planting watering. Also, woody, and herbaceous weed removal will be carried out to regenerate a former wetland walk.

Fishcare Victoria Inc.

Strengthening & Celebrating Fishcare Volunteers

This project will build volunteer numbers and celebrate the success of current volunteers. We will create targeted video advertising which will celebrate the accomplishments of current volunteers and share their stories that can be used to inspire new recruits.  The video will be circulated through social media networks and cinemas. Volunteer recruitment print and e-publications will be developed that can be circulated through stakeholder networks with QR code references for easier engagement. To support and compliment the advertising and recruitment campaign, three volunteer training and information events will be delivered to induct, train and engage new and continuing volunteers.

Apollo Bay Landcare Group

Restoring our community by restoring our coast

The Apollo Bay Landcare Group has slowly become less active over the years as our founding members have grown older. Recently we have had a changing of the guard and are hoping to reinvigorate the group by undertaking some high-profile environmental works and working bees and advertising them extensively. As such we hope to do weed control and revegetation works at the Wild Dog and Skenes Creek estuaries followed by a community lunch.

Victorian National Parks Association

Diversifying the Great Victorian Fish Count

The Great Victorian Fish Count will connect with LGBTQIA+ and home-schooling people to provide inclusive events to bring marine citizen science and volunteering to new audiences. The events will provide safe spaces to cater to new audiences and introduce people to the joys and ease of volunteering along Victoria’s coastline.

Oceans IQ Pty Ltd

Finding volunteering opportunities through an Ocean Literacy Portal

A free evidenced-based Victorian community hub, developed in collaboration with industry experts, educators, community groups and universities provides a centralised gateway to assist the community to find opportunities to volunteer in state-wide marine and coastal conservation projects. The aim is to increase community capacity, awareness and understanding of the importance of our local marine environment through active engagement and informal education. We hope to inspire the community to learn more as they become actively involved in local projects that protect and enhance the Victorian coastline, while concurrently creating new marine champions and leaders in conservation

Tag For Life

Bass Strait Sea Country Traditional Owner Engagement

The project will expand on that commenced by Tag For Life and CSIRO in 2022 with GLAWAC developing a Sea Rangers program to include other Traditional Owner groups along the Victorian coast. A series of engagements are planned with Eastern Maar and Gunditjmirring. GLAWAC will continue collaborating with CSIRO and Tag For Life on the Bass Strait white shark program, as well as researching other marine species historically and culturally significant to their communities, including infield tagging and monitoring activities. GLAWAC participants will also be introduced to the other Traditional Owner groups encouraging the sharing of cultural information and development of future projects.

Deakin University

Empowering Wathaurong Women’s Seaweed Knowledge

Building on existing partnerships between the Deakin Seaweed lab and Wathaurong Co-Op, this project seeks to empower Aboriginal women to develop and spread knowledge of the importance of seaweed within their communities. Drawing on both Traditional and Western Scientific knowledge, participants will engage in two two-day workshop which includes foreshore excursions and cooking activities, led by Deakin Seaweed researchers and community Elders, where they will learn how to identify seaweeds, their role in marine and coastal ecosystems, and how they and their communities can become more involved in seaweed and broader marine management.

Connected Coastal Communities: Marine Education to Inspire the Next Generation

Marine Mammal Foundation (MMF) is a world-leader in science education, educating communities in our innovative and award-winning programs providing greater understanding of Victorian coastal environments, empowering positive action for community-driven conservation. Targeting young people, our project supports opportunities for 15 Victorian schools to engage in MMF’s immersive self-guided curriculum-linked Marine Science Online Course. This project also supports the development and distribution of 1,000 MMF Marine Mammals Activity Workbooks across coastal communities to further maximise engagement. This project engages Victorian communities in unique learning experiences, inspires appreciation, fosters connection, and creates greater understanding of coastal environmental values, empowering youth-led action for conservation.

Community Education for Community Conservation

Several speakers will be invited to give presentations on the ecology and biodiversity of reefs and rockpools in the local Southern Otway region including describing safe practices when exploring marine systems. This project will provide: the public with a discounted diving and underwater photography course; a quarterly ‘BioBlitz’ communal citizen science field survey in accompaniment with the Marine Research Group of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria; and the necessary equipment for our group for projects and events.

Turning the Tide for Westernport Mangroves

Mangroves sequester carbon, filter nutrients, and provide coastal protection and habitat. Westernport mangroves are amongst the world's southernmost forests and are critical to the Ramsar listed wetland area. Clearing and sedimentation have resulted in a decline in mangroves in Westernport. Unfortunately, the Westernport community's perception of mangroves is often negative, acting as a barrier to restoration. OzFish will engage the community on the importance of mangroves via one seminar, one mangrove walkthrough, one video, flyers and social media. We will then host two community planting days at Rhyll, Phillip Island, generating community stewardship of the local mangrove environment.

Coastal Butterfly Conservation through Community Engagement

Butterfly citizen science projects are an invaluable way to engage communities. There is little known about coastal butterfly communities in Victoria, despite coastal habitats being an important stronghold for vulnerable species. With a strong community engagement focus, the Threatened Species Conservancy will survey coastal habitats around Apollo Bay to assess coastal butterfly communities. This will: build an understanding of the management needs for coastal butterfly communities; assist local nurseries in plant selection for revegetation projects that will enrich coastal environments; and plant an indigenous butterfly ‘demo’ garden in a public community space.

Queenscliffe Coastal Weed Removal Program

Swan Bay Environment Association has been involved in removal of coastal weeds in the Borough of Queenscliffe (BoQ), in association with Bellarine Catchment Network (BCN), for a number of years. To increase the effectiveness of this program this project will:

1. Increase the number of volunteers contributing.

2. Increase the frequency of weeding at focal points in Pt Lonsdale and Queenscliff from monthly to weekly.

3. Conduct experiments to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of weed removal.

4. In conjunction with the BoQ and BCN, establish a committee to coordinate weeding in Queenscliff based partly on GIS based weed maps.

Controlling Boneseed at Harmers Haven —a Weed of National Significance

This project seeks to assertively manage and control the invading weed Boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera) at Harmers Haven. Boneseed is a Weed of National Significance (WONS). It is regarded as one of the worst weeds in Australia because of its invasiveness, potential for spread, and economic and environmental impacts. Boneseed has become an aggressive invader of Victorian coastal foreshores. The Yallock-Bulluk Marine and Coastal Park, of which Harmers Haven’s rare regional remnant vegetation is a significant asset for all Victorians, needs to be protected from WONS such as Boneseed in order to maintain high biodiversity values within the Coastal Park.

St Kilda Breakwater Penguin-Proof Plant Guard Trial

St Kilda breakwater penguins needing nesting material pull up new plants before they establish secure roots. Construction of 12 ‘penguin-proof plant guards’ in October 2022 will enable ‘late spring’ and ‘early autumn’ indigenous plantings within penguin-proof guards and an equivalent number of unguarded plants.

Middle Park beach is subject to erosion by rip currents generated by waves passing around St Kilda breakwater, necessitating beach renourishment every 7-10 years. This project will plant Knobby Club-rush (Ficinia nodosa) and Coast Speargrass (Austrostipa stipoides) in the existing dune.

Hoodie Who? Raising the Awareness of Pre-schoolers to Hooded Plovers

The Hooded Plover is a vulnerable beach nesting bird that breeds on our ocean beaches. Our group protects their nests and chicks with portable fences and signs. This project will provide early childhood educators with information and resources to promote Hooded Plover awareness in 4 to 9 year old children; focusing on the recognition of the portable protective management that we use. We will provide digital and paper resources for teachers to support children’s learning, promoting positive behaviour change through information, dramatic play and activities. In addition, we will produce re-usable corflute signs that promote public awareness of chicks on beaches.

Totally Wild

Merrivale Community Association hosts an annual event, which has been dubbed the Sustainable Scarecrow Trail. This interactive community exhibition encourages residents to create and display scarecrows made of repurposed materials found around the home. This year our theme is ‘Totally Wild’. This theme is centred around beach clean-up days along Warrnambool wild coast precinct, storing marine debris on land and hosting education workshops. These workshops will educate people about our marine debris issues and allow people to use these materials to make their own ‘sustainable scarecrow’ to be included in the trail.

Surf Beach Sunderland Bay Coastal Reserve Interpretive Trail Signage

Interpretive signage and interactives will be placed at Surfies Point and along the boardwalk to Sunderland Bay to help locals and visitors understand and appreciate: indigenous cultural heritage; unique coastal geomorphology; biodiversity values of local flora and fauna; threats caused by rabbits; and actions being taken by Surf Beach Sunderland Bay Coastcare Group and Phillip Island Nature Parks (PINP), such as protecting the area via a rabbit proof fence. Community education and engagement will be facilitated through QR codes on signs linked to webpage information e.g., volunteer working bees, citizen science projects, monitoring using photo points and how to reduce the threat of rabbits.

"What Lives Under the Water -  Gippsland Lakes"

Fishcare East Gippsland (Fishcare EG) deliver sustainable fishing workshops to the local primary schools, secondary schools, and the wider community that focus on: fishing regulations for the local fish species; fish handling; and hook removal. Fishcare EG has identified that the local schools are looking for additional educational information regarding local native fish habitats that aligns with their curriculum. This project will create a new educational workshop that delivers key messages about the different fish habitats within the Gippsland Lakes and the importance of healthy habitats to individual native fish species and the threats of pest species.

Fawthrop Lagoon, Leywhollot, Estuarine Community Education Project

This project’s priority is to value add to the preliminary awareness raised about this important estuarine community by building on our previous work at this site. Adjunct endemic plantings and related additional educational material will both include community engagement. Previously focused on revegetation with endemic species, this project builds on the interest generated by the Nature Trail Brochure we produced for the area through the development of a children's version and an indigenous food and fibre brochure. These will be designed to highlight this area's natural attributes and provide passive recreational engagement to all ages and abilities.

Discovery Days Building Community Capacity

This project will support the establishment of a series of on-ground Discovery Days for families with the aim of raising awareness about environmental rehabilitation and protection of the McCrae foreshore. Beginning with a Foreshore Walk with a local indigenous person and a Bush Art Day. Activities will include: learning about the history of the McCrae area; how indigenous people care/d for country; bush foods; how plants were/are used for making implements; the importance of re-establishing coastal vegetation indigenous to McCrae; and Bush Art weaving. The grant will also support continued stewardship of an area revegetated under a previous Coastcare grant.

Get Involved! Westernport's Special Worlds and how to Protect them

This project will provide inspiring information to interested community members and encourage volunteering to protect Westernport Bay and coastal areas. This project will create an engaging 20-minute video that provides up-to-date and interesting information on the unique ecosystems of Westernport Bay’s marine and coastal life and habitat, its many uses and benefits, and current threats. It will also provide ‘What can I do?” information on individual citizen science tools and resources, further reading, and highlight local environmental group contacts for hands-on and all-abilities volunteering work. We will promote and launch the video through social media and an event as well as sharing the video with other groups.

A Salty Subject: Ecology of the Endangered Plant Lepidium desvauxii

Lepidium desvauxii, Bushy Peppercress, is a rare plant restricted to fragmented coastal wetlands in Victoria; the species is listed under the Flora & Fauna Guarantee Act as Endangered. Currently little is known of the ecology of this species, and there is no Recovery Plan.

This project will investigate the ecology, physiology, and distribution of L. desvauxii in three disjunct populations in Gippsland, Victoria. The project will lead to a greater understanding of this species and its role in the ecosystem. The results may contribute to the development of a robust Recovery Plan and inform future conservation and restoration actions.

Thunder Point Coastal Reserve Conservation Project

This project will involve works in revegetation and invasive flora and fauna control, which all pose ongoing threats to the area. This project will also further enhance the continuing seabird biodiversity monitoring efforts on Middle Island, especially with regards to breeding populations of little penguins and short-tailed shearwaters, which in recent years have suffered decimation resulting from canid predation. Through these actions, we aim to restore the environment to a more natural state and involve the community in citizen science, thereby continuing to establish and deepen Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network’s relationships with various stakeholders.

Learning to (coast) care for Merricks Beach

This project will create educational marine-based materials for locals and school children. These materials will cover a broad range of local plant species in the area, issues and challenges and what locals can do to help and how to volunteer. The project will deliver these educational topics through social media, a walk and talk tour, tree planting and beach clean ups.

Rehabilitation and Revegetation of the Coastal Environment at the QCYC

The project aims to support the rehabilitation and re-vegetation of disturbed areas of the Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC) through the planting of endemic plant species. The planting forms part of the remediation works on the causeway and lease boundary batter which integrates with a native vegetation environment. The planting will be undertaken by QCYC volunteers and plants will be staked and guarded initially for protection from browsing animals.

Plant Numerous Small Spaces

This project will continue the indigenous vegetation program of Beleura Cliff. There are many areas of modestly sloping woody weeds (Polygala and Boneseed especially) that we don't want to clear in one hit. A large bare area invites erosion on a slope. This project will treat weeds in smallish areas (about 5m x 5m) and then revegetate them. In future years, our group will tackle the areas in between these small areas. The overall aim is to increase the area with a viable over-storey with no or few woody weed species present.

Ongoing Foreshore Habitat Restoration/Enhancing Scout Understanding of Site

Progressing 18 years of ongoing restoration in 3.4 hectares of foreshore habitat (Vulnerable and/or Endangered Ecological Vegetation Classes or EVCs) this project will involve skilled bush regenerators in restoring steep areas. Work will involve spraying and manual removal of re-emerging woody weeds, scrambler weeds and annual weeds and then planting indigenous species on the areas treated in 2021. The project will also deliver new foreshore signage and education session for scouts.

Flinders MPNP Coastal Rehabilitation Community Engagement Project

This Bushland Regeneration Project is an extension of work undertaken along the coastline between West Head and King Street since 2004. Work has involved woody and herbaceous weeding allowing regeneration of local native flora with strategic planting, particularly of grasses. This project will extend our work further toward Double Creek whilst continuing ongoing maintenance in previously treated and planted areas. Funds will allow us to continue to engage our longstanding contractor.

Bottles Overboard

Foreign bottles and packaging discarded from passing international ships are regularly collected off South West beaches. This project addresses this issue through:

1) Education and public awareness of foreign marine debris using social media platforms.

2) Collecting, auditing, and recording the types of foreign bottles washing up on our shores.

3) Engaging Narrawong and Portland beach walkers to join the ‘Bottles Overboard’ project.

4) Developing of a user-friendly identity kit that downloads as a PDF.

5) Collating data into a report to engage relevant stakeholders on appropriate source reduction.

6) Creating a campaign strategy to address the problem.

Phillip Island Great Victorian Fish Counts

This project will deliver four Great Victorian Fish Count events at Phillip Island and design and purchase shirts for participants in the 17th Great Victorian Fish Count (FishCount). Phillip Island contains internationally significant wetlands, seals, whales, dolphins and plenty of fish. However, few FishCounts have documented its amazing fish. We will engage with local groups and Melbourne’s biggest online snorkelling community to recruit volunteers for the FishCount on Phillip Island in 2022 and into the future. Snorkellers count fish using identification slates, the data collected is entered into BioCollect and compiled into an annual report provided to marine managers throughout the state.

Phillip Island Land Alliance

The Phillip Island Land Alliance (PILA) is a collaborative group of twelve community based environmental, land and coastal care groups, each with long and sustained beneficial works supporting Phillip Island environmental repair, restoration. PILA will tackle common issues and threats and extend to the wider community who live and work here. PILA seek to form effective alliance governance, structure and goals through four workshops in 2022-23. This will provide immediate opportunities for information exchange between members and public access to environmental information through a collaborative PILA website.

Development of a Group Strategic Plan for Future Volunteer Capacity

With the announcement of the Prom sanctuary, Wilsons Promontory National Park is at an exciting point in time. As the local Friends group, Friends of the Prom (FoTP), is looking to position itself to take advantage of the many opportunities which will be created by this important project. In order to best meet the future needs of the FoTP, we are seeking the assistance of a professional facilitator to guide our group in discussion on devising a group strategic plan. Key to these discussions will be the need to improve volunteer diversity, and encouraging volunteers into key governance roles.

Volunteer Safety, Recognition and Acknowledgment

Our 100 volunteers put in over 4,000 hours each year in maintaining the Great South West Walk (GSWW). This includes coastal erosion control, revegetation, education, signage, and ensuring the track is keep in a standard so that it can be enjoyed by people of diverse abilities and fitness levels. Without the volunteers the track would not exist and attracting and retaining them is a key objective in the organisation. This project will provide a standardised PPE work uniform which identifies our volunteers as a GSWW volunteer so that they can be safe, identify as part of a team and take pride in their volunteer activity.

Supporting Marine and Coastal Volunteers

This project will support the local Warrnambool community and volunteers to continue clean-up efforts and contribute data to the Australia Marine Debris Initiative. Marine debris is a major environmental issue and while there are many committed community groups and individuals in the local area who undertake beach and estuary clean-ups, the data from these efforts are not always being captured and therefore their efforts are not being measured or monitored to determine the source of the litter and effectiveness of the clean-ups. This project will build on the existing datasets from the local area and include new data collection and action planning that will be replicable and useful in future projects.

Marengo coastal rehabilitation and community workshops

Apollo Bay Ocean Care (ABOC) is a newly established conservation, education and citizen science group based in the southern Otways. This grant will support workshops on shell identification, seaweed identification, fish identification and Indigenous cultural use of the area as well as efforts to support and maintain coastal biodiversity through revegetation, environmental weed control and rubbish collection around the Marengo Reefs Marine Sanctuary. Our group will conduct beach shell surveys, and develop marine identification booklets for the community to use while snorkeling at Marengo Reefs MS.

Washed Up: citizen science research, education, information and communications

This project aims to educate the public about our localised marine debris issues and communicate the work of Beach Patrol 3280-3284. Our marine debris stories will be communicated through videos, infographics, and reports. Our group has uploaded data for over 1,000 beach clean-ups since 2017. This has generated detailed records of 300,000+ plastic items providing a unique 36-month data set.

Fostering Saltmarsh Habitat in the Breamlea Flora and Fauna Reserve

The purpose of this project is to address an invasive weed threat to the Breamlea Saltmarsh and engaging as many residents as possible in understanding and implementing a solution.

#stoptheNPseastars

To spread awareness on the Northern Pacific sea stars and their damage to the Bay we aim to educate people on its identification and compare native sea star species with the physical appearance of the Northern Pacific sea stars. As a consequence we hope to prevent the death of our native species. We are also promoting EarthCare St Kilda’s removal program.

Reducing Pest Pressures on Corinella Foreshore Reserve

This Project will reduce pest plant infestations and pest animal grazing pressures on the significant RAMSAR and marine coastline of Corinella. This will enhance the habitat viability for threatened flora and fauna species, remove erosion pressures cause by rabbits and weed species and protect environmentally and culturally significant sites from disturbance.

Revealing the habits of Port Phillip Bay’s iconic spider crabs

Spider crabs (Leptomithrax gaimardii) form massive aggregations within Port Phillip Bay (PPB), are an important ecotourism attraction, and may help regulate introduced pests (e.g. Northern Pacific seastars). Time-lapse cameras will be deployed to obtain digital images at different known spider crab aggregation sites. Citizen scientists will analyse the data and this will be correlated with environmental factors to allow us to understand the factors triggering the aggregations.

Weeds Be Gone

Our goal is to preserve and protect the natural values of the Eagle Point Conservation Reserve and surrounds. A critical goal of the Eagle Point Landcare Coastcare Group strategy management plan is to effectively manage weeds.

Habitat rehabilitation on French Island's South coast

Prior to being grazed the south coast of French Island was a pristine environment with indigenous species growing profusely. Since the late 1980s, Parks Victoria have negotiated with landowners to fence the coastal strip to exclude livestock. This project will extend on from the previously restored areas by undertaking weed control and replanting of indigenous species along the South Coast.

Supporting the Swamp Skink and Coast Banksia Woodland 2021-2022

This project aims to support threatened flora and fauna species Swamp Skink (Lissolepis coventryi) and Coast Banksia Woodland and to assist in the mitigation of coastal erosion at the mouth of Chinaman’s Creek in Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula. Project works include weed control, infill revegetation and dune erosion control planting, and reinstatement of exclusion fencing to reduce access to the mouth of Chinamans Creek.

Sorrento Foreshore Rehabilitation Project

This project aims to enhance the iconic Sorrento Foreshore by addressing the proliferation of environmental noxious, mostly woody, weeds and rubbish as well as revegetation to further enhance the species diversity of the site and protect the fragile dune headland.

Living on the Edge Reimagined

Following establishment of Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary in 2002, Friends of the Bluff, Barwon Heads developed the Living on the Edge website (www.barwonbluff.com.au) and educational CD Rom. These have been widely utilised as tools for raising community awareness of the values of the Marine Sanctuary. This project will ensure that the website continues to meet its purpose by restoring full functionality to the website and updating content after consultation with local community, schools and with agency partners and traditional owners groups.

Community stewardship - acting to protect Hooded Plovers in the West

The project will work in conjunction with community, BirdLife Australia and land managers to address major threats impacting Hooded Plover habitats in western Victoria. It will carry out critical nest site protection to reduce the impacts of human recreation, at sites between Warrnambool and Yambuk though a Site Protector Mentorship program to increase capacity and improve response times for nest protection in addition to weed management.

Diverse Communities: Sea, Look and Learn Program

Sea, Look and Learn is targeted to students and their families who don’t usually have any connection with Port Phillip Bay. On-water, marine focussed excursions are provided to 600 marginalised community members from asylum seeker groups and culturally diverse schools. On Kororoit Creek they will take part in tree planting, water testing and habitat surveys. At Jawbone Marine Sanctuary they will take part in curriculum activities designed to build their knowledge of the marine environment, and conduct surveys using a range of scientific methods.

Engaging community to manage overabundant urchins at Ricketts Point MS

Overabundant native urchin reduction in RPMS by MCRP and other qualified community members with assistance from VNPA SCUBA leaders and commercial divers, overseen by Parks Victoria.

Protecting the ecosystems and biodiversity of the McCrae foreshore

As well as continued stewardship in maintaining established sites, the project will restore and protect a dune area subject to active erosion and vulnerable to inundation through weed removal, mulching and revegetation.

Restoring understorey diversity in endangered Grassy Woodland

Grassy Woodland is an endangered Ecological Vegetation Class in the Gippsland Plains Bioregion. Small, fragmented patches have generally lost most of their understorey wildflowers and are subject to weed invasion.
This project will undertake weed control to restore the native grassy understorey of native vegetation and revegetate the sites with locally rare wildflowers. Wildflowers will be propagated in a seed production area (SPA) we will establish to reduce the need for wild collecting by producing high viability seed in a controlled nursery environment.

Interpretation & Conservation Package: Fossil Beach Mornington

Increased public interest and visitation at the Fossil Beach Historic Area requires interpretative tools to assist the four pre-existing information signs in the precinct. This will assist site protection, improve visitor safety, plus increase public awareness of the site's significant features for future conservation purposes.

Ocean Plastic Pollution Education and Prevention Strategies

This project is one aspect of the Resource Smart Schools Program and will focus on waste management within the coastal zone with the aim of reducing student and community impact on the natural environment.
The project includes incursions focussing on ocean pollution, plastic pollution prevention strategies including waste management and waste repurposing; and an onsite recycling collection station.

Scenic Estate Erosion Remediation and Vegetation Improvement

Scenic Estate Reserve (SER) is a newly established conservation reserve on Phillip Island. This project will provide an opportunity to assess current threats by mapping weeds and outlining a set of recommendations to prioritise on ground works. Revegetation works to complement existing plantings including re-establishing Moonah woodland and the implementation of erosion control measures will also be undertaken.

The Rye Seaside Scavenge

Seaside Scavenge is a grassroots environmental organisation which believes that our unsustainable consumption of the earth's resources is polluting the environment and contributing to climate change.
This project will deliver a waste education event where litter collected by participants from Rye beach and foreshore is sorted and becomes a currency in a pop-up market to purchase pre-loved clothes and other goods that have been donated by the local community. The event will also include workshops and talks from local groups working in waste reduction and environmental conservation. The litter collected at the event will be sorted and recorded in the Tangaroa Blue national database of marine debris.

2021 Tambo Bluff War on Weeds

Tambo Bluff is home to a remnant littoral rainforest. Tambo Bluff Landcare Coastcare has reduced weed biomass by > 90% following 28 years of work. Funding is sought in order to support volunteer weeding efforts by having a contractor following up in mid/late 2022 to treat any re-emerging invasive weeds.

Protection & restoration of the coastal foreshore at Andersons Inlet

This project will deliver the planting 500 mangrove seedlings along the southern foreshore of Anderson Inlet to mitigate erosion, conserve and enhance habitat for biodiversity and store carbon. A permanent interpretative sign, new webpage and community information session will raise awareness of the role mangroves play in a healthy coastal ecosystem. Monthly water monitoring will produce data to identify potential impacts on mangrove health and establish benchmarks for future water monitoring programs.

Restoration Plantings at Grahams Wetlands Project

The Restoration at Grahams Wetlands Project will deliver restoration and shoreline erosion plantings, citizen science monitoring, community engagement events, use communication tools to further educate and raise awareness of the value of the saltmarsh ecosystem, revive the Friends of Werribee South, and seek to build capacity for ongoing work in coast care in partnership with various stakeholders.

Sea Spurge Removal at Kennett River

Revegetation and weed control on the dune system at Kennett River by community volunteers.

Small numbers making a big difference

With more than 20 years of planting along the Mitchell River, Bairnsdale Urban Landcare Group (BULGInc) has worked hard to remove exotic woody weeds (predominately Poplar species) and revegetated our urban Mitchell River frontage. To support this work, we would like to purchase a BULGInc trailer, customised for transporting water, plants, mulch and our group's gear. We would also like to purchase more group owned revegetation and weed control gear. We will also purchase 300 indigenous plants to infill and improve biodiversity and to assist our established sites become more resilient to weed infestation.

Walk for a cause: Bushwalkers helping conserve coastal flagships

In Victoria, there are vast stretches of coastal habitat that are remote and only accessible via walking trails. The threatened beach-nesting Hooded Plover (Thinornis cucullatus) and coastal heath-dwelling Eastern Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus) have been identified as species where data is lacking in important parts of their range. Tailored training will be provided to several bushwalking/hiking clubs on identification of these species and how to safely monitor them. The data collected by these groups will be used to improve habitat and mitigate threats.

Building a network of Reef Life Survey divers in Victoria

This project builds volunteer community skills and knowledge in coastal and marine biodiversity monitoring and provides surveys of current biodiversity and resource condition in priority coastal areas of Port Phillip Bay and surrounding reefs for 2022 and 2023.

Restoring the biodiversity of the Ventnor Beach Rd Foreshore Reserve

Ventnor Coastcare Association Inc (VCCA) operating on Phillip Island, aims to: 1. restore and conserve the biodiversity of the Ventnor Beach Rd Foreshore Reserve, an increasingly popular, biodiverse, coastal and marine environment; 2. increase, diversify, strengthen and retain our volunteer base; and 3. build community capacity, to make better environmental decisions and respond more effectively to the challenges of our changing climate.

Snorkeling with Marine Scientists

This project will harness social media to recruit and engage volunteers though a partnership with ‘Snorkelling Melbourne Victoria’. Training of VNPA staff as snorkel instructors will allow volunteers to participate safely in marine citizen science events including The Great Victorian Fish Count (GVFC) and the Sea Slug Census (SSC). Education and engagement materials including videos will also be produced to improve volunteer recruitment.

Youth volunteering in the Melbourne Sandbelt

Westgate Biodiversity is partnering with Bayside Intrepid Landcare to diversify our volunteer base by engaging diverse, young people in coastal volunteering, with a strong focus on training and capacity building. This project combines trials of new salt marsh plant propagation techniques at our fully equipped nursery, with on-ground rehabilitation work at the remnant coastal saltmarsh of Westgate Park.