Junior Landcare News – April 2020

WIRES AND LANDCARE AUSTRALIA JOIN FORCES TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY BUSHFIRES AND DROUGHT WITH $1MILLION GRANTS PROGRAM – APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON 30TH APRIL
The WIRES Landcare Wildlife Relief and Recovery Grants are open for bushfire and drought-affected areas across Australia. Schools can’t apply directly, however what your school or youth group can do is contact your local Landcare group or environmental community group and apply together as co-contributors. We would like to encourage greater links with schools and youth groups to local Landcare groups and the community. READ MORE

WATCH THE JUNIOR LANDCARE VIDEOS
Get started with a Junior Landcare Learning Activity by watching Costa and the Junior Landcare team in action. The videos introduce various Junior Landcare learning activities in preparation for starting the activity at home, school or with a community group. WATCH THE JUNIOR LANDCARE VIDEOS

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IMPROVE WETLAND SYSTEM BIODIVERSITY
Armed with a 2018 Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grant of nearly $5,000, Year 9/10 students students at Murtoa College recently completed a project to improve the biodiversity of a wetland system owned by the high school. READ MORE

NEW JUNIOR LANDCARE LEARNING ACTIVITY – ‘WATERWAYS CLEAN-UP’
We all have the power to help keep our coastlines, rivers, lakes, swamps, creeks, floodplains, billabongs and estuaries clean by diverting rubbish from our waterways. This can be done with regular clean-ups, picking up litter when you see it, and changing our behaviour such as limiting our use of single-use plastic. Junior Landcare have created a Learning Activity for children at home, at school or with a youth group or Coastcare group host their own waterways clean-up. GET INVOLVED

CREATING A FOOD GARDEN: VISION
Planning for your food garden helps to build ownership that will help achieve the best results. Planning will also assist you in being successful in applying for relevant Junior Landcare Grants to support the development of your food garden. Use this learning activity to explore exciting ideas, create goals and understand more about successful food garden projects.
CHECK OUT THE ACTIVITY

JUNIOR LANDCARE LAUNCHES JUST FOR KIDS
The Just for Kids activities have been developed to help children at home explore Junior Landcare and create their own ideas. The activity sheets are based on the activities in the Junior Landcare Learning Centre, and focus on four key areas: food production, biodiversity, waste management and indigenous perspectives. Visit Just for Kids and explore the Junior Landcare Learning Centre.

WICKING BED GARDEN PROJECT
Located in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Maleny State School has been recycling all waste, including a composting program to reduce landfill. They wanted to use this compost to help grow vegetables and other produce in a water efficient way. To do this, they applied for, and were successful in receiving a 2019 Bushmans Junior Landcare Grant. READ MORE

JUNIOR LANDCARE’S EDUCATION PROGRAM MANAGER NEWS
Mary Bell’s update for teachers and educators on activities connected to Junior Landcare’s Learning Centre. READ MORE

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Landcare Australia Ltd, Level 3, 6 Help Street, Chatswood, NSW 2067

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Volunteering Update

A note from Parks Victoria

To ensure the restricted mass gatherings and physical distancing directions of the Victorian Chief Health Officer are adhered to, all volunteering, education and guided walks programs have been suspended until further notice. This includes individual participation as part of community or environmental group on Parks Victoria’s estate.

Whilst we appreciate the enormous contribution volunteers make to the conservation and protection of nature, the message is clear – you must stay home. Currently there are only four reasons to leave your house:

  1. For food and supplies that you need
  2. For exercise
  3. For medical care and care giving
  4. For work and education – if necessary.

If you require more information on COVID-19 please visit: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

We thank you for your cooperation and understanding

Source: https://www.parkconnect.vic.gov.au/Volunteer/

Wild Families

Looking for fun ways to keep the kids busy at home?

Wild Families activity sheets include plenty of ways to learn about nature at home and in the backyard. You could adapt many of the activities on these sheets for around the home. 

Some suggested Wild Families activities for the backyard:

Suggested Wild Families activities for learning about nature inside:

  • Get to know some fascinating facts about native animal families such as the Sugar Glider and Flying Foxes
  • Colour-in an undersea reef and learn about Victoria’s marine life.
  • Adapt this birdwatching detective activity by looking out for bird life through the window instead. What species of birds can you see?
  • Learn aboout many of the fun places you could visit and make a wish list of places you’d like to go when it is safe to do so again. 
  • Colour in and draw homes for Victorian wildlife such as the Lyrebird and Southern Brown Bandicoot

Download all the Wild Families activity sheets at:

https://victoriannationalparksassociation.createsend1.com/t/d-l-mtrdrdl-wlrtlyhf-g/

Wild Families is a Victorian National Parks Association program supporting families with children under 12 years old to take journeys of discovery together, based on the three themes of:
• enjoying nature together, 
• learning about nature, and 
• looking after nature.

Find out more here.

COVID-19 response

For the Victorian National Parks Associations’s response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, see vnpa.org.au 

For details on national parks, reserves, park closures, campsite closures and changes in conditions, visit the Parks Victoria website