Young Victorians are receiving more support to care for our great outdoors thanks to the Allan Labor Government.
Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos today announced the opening of Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grants totalling $450,000 to get young people out in nature to care for and learn about Victoria's environment.
Victorian primary and secondary schools, Scouts and Girl Guides, childcare centres, youth groups and Junior Landcare groups can apply for grants of up to $5,000.
Projects can focus on one of two areas, education activities to involve and engage young people and on the ground projects that focus on creating and restoring native habitats.
Last year, the Labor Government provided grants to 103 recipients including planting native gardens, building habitat to attract native insects and birds and excursions to wildlife sanctuaries.
Recipients included Research Primary School - the school's Paradise Project focused on preserving and enhancing local biodiversity including the endangered Gang-Gang cockatoo by revegetating school grounds with over 400 plants. Students were also visited by ecologists from Zoos Victoria to learn about the species.
Wangaratta District Specialist School received funding to help students with a disability to connect with the natural environment by planting 700 indigenous plants to regenerate a pond area at Winton Wetlands.
Students at Bundoora Secondary College monitored water quality in ponds and creeks in Gresswell Forest and conducted frog surveys to determine the health of the environment and will be working with Banyule City Council to revegetate these sites.
Over 47,000 young Victorians have taken part in Junior Landcare environmental projects since 2018 - planting nearly 100,000 native plants, going on 1,100 excursions and completing 270 biological surveys.
For more information on Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grants, visit environment.vic.gov.au/grants.
As stated by Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos
"We're supporting this next generation of Victorians to work together and protect our state's great outdoors."
"Young Victorians are champions of nature, and these youth led programs will help restore and improve native habitats across the state for our native plants and animals to thrive."
