Community Connect: Green champions restoring landscapes across South East Queensland
Community Connect: Green champions restoring landscapes across South East Queensland
Community conservation in South East Queensland (SEQ) is motivated by passion, knowledge and skills and is built out of respect and recognition of the environmental significance of the region’s distinctive habitats - wildlife and flora, terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats. This type of conservation not only serves to protect, maintain and improve ecosystem health and resilience, but to also create social connection, promote health and wellbeing, strengthen cultural values and contribute to the character of our region.
Background
Successful environmental stewardship is driven by community management and actions to protect biodiversity and conserve our natural resources. In SEQ, local, state and federal government, non-profit organisations, industry groups, First Nations partners, natural resource management groups, community conservation groups and private landholders work together to improve environmental outcomes.
The dedication of volunteers is reflected in their contributions of time, resources and expertise to plan and implement projects that benefit both ecosystems and society. Volunteerism plays a significant role in environmental stewardship - in Queensland, 64% of residents volunteered in 2023, representing 2.8 million people contributing approximately 719.8 million volunteer hours valued, at $117.8 billion to the community (Volunteering Queensland, 2024).
Community conservation values
• Supports conservation and restoration of beautiful SEQ environments.
• Community engagement and socialising.
• Promotes activity, health and wellbeing.
• Council opportunity to celebrate and support volunteers and promote environmental outcomes.
• Environmental education and awareness building.
Community conservation for everyone
The beauty of community conservation is in the diverse ways in which it is practiced. There are innumerable kinds of environmental volunteerism including environmental awareness programs, on-ground rehabilitation and revegetation, debris collection, citizen science and more. Some stakeholders participate in regular volunteer engagement, while for many it is an occasional, but meaningful contribution. This might be participating in a tree planting day or a community cleanup day. In fact, 44.4% of Queensland resident volunteers participate in informal volunteerism without organisational support, with 31.5% volunteering in formal settings and organisations such as non-profits as well as 21.1% engaging in both formal and informal volunteering (Volunteering Queensland, 2024).
This regional story celebrates joint and individual volunteerism from individual actions including through the Land for Wildlife program and Bushcare community groups.
We are adding case studies here in the next few days - stay tuned!