Nature-led Community Recovery Grants
About the grant program
Zoos Victoria has partnered with ERV to lead the Bushfire Recovery Grants for Nature-led Community Recovery Program.
The Nature-led Community Recovery Program aims to support both the recovery of Victoria’s biodiversity and communities recovering from the Victorian 2019-20 fires.
Grants are available for projects that deliver on-ground action for recovering wildlife and habitats as well as educational or arts programs connecting environmental recovery with human recovery.
The total funding available for this program is $90,000.
Objectives
The objective, based on the recognised benefits of people’s connectedness to nature, is to facilitate people’s recovery within 2019-20 fire-affected communities through meaningful activities consistent with biodiversity conservation, and which allow witnessing of nature recovery. Intended benefits include:
- increased understanding of environmental fire recovery in currently affected communities. Improved community understanding of succession and threats to natural recovery
- people contributing to meaningful, effective actions to support local, place-based natural values recovery
- increased visitation and boost to regional economies in fire-affected areas through volunteering opportunities.
- improved advocacy for nature by all Victorians
- people’s recovery along with their environment’s recovery.
Applicants can apply for grants up to $5,000
Examples of projects that could be supported include:
- a Municipal Recovery group seeks funding to conduct an activity to highlight possible nature-based community recovery. Regular Recovery Walks through nature which is accessible to all sectors of the community, becoming embedded in regular community events; establishing interpretive trails that tell a story of community and forest recovery
- a local community hub/group wishing to advance a project to protect native species or environments: creating artwork to raise awareness or sponsoring a specific activity to reduce threats (nest boxes, fencing, captive release, insurance population, etc)
- a local community wishing to create spaces for individual reflection, connection and appreciation of native wildlife or natural environments
- a local group wanting to establish meaningful citizen science to track the recovery of local species and share the results with the wider community.
Grants cannot be used for:
- offsetting of salaries, operating costs for existing staff or contractors
- feasibility studies, business plans, cost-benefit analysis and economic impact studies
- projects that may have a negative impact on existing businesses/services
- passing on funding to a third party in the form of sponsorship or grant
- retrospective funding for projects that have commenced activity.
Timeline
1 April 2021 to 1 June 2022
Guidelines
Updated