WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS
Thanks for coming out to learn about plants with us and Yarra City Council. We hope you enjoyed the experience and learned something new about the local area and feel empowered to get involved to help preserve it. Indigenous plant species hold significant ecological and cultural meaning in a landscape and their rehabilitation in our environment is critical to preserving biodiversity and healthy ecosystems. We’ve rounded up a few ways you can get involved and support the preservation of native ecosystems below.
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Plant ID
Continue developing your skills in plant identification, particularly the ability to identify native and invasive species, using tools like iNaturalist or local field guides. Once confident, you can use this knowledge to remove invasive weeds in your area.
Be an informed gardener
If you have a garden, plant natives indigenous to the local area. Use resources like Flora of Melbourne or the Kulin plant list in Zena Cumpston’s Indigenous Plant Use booklet.
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Volunteer
Join local landcare and conservation groups like Friends of Andrews Reserve (join Ben on Sunday mornings from 10am), Growing Friends of Yarra Bend Park, ACF Inner Melbourne, or Friends of Merri Creek Labyrinth and attend community planting events.
Engage
Participate in citizen science projects like City Nature Challenge and monitor the plant phases of native species in your area, logging observations in a platform like iNaturalist.
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Stay informed
Learn more about Australia’s nature laws and what you can do to help strengthen then.
Review Australia’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.
Participate in nature positive campaigns from organisations like the Wilderness Society and the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Speak up
Write or speak to your MP and local representatives about the importance of native species in our green spaces, along with the need to fund organisations that support their rehabilitation, like Parks Victoria.
Support the adaptation of Traditional Owner land management practices, such as cultural burns, which foster healthy native plant communities.