CELEBRATING THE LAUNCH OF NATURE BLOCKS™
11 Sep 2023
Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) has partnered with Yarra Trams to celebrate the launch of the Nature Blocks™ campaign with a tram promoting the initiative rolling on to Melbourne’s tram tracks from yesterday.
Conservation Volunteers Australia is the nation’s leading practical environmental group, which works to empower every Australian to take simple yet powerful actions for nature.
Nature Blocks is a national campaign designed to encourage every Australian to assist in rejuvenating and restoring Australia’s unique biodiversity by connecting with nature.
It involves participants building a native garden of any size in their backyard, on their balcony, in their office, or in their local environment to provide a source of food and shelter for native species.
Yarra Trams supports six not-for-profit organisations each year through the Community Partnerships Program by offering the opportunity to promote a campaign on a tram that travels on the world’s largest tram network. CVA and the Nature Blocks initiative aligns with the 2023 program theme of ‘Building a resilient and sustainable Melbourne’ with its focus on climate resilience, environmental sustainability and creating a more sustainable and environmentally conscious society.
Chief Executive of Yarra Trams Carla Purcell congratulated Conservation Volunteers Australia on their Nature Blocks initiative and its important effort to introduce green spaces into our cities to build climate resilience.
“Our trams – fully offset by solar generated power – are already one of the lowest emission ways to get around Melbourne, and I’m thrilled that one of our trams will be promoting this brilliant initiative.”
CVA Chief Executive Officer Phil Harrison said the Nature Blocks campaign is designed to inspire and support all those who wish to take simple actions for nature and as little as one square metre can make a difference.
“As Nature Blocks are built, these create micro-habitats and can contribute to connectivity corridors, which are critical for the native wildlife that make their home in our major cities and by creating Nature Blocks, each person can take a positive step to support Australia’s precious biodiversity and help our cities and towns to be healthier places for us all to live.”
In June, the Biodiversity Council found that almost all Australians (97 percent) want more action to be taken to conserve biodiversity, with a strong majority (58 percent) agreeing that either ’a lot more’ or ’a great deal more‘ action is needed. The report also found that most Australians support the notion that every person has the responsibility to act for nature, with more than four in five (85 percent) of Australians moderately or highly concerned about threats to nature, including the impact of climate change on biodiversity; the loss of pollinator species and natural places; and the extinction of native plants and animals. (1)
A recent study of 1,585 Melbourne community members published on ScienceDirect also found that more than four in five people (86 per cent) wanted the city to develop more space for nature with reasons including the promotion of mental and physical wellbeing, conservation of native plants and wildlife, civic pride, and a belief that it would help attract a greater number of visitors and assist the city’s post-pandemic recovery. (2)
CVA has developed ten examples of Nature Blocks activities, which include nature pots, pollinator gardens, rain gardens, nature strips, nest boxes, insect hotels, bandicoot backyards, bat boxes, lizard lounges and a frog bog. Participants can visit the CVA website or download the new CVA app for explanatory videos and resources on how to build a Nature Block to suit their location, space, and level of experience, and join an online community to share their stories of success and encourage others to get involved.
Mr Harrison explains CVA’s goal is to protect and restore nature by making conservation accessible, fun, and fulfilling for all, through building a community of like-minded people who can share how their Nature Blocks are growing and which native creatures are visiting.
“Individuals don’t need to be a professional gardener or have large amounts of free time or space to participate and enjoy the benefits this rewarding journey can bring.
“Whether you have a sprawling garden or a humble pot, every plant counts in this mission to restore biodiversity. Everyone has a role to play in protecting and restoring our natural environment and by taking action together as a community, we can make a significant impact.”
To find out more, please visit https://mynatureblock.org.au/ or download the new CVA app.