Conservation Volunteers Australia

Have you got a kid's birthday party coming up? Why not turn it into an empowering and eco-friendly experience for your little ones and their friends! 🎉

Using terracotta pots filled with native plants as party favours is not only fun and engaging, but will also encourage environmental awareness.

Making pot plants is an easy hands-on activity that lets kids get their hands dirty while learning about nature. With a bit of supervision, they can create their own special party favour to take home, cherish, and nurture.

It is a simple, cost-effective way to connect and make the birthday celebration both memorable and meaningful.

Swipe for a full breakdown of materials needed and cost.


[conservation volunteers, biodiversity restoration, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

Have you or someone you know recently joined a CVA event or CVA App activity?

We’d love to hear from you! Take part in our new volunteer survey to help RMIT researchers and CVA create more fulfilling volunteer projects.

👉 Check out the link below to fill out the online survey on RMIT’s website

https://rmit.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6DPdjA7UVIEQWR8

The survey is completely anonymous and only takes 10 minutes.

Your feedback will help us empower even more volunteers to support our important conservation initiatives. 🌱

Curious about the research study? You can read more about it in our blog!


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

ConservationMatters

Are you free on Wednesday, 7th of August in Melbourne?

We would love for you to join us for National Science Week at Sparrovale Wetlands. Together with the City of Greater Geelong, we are rolling up our sleeves to help restore and protect this vital ecosystem connected to Lake Connewarre (an internationally significant RAMSAR site). 🤝

Everyone is welcome, so bring the whole family and get ready to do a bio-blitz activity logging the unique biodiversity of this site! Paired with a clean-up activity and free lunch, we hope to see you there!

📲🌿 Join us & register through the link in our bio: https://conservationvolunteers.com.au/our-projects/ (link in bio).


[conservation volunteers, wetland restoration, marine life, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

Do you know how much plastic waste is created from the personal care products in your home❓🤔

Do you have plastic shampoo bottles, plastic toothbrushes, plastic razors, plastic-based makeup and other toiletries?

Take the SeaToSource Plastic Waste Challenge to find how much plastic waste is lurking in your bathroom!

Knowledge is power, and the first step towards eliminating these plastic beasts from your bathroom is to do an at-home plastic waste audit.

🌏 To get started, download the CVA app and join a community of nature stewards who are going plastic-free for nature. 🌏


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

Empower your employees to become active advocates for nature with CVA's Employee Engagement program.

By choosing CVA as your nonprofit partner, you can enhance your business's resilience, embed sustainable practices, and build social capital. Ensure a thriving nature for all, while fostering a culture of environmental stewardship within your organisation. ✅

Are your personal care items affecting Australian wildlife and polluting our natural environment? 💭💥

Many personal care products like sanitary pads, face wipes, and nappies are made of plastic. When these items are thrown away they end up in rivers, waterways and the ocean and can entangle wildlife, be a choking hazard, and pollute ecosystems with toxic chemicals.

✨ This we challenge you to opt for personal care products that are kinder to the planet. ✨

That includes reusable nappies and sanitary products, and being mindful of the impacts of single-use plastics on the environment.

👉 To get started with eradicating plastic waste, take our SeaToSource Plastic Waste Challenge by downloading the CVA app. 👈

Together, we can conquer these plastic beasts!


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

Marcia Blake was the winner of the $250 Mastercard gift card giveaway last year, and boy has she been busy expanding her very own Nature Block! 🌱

Marcia spent her winnings on adding plants and habitats to her Nature Block. She says all of her hard work is starting to pay off with an increase in activity! 🐦

“Small nectar birds are frequenting more, and we have had a couple of breeding pairs of w***y wagtails. We also have a resident king skink living under our house. He certainly keeps me thinking!”

We love hearing stories like this from our community. Have you built your very own Nature Block? We want to see! Tag us in some photos on your social media and tell us about the impact it has had on you.

Haven’t started yet? It’s never too late. Download the CVA Community Hub app and help us build back nature today! 📲🌿


[conservation volunteers, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

It’s National Tree Day in Australia! 🌳🌲🌴

We’d like to acknowledge and celebrate the importance of trees in our daily lives:

🌴 trees are the ‘lungs of the planet’ providing us with oxygen to breathe
🌴 trees help provide resilience to climate change and protection from floods and storms
🌴 trees are home to a wide variety of wildlife and help support biodiversity across the globe
🌴 trees give us many natural resources, to make products like furniture, paper and houses
🌴 trees help cool our streets and cities, providing shade and places to relax

✨ Celebrate National Tree Day by downloading the CVA App and joining our community of Nature Stewards who are taking action for the planet. (link in bio) ✨


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

Celebrate Schools Tree Day today across Australia by taking part in CVA’s Adopt a Challenge initiative. 🌳

We’re empowering youth to take action for nature, by making it fun and accessible to take part in protecting and restoring your local environment.

Here are 3 ways you can Adopt a Challenge:

🌳 Plant a native tree at home or at school (as part of your Nature Block)
🌳 Participate in a CVA tree-planting event
🌳 Eliminate plastic pollution by taking part in our Plastic Waste Challenge

Find out more about our Adopt a Challenge initiative (link in bio).🔗


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, australian natural environment]

Winter Tree Planting Success with Conservation Volunteers Australia and Chevron Australia

We are excited to share the incredible success of our recent tree planting events at Bibra Lake and Forrestdale Lake, hosted in collaboration with the City of Cockburn, Chevron Australia, and DBCA.

Event Highlights:

1️⃣ Bibra Lake: A fantastic turnout of enthusiastic volunteers came together to plant over 500 native trees and shrubs. The event was filled with positive energy and a shared commitment to restoring our natural environment.

2️⃣ Forrestdale Lake: Another successful day with 603 trees planted, contributing to the rejuvenation of this beautiful area. Volunteers of all ages participated, making it a truly community-driven effort.

Thank You: A massive thank you to all our volunteers, partners, and supporters who made these events possible. Your dedication and hard work have made a significant impact, and we couldn't have done it without you. I had a blast!

Special Mentions:

🙏 City of Cockburn: For your continued support and collaboration.
🙏 Chevron Australia: For your commitment to environmental sustainability and Volunteer days.
🙏 Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions: Preparing the Forrestdale site for planting.
🙏 All Volunteers: Your time, effort, and enthusiasm are greatly appreciated.

We are inspired by the success of these events and look forward to more opportunities to make a positive impact on our environment. Stay tuned for future events and join us in continuing this important work!

Together, we are making a difference, one tree at a time! 🌳💚

We’re shining a spotlight on foam plastic today, as part of our celebrations. 🔎

Plastic foam products like plastic sponges and foam trays can end up as plastic waste that pollutes our rivers, ocean and waterways.

Let’s tackle these plastic foam beasts by avoiding food that’s packaged in plastic and opting for natural sponges. 🌏 🙌

Our purchasing decisions have big power — together we can get rid of plastic waste.

👉 Download the CVA app to start your plastic-free journey with our SeaToSource Plastic Waste Challenge.


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

Thrilled to report on the success of our 8 World Environment Day events in June and the impacts achieved. 🚀

With the support of 504 amazing volunteers, we were able to plant 4,885 new native plants in one day!

We couldn’t do this without our incredible partners and our community of committed conservation volunteers. Thank you to everyone who got involved and supported these events in Adelaide, Gladstone, Hobart, Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Mackay, and Melbourne! 🙌

As our Climate Resilience Season comes to an end, we couldn’t be more proud of these results for nature.

🌏 We have an incredible line-up of events planned for the rest of 2024 and we hope to see you there: https://conservationvolunteers.com.au/cva-community-app/ 🌏


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

St Lawrence Wetlands Regenerative Tree Planting 🌳

Conservation Volunteers Australia teamed up with the Koinmerburra Aboriginal Corporation, Sarina Landcare Catchment Management Association Inc. (SLCMA), and Isaac Regional Council to revitalise the St Lawrence Wetlands and support the Healing Mixed Water project.

In collaboration with our dedicated project partners, we successfully ran two planting activities at the inaugural St Lawrence Wetlands Weekend festival. Costa Georgiadis joined in and helped our volunteers plant 300 native seedlings to improve biodiversity in the wetlands. The seeds were propagated at the SLCMA Community Nursery from seeds sourced locally by our volunteers.

Thank you to all who participated at the events, and to our devoted project partners for their continued collaboration and support.

Conservation Volunteers Australian’s Revive Our Wetlands Project is powered by Chevron Australia.

Single-use plastic drink bottles may be convenient, but they’re wreaking havoc with the health of the planet. 😦

There are plastic-free alternatives that are much better for the Earth.

Make the switch to using a reusable bottle or drinking tap water.

By eliminating plastic beasts during you’ll be joining a movement of people around the world who are taking action for the planet. 🙌

👉 To help you get rid of your plastic beasts at home, we’ve created a family-fun SeaToSource Plastic Waste Challenge. Download the CVA app to take part.


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

Missed our NAIDOC Week event at Hawthorne Reserve in Sydney? Here’s a glimpse of what it was like — we hope you can join one of our upcoming volunteer events. 🧡🖤❤️

Hosted in collaboration with Koori Kinnections, attendees learned about the many different ways native Australian plants are used in Indigenous culture.

We had a wonderful morning sampling Bush Foods, including tea prepared by Jess, with damper, Lilly Pilly jam, warrigal greens pesto and lemon myrtle lemonade.

Volunteers also got to take home a native, edible plant sourced from IndigiGrow — a 100% Aboriginal-owned and operated plant nursery in La Perouse.

We also had some insightful and important discussions about changing the date of Australia Day, the unsuccessful Voice to Parliament referendum and why we need to do better as a Nation and 🔥

Get notified about future volunteer events by downloading our CVA App and subscribing to our bi-monthly newsletter. (link in bio) 🔗


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

It was immensely fun learning about sustainable living with Emma Grace at our recent event near Cheetham Wetlands in honour of World Ocean Day. 🌊 ♻ 🌏

As part of our Revive Our Wetlands project, this sustainable skincare workshop was all about showing participants how to create water-safe, organic skincare products and how to live more sustainably while reducing plastic consumption.

It was also a great opportunity to admire the stunning Cheetham wetlands and spot birds, while enjoying tea and meeting new people.

👉 Download the CVA app and register to attend an upcoming Conservation Volunteers Australia event near you (link in bio 🔗).


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

Do you have plastic beasts lurking in your home? 👿💀👻

Perhaps you’ve noticed a sneaky plastic detergent bottle, or a team of plastic toys cluttering your kids room.

If so, it’s time to take a stand and start eliminating these plastic beasts! After all, they’re creating havoc with our ecosystems — polluting rivers, wetlands, and our ocean. 🌏

The first step in getting rid of plastic waste is to do a plastic waste audit of your home. That’s why we created the SeaToSource Plastic Waste Challenge.

👉 Take part by downloading the CVA app today!


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

A shoutout of thanks and gratitude to Damien and the amazing team of volunteers from for helping us survey threatened plants at Londonderry Woodland Reserve last month! 👏

We were lucky to find these rare carnivorous sundews (Drosera sp.) and the spectacular snake tongue greenhood orchid (Pterostylis sp.), as well as another surprise visitor (can you spot it? 👀).

Are you interested in conservation volunteering?

📲 Download the CVA App and join a community of Nature Stewards participating in volunteering events and taking action for nature through our nature-based campaigns.


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

Let’s zoom in on hard plastics. 🔎 These nasty plastic beasts are found in many food items like coffee pods, takeaway utensils, and microwave meals. 👿

Without realising it, buying foods that contain hard plastics is contributing to plastic pollution that threatens many ecosystems including rivers, wetlands, and the ocean.

By taking our SeaToSource Plastic Waste Challenge, you can uncover your plastic footprint and work towards eliminating plastic from your home.

Help us get rid of all these hard plastic beasts and keep our natural ecosystems, plants and wildlife healthy and resilient.

👉 Download the CVA app to get started with your very own at-home plastic waste audit. (link in bio)


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

Over the past two months, Rockingham, WA has been buzzing with activity, as we expanded our Urban Shade Forest into our second region! 🌳

As a result, we’ve achieved some incredible things, including 215 volunteers and 8 community groups getting involved in the project, and 4,622 new seedlings planted across two sites!

Endless thanks to the volunteers who have donated their time, the community groups involved, as well as the City of Rockingham – Local Government and Chevron Australia for their support.

While we reflect back on our successes, we’re already looking forward to expanding our Urban Shade Forests in WA in 2025! Watch this space for upcoming opportunities. 🎉

Are you a private landholder based in the Rockingham LGA and want to plant an Urban Forest on your property? We’d love to see if we can help. Get in touch with us via [email protected].

All across Australia, there’ll be plenty more opportunities to get involved in greening your patch! For more information and to register, visit: https://conservationvolunteers.com.au/our-projects/



*The Urban Shade Forest initiative is supported by founding partner Chevron Australia, Chevron’s premium fuel brand Caltex and supported locally by the City of Rockingham.*

Become a citizen scientist with CVA and help us collect data to improve nature conservation? 📲🌿

Citizen scientists can help to collect and analyse data about species and habitats, informing research and helping conservationists better manage biodiversity and its many threats.

At CVA, we use a range of citizen science apps for conservation including DigiVol, iNaturalist.org, TurtleSAT app, and the LitterStopper app.

Our own CVA app empowers everyone to take action for nature by:

🌼 Building back nature through the creation of Nature Blocks
♻ Conducting a plastic waste audit through our SeaToSource Plastic Waste Challenge
🌊 Adopting a Challenge such as getting involved in beach and river clean-ups

To get started as a citizen scientist, download the CVA app today. (link in bio) 📲


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

Did you know: only 13% of plastic is recycled in Australia? ♻ 😮

That’s why we’re raising awareness about the negative impacts of buying plastic bags on the environment, and the health of our ecosystems. While bags are convenient, we can all make more sustainable choices.

✅ Refuse to buy new plastic bags
✅ Reuse the bags that you already have
✅ Reduce waste by supporting zero-waste stores
✅ Recycle plastic bags when they can no longer be reused

Living a more environmentally conscious and sustainable lifestyle starts with creating awareness of plastic waste in your life.

👉 Take our SeaToSource Plastic Waste Challenge and join a movement of people across Australia who are saying no to plastic waste! To get started, download the CVA app. (link in bio)


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

It’s , so let’s zoom in on soft plastics. 🔎 🌏

These soft plastic beasts are hiding in plain sight — in your kitchens, bathrooms and other places within your home.

To conquer plastic beasts at home, take our SeaToSource Plastic Waste Challenge: a fun way to audit your plastic consumption.

Next, take a look at these plastic-free alternatives and start living more sustainably.

✨ Let’s celebrate Plastic Free July by eliminating plastic beasts together! Download the CVA app to get started (link in bio). ✨


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

🌊 Join CVA and Sage Cosmetics Coaching for a Sustainable Skincare Making Workshop in honour of World Oceans Day! 🌊

Did you know that plastic waste from cosmetics packing contributes towards polluting the ocean, while chemicals in many products affect water quality, ecosystems and the survival of many species.

Zero-waste, natural skincare products can help provide a solution to the interlinked problems of plastic waste and toxic chemicals that both affect our ecosystems and health.

This engaging workshop will empower you to make your own natural skincare from scratch — and to help protect the ocean.

📅 Date: 17 July, 2024
🕐 Time: 10am - 1pm
📌 Location: Hawthorne Reserve, Ramsgate (NSW)

Scan the QR code to reserve a spot, and download the CVA app to find more events and volunteer opportunities near you.


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

Spending time outdoors in nature can actually help our brains and bodies work better and feel better! 🏃‍♀️ 🌳 🌸

A The Guardian article ‘The nature cure: how time outdoors transforms our memory, imagination and logic’ explains how environmental neuroscience is uncovering the need for us to spend more time in nature.

The article quotes studies that show that time in nature can help cognitive function to improve, help us be more creative, and can help improve wellness and feelings of calm.

Are you looking for opportunities to spend time in nature while making new connections and helping to do good for the planet?

We invite you to join our Australian-wide conservation volunteering events and activities, including beach clean-ups, wetland restoration, and building homes for wildlife and endangered species.

Download the CVA App to find out more and join our community of Nature Stewards. ✨

Disclaimer: The information in this post is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be relied on as health or personal advice.


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]

It’s , so let’s zoom in on soft plastics used in food packing. 🔎 🌏

Do you buy chips and snacks in plastic packets, use cling wrap, buy plastic bags, or buy your fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic?

Then you may be shocked to learn that soft plastics can take 200 years to break down! ⚡

Furthermore, Australians consumed around 100 kilograms of plastic per person between 2020 and 2021, with a large amount of litter ending up in rivers and along coastlines.

Here are some plastic-free alternatives to help you get rid of plastic beasts at home. Let us know if you have any more plastic-free suggestions.

Thanks Pip Tweed and for helping bring these plastic beasts to life!

👉 Celebrate Plastic Free July by taking part in the SeaToSource Plastic Waste Challenge that makes it fun for the whole family to conduct a plastic waste audit. Download the CVA app to get started. (link in bio) 🔗


[conservation volunteers, world ocean day, ocean conversation, wetland restoration, marine life, biodiversity, conservation education, Australian natural environment]