1. Green Corps
Green Corps is a six-month youth development experience for 17 to 20 year old Australians, and is managed by Conservation Volunteers Australia on behalf of the Commonwealth Government. Green Corps offers unique work experience, accredited training and leadership development across Australia. Green Corps have propagated and planted more than 4 million plants, removed 44 thousand hectares of invasive weed, constructed more than one thousand kilometres of fencing and collected more than 13 thousand kilometres of native seed. The experiences the participants receive have proved to be the start of many careers. These include:
- · Park ranger with national parks
- · Veterinary nurse
- · Landscaping apprentice
- · Motor mechanic
- · Website designer
Green Corps began in Newcastle at the beginning of 2001, and also became the planning centre for areas outside of Newcastle as far away as Coffs Harbour. Before they were established in Newcastle, projects for the Newcastle area were planned out of their Sydney headquarters.
Green Corps projects in Newcastle include:
| Stockton Beach | Assist with dune rehabilitation on this magnificent beach near |
| Newcastle | with evasive weed control and weed surveying |
| Warners Bay | Revegetation of the riparian zones of North Creek and its tributary in the Warners Bay subcatchment of Lake Macquarie. This essential project in a beautiful area will provide an area for environmental education for the nearby school |
| Raymond Terrace | The project work includes tree planting, weed control, path and walking track construction and maintenance. Also, projects at the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens. The work involves the development of the new walking tracks, planting areas and propagation of native seeding for the use in the gardens |
| Adamstown Heights |
This project involves the protection of the area by increasing the bio-diversity and establishing buffer zones in areas of significance or disturbance. Tree planting, selective weeding, assistance with a community awareness campaign will form an important element of the project. |
| Newcastle | At the rear of the Palais Youth Venue in Hunter Street, there is now a small garden of native plants in the area adjacent to the railway line. What was once a desolate area, home to many weeds, has been transformed by a Green Corps team. It has become a user-friendly space for the young people who come to the Palais. Hopefully, once the trees and shrubs grow, birds will return to the area |
Green Corps at the Palais Royale Youth Venue,
October 2001
2. Green Reserve
Green Reserve is a work experience initiative funded by the Federal Government and managed by Conservation Volunteers Australia. Green Reserve involves jobseekers over the age of 35 who are willing to commit to two days per week to an environmental project for a period of six months. Projects are specifically developed to provide mature-aged volunteers with the opportunity to contribute their skills and experience in ways that may complement the more intensive labour contributions of Green Corps or traditional volunteer teams. No special skills or experience is necessary, as all training is provided.
Projects are developed with a particular focus drawn from one of the Green Reserve sub-programs. These programs include:
- Greenways- walking tracks, recreational trails, cycle paths; assessing, maintaining and improving the tracks, surveying users
- Waterways - creeks, streams, wetlands; water quality monitoring testing and protection, flora and fauna surveying, bird counts
- Energywise - helping to achieve more efficient energy use through energy audits, recycling programs
- Urban Wilderness - protecting and improving pockets of remnant vegetation in urban areas; flora and fauna surveying, surveying and monitoring impacts, fencing, access control
- Country Care - habitat protection and enhancement in and adjacent to rural communities; plant identification, weed mapping and control, feral animal surveying, construction of nesting boxes
- Hands On Heritage - research, data collection and entry, protection and restoration of heritage sites, sorting and classification of artefacts
- Cleaner Coasts - coastal impact surveys, beach and dune access control, assisting Coastcare groups, rock pool surveys
- Community Friends - surveying community needs to support local projects.
One of the first projects in Newcastle was restoration works on the Fernleigh Track, a cycleway to run from Adamstown to Belmont. The initiative involves restoration of the track and a community awareness program. Project spokesman, Mr John Williams said of the project: "It gives the participants the satisfaction of knowing their skills and experience are preserving our environment for future generations."
Photo courtesy of Angela Scales
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