Land for Wildlife - How do I get involved?
There are many opportunities for volunteer involvement, depending on your interests, skills and time commitment.
The first step to volunteer involvement is to contact the Land for Wildlife Extension Officer nearest to the area in which you would like to work. Alternatively, send a letter or email explaining your interests, skills and the role you wish to play to the Land for Wildlife Co-ordinator who will circulate it to Land for Wildlife extension officers and/or landholders (if appropriate).
Registering your property
Landholders can become voluntary members of the Land for Wildlife scheme. These volunteers are actively involved with protecting habitat or restoring habitats on their own land.
To apply for Land for Wildlife, please print and complete the application form below and email to peter.johnson@dse.vic.gov.au or forward to:
Peter Johnson
Land for Wildlife Coordinator
Department of Sustainability & Environment
Box 3100, Bendigo Delivery Centre
BENDIGO VIC 3554
Land for Wildlife Application Form
[MS Word Document - 38.5 KB]
Office administration and field days
Volunteers who would like to become further involved, or do not have a property, may wish to provide support to Land for Wildlife extension officers. Extension officers operate the scheme in their local area and undertake specific projects related to promoting the provision of wildlife habitat on private land such as running field days.There are many administrative tasks that are suited to volunteer involvement. By helping in this way, Land for Wildlife extension staff can spend more of their valuable time assisting landholders directly. Filing, computer data entry, newsletter and flyer production, organising field days and displays are the types of activities on offer.
Property assessment
Volunteers with appropriate natural resource management or native biodiversity skills or experience, or an aptitude to gain these skills, are currently assisting in Land for Wildlife property assessments. This role offers the opportunity to meet landholders and learn more about the needs of wildlife. The scheme provides training to volunteers who help in this way.The ability to offer encouragement, record property and habitat details and some knowledge of wildlife and its habitat requirements are desirable skills for this role.
Alternatively, volunteers may wish to work directly with a landholder protecting or creating habitat. This may involve planting, fencing, weeding or other habitat works. Land for Wildlife can invite landholder members wishing to have volunteers help in this way to contact you.