Acting to conserve our biodiversity
Everyday Action by Individuals

At the end of the day, people, not governments, protect the environment. However, people are more willing to do the right thing, more willing to help, if they know what to do and if they are given opportunities to become involved. They are also more willing to stay involved if they get feedback on progress. The Government will ensure that information to facilitate effective action is readily available in practical ways.

Action at home
At home we can plant native gardens, minimise water use, control domestic pets, and volunteer for work on native revegetation or weeding programs. We can install insulation, and use energy-efficient appliances.

All of us can reduce, reuse and recycle. Victoria’s Clean and Green program illustrates some of the many possible actions.

Action at work
Reducing, reusing and recycling continues at work. And at work we can encourage our employers and colleagues to incorporate biodiversity considerations into product design and business planning, particularly as part of environmental management planning (for example, landscaping or commercial/industrial plant siting). Greener purchasing policies will support other environmentally sensitive businesses. Farmers and landholders have a huge range of opportunities to contribute to conserving biodiversity, from planting shelter belts to protecting waterside areas, fencing valuable patches of native vegetation, and protecting valuable areas from weeds and pest animals.

Action in the market
Every time we shop, we make choices. Over time, more biodiversity-friendly products are becoming available. All else being equal, if we choose products from organisations which have a demonstrated commitment to biodiversity conservation and good environmental practice, we help indirectly to conserve biodiversity.

Action at play
Most Victorians spend some of their leisure time enjoying our natural wealth. Minimising the impacts of camping and four-wheel-driving, are practical ways to help. There is also plenty of scope to develop new ideas. For example, catch-and-release fish tagging programs combine recreation with conservation. Voluntary codes of practice are becoming more widely available for different recreational pursuits.

Contributions to community-based action
Victorians increasingly participate in community-based action programs such as Landcare, Coast Action, FishCare, Land for Wildlife, and the conservation work of groups like Botanic Guardians and ‘Friends’ groups. Other programs may, for example, aim to improve recreation by restoring fish habitat in inland streams, or to increase the economic and productive value of rural land by planting trees. Whatever the motives, the actions also help us meet our responsibilities to biodiversity and to future generations. Collecting information about biodiversity or helping to monitor the environment are also valuable ways to contribute – a great deal, in fact, is gathered by enthusiastic people from cities, towns and farms.