Increasing Community Engagement in Townsville Coastal Catchments for Biodiversity Project
Funded by the Australian Government's Caring for our Country program.

Activities and Events

Bluewater Creek | Bohle Northshore | Bohle Riparian | Bohle Wetland | Clemant Wetlands | Cocoa Creek | Community Nurseries | Creekwatch | Cungulla Foreshore | Cungulla Wetland | GBR Habitat | Geoffrey and Alma Bay | Horseshoe Bay Habitat | Horseshoe Bay School | M.I. Weed Awareness | Mundy Creek | Nelly Bay Catchment | Nelly Bay Turtle | Northern Beaches | Oak Valley Finch | Paluma Catchment | Petersen Creek | Rainforest Birds Book | Ross River | Rowes Bay Foreshore | Rowes Bay Wetlands | Saunders Beach | Toomulla Foreshore | Town Common Bike Trail | Town Common Concept | Town Common Volunteers | Townsville Planning Scheme

Short Title: Community Nurseries

Community Nurseries Volunteer Capacity Building

Location: CVA nursery (Bushgardens)

Organisation: CVA

Project Summary:

The proposal is to support activities at the Conservation Volunteers Australia community nursery at the Bushgardens.

Completed actions and events:

Activities:
•    Bushgardens Community Nursery (Aitkenvale);
o    52 nursery volunteer days (each Friday),
o    498 volunteers (x5 hours = 2,490 volunteer hours),
o    17,866 trees seedlings and grass trays propagated.
•    4WD seed collecting tour to Bluewater and Palleranda (9 volunteers) - 14 January 2012
•    Seed collecting at the Town Common, Toomulla Beach, Stuart Creek and Bohle wetlands – various days
•    Plant giveaway at Toomulla/Clemant wetland appreciation day – 15 July 2012
•    Promotion and recruiting at events including;
o    Upper Ross Community Expo (May 2012),
o    Fishing and Outdoor Expo (May 2012),
o    Heritage Day (May 2012),
o    Ecofiesta (June 2012),
o    JCU O-Week.

Volunteering Program – Case Studies – Bush Garden Nursery
The Bush Garden Nursery at Aitkenvale is a popular project with the community and volunteers attend each Friday. Volunteers from all walks of life participate, at the nursery. The site is also appropriate for volunteers with disabilities who are limited with their volunteering opportunities and enables volunteers to gain satisfaction and the value in contributing as part of a team. The Townsville Community learning centre students and teachers attend on a regular basis and enjoy the hands on participation.

Volunteers learn skills such as seed collection and propagation of native plants for revegetation, and nursery maintenance such as weeding, potting and transplanting seedlings. By growing local, indigenous species, the plants were in demand after Cyclone Yasi to replant areas affected by the salt laden winds. The nursery has been able to support many other community groups such as Coastcare and Landcare groups and NRM bodies, and plants have also been given away to interested members of the community at various events.
•    Greening Australia nursery Pimlico volunteer nursery activities (1200 volunteer hours)

Activities:
•    Greening Australia nursery Pimlico volunteer nursery activities (1200 volunteer hours)
•    Field trips for seed collecting;
o    13 and 20 December 2011,
o    10, 17, 24 and 31 January 2012,
o    14, 21 and 28 February 2012,
o    5, 6, 13, 20 and 27 March 2012,
o    17 and 24 April 2012,
o    1, 8, 15 and 22 May 2012.

•    Final report received – September 2012