Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information for volunteers

We know your Coastcare work means a lot to you, as it does to us.
As the situation continues to evolve, it is important that you stay up to date at www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au

We have collated some resources to give you more clarity on the requirements for your specific circumstances:

Find the latest official guidance for environmental volunteers from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning at the Victorians Volunteering for Nature website.
The Department of Health and Human Services has information for Victorian volunteers which you can find at the Volunteer website.
For Committees of Management (CoMs) – Visit the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) Committees of Management webpage
For volunteers working on Parks Victoria managed land – Parks Victoria has information on their Volunteering webpage and Park Connect webpage.
For marine and coastal volunteers working on public land managed by another entity (i.e. not Parks Victoria or a CoM), please contact the land manager for advice. If you don’t know who the land manager is, contact your local Coastcare Victoria facilitator for assistance to put you in touch.
Official information and advice about coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions is available on the Department of Health and Human Services web site www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au.

What can I do? Staying involved in volunteering while at home

Volunteering is a great way to stay connected with people and the environment, and we know many of you will miss your volunteering activities and networks during this period of staying at home. While we can’t do everything we normally would, there are ways to stay involved:

Hold your committee meetings online via Skype or one of the many other online tools available. If you need help getting set up, talk to a tech savvy member of your group, a family member of your local Coastcare facilitator

Visit the SWIFT (State Wide Integrated Flora and Fauna Teams) website and participate in upcoming interactive online seminars and/or read the notes from previous seminars

Renew or develop membership or other brochures for your group/ network

Organise a regular online or phone catch up with people you usually volunteer with

Stay in touch with the Coastcare Victoria community – join or create an online community or social media account to share ideas, achievements, photos and projects

Follow Coastcare Victoria on Facebook for information about our upcoming online events

Work on a 12-month or longer strategic plan for your group or project to set yourself up for the future. E.g. document your project priorities or aspirational ideas for what you want to achieve in your local area; plan what you will focus on and what resources you will need when you re-commence activities. Landcare Victoria has a range of general information on environmental volunteering available on the Victorian Landcare Gateway including the Planning with Purpose Toolkit for information on what needs to be included in an effective plan and how to run the process.

Plan how you can attract and recruit more volunteers to your cause – Volunteering Victoria has some helpful information

Apply for grants funding - https://www.vic.gov.au/grants

Develop some ‘shovel ready’ projects which you can seek funding for when relevant grants become available

Think about how to make your volunteer group more inclusive and diverse or document the approaches you have taken and share your learnings with others

Make sure all volunteers and staff in your organisation have a current Working With Children Check, and understand Victoria’s new Child Safety Standards

Do your paperwork – review your Job Safety Plans for your activities, complete any outstanding grants reporting, update your meeting templates, update your volunteer contact list

Spring clean and service your equipment

Connect with other volunteer groups who have similar projects or challenges to you – ask your Coastcare facilitator to put you in touch or help you connect online

Make sure your details are listed and up to date on Victoria’s Environmental Volunteering interactive map and email environmental.volunteers@delwp.vic.gov.au if you need to update them

Get involved in citizen science projects- the Australian Citizen Science Association has an extensive list of projects

Sort out your photos and choose the best ones for future promotion or reporting

Subscribe to DELWP’s Marine and Coasts Newsletter

Keep an eye out for regular email updates from Coastcare Victoria with more information and ideas.

Write an article for the special 25 years edition of Coastline. There are prizes to be won. Find out more here.

Explore online training opportunities for your group/network members and/or the committee.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information for Committees of Management

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is regularly updating its Committees of Management webpage

Coastal Plants and Weeds

Weeds at the Early State of Invasion Early Invader Online Manual

Data - where to contribute yours

Biodiversity Data: Activity Kit

Activity Kit video tutorials

Marine Debris Database: Tangaroa Blue

Decision Making

New Group Starter Kit for Landcare/ Coastcare

Committees of Management (Level 3)

Value of volunteering calculator - find out how much your volunteering is worth!

Volunteering Tas resources - very useful tips and facts about volunteering

Education

Highlights of Summer by the Sea

Each year during the January school holidays, Coastcare Victoria, delivered by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), coordinates the delivery of hundreds of free ‘Summer by the Sea’ activities all along the Victorian coastline.

In 2021, in order to keep Victorians safe, the program went online!

Summer by the Sea showcases Victoria’s precious coastal and marine environment which is made up of a wide variety of species and habitats, some that are only found in our temperate South-East. Find out more about these remarkable places, learn about some of the challenges they face and the work being done to help improve and protect them. Some highlights from the program are now available to view on demand below.

The 2021 program was more accessible than ever, with all podcasts being accompanied by English transcripts and all videos being accessible with both English closed captions as well as being inclusive of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities with translations into:

Visit the Summer by the Sea website for more information.

Videos

Bug Blitz @ Nungurner Jetty - Surveying invertebrate life in the shallows with your family

Presented by: Dr John Caldow and Erin Nowak, Bug Blitz Trust.

What are vertebrates and invertebrates? Learn how to survey the shallows to explore marine life with your family. This video demonstrates invertebrate collection techniques, shows you how to make a Seascope to view underwater life and how to make your own Polychaete keyring. Bug Blitz shares their discoveries, showing some of the unique creatures found during this ‘hands on’ family science activity at Nungurner, on the Gippsland Lakes.

Bug Blitz @ Nungurner Jetty - Resource Links
(PDF, 486.1 KB)

Transcript - Bug Blitz @ Nungurner Jetty - Surveying invertebrates in the shallows with your family (PDF, 157.1 KB)

Transcript - Bug Blitz @ Nungurner Jetty - Surveying invertebrates in the shallows with your family
(DOCX, 186.7 KB)

Catchments to the Sea

Presented by: Roberto D'Andrea, The Connies.

Come on a Coastcare journey with a critically endangered Melbourne tram conductor as we follow the 'litter stream' and track our way from gutters and drains to the sea. While we're out and about we'll take a look at some of the beautiful biodiversity that's found in and around our creeks, rivers, coastal and marine environments.

Catchments to the Sea - Resource Links
(PDF, 490.0 KB)

Transcript - Catchments to the Sea (PDF, 150.8 KB)

Transcript - Catchments to the Sea (DOCX, 185.7 KB)

Coastal Critters

Presented by: Xavier Morello, WildlifeXposure.

Come along with Xavier and get up close to some of our amazing and unique marine creatures that are found along the Victorian coastline. Learn more about the importance of protecting our oceans and what we can do to help!

Transcript - Coastal Critters (PDF, 147.4 KB)

Transcript - Coastal Critters (DOCX, 185.0 KB)

Coastal Plants and Beach Combing

Presenter: Naomi Wells, Bellarine Catchment Network.

Have you ever wanted to know the names of plants that you see along coastal trails? Or what makes plants special and unique? Perhaps you would like to learn more about the diverse array of plants and animals found in the intertidal zone?

Join Naomi from Bellarine Catchment Network and learn about some beautiful local plants that you can find near you, as well as introducing you to different animals that live in the intertidal zone.

Naomi will take you on an adventure to meet four different types of animals, telling you a little bit about their lives. You will also find six plant species that exist right across Victoria and could be in your backyard!

Be sure to print the Beachcombing activity (PDF, 2.6 MB) to take along to the beach.

Transcript - Coastal Plants and Beach Combing (PDF, 140.3 KB)

Transcript - Coastal Plants and Beach Combing
(DOCX, 172.0 KB)

Formation of Port Phillip and an insight into its marine inhabitants

Presented by: Ray Lewis, Marine Education Science and Community.

Join Ray from the Marine Education Science and Community Centre as he teaches us about the history of Port Phillip Bay and the significance of the several marine sanctuaries that have been introduced over the years. Ray will also tell us about some exciting animals that live in the Bay and provide a focus on the biology and incredible adaptations of squids!

Formation of Port Phillip and an insight into its marine inhabitants - Resource Links (PDF, 582.3 KB)

Transcript - Formation of Port Phillip and an insight into its marine inhabitants (PDF, 151.9 KB)

Transcript - Formation of Port Phillip and an insight into its marine inhabitants (DOCX, 184.5 KB)

Intertidal Treasures - Rockpool Ramble

Presented by: Marg O’Toole, Habitat Connection.

Join Marg O'Toole from Habitat Connection as she explains how to enjoy your day out rockpool rambling! Come along and discover what lies below the high water mark. These plants and animals are tough!! How do they adapt to this harsh but fascinating life?

Learn how to enjoy your rockpool ramble safely, not only for you, but also the treasures found.

Transcript - Intertidal Treasures - Rockpool Ramble (PDF, 167.2 KB)

Transcript - Intertidal Treasures - Rockpool Ramble (DOCX, 188.1 KB)

Inverloch Dinosaur Discovery

Presented by: Mike Cleeland, Bunurong Coast Education.

Join in with our online tour of the amazing Inverloch Dinosaur Dig! See real dinosaur bones, the actual dinosaur footprint, volcano and earthquakes and a whole lot more.

Inverloch Dinosaur Discovery - Resource Links (PDF, 490.4 KB)

Transcript - Inverloch Dinosaur Discovery (PDF, 164.0 KB)

Transcript - Inverloch Dinosaur Discovery (DOCX, 184.7 KB)

Snorkel Victoria: Top 10 Places to Visit This Summer

Presented by: Jack Breedon, Meet me Underwater.

Do you want to finally get into snorkeling this summer? Or are you an experienced snorkeler looking for somewhere new to explore? This video breaks down 10 of the best snorkel sites in and around Melbourne. Learn about what you might expect to see and which sites are easier than others. So dive on in and check it out!

Transcript - Snorkel Victoria: Top 10 Places to Visit This Summer (PDF, 136.5 KB)

Transcript - Snorkel Victoria: Top 10 Places to Visit This Summer (DOCX, 183.7 KB)

Live

How shorelines are "Sand"wiched between a rock and a hard, soft or wet place

Presented by: Neville Rosengren, Honorary Research Associate, Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University.

Neville will describe and graphically illustrate the key processes that shape the more than 2,000 km of Victorian coast.

The Capes (e.g. Otway) and Bays (e.g. Western Port) that give the distinctive form of the coastline have diverse origins.

Granites at Gabo Island and Wilsons Promontory respond very differently to storms and rising sea-level than do mangroves on mud in Corner Inlet and the sands of the Ninety Mile Beach.

Neville will go back in time (confidently) to look at shorelines of the past, and forward (tentatively) to shorelines of the future. Each distinctive region of the Victorian coast will be given a mention and a view.

Marine Mammals Online

Presented by: Matthew Montemurro, Marine Mammal Foundation.

Join the Marine Mammal Foundation for this live online event, and discover the amazing marine mammals who call Victoria home! Learn all about our local dolphins, seals and whales, be taken under the water with images and video collected by the Marine Mammal Foundation team, and learn how you can get involved in your own community to conserve and protect these incredible animals.

Penguin Protectors – Meet the Middle Island Maremma Guardian Dogs

Presented by: Patricia Corbett, Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare.

Come along with Trish, and get up close and personal with the amazing dogs that protect penguins on Middle Island. You will learn about the Little Penguins that live along the coastline of Victoria and what we can do to help protect the amazing marine life that live in our ocean.

Slugging It Out For Science

Presented by: Kade Mills, Victorian National Parks Association.

Come on a journey below the blue line to discover a world of flamboyant, solar powered, kleptomaniac sea slugs. Join Kade Mills of the Victorian National Parks Association as he uses video, photography and maybe even interpretive dance to tell stories about Victoria’s splendid southern sea slugs. We will also share some tips and tricks on how to find these sometimes elusive creatures and how the data we collect is helping us understand our ever changing marine environment.

Funding Opportunities

Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Grants

Victorian Government Grants

Information Hubs

Landcare Gateway

OzCoasts - comprehensive information about Australia's coasts

Parks Victoria Publications

Marine Flora, Fauna and Pests

Guidelines for Working in Little Penguin Habitat

Marine Pests - A threat to Port Phillip and Western Port Marine Protected Areas

Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park Identification Booklet

Safety