Landcare grant for CEN wildplant nursery

Community Environment Network (CEN) was one of seven groups in NSW to be awarded a grant from Landcare Australia.

CEN will use the $14,000 grant to upgrade the Wildplant Community Nursery to help build the capacity of the community to support land care and biodiversity projects on the Central Coast.

Landcare Australia announced 26 recipients of the 2024 Landcare Australia Community Grants Program, with $300,000 being distributed throughout Australia for environmental volunteers to use in a huge variety of landcare activities.

Grants were awarded in every state and each of the projects supported will receive between $5,000 up to $20,000, directing funds right into the heart of grassroots Landcare groups across Australia.

CEN’s aim for this project is to improve the functionality of the wildplant nursery for their volunteers and increase the output of local provenance plants to supply to the community for ecological restoration projects.

The CEN Wildplant Community Nursery was established in 2009 as a not for profit, volunteer operated, native plant nursery specialising in provenance plants endemic to the Central Coast region.

It began as a plant rescue service, going into areas that had been earmarked for development, and rescuing native plants from certain destruction.

The plants were then looked after at the nursery until they were able to be replanted in either their original location or for the beginnings of regeneration works on another site.

Volunteers meet every Friday at the nursery and are trained in everything from seed collection, seed banking, propagation and care.

The nursery has 16 regular volunteers who also attend during the week for watering and general maintenance duties.

A CEN spokesperson said the Landcare grant would go towards repairing and expanding the growing facilities with the aim of improving the functionality and space of the nursery to allow for more volunteers to attend our nursery propagation days and a higher output of plants from the nursery.

This year’s Landcare Australia Community Grants program, launched during Landcare Week, coincided with a big milestone for Landcare Australia and landcare as a national movement.

More than three decades ago in Wentworth NSW, the late former Prime Minister Bob Hawke announced the Decade of Landcare and established Landcare Australia, and supported the national formation of the Landcare movement, bringing farmers and conservationists together to resolve environmental issues.

Landcare remains just as relevant today as it was 35 years ago, continuing its mission to protect and enhance our natural environment and restore landscapes.

“The calibre of grant applications was exceptional – hand on heart – we were inundated with applications and could easily have awarded 10 or even 20 times the amount and still not met the demand to support vital Landcare activities across Australia,” Landcare Australia CEO Dr Shane Norrish said.

“Landcare also plays a vital role in building community connections.

“I want to thank everyone who took the time to apply for funding.

“It clearly demonstrates that the Landcare movement is still as passionate and determined to restore and protect our nature and landscapes, as it was 35 years ago.

“The enthusiasm and energy underpinning every application was truly remarkable.

“I’d like to congratulate the successful groups and look forward to seeing what you achieve with the funding in 2025,” Norrish said.