What you can do

Page Navigation:

• Recreation
  1. Did you know?
  2. What can I do?
  3. Bushwalking
  4. Camping
  5. Boating
  6. Fishing
  7. Find out more
• Volunteering
  1. Did you know?
  2. What can I do?
  3. Clean-up days
  4. Conservation projects
  5. Help wildlife
  6. National parks
  7. Botanic Gardens
  8. Other
  9. Find out more
• Recycling
  1. Did you know?
  2. What can I do?
  3. Wastewise events
  4. Strategies
  5. Managing public places
  6. Considerations
  7. Find out more
• Transport
  1. Did you know?
  2. What can I do?
  3. Talk a walk
  4. Ride a bike
  5. Public transport
  6. Drive carefully
  7. Find out more
• Waste
  1. Did you know?
  2. What can I do?
  3. Where do I start?
  4. Clean up initiatives
  5. Waste wise events

• • What you can do
  • Resource Centre
  • Projects & Partners

Article:

Volunteering

Where do I start? 

Firstly, work out what sort of volunteer you would like to be. Find out what type of environmental projects are being undertaken in your area, how much time and energy you can commit, how far you are prepared to travel, and what your area of special interest might be.

There are opportunities to suit every level of experience, availability of time and area of interest.

Clean-up days

Some people get involved just one day a year to help clean up their local environment with Clean Up Australia Day. Clean Up Australia Day is usually held on the first Sunday in March.

Business Clean Up Day and Schools' Clean Up Day also provide an opportunity for work colleagues and students to get outdoors and act together. Visit Clean Up Australia or phone 1800 282 329 (freecall) for more details.

Conservation projects

Conservation Volunteers Australia have a number of projects you can get involved with:

• Installing fences and constructing walking tracks in sensitive areas – join in to build walking tracks and fences along creeks, coastal areas or other environmentally sensitive areas. This helps environmental monitoring and access for the community and local schools to use these areas as an environmental education study site.
• Protect a local waterway or coastline – Sydney Harbour National Park contains rare pockets of bushland and is also the habitat for an endangered bandicoot population. You could help remove weeds including fleabane and asparagus fern.
• Bushcare and wetland restoration – there are a host of opportunities to help protect our bush and wetlands on every level, such as bush regeneration projects in areas ranging from the coast to rainforest.  Other activities include weed removal and mulching, tree planting, creating frog ponds, rehabilitating trout cod habitat, installing water plants and improving riparian vegetation to improve the microfauna habitat.
• Find other opportunities and volunteering activities via the conservation connect tool or contact 1800 032 501.

Also, check your local council's website, your local newspaper or library for upcoming opportunities to work locally in your local council's Bushcare program or have a look at Landcare. Some people volunteer a few days a month to restoring council bushland – this can involve planting trees, de-weeding or collecting seeds.

Nearly 1000 native species, populations and ecological communities are threatened with extinction in NSW. Find out how you can help and learn more about habitat and species protection from the Bionet and Threatened Species websites.