Corporate engagement produces positive environmental impact
It’s been a busy year at Landcare Australia. With the support of our corporate partners we’ve been able to fund hundreds of Landcare and Junior Landcare grants and, more than 1000 corporate volunteers participated in employee engagement work with Landcare groups across the country.
As 2018 draws to a close, the Landcare Australia team and the whole Landcare community thank our corporate partners for their generous support in making a positive impact on communities, farms, schools, groups and the environment across the country.
Best wishes for the season to all of our readers and we look forward to being in touch in the New Year!
Employee Engagement
In 2018 over 1000 corporate volunteers from 28 organisations donated thousands of hours of their time to assist in caring for the land and water that sustains us. Partnering with Landcare groups across Australia, participants were involved in various Landcare activities including: weed eradication, plant propagation, planting native tube stock, mulching, nest box building and heritage conservation. During Landcare Week in September several corporate partners and their employees participated at events in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
New partnerships
In 2018 we established corporate partnerships with a range of businesses including Gallagher and General Mills. We also partnered with Woolworths and Sure Gro Tree Max Australia and have already launched projects with these two new partners (see below).
Woolworth’s Bag for good supporting Junior Landcare
In the first half of 2018, Landcare commenced a partnership with Woolworths Supermarkets as part of the retailer’s removal of single use plastic bags. With their introduction of a reusable shopping bag called the Bag for good™, money made has been committed to fund hundreds of gardening and recycling projects in Australian primary schools and early learning centres. We launched the Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants program in October and received an amazing response. The first Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants will be awarded in 2019.
This grants program, and Woolworths’ sponsorship of the Junior Landcare Team Award at the bi-annual National Landcare Awards, exemplify their commitment to helping to inspire the next generation of environmental champions.
Sure Gro Tree Max Australia
For over 30 years, Sure Gro Tree Max Australia has worked closely with Landcare, Coastcare and Bushcare groups. To formally recognise the loyalty these groups have shown their business and the importance of the work they do, in 2018, Sure Gro Tree Max partnered with Landcare Australia to inaugurate the Sure Gro Tree Max Landcare Grant Program.
This grant program is being funded through a cause-related marketing initiative, with Sure Gro Tree Max donating 5% (GST exclusive) to Landcare Australia from all orders it receives from Landcare, Bushcare and Coastcare groups that are listed in the National Landcare Directory.
The East Gippsland Landcare Network is the recipient of the inaugural $5,000 Sure Gro Tree Max Landcare Grant.
Ongoing partnership highlights
Our many ongoing corporate partnerships enable us to continue to fund projects and engage communities across Australia. Click here to read about the various projects all our corporate partners and are funding.
A few highlights for 2018 include:
- Lion Dairy & Drinks (Lion) and Landcare Australia awarding nine Australian dairy farmers and two orange growers grants for projects that improve biodiversity and land management or increase energy efficiency. All grants awarded were up to $10,000 each for a total of $110,000 in funding.
- Delivering the Monash Freeway Upgrade (MFU) project. This is the fourth in a series of initiatives undertaken by Landcare Australia and our partner Transurban, to rethink the use of land in close proximity to its roads network and engage local communities. The City of Greater Dandenong was awarded a Landcare grant from MFU, to regenerate a section of Dandenong Creek adjacent to the freeway upgrade site.
- With the 2017/2018 projects nearing completion, three more a2 Milk™ farmers received grants for projects in 2018/2019. The projects focus on different initiatives to enhance sustainability and achieve positive environmental and business outcomes, such as increased biodiversity, reduced erosion, improved productivity, and improved pasture health.
Junior Landcare projects
For the second year in a row, Momentum Energy’s Powerful Youth Projects funded Victorian schools and youth groups with up to $1,000 each for innovative outdoor classroom projects. This year 219 grants were awarded. With its 2017 South32 Junior Landcare Enhancing Habitat Grants proving such a success, the company invested in a second round of grants for 2018. Eleven schools in Western Australia and Tasmania received up to $5,000 to support projects that help students learn about protecting and restoring our natural environment through hands-on outdoor learning. The Australian Rail Track Corporation funded 29 Hunter Valley schools in New South Wales to receive Junior Landcare grants.
Workplace Giving
This year the drought faced by farmers, especially in Queensland and New South Wales reached crisis point. We provided a substantial amount of funds from workplace giving to support farmers in these two states with initiatives for longer-term rejuvenation of the land.
An example of how your workplace giving funds are helping farmers is with the implementation of multiple Landcare groups running free workshops for local farmers in drought-affected areas providing information about how to build drought resilience. These community groups create much needed opportunities for individuals to come together and provide additional support, whether it be advice on supplementary feeding or just being there to lend a sympathetic ear.
