Coastcare Victoria Program

2024 Coastcare Victoria - 30 Year Forum: 'Looking back to look forward'

During National Volunteer Week, Coastcare Victoria celebrated its 30-year milestone with an extremely successful Forum that brought together over 100 attendees, both in person on Bunurong Country on the coast in Naarm (Port Melbourne), and online. The event was a vibrant gathering of the Coastcare Victoria community, celebrating and honouring three decades of unwavering volunteer dedication to the protection and enhancement of Victoria's marine and coastal environments.

The forum not only celebrated the past but provided inspiration for future actions. Volunteers, Community Groups and Organisations, Traditional Owners, Agency Partners, past Coastcare Victoria staff and expert presenters delivered a series of engaging presentations and workshops that highlighted the collective efforts, challenges and successes in preserving the natural beauty and health of our coastlines.

Coastcare Victoria held a series of forums across the Victorian coastline in May and June 2022 to celebrate volunteers who contribute to the health of the state’s marine and coastal environment.

Each session focused on building the knowledge and capacity of volunteer groups involved in the Coastcare Victoria program so they can further contribute to the improvement and management of Victoria’s marine and coastal environment.

Topics included citizen science tools, engagement in a digital context, the importance of involvement and working relationships with Traditional Owners and land managers, with better understanding of cultural heritage along the Victorian coast and marine environment. Attendees also heard presentations from other volunteers and shared their experiences and leanings.

Coastcare Victoria was a major partner in the 2019 Victorian Marine and Coastal Forum, which brought together coastal and marine managers, researchers and volunteers to enable the building of relationships, sharing knowledge and collaborating across the sector to solve current and future marine and coastal challenges. The forum took a participatory approach through presentations, workshops and networking opportunities to support cross sector collaboration.

In April 2017 Coastcare Victoria, with support from the Phillip Island Nature Parks and community volunteers, organised a forum to connect and inspire Coastcare volunteers from across the state.

For more information and to access some of the resources shared at the forum, please click below.

Around 90 enthusiastic people from across the state, representing over 65 volunteer groups including Coastcare, Landcare, ‘Friends’ groups and many more, gathered on Phillip Island for the Coastcare Volunteer Forum on the last weekend in April 2017.

Fieldtrips to learn about the amazing work happening on our coast generated optimism and enthusiasm and workshops allowed volunteers to learn new skills.

This program was developed by Coastcare staff in partnership with key local volunteers Gayle Seddon and Mike Cleeland.

Coastcare thanks Phillip Island Nature Parks for their wonderful support of the forum, the efforts of staff and local volunteers was fundamental to the success of the forum.