Green Connections: Restoration Fund

This significant project helped the Kinglake and Marysville communities reconnect with nature after devastating bushfires.

The Green Connections project helped these bushfire affected communities improve their environment, and their own physical and mental health and wellbeing. Four locally sgnificant park sites in Kinglake and Marysville were identified as needing some TLC to become accessible again. Given these spaces were in a community that also required some TLC to heal, the program set about inviting friends and family to work together in the outdoors. After a bushfire there’s so much to do with fire environmental rehabilitation, and there’s also so much to gain from a community rallying together to heal the environment, and themselves.

A range of volunteers from schools and the local community got their hands dirty helping speciliasts install a new walking track at Cathedral Range State Park. Alongside them local contractors completed a range of landscaping works including picnic tables and improving the visitor facilities.

Students from Kinglake West and Flowerdale Primary School had their own healing journey through art alongside this initiative. They were inspired by nature through ‘Nest’ ephemeral arts sculpture activities at the Wallaby Springs Reserve.

The Green Connection project involved lots of community discussion about a potential trail link between Number 1 Creek and Bollygum Park.

At Buxton Silver Gums Reserve, local schools learnt about the significance of the Buxton Silver Gum and were involved in seed collection and propagation for future plantings on site. Local communities were also involved in plant propagation, community tree planting days, signage development and guided walks.

This project was funded by the Victorian Bushfire Appeals Fund and was managed by the People and Parks Foundation, working closely with the community and land managers such as Department of Environment and Primary Industry, Shire of Murrindindi and Parks Victoria. Together we have all been inspired to help create special places in nature for the Kinglake and Marysville communities to come together in the future.