In brief:

• The Adopt-A-Park community grants program supports registered community groups who volunteer to improve Canberra’s local parks and spaces.
• The program is now open to applications for grants of up to $40,000.
• This story describes the Adopt-A-Park program and the work of one of the community groups that it supports.

Caring for Canberra’s green spaces is a joint effort between the ACT Government and community members.

One of the ways this happens is through the Adopt-A-Park community grants program. Adopt-A-Park supports more than 95 registered volunteer community groups who give their time to improving Canberra’s local parks and spaces.

Under the program, the ACT Government provides grants of up to $40,000 to improve neighbourhood spaces.

This year’s focus is on controlling or removing declared pest plants.

Friends of Light Street Park

Friends of Light Street Park is a registered community group in Griffith. It was set up one year ago by local residents with an interest in preserving their local park. They used their grant to remove harmful cotoneaster plants. This invasive species threatens local wildlife due its dense thickets.

“The cotoneasters have been removed and we have also completed a website and asked residents to become members and volunteers to support our efforts to revitalise our park as an important community green space,” a member of Friends of Light Street said.

“When the community takes a real interest in our green spaces, we gain pride in our shared spaces.

“Community-led ideas creates shared ownership, and in our experience, more heads are better than one.”

How to apply for a grant

The Adopt-A-Park community grants program is now open for applications and will close on Monday 23 September 2024.

Anyone wanting to volunteer can join a registered group and those that are already a registered volunteer group are encouraged to apply.

Learn more about the Adopt-A-Park community grants program.

Read more like this:

• Helping Canberra’s community gardens take climate action
• Meet the team keeping Canberra’s memorial parks beautiful
• What it’s really like to volunteer in Canberra

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