A good crowd of 22 people attended the 2019 Annual General meeting and elected a new and enlarged committee. In opening the meeting Convenor Paul Strickland joked “in a Trumpian manner” that it was one of the best attended such meetings VEFN has ever had. The meeting adopted the Committee’s Activity report which outlined a very [...]
We were on the steps of Victorian Parliament with Shane Howard and some 40 other groups to call on the Government to provide greater support for the Sate's special places. VEFN Convenor said (among other things) that "too often volunteers are picking up the slack when Governments fall short."
Join the VNPA, VEFN and other environment groups on Thursday 28 November in Melbourne to demand real action for nature! It is very clear from the current state of Victoria’s environment that bold action is needed by the Andrews Government to protect the places and wildlife we love – our National Parks, forests, rivers, beaches, oceans, native [...]
Parks Victoria is developing a state-wide Land Management Strategy "to guide and inform future planning and decision-making across the parks estate.” VEFN’s submission noted that while the document is described as mainly for internal use, it is proposed to underpin decision-making. It should therefore be applied transparently, that is, it must be accessible to the community so [...]
Nature Stewards is an introductory environmental program that has 10 class sessions and 4 outdoor field sessions, offering an opportunity to explore local natural areas. This 10-week program is being run in Manningham Council, City of Melbourne, and City of Melton this Spring from the 3rd October to 16th December (location dates may vary slightly). The [...]
The 2019 best Friend Awards were presented last Saturday (24th of August). Seen here (L to R) are Award winners Tony Flude and George Fotheringham (Westgate Biodiversity), Lorraine Ratcliffe (Friends of Maribyrnong Valley) and Joe Van Beek (Friends of Tyers Park). Marilyn McInnes (Friends of Edwards Point) (Left) and Margaret Hunter (Friends of Braeside Park) [...]
Last year VEFN presented a very popular and successful session on Social Media. As a result of feedback and further ideas proposed we are now offering a more extensive opportunity. Social Media has become a major means of communication to the public, and Friends groups need to include it in their mix for recruiting, activity event [...]
Digital storytelling uses smart phones, tablets/iPads, digital cameras and computers to record and collate audio-visual information that engages, connects & communicates using photos, video & audio recording TWO SATURDAYS TO SUPPORT YOU TO DEVELOP THE SKILLS TO MAKE A SHORT VIDEO STORY USING THE DEVICES YOU OWN Digital storytelling is now easily and affordably within [...]
Once again the VEFN is offering an Award for a "Best Friend" for 2019. This award has been made by VEFN for many years and highlights the dedication of volunteers who work in our public land Parks and Reserves, and for the long term benefit of the local environment. The Award is assessed by an [...]
Friends Group Members at Geelong Workshop Friends groups share ideas at South West forum Over the past 8 months, VEFN has run a number of regional forums, where Friends groups come together to share ideas, raise issues and pool resources. The forums have been made possible by the state government’s Community Skills Development [...]