One of the best things about being part of the VEFN is coming together to share ideas, stories, skills and good company. Here you’ll find upcoming VEFN events and other opportunities to connect with fellow environmental volunteers from across Victoria.
Ben Roberts is an ecologist with 20 years experience working across ecology, biodiversity conservation, and natural resource management. As Biodiversity Manager at Metro Trains Melbourne, Ben leads the delivery of Metro’s Biosite Management Program and a range of biodiversity initiatives focused on protecting and enhancing ecological values across Melbourne’s rail network.
Webinar Abstract
Melbourne’s rail network contains some of the region’s most significant remnant native vegetation and provides important habitat for a range of threatened species and ecological communities. This webinar will explore the historical development and management of rail corridors to understand how they have become valuable biodiversity assets within an increasingly urbanised landscape.
The session will provide an overview of Metro’s Biosite Management Program, highlighting the approaches used to protect and manage significant biodiversity values across the network and showcasing key achievements from the program over the past nine years.
The webinar will also explore Metro’s efforts to improve landscape-scale biodiversity connectivity, including an industry-leading collaboration with The University of Melbourne to enhance and connect critically endangered Natural Temperate Grasslands along the Sunbury rail corridor.
Details:
Monday 22nd June
7pm
Join Microsoft Teams meeting
Meeting ID: 489 802 685 369 00
Passcode: MD2iJ6Cg
Finding Melbourne’s Nature is a project by ecologist and broadcaster Ben Cullen exploring the ecological life of Greater Melbourne/Naarm through walking conversations recorded in reserves and natural areas across the city.
Over the past year, Ben has completed more than 30 recordings with Friends groups, conservationists, ecologists, Traditional Owners and community members connected to urban nature and conservation. Each person picks a reserve that matters to them.Â
These conversations explore what lives in these places, their ecological histories, threatened species and communities, what needs protection, and how people became involved in caring for the natural world. The project also looks at urban restoration and the role local communities continue to play in protecting and restoring biodiversity across Melbourne.
Finding Melbourne’s Nature is currently online as a podcast series with weekly episodes, alongside a broader writing project based on the recordings and stories gathered across the city.
More information and episodes can be found at findingmelbournesnature.com
Join us for this presentation to find out more!
Details:
Thursday 23rd July
7pm
Join Microsoft Teams meeting
Meeting ID: 432 109 836 088 6
Passcode: bk7bQ2Jk