Opportunities for public involvement

As well as participating in the development of a plan of management for an area of public land, the public have a number of ‘hands on’ options for the ongoing protection and management of public areas.

Parkcare, Landcare and ‘Friends of…’ groups are often linked to specific reserves. These organisations provide members of the public with the opportunity to access other likeminded people and to assist with the on-ground conservation of specific reserved areas.

The Conservation Council ACT Region is the peak non-government umbrella conservation organisation in the ACT. Its membership is comprised of around 40 ACT and regional conservation groups. The Conservation Council has been particularly active in the lobbying of the ACT’s politicians and bureaucrats to ensure the best possible outcomes for the ACT’s environment.

The ACT also has a wide range of other community groups with a conservation focus. The National Parks Association of the ACT has a specific interest in the management of the ACT’s reserved areas. Friends of Grasslands and the Canberra Ornithologist Group are specific interest groups that have also shown significant attention to reserve management in the ACT. The Ginninderra Falls Association is another community group that has actively been involved in conservation within a specific area of the ACT region. Another opportunity for hands on participation can be found through the many projects managed by Conservation Volunteers Australia.

There are always opportunities to undertake a wide variety of volunteer activities with the above organisations and many of the ACT’s other conservation groups (see the Contacts list at the back of this book).