The Community Environment Program (CEP) provides opportunities for residents to actively
participate in the maintenance and management of activities of bushland and open spaces, as well
as environmental awareness programs, including events and education. The CEP aims to form
long-lasting positive partnerships between Council, the community and special interest groups
through a joint commitment to help maintain, protect and enhance the Fraser Coast’s reserve and
open space network for present and future generations.
Volunteers should have a keen interest in caring for reserves and open spaces, enjoy working
outdoors, want to learn about the environment and gain new skills, and enjoy working in teams.
Volunteer opportunities depend on existing group size, level of experience and current projects.
Volunteers will have the opportunity to become involved in the following activities:
- Restoring natural areas including tree
- planting and weed management.
- Assessing the health of reserves and
- open spaces.
- Project planning, implementation and
- monitoring.
- Fauna and flora observations and
- recording.
- Participating in various events such as
- community tree planting days.
- Seed collection and propagation.
The Toogoom Foreshore project commenced in November 2005 and was one of the first
Community Environment Program sites. Native indigenous species have been planted to promote
revegetation following the removal of large areas of weeds.
The aim of the project is to allow the foreshore to regenerate and become a self-sustaining
environmental area. By removing all exotic weeds and giving space for indigenous species to
revegetate, a natural bush corridor is once again taking shape. This also assists the beach dune to
act in a more natural and self-managing way.
This group meets fortnightly on Thursday mornings for two hours. Hand removal of all exotic weeds
is carried out. Native seeds are also spread to promote revegetation in barren areas. Weeds with
seed heads are removed from site, but all other plant matter is bagged and used as mulch on site.
Plantings are carried out, mainly to stabilise sand dunes, or to reintroduce lost or rare species.
The Toogoom foreshore has diverse vegetation – from dune to rainforest. It is home to a variety of
wildlife including monitor lizards, bearded dragons, butcher birds and butterflies, with wildlife
diversity increasing in revegetated areas. This increase in the presence of wildlife provides evidence
that rehabilitation activities in this area are working, and the ecosystem is slowly re-establishing
itself.