How Do I Volunteer?

There arecurrently 60,000 Coastcare volunteers in 2,000 Coastcare groups tackling problems like dune erosion, loss of native plants and animals, storm water pollution, weeds and control of human access to sensitive areas.

Volunteering in a Coastcare group is an easy, fun and a great way to give back to your community while shaping the future direction of the environment in which you live.

To join a group, please follow these simple steps below.



 Go to the National Coastcare Directory and search for groups in your area.

 If no group comes up, contact the regional facilitator who will have an overview of Coastcare groups and activities in the local area and is able to put you in contact with the local council or a local volunteer group.

Contact the Coastcare group, introduce yourself and ask if the group is in need of volunteers.  Most groups will welcome new volunteers with open arms, but bear in mind that no volunteer group is obliged to take on new members and some will decline due to lack of equipment, group structure or the type of work they undertake.

 If yes, ask the person what type of Coastcare work they do to make sure it is what you had in mind.

 If it is, ask when the groups next meet and how you may get involved.


 

 

If no groups in your area are dealing with a specific local environmental issue, why dont you form your own Coastcare group with other volunteers in your community?

  Identify a shared local issue, eg weeds, erosion, pollution.

 Bring your neighbours together to look at the issue. Make sure the local community is behind to avoid misunderstandings and disputes in the future.

Talk to the regional facilitator about forming a Coastcare group and how to get available support. Go to the Coastcare Directory to find the regional facilitator in your area.  Most Coastcare activities take place on public land so make sure you have support and the right permissions from the appropriate authorities. Some activities may damage the environment or have unforeseen side effects, so make sure you know what you are doing. It is often best to join a group first unless you have extensive knowledge about the chosen issue and local ecology.