ECOllaboration has an exciting new program with the Friends of Parks initiative with the call for volunteers just beginning.
In collaboration with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, people will have the opportunity to volunteer in National Parks throughout the Sunshine Coast and Fraser Island.
Cerran Fawns, CEO of ECOllaboration said, “Our National Parks and forests provide huge economic, environmental and social benefits to the region and providing voluntourism services adds another dimension in helping manage the Parks.
The Friends of Parks initiative offered by ECOllaboration will cater to a variety of ages, skill sets and organisations.
Ms Fawns added, “There are volunteering opportunities throughout the Sunshine and Fraser Coasts in being campground hosts, adopt a track maintenance and weed control, visitor centre management and nursery management”.
The call for volunteers is going out far and wide. We are interested in hearing from individuals, families, students, community organisations and corporates who want to give their time in improving the environment and helping the rangers manage the National Parks.
The variety of activities on offer enables people to spend a couple hours volunteering to several weeks.
‘We envisage the campground hosting to be a popular activity with the grey nomads as they can holiday for free whilst enjoying the beauty of the National Parks”, she added.
Helping with visitor centre management will suit environment and tourism students and give relevant industry experience whilst the nursery and adopt a track activities will suit the more active volunteers.
The program provides training and supervision and where applicable there is free camping, barge transfers and driving permits.
To register your interest, email Jacqui Smythe at jacqui [at] ECOllaboration [dot] org [dot] au, phone 07 5313 4059 or visit http://ecollaboration.org.au/community-engagement/friends-of-parks/.
(photo courtesy of the Qld Government)
