​​The Bass Coast Landcare Network Public Fund is a regional non-profit organisation focusing on conserving biodiversity throughout the Bass Coast.
We do this by supporting community groups to work in their local area to add value to their conservation efforts, encourage broader community ownership and participation and by working in partnership with other land managers. We help protect native plants and animals in Bass Coast’s most ecologically important landscapes.

Since its inception, the Bass Coast Public Fund has contributed to the following projects
  • Improvement and Sustainable Management of the Kongwak Pioneer Reserve
  • Bass Coast Arc
  • Bass River Garden
  • Master Tree Growers Course

​There are a number of other very worthy projects which we hope to sponsor, but need the funds to do so. A contribution from you can help us achieve our vision to conserve and enhance biodiversity in Bass Coast​. By making a tax deductible contribution, you have the power to help shape the future of Bass Coast’s natural places – a future where habitat for our extraordinary wildlife and unique coastal landscapes remain intact. 

Scroll down to read about some of the Public Fund's successfully funded projects, and to see our new project targets.

Bass Coast Landcare Public Fund is entered on the Register of Environmental Organisations. Donations over $2 are tax deductible.​
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Click the image to download the brochure
Employment Opportunity Available
The Public Fund are seeking a Philanthropy Manager. Please click here for more information.

"We encourage individuals and Community Groups to submit project applications, no matter how large or small, for consideration as part of the BCLN Public Fund”
Weed Control and Revegetation Management Plan for the
​Outtrim Cemetery Nature Conservation Reserve
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​The Outtrim Cemetery Nature Conservation Reserve is approximately 2.8Ha within the whole of the 5.08Ha reserve managed by Parks Victoria at Outtrim in the lower foothills of the Strzeleckis. The grass area to the north east of the reserve is slashed on a regular basis resulting in a diverse flora of grasses, sedges, lilies and orchids. The southern 3 hectares is zoned as a nature conservation reserve and contains one of the most intact remnants of Damp Heathy Woodland on public land in South Gippsland, dominated by critically endangered Bog Gum (Eucalyptus kitsoniana). Most of the Damp Heathy Woodland vegetation community in South Gippsland has been cleared for agriculture and only scattered remnants are now found, mainly along roadsides. 

Funding is sought from the Bass Landcare Public Fund Community Grants scheme for a three-year project that will undertake weed control and strategic revegetation over that period to:
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  • Prevent ongoing reinfestation of weeds into the future
  • Conduct new planting of appropriate EVC species to retard weed re-growth, and provide greater biodiversity and resilience of the remnant native vegetation.
  • Monitor the site with wildlife cameras and audio recorders and conduct a much-needed flora and fauna survey. ​​
Bass Coast Arc - Community Access to Public Space
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​​The Bass Coast Arc – 'Community Access to Public Space' concept was dreamt up by passionate members of the Bass Coast community in 2015. The project aims to support local community groups to work with the relevant public land manager to improve the quality of our public spaces and create community access to these unique areas.
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Some key points for this project are:
  • Taking necessary steps to manage pest plants and animals, to prevent their devastating impact on native flora and fauna
  • ​Surveying and looking after vegetation that provides habitat for native animals
  • Repairing and upgrading infrastructure, including public tracks and fences

This project will get the community out into the environment and enhance  access, create wildlife corridors to improve habitat for threatened species and provide place based environmental education opportunities.
The vision of this plan is to identify public land areas of high community and biodiversity value that are viable sites for enhancement works, primarily the creation of linkages and corridors, and capital improvement. We aim to introduce connectivity in the landscape to improve the capacity for native plants and animals to move and adapt to climate impacts. Repairing and building on the areas identified will provide a mechanism for community involvement and engagement, as well as increasing access to public spaces and starting to address the loss of ecological function bought about by habitat loss and fragmentation.
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 The objectives of the plan are to:
  • Inform the community and supporters of the existing range, biodiversity significance, and main strategic linkages to connect remnant vegetation within the Bass Coast Landcare Network area
  • Provide an avenue for community and stakeholder feedback and engagement into the linking of biodiversity across the Bass Coast Landcare Network area
  • Provide an action plan for the implementation of revegetation across land tenures
  • Identify avenues and opportunities for funding 
The Improvement and Sustainable Management of the Kongwak Pioneer Reserve - Fully Funded
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The Kongwak Pioneer Reserve is an area of approximately 41 Ha of significant remnant native vegetation overlooking the town, with well laid out walking tracks waiting to be explored. Apart from some blocks of native vegetation to the southwest and northwest (between 300m and 3km away) there is very little in the surrounding landscape, making this a very important patch of vegetation. The Reserve is home to an abundance of wildlife, including wallabies, koalas, wombats and owls and a diverse range of native flora.

Launched in March 2014, the Improvement and Sustainable Management of the Kongwak Pioneer Reserve successfully worked to improve and sustainably manage the Kongwak Pioneer Reserve, by:

  • Constructing paths to link up with existing trails
  • Creating the 'Voices of Kongwak' audio tour and  making it easily accessible to visitors 
  • Upgrading the information bay at the Reserve
  • Erecting information paddles at strategic locations
  • Building new picnic tables
  • Creating a logo and Facebook page to raise awareness of the Reserve

The Kongwak Hills Landcare Group partnered with the South Gippsland Shire Council, Kongwak Community Group and the Kongwak CFA,  receiving funding from the Bass Coast Landcare Network Public fund to enable works to be undertaken.
Master Tree Growers Course - Fully Funded
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The main objective of the Master Tree Growers course was to support strategies to help secure sustainable farms in which much of our community is so dependent upon, and to educate farmers from the Gippsland region regarding best practice agroforestry/biodiversity tree planting.

Throughout the program, farmers learned about marketing, economics, silviculture, tree measurement, and overall management of plantations. The program also looked at multi-storey farming and how to integrate farm forestry and biodiverse plantings into the overall operation of running a farm, with a major aim of making farms more diverse and sustainable.  
Another aim was to create Master Tree Growing mentors within the community, who then can go out and teach other farmers about being a Master Tree Grower. Participants from the program are encouraged to share their learnings with their neighbours and other Landcare members, creating a community of knowledgeable land managers.

This course ultimately resulted in more trees being planted in our region which sequester carbon, increased habitat for native fauna, a reduction in erosion and nutrient and sediment run off into our waterways, and graduates with the knowledge to empower other local farmers to have the confidence to buy their own trees and manage them into the future.