What is Urban Parks and Places Volunteering?
The Urban Parks and Places Volunteering (UPP) is a community partnership between the local community and the ACT Government. The program allows the community to get involved in a hands‑on way to contribute to the conservation, presentation, and maintenance of Canberra‘s many public urban open space areas.
These include:
- parks
- playgrounds
- grasslands
- green spaces
- shopping centres
- creeks, wetlands and lake surrounds.
The ACT Government works with the three ACT Catchment Groups - Ginninderra, Southern and Molonglo - to support urban parks and places volunteer groups that undertake works on TCCS managed land.
What do Urban Parks and Places Volunteers do?
UPP Volunteers make improvements to local urban open space areas and are involved in the following activities:
- weed control and removal programs
- horticultural maintenance
- litter collection
- monitoring and reporting issues
- park restoration projects
- minor tree maintenance activities
- habitat restoration
- planting and maintaining plants
- community education and social events
- citizen science
- training and workshops
- conservation projects.
Join an existing Urban Parks and Places volunteer group
There are 35 existing urban parks and places volunteer groups across Canberra. Some groups meet regularly while others meet on an ad hoc basis. Refer to the map to find an existing volunteer group near you. Contact the Urban Parks and Places Volunteer Coordinator for more information.
Start a new urban open space volunteer group - Getting started
Contact the Urban Parks and Places Volunteer Coordinator to have a chat about the area of open space you would like to care for and make improvements to. Get together with family, friends, work colleagues, neighbours or special interest groups to increase conservation, pride, participation and the look of your neighbourhood.
Useful Links
ACT Landcare Gateway - Useful resources for all things landcare in the ACT. This included information on the ACT Catchment groups, descriptions of urban parks and places groups and other volunteering for the environment opportunities in the ACT - actlandcare.org.au
More information
For more information about Urban Parks and Places volunteering opportunities contact the Urban Park and Places Volunteer Coordinator:
Phone: 6207 0781
Email: urbanprograms@act.gov.au
Adopt-A-Park Community Grants Program
The latest round of grants has now closed.
The 2019/2020 Adopt-A-Park Community Grants Program received 56 applications to a total value of over $490,000.
33 projects to the value of $183,989, were successful and will contribute to the amenity and improvement of the ACT’s neighbourhood parks and places.
Project activities included weed and erosion control, tree-planting, volunteer training and community events.
The successful project applicants and projects were:
- Bee Friendly in the Hall Village - Hall Rotary
- Biodiversity Boost for Landcare Groups in the Lower Ginninderra Creek - Ginninderra Catchment Group
- Capacity Building: Skills Development and Training for Environmental Volunteers – Molonglo Conservation Group
- Cole street "Swings" Park Ecological Restoration Project - Downer Community Association
- Community Visibility for Griffith Woodlands - Southern ACT Catchment Group
- Community Working Bee for garden-maintenance and upgrades at Scullin Shops and launch of -
- Scullin Parks Team – Scullin Community Group
- Creation of Griffith Parks and Wells Gardens Volunteer Group - Griffith Narrabundah Residents Association
- Curtin Weston Open Space Improvements - Curtin Residents Association
- Downer and Frog Pond Community Space - Downer Community Association
- Enhancement of Crace Recreation Park Ponds - Crace Community Association
- Grass Identification Training for UPP Volunteers - Southern ACT Catchment Group
- Greening of Croton Crescent Park - Southern ACT Catchment Group
- Hackett Shops Garden Project - Hackett Community Association
- Improvements to the local environment and community education - Southern ACT Catchment Group
- Improving native habitat and water management in Weston Creek Orchard - Southern ACT Catchment Group
- Kaleen BioBlitz - Ginninderra Catchment Group
- Livelier Wangara Park - Ginninderra Catchment Group
- Lyneham Commons - Water Management - Northside Community Service
- Magpie Hill Rejuvenation Project - Lyneham Community Association
- More Shade and Seating - Hackett Community Association
- Promotion Kits for UPP groups in SACT - Southern ACT Catchment Group
- Promotions Materials and Equipment to Support TCCS Landcare Groups - Ginninderra Catchment Group
- Regeneration and Improvement of the Park in the Middle of Campbell - CampbellCARE
- Rejuvenation of Simpsons Hill - Southern ACT Catchment Group
- Revegetation of Hughes Garran Woodland - Southern ACT Catchment Group
- Revitalising of Giralang Ponds Landcare Group - Ginninderra Catchment Group
- Richardson Play Space Launch - Young Women's Christian Association
- Secret Garden Regeneration - Weston Creek Community Council
- Telopea Park Community Party - Kingston Barton Residents Group
- The Gummiuk Gang - Lake Ginninderra Sea Scouts
- Tiny tree houses in urban micro-forests - Molonglo Conservation Group
- Volunteer Education Workshops - Canberra Environment Centre
You can find more information in the Adopt-A-Park Media Release.
