Client Q&A: Conservation Volunteers – Ian Walker

Last month we spoke with Ian Walker, Director of Conservation at Conservation Volunteers, about the organisation’s origin, major achievements, managing volunteers and the disaster recovery efforts following the Scotsburn fires.

How did Conservation Volunteers start out?

Conservation Volunteers was founded in 1982 in Ballarat, Victoria by Yandoit farmer Tim Cox.  Tim and his family moved from Melbourne to Yandoit, a property near Daylesford in the central highlands of Victoria, which owed serious soil degradation to gold-mining a century earlier and to tree clearing.   A plethora of community based conservation and rural “trees-on-farms” groups were springing up at the time and the Coxes were active in the new and growing farm tree and soil conservation movement.

From these beginnings, Conservation Volunteers is now Australasia’s leading practical conservation organisation with offices across Australia and New Zealand.  From urban to remote, coast to desert, city to outback – our volunteer teams have been there, making an enormous contribution to our environment.

Conservation Volunteers is a non-government organisation with documented, established and proven systems and processes.

What are some of Conservation Volunteers major achievements?

With 350 staff and operating nationally at 30 locations, we are Australasia’s  largest not for profit, practical conservation organisation.  During 2014-15, volunteers managed by Conservation Volunteers have contributed 400,000 hours of their time, conservatively estimated at 10 million dollars to achieve following deliverables:

• Planted 450,000 trees
• Propagated a further 70,000 plants
• Treated 1033 hectares of weeds
• Collected 50 tonnes of rubbish
• Improved 254 km of tracks and trails
• Completed 1530 biodiversity surveys
• Welcomed more than 12,000 volunteers
• Delivered more than 3,500 conservation projects

Conservation Volunteers is also the largest Green Army Service Provider.  Green Army is an Australian Government, hands-on, practical environmental action program spanning 5 years that supports local environment and heritage conservation projects across Australia.  The program will support up to 500 projects each year and engage approximately 20,000 participants over the life of the program.

However the real story is about inspiring people – to make a difference to their lives, the lives of others and to the environment.   To help us tell these stories and make a difference we need people like you to volunteer, donate resources and get involved.

Volunteers are the cornerstone of your organisation, how do you coordinate/manage so many volunteers?

Our Vision is to  “Inspiring change by connecting people with nature” – to attract and manage volunteers to participate in projects that protect and enhance the environment.  Adopting the Principles for Volunteer Engagement across our entire operations, ensures we value and respect our volunteers, acknowledge the contribution they make, and use standard systems and processes to manage volunteer participation at a high level.  In addition, volunteers gain new skills, connect with other people and improve their mental and physical wellbeing.  We believe that together we can make a positive difference to the conservation of Australia’s environemnt upon which all life depends.

Corporate support is very important to your organisation, how do companies support conservation projects?

Conservation Volunteers has partnerships with some of Australasia’s biggest companies as well as with many small and medium sized businesses.

We provide opportunities for organisations to make a difference to by mobilising people to connect with nature and deliver demonstrable environmental social and environmental outcomes while contributing to the objectives of our partners.  The Telstra partnership has enabled Conservation Volunteers to become mobile, using tablets and applications like canvas and aris to revolutionise our systems and process.

Conservation Volunteers manages hundreds of employee engagement days on priority practical conservation projects nationwide.  We recognize the opportunities and experience we can provide to our corporate partners, and the significant environmental impact their investment achieves through the delivery of conservation/social programs.

We pride ourselves on catering for all levels of ability and manage our projects according to our comprehensive risk management system – so you can be sure that the safety of your employees will be our priority.

For partnering opportunities visit Partnerships – Conservation Volunteers Australia

What are the major challenges your organisation is facing?

Conservation Volunteers major external challenges facing our organisation includes:

1. A changing climate; with implications for increased fire, floods and drought, increased presence of pest species and exacerbating the decline in threatened species the demands on our services will be greater;
2. Changing demographics – a growing population that is more urbanised, diverse and older, the role of Traditional Owners requires us to rethink our programs and delivery models;
3. Changing community demands – shifting community demands from services to experiences and online/digital engagement requiring immediate responsiveness means we need to adopt new engagement tools;
4. Influence of Asia – As economic wealth and population of Asia’s middle class extend, so too does their reach and engagement with business. How can Conservation Volunteers be a partner of choice with this growth?
5. Short term investment – government and business partners remain fixed on short term funding cycles to fund environmental/social outcomes, Conservation Volunteers can offer long term solutions focusing on social and environmental outcomes.
6. In responding to these external drivers Conservation Volunteers is developing innovative approaches to meet the future challenges faced across society and this sector including specific programs to address these challenges.

How does PPT assist your organisation on an ongoing basis?

• PPT is a member our Finance and Audit committee of Board – ensuring our financial information is transparent, reputable and audited.
• PPT provides independent advice on financial, tax and business decisions providing a critical and independent perspectives. The recent acquisition of WetlandCare Australia was supported by PPT ensuring due diligence of WetlandCare Australia’s CA accounts, business systems and processes.
• PPT also provides audits and acquittals of projects ranging in size from a few thousand dollars to millions.

How does your organisation respond to disaster recovery like the Scotsburn fires?

Conservation Volunteers plays a critical role in managing volunteers in the recovery stage of emergency events.  We support communities with rapid response teams of volunteers, providing essential assistance in the days and weeks following major disasters and extreme weather events.  Fires, floods, earthquakes, cyclones, oil spills and marine mammal strandings – all require compassionate yet practical responses and our recovery program provides exactly that.  We’ve helped with environmental recovery projects after the following disasters:

• 2013 Tasmanian bushfires
• 2011 Victorian Floods
• 2011 Queensland Floods
• 2009 Victorian “Black Saturday” bushfires

If someone wants to become a Conservation Volunteer, how can they get involved?

Volunteers tell us again and again that volunteering with Conservation Volunteers Australia is one of the best experiences they’ve had.  Since 1982, we’ve helped over 100,000 volunteers connect with nature.  Our volunteers come from all walks of life, and almost every country of the world, but one thing they have in common is the great experience of getting outdoors and doing something worthwhile for Australia’s  and New Zealand’s environment.

The simplest way to get involved is visit www.conservationvolunteers.com.au

Our volunteers often talk about how much they learn on our projects, from identifying Australian flora and fauna, to hands-on conservation skills that some of them use in their communities and careers.  For many people who spend most of their time disconnected from nature, volunteering on a conservation project can also give new insight into living sustainability and caring for the environment.  Explore the world of conservation volunteering

Get in Touch with Conservation Volunteers

Phone Freecall 1800 032 501 within Australia  or +61 3 5330 2600 from anywhere in the world.
Our office hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, Australian Eastern Time.
For further Information Contact Ian Walker Director Conservation Volunteers – iwalker@conservationvolunteers.com.au