Stephanie Poly’s Post

Very positive steps from a community group. This seems to be occurring more and more due to a lack of support and policy importance from political parties. More communities should take this type of action if they have the finances to do so. Crowd funding or no crowd funding. #community #environmentalprotection #nature #climateaction #wiltshire https://lnkd.in/e8jCsaud

In their article in today's Guardian (Trigger-happy councils mowing down our spring flowers? There’s a better way to do things.) Phineas Harper writes that "Systemic problems need systemic solutions. As a campaign to persuade individual homeowners to change how they garden, No Mow May is a charming but inherently limited initiative. However, as a tool to persuade not just individuals but public authorities to rethink their out-of-date intensive mowing and poison-spraying regimes, it can make a real impact on nature recovery in the UK." My local council (Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead) have just introduced an initiative to encourage community stewardship of verges. My application is already in to take responsibility for the patch outside my house. 😀 It isn't a systemic solution but it's certainly a good start in returning agency to local residents. https://lnkd.in/e8_8CWPh #biodiversity #NoMowMay Simon Werner

This isn’t about Nedlands and it’s not even about trees versus houses. We’ve seen cities like Sydney who have been able to increase their density AND their tree canopy. The question we need to be asking is why is Perth so far behind the rest of the country? Why do we have a Canopy Crisis? With 80% of tree loss happening on private land in Perth, if the Planning Minister’s greening strategy doesn’t protect canopy on private land it is worth nothing. #treeprotection #urbanforest #CanopyCrisis #liveablecities #sustainablecities #healthycities #WATCA

🌿Community Stewardship Grants🌿 are available annually to support community-based projects that serve to protect and restore the local environment, enabling local community groups to undertake stewardship of natural resources in their local area. Grant applications close 20 May 2024. The Community Stewardship Grants are an initiative of the Western Australian Government managed though the State NRM Program at the Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development. Community-based NRM is directed and driven by local, catchment, or regional scale needs and priorities. It recognises the value of local knowledge, volunteer efforts and strong partnerships. The Community Stewardship Grants prioritise the direct involvement of local community groups in all project stages of design, planning and implementation, through which efficient and effective partnerships between government, industry, and community can be fostered. $7 million in funding is available to support community led NRM activities. The Community Stewardship Grants program involves both a small grants round and a large grants round: ◼ Small grants: Valued between $1,000 - $50,000. Are up to 18 months in duration. ◼ Large grants: valued between $50,001 - $450,000. Are intended for more strategic and complex projects. Are for up to 3 years in duration. https://lnkd.in/g-AUmBBG #agriculture #naturalresourcemanagement #agricultureandfarming #farmingforthefuture - South West NRM - Perth NRM - Peel-Harvey Catchment Council - South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc. - WA Landcare Network Inc - Fitzgerald Biosphere Group - Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee Inc - GeoCatch - Gillamii Centre Inc - Leschenault Catchment Council #NRM

TREE-topia …  TREE-rific.   We applaud the tremendous effort by Bruce, Kurt, Gavin and the Myalup Community Association.    All communities across the State should thank the dedicated volunteers and aspire to such prolific tree planting.    The metropolitan area is in desperate need of more tree canopy. The City of Melville’s director responsible of our natural environment, Mr Mick McCarthy, would do well to learn and seek direction from Gavin Waugh, who is also a Melville ratepayer.     Melville’s tree canopy has, and continues to be decimated, and we need many more trees to be planted just to start the road to recovery.    Sadly, it is our view that Melville is not taking the need for protecting and growing our tree canopy as seriously as it should, they seem to move along at their own slow pace; like many local governments. The Melville community, and others, must unite to grow  public open space and tree canopy for the benefit of future generations. #treecanopy #saveourspace #saveoursuburbs #tree #ratepayers #climateaction #MRRA #WATCA #MelvilleTreeCanopyAdvocates #MCAN #MelvilleClimateActionNetwork #Ratepayers #localgovernmentreform

In Series 2, the primary focus lies on the progress of implementing the Forest Rights Act 2006 in India, particularly concerning the Recognition and Vesting of Community Forest Rights spanning from 2019 to 2023. Series 1 concentrated on providing a statistical analysis of the Status of Recognition and Vesting of Individual Forest Rights in India during the same timeline. Vasundhara's evaluation of the FRA implementation in India unveiled that nearly 1.77 lakh villages could access and govern 42 million hectares of forests out of 72 million in India. Despite 17 years since the gazette notification, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs of the Government of India lacks comprehensive information on advancing Community Forest Rights. This includes ownership rights over Minor Forest Produce (MFPs), converting Forest Villages into Revenue Villages, Recognition of Habitat Rights, Seasonal Resource Access rights of Pastoral Communities, and rights over Community Forest Resources. As per the Monthly Progress Report shared by the Ministry, assessing the progress of each right mentioned above poses a challenge. Noteworthy was the necessity for more consistent information flow from the states to the Ministry. For instance, in January 2019, Telangana distributed 721 Community Rights titles covering 300,284 acres of forestland. By December 2023, only 102 titles were allocated over 3,631 acres, highlighting a significant reduction that warrants clarification. Moreover, approximately one-fourth of the claims have been dismissed, with 13 States exhibiting rejection rates surpassing the national average. Despite 16 years of implementation, the Ministry should have furnished details concerning recognising Community Forest Resources rights. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has issued directives to the states to undertake remedial measures to ensure the effective enforcement of the Act. Acknowledging traditional rights and customary practices is widely believed to enrich living standards, uphold ancestral traditions, safeguard forest resources, and bolster climate resilience.

🌳🏆 Responsible Wood Awards $40K to Community Projects in Forests! 🎉 Responsible Wood has announced the recipients of the 2023/24 Community Grants Programme! Five dedicated community groups have been awarded over $40,000 to bring their forest-based initiatives to life. 🔎Here’s the scoop: 1️⃣ Record Participation: This year saw 19 applications from all Australian states, with the total requested funding exceeding $200,000—a testament to the programme’s growing impact and popularity. 2️⃣ Diverse Projects Funded: The grants will support various projects, from creating nesting boxes for threatened species in NSW to building a bridge on the St. Valentines Peak Walking Track in Tasmania and even a First Nations Forest Landscape Mural in Queensland. 3️⃣ Community and Forests: Each project not only benefits local communities but also enhances the surrounding PEFC-certified forests, strengthening the bond between people and nature. 🗣️ #questionforgroup: How do these initiatives impact local conservation efforts and community engagement? Have you participated in or benefited from similar grant programmes? 🔗 Discover more about the winning projects here: https://lnkd.in/ga4Xbs2s #sustainability #community #responsiblewood #pefc #esg #grants #projects #australia #woodcentral #woodcentralau1

HAVE YOUR SAY - Complete the Government's URBAN GREENING SURVEY Now! 🌳🌳🌳 Perth has a Tree Canopy Crisis with the lowest canopy cover of any Australian capital city. We have suburbs with Canopy Cover as low as 1%!!!!! And this Crisis is only getting worse👇👇👇with continued sprawl and treeless development, and now large numbers of our mature urban trees also dying at the hands of the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer AND a record-breaking hot summer and dry spell. Our WA Government is developing a Perth and Peel Urban Greening Strategy with one catch - it won’t contain any protections for trees on private land, where we are LOSING 80% of OUR TREES! While WATCA welcomes any initiatives to grow Perth's urban forest, any Strategy that does not protect trees on private land and allows unabated canopy loss on the majority of our urban land to continue is futile. As part of the Strategy development, the Urban Greening Survey is your chance to HAVE YOUR SAY and call on the Government to urgently: • Protect large trees on private land • Commit to a 30% by 2040 Tree Canopy Target Link to Survey: https://bit.ly/3UGnvPZ More detailed info here: https://bit.ly/3yg0P1E HAVE YOUR SAY. Call on our State Government to take meaningful action to turn this Crisis around NOW for the future health and liveability of our suburbs and our city. #treeprotection #urbanforest #canopytarget #dontcookwa #giveatossabouttrees #TreeCanopyCrisis #CanopyCrisis #TreeEquity #perthandpeelurbangreeningstrategy #TreeEquity #voteTREES #watrees #trees #TreeTarget25 #liveablecities #healthycities #resilientcities #sustainablecities #WATCA

🎉 APPEAL ALLOWED FOR UP TO 30 HOUSES IN BRAUNSTON-IN-RUTLAND! 🎉 We are delighted to announce that our appeal was allowed this morning granting permission for the development of up to 30 dwellings at Brooke Road, Braunston-in-Rutland. The Inspector concurred with our arguments that the locational development plan policies did not recognise the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside and were based on outdated housing requirements. He also agreed that, as there had been a reliance on unallocated countryside sites to meet the housing requirement, were housing only approved in line with the constraints set out by policies CS4, CS9 and SP6, the Council would have been (and will continue to be) unable to deliver its required housing numbers. Polices CS4, CS9 and SP6 therefore run contrary to the Framework’s objective at paragraph 60 of significantly boosting the supply of homes and are out of date. In finding no harm to the conservation area or landscape setting he allowed the appeal which also delivers: 40% Affordable Housing; 2 Self-Build/Custom Dwellings; a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain; and support for the local economy and infrastructure. #PlanningSuccess #CommunityDevelopment #AffordableHousing #Biodiversity #SustainableDevelopment #UKHousing #HousingPolicy

Countryside Curators Makes Strides in Remote Village Revitalization Project Funded through a HK$3 million allocation from the Government's Countryside Conservation Fund, the project aims to restore heritage buildings and facilitate community engagement in the remote northeast New Territories village. Significant achievements include the installation of an 800m pipeline to provide residents access to water for the first time. This has allowed expansion of agricultural and cultural activities in the village. A heritage building is also being redeveloped into a core community hub to encourage intergenerational exchange. Local elder Mr. Wan now passes on traditional skills from the building. Most notably, a real sense of hometown pride and vitality has been reinvigorated in Yung Shue Au. Participation in this New Years celebration doubled versus the previous year. Under the leadership of Prof. Thomas Chung, this tailored, community-driven approach ensures the sustainability of revitalization efforts. It's encouraging to witness such positive social impact and restoration of cultural traditions from a rural rehabilitation project. With continued support, Yung Shue Au's future as a thriving village is taking shape. #SocialInnovation #SKPF #CUHK #CountrysideCurators #FromValleytoPlain #CountrysideConservation #GoodHealthAndWellbeing #QualityEducation #ReducedInequalities #SustainableCitiesAndCommunities #CulturalAndHeritage