Grants

Major Grant Projects 2009-2013: From Golf Course to “Urban Biodiversity Hotspot “

Since becoming incorporated in 2009, the FOLC have won 10 grants totalling $286,000!

In 2009 the Town of Claremont closed the ‘long-nine’ golf course and converted the 21 hectares into a park around Lake Claremont. Plans and projects are in progress to restore over 10hectares of the area with native bushland and vegetation. With the backing of the Town of Claremont, the Friends of Lake Claremont have been able to apply and win state and federal grants to fund a large portion of the restoration work which encompasses wetland, wetland buffer and bushland vegetation.

The Friends of Lake Claremont coordinate hundreds of volunteers from the local and wider community, including hundreds of primary and secondary school students, to help with the planting.

1. Wetland Buffer Restoration

Caring for Our Country – Community Action Grant

For the fourth year in a row, the Friends of Lake Claremont have been awarded a $20,000 Community Action Grant (CAG) through Australian Government’s Caring for Our Country programme to partially restore the wetland buffer (or fringing vegetation).

The wetland buffer:

  1. protects water quality and quantity
  2. is most essential task to improve wildlife habitat
  3. helps maintain species diversity and abundance of plants and animals associated with a wetland

Volunteers help plant 10,000 native seedlings each year along the shore (3000m2) of the lake. Following the removal of invasive grasses and weeds, a temporary fence is installed to protect the seedlings against trampling by walkers and dogs. Weeding and fence maintenance will be continued by volunteers and the Town of Claremont.

2. Wetland/Lakebed Restoration

Environmental Community Grant – WA Government

For two consecutive years, the Friends of Lake Claremont were awarded $30,000 in the State Government’s Environmental Community Grants Program.  The program was introduced in recognition of the enormous contribution community-based organisations make to protecting the State’s environment and conserving the nature of WA.

FOLC won in the category of “Biodiversity Conservation” and the money is being used to restore and enhance a portion of the Lake Claremont lake bed and wetland buffer.  In 2012, 11,500 native rushes and sedges were planted in the lake bed and 2000 native seedlings on the adjacent banks. In 2013 the money will be used to restore a portion of the south shore of Lake Claremont.

3.  Reconstructing Tuart Peppermint Open Woodland

State NRM (Natural Resource Management) Grant

The Government of West Australia awarded the FOLC three State NRM grants: $45,000 in 2011/12, $50,000 in 2012/13 and $50,000 2012/2014 to reconstruct native woodland on the north side of Lake Claremont. All of the native seedlings (totalling over 100,000) will be planted by volunteers coordinated by the FOLC .

 

4. Celebrate Lake Claremont:

Lotterywest International Year of Volunteers + 10 years

In 2011, the FOLC won a $1000 grant from Lotterywest IYV + 10 (International Year of the Volunteer + 10 years) to help fund our annual Celebrate Lake Claremont event in September.