Grant to improve walking track

Which Byron Shire nature reserve has received a $50,000 grant?

CARING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: From left: Trevor, David, Felicity and David standing on the bridge at the entrance to the reserve on Inderwong Avenue, Ocean Shores. Picture: A Ratcliffe

THE walking track through Ocean Shores' community reserve will be improved thanks a grant of nearly $50,000.

A total of 135 projects have been successful under the National Landcare Program Environmental Small Grants opportunity to deliver natural resource management activities that improve the quality of the local environment.

The grant program aims to provide access to funding for projects that address the National Landcare Programs objective to protect and conserve Australia's water, plans and animals and the ecosystems in which they live and interact, in partnership with local communities.

The grant was received by Brunswick Valley Landcare, on behalf of Yalla Kool Landcare locality group.

Yalla Kool Reserve has been successful in receiving $49,816 to improve the condition and function of the suburban reserve in Ocean Shores.

"Over the last 15 years a group of local, dedicated and knowledgeable Landcare volunteers have worked hard to regenerate the reserve into a thriving rainforest,” Landcare Support Officer Alison Ratcliffe said.

"The project will see the group supported through upgrading and formalising the walking track winding through the reserve which will provide a great link between the shopping centre area and Devine's Hill lookout.”

Yalla Kool Landcare group's coordinator David Kemp said the group would "love to share this under-utilised green space with the community and will be holding three community events in the next year.”

The first of this events will be a community tree planting in the last week of November.