Yarra Trams joins conservation group to support Australia’s biodiversity

Yarra Trams has joined forces with Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) in a new campaign aimed at protecting Australia’s biodiversity.

Called Nature Blocks, the national campaign is designed to encourage people to connect with nature by building a native garden of any size in their backyard, on their balcony, in their office, or in their local environment to provide a source of food and shelter for native species.  

To celebrate their partnership, representatives of Yarra Trams and CVA gathered at Town Hall on August 24 which included speeches and posters of the campaign on display.

Yarra Trams supports six not-for-profit organisations each year through a Community Partnerships Program by offering the opportunity to promote a campaign on a tram that travels on the world’s largest tram network.

To support Nature Blocks, a newly transformed tram featuring a mesmerising display of colours made its inaugural journey through the bustling streets of the CBD in September, with its exterior showcasing intricate designs of biodiversity, native animals, vegetation, and landscape with the words “Build back nature”.

Yarra Trams chief executive Carla Purcell congratulated CVA on the initiative, which also encourages the creation green spaces into cities to build climate resilience.  

“Our trams – fully offset by solar generated power – are already one of the lowest emission ways to get around Melbourne, and I’m thrilled that one of our trams will be promoting this brilliant initiative,” she said.

CVA CEO Phil Harrison said people could take simple actions to help the environment with as “little as one square metre” making a difference.

“Individuals don’t need to be a professional gardener or have large amounts of free time or space to participate and enjoy the benefits this rewarding journey can bring,” he said.

Whether you have a sprawling garden or a humble pot, every plant counts in this mission to restore biodiversity. Everyone has a role to play in protecting and restoring our natural environment and by taking action together as a community, we can make a significant impact.

The Biodiversity Council report in June found that 97 per cent of Australians wanted action to be taken to conserve biodiversity, with more than four in five saying they were moderately or highly concerned about threats to nature including the impact of climate change on biodiversity.

Caption: Team members from Yarra Trams and Conservation Volunteers Australia at Town Hall to celebrate the launch of Nature Blocks. Photos: Hanna Komissarova.