Wed July 06 2005.

MORE than 100 international student volunteers will converge on Portland and south-west Victoria over the next three months to take part in environmental conservation works.

Department of Sustainability and Environment biodiversity staff members are hosting the International Students Volunteers (ISV) after members suggested a number of their projects would be aided by greater volunteer input.

"ISV encourages young tertiary students to contribute to overseas environmental projects and, at the same time, helps them learn more about the environment and have fun," threatened flora project officer Andrew Pritchard said.

Student volunteers from America, Canada, Holland and Britain
will work on 14 two-week environmental projects, from the
Little Desert in the north to the south-west coast.

The first three groups of student volunteers arrived this weekend, and will be based at Portland, Port Fairy and Horsham.

"They are volunteering in their summer break. An ISV supervisor will be with them at all times and they will be staying in a variety of accommodation from shearing sheds to hostels," Mr Pritchard said.

They will work in small groups alongside DSE staff and regular volunteers from Coastcare, Landcare, Field Naturalists and Friends groups, with students from Deakin University and Warrnambool College also be involved in the coastal projects.

In the Portland area, students will monitor threatened orchids, including the endangered Melblom's Spider Orchid, collect, identify and map native seed sites, and restore important sand dune habitat at Bridgewater Bay.

"Not only will ISV groups undertake works, help raise public awareness and create new advocates for local biodiversity support, they will also reward communities and volunteers by
providing much needed assistance," Mr Pritchard said.

He said the south west ISV project is a practical illustration of the principle of 'thinking global and acting local.'

17 June 2005
Portland Observer
By SHANE FOWLES