THE Nature Glenelg Trust (NGT) has recently been awarded a $595,000 grant from the Victorian Government, through the Nature Fund Program.

The funding has enabled NGT to expand the Walker Swamp Restoration Reserve (adjacent to the Grampians National Park) building upon the incredible generosity of supporters last year, with further additional cash contributions provided by NGT and long-term partners in the project – the Glenelg Hopkins CMA and the Hamilton Field Naturalists Club.

NGT managing director and founder, Mark Bachmann said this incredibly timely announcement was the final piece of a $1.19 million funding ‘puzzle’ that has now been fully assembled.

“For those with a good memory, you might recall that way back in 2018 when we first announced the creation of the reserve at Walker Swamp, the Glenelg Hopkins CMA and the Hamilton Field Naturalists Club were also our original financial partners in the project, so there is a wonderful symmetry about this news six years later,” he said.

On June 28, NGT will be settling the final stage of land purchase immediately adjacent to (east of) Walker Swamp.

This new project will allow the land purchase to occur fully funded, without NGT having to go into debt or call further upon the help of donors and supporters who have already contributed to the project last year.

This project will expand the size of Nature Glenelg Trust’s Walker Swamp Restoration Reserve by 60 per cent.

The project will also help to have everything in place to convert the cleared area next to Walker Swamp into a large, diverse, functional woodland, using the remnant woodland area at the northern end of the new portion as a reference area and seed source.

“A huge thanks to all our partners over the years, and our wonderful community of supporters, for helping us turn this vision into a reality,” Mr Bachmann said.

“Like anything worthwhile, it hasn’t been easy, but we simply couldn’t have achieved this amazing outcome without you.”