Protecting our environment has become Rotary's 7th area of Focus. Areas of Focus are categories of service activities supported by Global Grants, and global communities.
It joins Rotary's original 6 areas of focus, which are:
- Peace building and Conflict Prevention
- Disease Prevention and Treatment
- Water sanitation, and Hygiene
- Maternal and Child Health
- Basic Education and Literacy
- Community Economic Development
Rotary Club of Portland has a strong environmental focus, and is working to protect and support our local environment with collaborative projects.
- Tree planting with local Landcare groups and private landowners
- Removing and reducing invasive Sea Spurge on our local beaches and cliff areas.
- Collecting recyclable bottle tops,bread tags and lids for "Lids for kids" cause.
- Collecting foreign coins to recover funds otherwise lost or stored for UNICEF.
- Connecting with our local Portland Community Garden group.
- Supporting bee friendly environments with locally produced native plants.
- Leading local "Clean up Australia Day" collaborating with local school groups and Youth networks.
- Visiting Heritage Listed Environment of Budj Bim as a cultural tour.
Rotary International has allocated more than $18 million in grant funding has been allocated to environment-related projects over the past five years. Creating a distinct area of focus to support the environment will give Rotary members even more ways to bring about positive change in the world and increase our impact, and with the global population reaching near eight billion, protecting the environment is increasingly important.
Back in 1990-91, then RI President Paulo V.C. Costa made the environment one of his primary causes, creating the a Preserve Planet Earth Committee, which looked at ways clubs and members could conduct environmental initiatives. Rotary has finally caught up to his vision says Past RI President Ian H.S. Riseley, Chair of the Environmental Issues task force, which championed the new area of focus.
Ian Riseley, a member of Sandringham Rotary in Melbourne says “As a lifelong environmentalist, I’m delighted that our great organization has recognized that the environment is a worthy and appropriate destination for our project activity,”
So are we!! Please connect with us if you would like to know more about our projects, join in volunteering with us, or would just like to know more about Rotary.
Email rotarysecretary.portland@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page and message us.
