Every two years the festival offers an opportunity for the community to discover and engage with the amazing biodiversity we have around us, and to act for nature by participating in restoration activities.

The fourth Geelong Nature Festival 2025 Explore and Restore, took place from 12 July to 27 July 2025 across the municipality.

This year over 52 partner organisations, mostly community volunteer groups, came together to deliver 50 events across the region with over 2420 people attending.

This festival was full of family friendly nature-based activities around our themes of Explore and Restore commencing at the Family Fun Day at the Old Papers Mills at Fyansford with over 650 people attending. This was followed by two weeks of celebrating Geelong's nature with wildlife attractions, guest speakers, practical demonstrations, group displays, nature walks, gardens for wildlife, nature strip and garden tours, planting and habitat restoration opportunities.

As part of the festivals School Art Project, sixteen primary schools and over 600 students created artworks celebrating Geelong's habitats and wildlife which were displayed at the Carousel on the Waterfront throughout the festival.

The festival culminated in National Tree Day, at seven locations across the City adding to the other 14 planting days that were held to restore wildlife connections. A total of 11,950 indigenous trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses were planted.

The festival is a partnership between the City and the Geelong Field Naturalists Club with support from Bellarine Catchment Network, the School of Lost Arts and our many dedicated community nature volunteer groups.