Growing Place - Interactive Public Art Experience Melbourne - Citizen COP 2026

Growing Place: Discover Melbourne’s Indigenous Plants in AR

What if you could discover Melbourne’s Indigenous plants hiding in plain sight?

Growing Place is a city-wide artwork using augmented reality (AR) to bring Indigenous plants and ecosystems to life across Melbourne/naarm.

Look for colourful artwork stickers on pavements throughout the CBD, then scan the QR code with your smartphone or tablet to reveal 3D Indigenous plants in augmented reality. Plant and water virtual seeds, watch them grow, and collect more than 30 Indigenous plant species in your digital journal.

As you explore, you’ll discover more about Melbourne’s local plants and ecosystems — with some artworks easy to find and others hidden in unexpected places, turning the city into a giant treasure hunt.

Created by artists Joanne Mott and John Power in collaboration with Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Dave Wandin, Growing Place encourages a deeper connection with nature in the city while building awareness and understanding of Indigenous ecology and Caring for Country.

No app is required. Simply find an artwork, scan the QR code and start exploring. An internet connection is required.

📸 Join the Growing Place community: Follow @growingplacemelbourne on Instagram to discover more, share your finds and post your photos.

Find out more about Growing Place

This is a public session by the City of Melbourne.

For any questions or support, please contact:
climate.adaptation@melbourne.vic.gov.au

About Citizen COP Australia

Citizen COP Australia is a decentralised, people-powered movement running alongside the global COPs in 2026. Enabled by People For Nature, but intentionally independent and distributed, Citizen COP invites communities, organisations, schools, businesses, artists, and local groups across Australia to host their own events during the COP period. Rather than a single central event, Citizen COP is a nationwide network of conversations, workshops, and actions that bring global climate and nature discussions into local communities. It connects people to science, solutions, and each other, strengthening civic engagement and ensuring citizen voices contribute to Australia’s climate and nature conversations.

https://www.peoplefornature.org.au/citizen-cop

About People For Nature

People For Nature is a volunteer-powered environmental charity empowering communities through climate and biodiversity education, citizen conservation, and science. We believe that when Australians understand and connect with nature, they’re more likely to protect it — safeguarding our climate, ecosystems, and well-being.

Your tax-deductible donation helps us bring initiatives like Citizen COP Australia to life and inspire real change for the planet. https://www.peoplefornature.org.au/donate