Community Collaborates for Conservation

Quenda

A trip out to the Perth Hills in early September to see the wildflowers was a perfect opportunity to see the exciting new quenda habitat work that Dave Broadhurst, City of Kalamunda, and local Friends groups have been doing.

The City of Kalamunda, together with volunteers, have adapted a plan from Gardening Australia to build and install six quenda homes in bushland reserves, with a plan to build over 20 by beginning of 2022.  They are designed to provide a cozy home and protection from foxes and cats.  Hopefully, the quenda will take up the invitation to reside in the 5-star accommodation.

Jirdarup Photography Workshop

Advocacy through photography was the aim of a workshop coordinated by the Friends of Jirdarup Bushland in mid-September.  Participants learned quick tips from Dave Ditchburn for taking better photographs with their cameras and phones.

Dave, an established nature photographer, encouraged the altering of angle of the device, choosing the best focal point and getting to know nature in your patch to capture nature and create engaging images.  Vicki Caufield from Friends of Jirdarup Bushland encouraged everyone to take part in their photography competition.  The public will be able to view the final entries at the Kent Street Gallery, Victoria Park from 18 November.

Not Creeping, Strolling

September finished with a stroll along the Canning River to learn more about the work of the Canning River Residents Environment Protection Association (CRREPA).  Cat Williams from SERCUL described the partnership program to deliver the living stream at Nurdi Park.  We learned about the design and construction and about how the filtration ponds function to strip nutrients from the stream before the water flows into the Canning River.

CRREPA’s team then led us along the Canning River from a foreshore site at Central Avenue to Halophila Bay and Grecian’s Spot, near Shelley Beach on Riverton Drive, to showcase the years of restoration work they have done to stabilise riverbanks, retain habitat, manage weeds and prevent trampling by the public to gain recreational access to the river.

Advocacy for the River is a key component of  CREEPA’s work and the interpretive signs at Grecian’s Spit help to educate the public on the local flora and fauna and why their conservation is important.

Our collaborations

The Friends of Jirdarup photography workshops and stroll along the Canning were delivered as part of the Swan Canning River Recovery Stage 3 project, supported by Perth NRM and funded by the Australian Government’s Environment Restoration Fund.

Perth NRM is also proud to be sponsoring the Landscape category of the Images of Jirdarup 2021 Photo Competition & Exhibition.

If you would like to know more about Perth NRM’s community engagement activities please contact Ingrid Sieler, Stakeholder Engagement Manager.