Touring waterways
WESTERN PORT BIOSPHERE (UNESCO)
Last week the Western Port Biosphere Reserve Foundation Ltd held its AGM and, at Rob Gell’s invitation I was delighted to attend and speak about community conservation work across the whole state.
Graham Hunter (United Nations Association Australia) Veronica Dowman (Bass Coast Council), Commissioner Kate Auty, Rob Gell (Western Port UNESCO Biosphere): with presentation copy photograph of curlews.
Western Port Biosphere is an extraordinarily special place on Melbourne’s doorstep. Since 2002 its UNESCO status has provided for the recognition of unique environmental, social and cultural attributes across a region which includes the Cities of Frankston and Casey, the Bass Coast, Cardinia and Mornington Peninsula Shires and French and Phillip Island.
The area provides habitat for endangered species which include the critically endangered orange bellied parrot, the helmeted honey eater and the southern brown bandicoot. A very active program of protection for the bandicoot has been running for years, driven by deeply committed members of the local community.
Southern Brown Bandicoot
If you spend some time in the Biosphere you may see the vulnerable, and aptly named, painted snipe. The vulnerable “shy” albatross might also make an appearance. And, if you are quick, you may see the endangered swift parrot.
Australian Painted Snipe (male), Leo Berzins, 2011, CC-BY-NC, accessed via the Atlas of Living Australia: http://bie.ala.org.au/species/Rostratula+australis
Shy Albatross, Wikipedia, accessed via the Atlas of Living Australia:
http://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=+Shy+Albatross
Swift Parrot, Leo Berzins, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, accessed via the Atlas of Living Australia: http://bie.ala.org.au/species/Lathamus+discolor
When I visited, I was told that a pod of southern rights whales had been seen in the bay in the preceding weeks.
The Western Port Biosphere Foundation focuses on working with local people but it also wants to explore the enormous potential of eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture and scientific research. A recent research paper on Waterbird Usage of Western Port, undertaken by the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research (Technical Report Series No 222) provides really accessible information on the passage of waterbirds to the region and their roosting sites. Western Port is itself internationally recognised as a Ramsar Convention Wetland.
Farming people in the Biosphere are finding ways to distribute sustainable produce; the work of citizen scientists and academics can be, and is, blended, each augmenting the other; and tourism which is sensitive to the place and its flora and fauna is being developed. Local governments are a most important partner for the venture. Not only is the land- and seascape pretty astonishing, so are the opportunities for the locals to work in with the environment, for sustainable outcomes. The work the community has done on Watson’s Creek has been recognised and celebrated.
A UNESCO Biosphere is a place for people in the environment and this one, close as it is to Melbourne, provides us with the chance to enjoy the coast and hinterland while working, together, on conservation goals.
You can train yourself to monitor the birds who visit the region by visiting http://www.shorebirds.org.au/ and you can find out more on http://www.biosphere.org.au/.
Yarra River Keepers
After visiting the Western Port Biosphere I got the chance to travel up the Yarra with Ian Penrose the Yarra RiverKeeper.
Again this was pretty special.
From my long association with Aunty Joy Murphy and other Wurundjeri people I know this River is important to Wurundjeri people, with the catchment continuing to represent long cultural connections to them. For those with an interest in this extraordinary connection to the River but with no access to Wurundjeri people themselves Melbourne Water produces a small guide (if you are interested you can get this and other metropolitan Melbourne river guides from Information Victoria for about $2.00). This pocket size guide shows numerous readily accessible cultural sites along the length of the Yarra.
Notwithstanding my exposure to the Yarra River through Indigenous associations I haven’t been shown the River by a non-Aboriginal person with such a depth of knowledge and interest as the Yarra Riverkeeper.
Ian Penrose, Yarra River Keeper
Over two hours we quietly putted up the river examining varied vegetation classes (some of which was weeds), housing (some planning issues requiring VCAT intervention), some quite extensive local government revegetation projects, old erosion works, drains and engineering works including bridges.
City of Yarra Yarra River revegetation project
Young graffiti artists have left their Melbourne-mark even here, in the drains where only a few would know to look for it.
Graffiti in one of the drains that leads into the Yarra.
We stopped and chatted to a resident who was inspecting the river bank and considering revegetation works, which provided the Riverkeeper with the chance to assist with information and connections, and we talked to Parks Victoria staff engaged in clearing out debris.
Parks Victoria staff and dredge
Magic.
Even in the late morning, when the sunlight is at its least sympathetic, the Yarra River has a light and a life of its own. The current was a powerful force; the river level was high from recent rains; and the story of industry and manufacturing along the course was fascinating. An old wool washing premises has been retained and speaks to non-Indigenous people about a more recent past than that of the first nations people, the Wurundjeri.
An old wool washing premises
As we turned to return to the dock in Burnley, plovers and a white faced heron pondered the food possibilities on a sandbank which hadn’t been evident when we meandered upstream earlier.
White-faced Heron
And, just to demonstrate that nature will take her own course and that imposed, man-made rules don’t mean much to them, black ducks defied the prohibition on using the ‘private jetty’.
If you want to know more about the Yarra Riverkeepers you can make contact on www.yarrariver.org.au.
And if you want to talk to Wurundjeri people you can find them through the Wurundjeri Council who have an office at the Collingwood Convent their details are:
Wurundjeri Tribal Land and Cultural Heritage Council Inc
1st Floor, Providence Building
Abbotsford Convent
1 St Heliers Street
Abbotsford
VIC 3067
