Welcome to our news update from the Corangamite CMA's citizen science program.

Here you will be kept up to date with environmental volunteering in the Corangamite region including the Waterwatch, EstuaryWatch and Western District Ramsar Lakes Photopoint monitoring programs. This is a place to find out about actions being undertaken to discover more about the health of waterways and catchments across the region, as well as community engagement events and opportunities to get involved.

Recent Events

How to find a platypus - 20 & 21 November 2019.

The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CCMA) was excited to host information nights in Birregurra and Geelong to give community the opportunity to learn more about platypus and to be part of an innovative new program that will use citizen science to keep track of local platypus numbers.

Geoff Williams from APC gave us information on the intriguing platypus. For instance, we learned that Tasmanian platypus are bigger the mainland ones. Importantly, we also learnt how to spot a platypus by their behaviour and characteristic movement in the water.

Research conducted by the Australian Platypus Conservancy (APC) has demonstrated that standardised visual monitoring can track how platypus populations vary through time. The audience was encouraged to become trained volunteers, visit fixed monitoring sites at frequent intervals and record the number of platypus observed.

Participants learned how to use the APC’s website and a new app to upload sightings records in the field on a mobile device. As a result of the Geelong information sessions, there are now four locations where citizen scientists can input data between the Queens Park bridge and Baums weir (https://www.platypusnetwork.org.au/findings ).

Upper Barwon Landcare Network and Geelong Landcare Network helped host these events and are great supporters of platypus monitoring.

Curdies Perch Search.

The Curdies Perch Search was a great day out for volunteers and staff, who collected water samples across the catchment for eDNA analysis of the elusive Yarra Pygmy Perch. The Corangamite CMA aims to discover the population distribution of this EPVC threatened species.

To gather enough eDNA from the waterway for analysis, samplers use filtration apparatus to concentrate the suspended particulates from the water. Sampling is duplicated to improve accuracy of the test and the filter units are sent to Melbourne University within 48 hours. We look forward to sharing the results soon. If you want to be involved, there will be future opportunities to volunteer with eDNA surveys next year.
 

Upcoming Events

Roll up Rollup! We are celebrating the end of the calendar year with an end of year citizen science report.

It’s the end of a busy year for Corangamite citizen scientists. We will share our learnings and recent reports. Lunch with a Christmas theme will be provided but please bring along a picnic rug or chair.

Meeting place: Tea House Lawn at the Geelong Botanic Gardens located at the corner of Podbury and Eastern Park Drives (Within Eastern Park), Geelong Victoria 3220

https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/common/public/images/inpage/gbgvisitormap.jpg

Date: Tuesday 17th December 2019

Time: 12pm-2pm

RSVP: Please let Kristen Lees know if you are coming and state your dietary requirements

kristen.lees@ccma.vic.gov.au  mob 0408384016

Summer by the Sea

Over the holidays there will be event estuary activities in a family format. Visit Summer by the Sea for the full program and bookings https://summerbythesea.vic.gov.au/whats-on/

Wednesday 15th Jan, 10:00-11:30am Anglesea

Tuesday 7th Jan 10:00-11:30am Peterborough

News

Corangamite CMA Waterwatch and EstuaryWatch Monitor Survey.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part in our recent survey conducted by First Person Consulting. Your feedback is important to us. We contacted 243 former and current monitors and received responses from 75 of you. The survey was undertaken to asses how we are travelling against the State mid-term review of the Waterwatch and EstuaryWatch programs. You told us that you come from a wide-ranging area, 27% of you have committed over ten years of service. On average you monitor 2.2 sites and commit an average of 3 hours per month. Your skills and stewardship have improved through your monitoring and you would like to see more feedback on the data against water quality outcomes and water management uses of your data. A presentation and copies of the survey findings, report and recommendations will be available at our Christmas Celebration, or on request. A summary of your responses to the survey can be found below.

Coastal gauge board maintenance.

Have you noticed clean gauge boards at your EstuaryWatch site? ALS was contracted to clean, repair and survey gauges at 13 estuary sites. Barwon River, Thompson Creek, Spring Creek, Anglesea River, Painkalac Creek, Erskine River, Saint George River, Wye R, Wild Dog Creek, Barham River, Lower Gellibrand, Princetown and Curdies River. We are pleased with the results, but they wont stay clean forever… let us know if you have trouble seeing the markers in the future.
The images below show boards before and after cleaning at Erskine River, Lorne

National Waterbug Blitz

Springtime saw a large number of aquatic macro-invertebrate (waterbug) surveys conducted over the catchment. Corangamite CMA teamed up with Upper Barwon Landcare Network at Birregurra on their Great Barwon Platypus Search to discover the tasty treats platypus eat.

Other events were held at Browns Water Holes (Lismore), Barwon River (Highton), Yarrowee (Brown Hill), Moorabool River (She Oaks) and Barham River (Apollo Bay)

Equipment servicing.

Over time, the quality of sensors, the charge of the battery and the number of data sheets gradually drop! For the next 2 months I will be servicing EstuaryWatch kits then moving on to Waterwatch kits.

Deirdre Murphy will email in advance to let you know whether equipment is being removed or replaced. As this may require training in the use of new gear.

River Detectives

River Detectives is an education initiative of Catchment Management Authorities that supports teachers and leaders to get young people connecting to their local waterway.

Schools and youth community groups can apply to be a part of the program which, if successful, allows your group to lend a water quality monitoring kit, for the teacher or leader to attend training sessions and the ability to access more activities, resources and an interactive data recording portal on this website. Applications for 2020 are now open so if you have school age children or grandchildren or know of a school that may be interested in monitoring their waterway please visit https://www.riverdetectives.net.au/ 

National Water Week 2019 "Its time to change the world"

This year three schools joined us for National Water Week Celebrations in October. Forrest Primary School hosted River Detectives Coordinators for an exploration of a watery world. A discussion around how they can change the world, using “A Story of the Barwon River” and a Water Bug session as  inspiration, resulted in some awesome ideas on how they could improve the health of the Barwon River, from their home at the source through to the sea. Cape Clear Primary and St.James Parish School Sebastapol joined River Detectives and Central Highlands Water staff at Kirks Resevoir for another day of water exploration and inspiration for National Water Week 2019.
Look at some of the activities below: Forrest Primary School Prep One Twos take a closer look at the Barwon, Celebrating National Water Week with Central Highlands Water with waterbugs and learning about eels and Norlane Scouts Joeys have been looking after Cowies Creek. 

Pesticide Detectives.

Did you know that many of our coastal estuaries were sampled by citizen scientists and analysed for pesticides and heavy metals? You can see the good news about those sites on the he Pesticide Detectives webpage http://www.pesticidedetectives.com.au.

The Pesticide Detectives team are now accepting site nominations through their new website for the next round of sampling occurring in February 2020. Information about the role of the volunteer, the sampling process and timelines are on the website. You may nominate sites for yourselves and pass on the message to other groups you think might like to get involved. Nominations for this round of sampling closes mid-December.
 

Welcome to new citizen scientists.

Gallery

“We wish to Acknowledge all Traditional Owners of the Country on which our Citizen Science programs take place and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging”

Delivered by Corangamite CMA and funded by Victorian Government.
Supported by Barwon Water, Central Highlands Water and City of Ballarat

Enquiries to Corangamite CMA (03) 52329100 or email info@ccma.vic.gov.au