17 November 2017

The Port Phillip and Westernport CMA has delivered another highly successful Indigenous Wetland and Shorebird Conservation training program.

Delivered in partnership BirdLife Australia, the three-day training (held from 14-16 November 2017) focused on the Port Phillip Bay (western shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar site.

The training program was designed for Aboriginal Australians that were interested in learning more about the region’s Ramsar wetlands and the shorebirds that inhabit them.

Participants learnt all about wetlands, including bird identification, wetland management and conservation monitoring. They visited the internationally-important Western Treatment Plant at Werribee, Lake Connewarre Wildlife Reserve, Swan Bay and Mud Islands, as well as Thirteenth Beach near Barwon Heads to study the Hooded Plover beach-nesting bird project.

Participants included representatives from Wurundjeri Land Council’s Narrp Team, Barengi Gadjin Land Council, Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation Budj Bim Rangers, Wathaurong Aboriginal Co Op and Glenelg Hopkins CMA.

This program was supported by the Port Phillip & Westernport CMA forms through funding from National Landcare Program and is part of the Ramsar Protection Program.