Platypus Watch Launch Workshop
Platypus Watch Launch Workshop
An educational workshop on water quality and riparian vegetation in Platypus habitat
Community Participation -
LEP_23-015_LLC
The issue
The Central Coast has a history of Platypus populations living in the waterways across the region, however no recent work has been done to identify population distribution and numbers, and there is mounting evidence pointing to a rapid decline in platypus populations because of habitat loss, drought, climate change and other human-induced pressures.
As part of developing a pilot project in the Wyong River catchment for Platypus monitoring on the Central Coast, we identified a lack of awareness about the importance of water quality for platypus, and the links between riparian vegetation and water quality.
The solution
As a launch event for the Platypus Watch pilot project, for which we received grant funding from the Central Coast Council, we organised and held a Water Quality and Riparian Vegetation workshop. This workshop was held on a private property in the Wyong River catchment and advertised to landholders in the project area with the intention of engaging them in the project and educating them about Platypus habitat.
The property selected for the workshop was chosen because it was able to provide multiple examples of water quality and riparian vegetation health. As a result, we were able to educate attendees on the principles of water quality and engage them in testing good and poor examples found on the property. We were also able to educate the attendees on riparian vegetation, its value in the landscape and the benefits it provides by visiting three riparian vegetation sites on the property:
- A healthy reference site.
- A site currently under restoration works and displaying strong natural regeneration.
- A highly disturbed site with limited vegetation and strong weed presence.
The impact
Through this workshop we managed to educate 14 attendees on the importance of water quality and riparian vegetation, in general and for Platypus. We also generated interest and engagement in the Platypus Watch and Central Coast Waterwatch programs ahead of the eDNA sampling event in Spring. Additionally, we managed to help connect landholders in the rural communities of the Central Coast.
Key facts
- Platypus have a strong history in Central Coast waterways
- The Community Environment Network launched a Platypus monitoring pilot project called Platypus Watch
- 14 interested landholders attended an educational workshop on the importance of water quality and riparian vegetation in Platypus habitat