In early September, NACC NRM’s Coastal gurus Mic and Tegan packed their bags and ventured to the southern coastal towns of the Northern Agricultural Region!
The jam packed, three-day expedition prioritised catching up with coastal community groups, visiting sites and brainstorming future projects and funding opportunities.
First on the agenda was a meeting with the Tending the Tracks Alliance (TTTA) which included discussions on the recent partnerships with Green Head Coastcare and Cervantes Coastcare. In brief, TTTA connects 4-wheel drive clubs with coast care groups, resulting in a hands-on coastcare event. These Perth-based clubs are incredibly committed, dedicating a lot of time to travel to these coastal towns and give back to the environment and the surrounding communities that they holiday in.
From there, Mic and Tegan dropped into Seabird to meet with members of the Seabird Progress Association. Despite the harsh conditions, the revegetation sites are looking outstanding. Future plans are in place for further brushing and fencing to halt foot traffic at a priority site.
The following morning, the team ventured to Lancelin to catch up with the Friends of Lancelin Coast (FOLC). As with many of the coastal towns visited, Lancelin is feeling the effects of coastal erosion and off road vehicle use on the beach. Being an erosion hotspot, the beach in Lancelin – namely Edwards Island Point – is quickly disappearing. During this site visit, FOLC and TTTA began planning a sand trap fencing project. NACC NRM look forward to supporting this positive partnership and are excited to see future results.
That afternoon the team met with the Ledge Point Coast Care. After a meeting and a quick beach clean, it was time to visit past Pyp Grass management sites. Unfortunately, with a few years’ gap in Pyp Grass management, this invasive weed has grown back with vengeance. These sites really serve as a warning, showcasing the importance of ongoing, long term management of Pyp Grass.
On their final day down south, Mic and Tegan met with the Guilderton Progress Association for a tour of their past and recent revegetation and weed control sites that are all frequently monitored via NACC NRM’s Photomon App. Using the updated version, a new monitoring site was created for an area recently planted. After a quick snack of carrots and broad beans from the epic community garden, the team were on the road back to Geraldton.
This southern road trip proved that these committed coastal community groups have much in common and would really benefit from catching up and sharing experiences. To this end NACC NRM, with funding from CoastWest, are pleased to be able to assist in another Coastal Community Forum. This forum will be held in Jurien Bay, most likely taking place in early 2021.
NACC NRM would like to thank the network of dedicated groups and individuals that continue to passionately support and proactively work towards safe guarding this incredible coastline.
