Harvey River Restoration Taskforce in Waroona, Western | Community organisation

Harvey River Restoration Taskforce

Locality: Waroona, Western

Phone: +61 8 9733 2588

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• Community organisation
• Non-governmental organisation (NGO)

25.01.2022 Do you have a few moments spare to fill out this quick 10 minute survey? Wed love to hear from you to find out how the Harvey River system is valued by the communities living, and or owning land, within the Shires of Harvey, Waroona, and Murray. The information gathered in this survey will be used to determine key community concerns and opinions surrounding the Harvey Rivers condition so that appropriate action can be designed. This event was supported by the Peel-Harvey C...atchment Council, through funding from the Royalties for Regions, Regional Community Services Fund and released thanks to funding from the Western Australian Governments State Natural Resource Management Program WA https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B7QWY56 See more

24.01.2022 Happy National Water Week! It's time to think about one of the most valuable natural resources on Earth, and how we use it. Fresh water is crucial to life on Earth and though it is considered a renewable resource, in some areas the growing population and decline in rainfall means that water usage can exceed it's supply. The #WaterNightChallenge is designed to raise awareness around water usage in the home to encourage adoption of efficient water use practices.... So why not challenge yourself to one night of water saving and sign up for the #WaterNightChallenge - visit https://waternight.com.au/ to register. To learn how to save water at home in your kitchen, bathroom and laundry check out Smart Approved WaterMark's website - https://www.smartwatermark.org/smartwate/saving-water-home/

24.01.2022 Marron are so much more than just a meal. Theyre river recyclers because they like to eat dead stuff (plant and animal) found at the bottom of rivers, lakes and dams.

23.01.2022 Check out this beautiful image of a juvenile sea eagle taken by Dave Fergusson (thanks Dave). These magnificent creatures can often be seen in coastal areas but can also be found further inland along rivers and freshwater wetlands and lakes. Riparian vegetation fringing these areas provide food and somewhere to live for these beautiful birds. Riparian vegetation is the term used to describe plants that border rivers and wetlands (waterways), that may become seasonally inundated with water. These areas of vegetation have many benefits to the waterways they border, as well as to the land based and aquatic animals that live in and around them, like the magnificent sea eagle.

23.01.2022 The basic requirements needed by most animals to survive include food, water, shelter, & oxygen. The space in which an animal can satisfy these requirements is its habitat. Similarly for people, animals may change their habitat (where they live) at different stages of their life to suit specific needs. Certain events may necessitate moving to a new location in order to get enough food, escape extreme temperatures, or to find a quiet spot to mate and produce offspring. The same is true for native freshwater fish. Just like the freshwater cobbler (Tandanus bostocki).

23.01.2022 Great to work with the team from Bunbury Department of Justice-Corrective Services yesterday. The team of three managed to remove an enormous amount of the weed buckthorn from the banks of the Harvey River downstream of the diversion. They also managed to collect 3 large garbage bags of rubbish that had been dumped along the banks. Thanks very much to the effort put in by the hard working team. Well done and fantastic job!

22.01.2022 A really big thank you to Jennie Beeson for volunteering her time and for braving the spiders, waders, steep banks, and unexpected deep sections along the Harvey River to help map river pools over 1 m in depth. This work will help to determine where to prioritise some rehabilitation work in the coming years. Thanks Jennie we really appreciate your help!

22.01.2022 The Harvey River supports a variety of different habitats, that provide homes to many amazing river critters. Possibly one of the cutest, and most underrated, is the western pygmy perch. This little fish plays an important role in controlling mosquito larvae.

22.01.2022 Heres a blast from the not so distant past. The students pictured are from Waroona District High School. The photo of high school class mates was taken in 2009 when we were just starting a project on the lower Harvey River. The trees you can see in the second image were planted by these students in the same area they are pictured standing. Interesting also to see the flood mark on the trees (note the darkened bark), illustrating how high the water can rise when it floods. As a small community group we are very grateful to the many and varied volunteers who give their time to help improve habitat for our native freshwater species. So to the students in the photo, and everyone else over the years weve had the pleasure of working with, thank you very much, youre awesome!

22.01.2022 Our wetlands and waterways are amazing places that provide fantastic experiences for young and old. These areas are full of amazing little critters like the ones pictured. We were fortunate recently to have a look at a little Mayfly up really close. These little cuties, just like dragonflies, spend their early lives underwater before transforming into the form pictured.

21.01.2022 Going for a power walk always seems to take longer in Spring. It's a great time to get out and enjoy nature.

21.01.2022 Marron and footy; more in common than you might think....? A footy team is a finely tuned group of players, each with different roles to play, that work together to beat the other team and progress up the AFL ladder. If a key player is injured, perhaps a full forward, and no-one is available to replace him or her, then the team needs to readjust to accommodate the loss of that player. The team might successfully readjust over time if there is a suitable replacement, or may... lose momentum altogether and slide down the ladder unable to function as it once did. From a very simple perspective, the same can possibly be said for freshwater ecosystems. An ecosystem is a team of animals and plants that work together to maintain healthy freshwater environments like rivers, lakes and dams. Marron play an important part in this team as they are river recyclers (or garbage collectors) and are responsible for eating and cleaning up dead plant and animal matter found in rivers, lakes and dams. With Marron season fast approaching, its really important to keep in mind the important role this amazing critter plays in the ecosystem. If we lose these critters there may not be another animal able to fill the role it plays successfully and that would be sad. Dont go crazy out there, just take one or two and leave the rest of these amazing critters for next time. Dont forget to remove your rubbish either.

20.01.2022 This windy weather isnt ideal for spending time out exploring our rivers, so we thought wed bring some river life indoors... Meet Otis the Oblong Turtle! Apart from being very cute, Otis was easy to make and can provide some free entertainment for the kids! Why not give it a go? All you need is 2 paper plates, a pair of scissors, sticky-tape or glue and colouring in pencils. We would love to see your creations so be sure to send us a photo!

20.01.2022 What a beauty! Meet the Carpet python. Here's a few facts about this beautiful animal: 1. It likes to hang out in trees, on the ground, and amongst rocks.... 2. It likes to eat small mammals, birds, and lizards, and does so by strangling its prey and eating it whole. 3. Its most active at night or at dawn or dusk, but is also known to become more active during the day in cool weather. 4. Females can grow up to 3 times larger than males...watch out fellas! Thanks very much to Ashley Deverell for this fantastic photo taken near Hoffman Mill in the Harvey River catchment.

19.01.2022 The Harvey River "River Stories" series looks at how the waterways and wetlands of the Harvey River catchment are valued within the local community. In the film below, Jordon Garbellini explores her first experience with the Harvey River catchment. The "River Stories" series forms a part of a broad catchment based program: Marron, more than a meal-revive our rivers, aimed at highlighting the importance of, and benefits derived from, improving waterway and wetland habitat di...versity and connectivity, within the Harvey River catchment. This event was supported by the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, through funding from the Royalties for Regions, Regional Community Services Fund and released thanks to funding from the Western Australian Governments State Natural Resource Management Program WA. Film produced by JC Film Box https://www.jcfilmbox.com

19.01.2022 The soil is starting to get dry and the seedlings planted over winter have a long journey ahead over summer. Let's hope this little Hakea prostrata seedling survives.

18.01.2022 Well be down on the Mandurah Foreshore, talking all things River Care, come and say Gday!

17.01.2022 We're very fortunate to have this smart little critter living along the banks of the harvey river. Have you seen rakali in your neck of the woods?

16.01.2022 Please help the Harvey River Restoration Taskforce deliver better programs by filling out this quick 10 minute survey! The aim of this questionnaire is to find out how the Harvey River system is valued by the communities living, and or owning land, within the Shires of Harvey, Waroona, and Murray. The survey format comprises of yes and no questions, multiple choice, multiple selection, ranking from most important to least important, and open questions. The information gathere...d in this survey will be used to determine key community concerns and opinions surrounding the Harvey Rivers condition so that appropriate action can be designed. We look forward to hearing from you! This event was supported by the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, through funding from the Royalties for Regions, Regional Community Services Fund and released thanks to funding from the Western Australian Governments State Natural Resource Management Program WA. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B7QWY56

16.01.2022 We really hope you enjoy this short clip highlighting one of our amazing Harvey River Critters: Carters Freshwater Mussel. This clip was produced thanks to funding from the Western Australian Governments State Natural Resource Management Program WA

15.01.2022 Why are our freshwater rivers, lakes, and wetlands so important? The article below from The Conversation.com provides a great read.

14.01.2022 Do fish make sounds underwater? Research by Griffith University in Australia is looking at alternative ways to monitor river ecosystem health through acoustic monitoring.

14.01.2022 Take some time to watch the film below. It shows a response to the fires earlier this year in East Gippsland, and protection of endangered native fish, crayfish and mussels.

13.01.2022 To those facing the threat of fire across Australia, our thoughts are with you, please stay safe. The article below may be helpful to those seeking more information.

10.01.2022 Heres something light to share. We hope you enjoy it.

09.01.2022 The Harvey River is home to many amazing critters including, the long or snake necked turtle.

09.01.2022 Getting out and exploring local bushland is a great way to beat monotony and feel great!

08.01.2022 Huge congratulations to the Shire of Harvey, GP Forestry, CY mini diggers, Martins Environmental Services, and the amazing crews of volunteers led by Cherie Brown for the transformation of the area known as the jungle in Harvey. Well done to all involved, the entrance to Harvey is looking magnificent!

08.01.2022 Leaf litter, comprised of fallen leaves, seed pods, twigs and bark provides the perfect hiding place for some of our smaller native critters. Spiders, lizards and bugs of all sizes make use of this camouflaging habitat to hide from predators and sneak up on prey. It also helps retain moisture and releases beneficial nutrients into the soil it covers when decomposing.

07.01.2022 Here's a beautiful example of connecting communities (animals, plants and people).

07.01.2022 What a beautiful time of the year. What a beautiful landscape. It might be a little difficult to see but just below the horizon in the picture, is a perched wetland with approximately 20 swans enjoying the wet landscape. A perched wetland occurs when there is a build up of water in areas with a clay base. These areas are created as a direct result of rainfall and surface water run-off, filling in the wetter months before drying out over the warmer months.

06.01.2022 A snag (were not talking sausages here either)..is generally a word used to describe an obstacle in our way, or problem to overcome. So what about snags in rivers? What exactly is a snag, and do snags cause problems? The term snag is used to describe tree branches and logs that drop into the water as a result of wind, erosion, and decay. Snags play a big role in our rivers as habitat, for our native fish, crayfish and water bugs. Large logs, branches and tree roots provide shelter from predators, rest from fast flowing waters, shade, and food. Definitely food for thought at the next BBQ!

05.01.2022 Ahh..somewhere nice to sit down and cool off... Vegetation creates shade and shelter for both terrestrial and aquatic critters. Wetlands and rivers fringed with vegetation (known as riparian vegetation) benefit from the plants and trees growing along them in numerous ways. Roots help to stabilise river banks by holding soil in place, woody debris from trees can help to slow water flow to reduce the risk of water erosion, and shade provided by canopy cover can cool water temperatures and keep aquatic critters such as Marron and Carters Freshwater Mussels happy.

04.01.2022 It was a pleasure to have a leisurely ramble along the river in Lake Clifton on Friday with the Waroona Bushrangers . As always, what a great group of students. The students assessed the habitat condition of the river and did a great job. Overall, the habitat rating for the section of river assessed was moderate, meaning we have more work to do to improve conditions for our native river critters. This event was enabled thanks to funding from the State Natural Resource Management Program WA, as part of the Marron, more than a meal-revive our rivers program.

03.01.2022 Our waterways and wetlands provide us with many benefits. Some of these include being able to enjoy a beautiful environment, clean water, or a place to learn pretty cool stuff. The film below provides a great introduction into the many varieties of animals and plants that work together as a team to keep these areas healthy. Please note however, rather than the yabby referenced in the film, we have marron, gilgies and koonacs that do the same thing.

02.01.2022 Its not Marron Season yet, but this poor fellow was caught in some carelessly discarded fishing line snagged on a rock. Not the best start to Christmas Day, but weve untangled him and sent him on his way.. hopefully in time for Christmas dinner! We all love our waterways and use them in different ways, but litter of any kind can cause harm to our fellow humans as well as our finned, feathered and shelled friends. We hope you all enjoy the festive season, its a great time to get outdoors, but be sure to take your rubbish home with you!

01.01.2022 A pesky fly and an invasive pest..The Mosquito Fish (Gambusia holbrooki) was introduced into WA as a biological control to reduce mosquito numbers, a job that our native freshwater fish are perfectly capable of. The Mosquito Fishs ability to survive in a range of habitat conditions, including sites affected by salinity, have enabled populations to thrive and spread throughout our fresh waterways. Not only do these invasive fish compete with our native freshwater fish for hab...itat, they pick on species such as the Pygmy Perch, nipping at their tails, resulting in reduced swimming ability and in some cases death. Mosquito fish control methods are extremely difficult, as almost all affect other fish species. With this and their wide distribution in mind, protecting un-infested waterways from introduction of the Mosquito fish is extremely important, whilst increasing habitat opportunities for our native fish can assist them to remain in areas shared with this aggressive pest. See more