The City of Joondalup Nature Passport activity booklet highlights nature playgrounds, green open spaces, wetlands and other nature-rich locations in the City of Joondalup. The Nature Passport is a fantastic tool to get active in your local area, support family time outdoors, promote social connection and inspire lifelong behaviours and attitudes towards natural areas.
The City of Joondalup has 22 suburbs with majestic wetlands, 17km of stunning coastline fringed with foreshore reserve and shared pathways throughout the coastline. The FREE Nature Passport guides you though activities and exploration along the way.
You can also download the Nature Play app and enjoy exploring Joondalup and other locations of Western Australia including the Cities of Albany, Armadale, Belmont, Canning, Fremantle, Greater Geraldton, Gosnells, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Karratha, Kwinana, Mandurah, Northam, Subiaco, Swan, Wanneroo and the Shires of Wyndham East Kimberley and York.
Nature Passports are available at all City of Joondalup Libraries and the Customer Service Centre, Boas Ave, Joondalup or by contacting the City’s Community Information Line 9400 4705.
Sorrento Beach offers excellent family swimming and turquoise water laps against pure white sand, making it an idyllic spot for a relaxing afternoon of beach fun.
Sorrento Beach is located directly south of the bustling Hillarys Boat Harbour, which is home to plenty of restaurants and cafes, as well as the Aquarium of Western Australia.
The Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club provides peace of mind with lifeguard patrols on weekends and public holidays, while midweek lifeguard patrols are provided by the City in conjunction with Surf Life Saving WA.
Removal of Beach Enclosure
The City of Joondalup in conjunction with the State Government installed a beach enclosure at Sorrento Beach in late 2016, however at its November 2020 meeting, Joondalup Council unanimously resolved to remove the Sorrento Beach enclosure due to the compromised integrity of the structure. Removal of the beach enclosure has been completed.
The City will investigate options for the provision of a replacement enclosure. This will enable the City to adequately investigate and plan appropriately to implement a new enclosure, aided by the lessons learnt from the Sorrento Beach enclosure.
The Adopt a Bushland program is for students in years 4 to 7 to raise awareness of the ecological values of local bushland and learn bushland management skills such as weeding and litter collection. The program includes the following 2013 Australian curriculum aligned teaching resources.
Quarry Park is bound by natural bushland, St Clair Park, Joondalup Drive, Treetop Avenue and Regatta Drive, Edgewater and covers an approximate area of 9.7 hectares. The location and visibility of the site abutting Joondalup Drive makes the site significant as it is located on one of the major entry roads into Joondalup City Centre.
Quarry Park and St Clair Park present interesting topography and include cliffs indicating the early history of the area where limestone was extracted for a variety of purposes. Along the top of the cliffs and adjacent to a local residential area are strips of land up to 30 metres wide.
Wetlands are complex ecosystems and are vulnerable to many impacts. Some of the threats to the Yellagonga Regional Park wetlands include declining water levels, water contaminants, weeds, wildfire, habitat destruction and fragmentation, introduced animals, acid sulphate soils exposure, plant disease, vandalism and rubbish dumping.
Actions you take when visiting wetlands or within your own home and garden can impact on the health of our local wetlands.
When visiting wetlands:
Join a community group that cares for a local wetland such as Friends of Yellagonga Regional Park
Remove any litter you find. You could even organise or participate in a Clean Up Australia Day event for your local bushland
If you are part of a community group or school you can apply for funding through the City’s Environmental Development Community Funding to undertake a project, event or activity that helps to protect the City’s wetlands
Don’t release helium balloons as balloon fragments can be ingested by animals
Report suspicious behaviour to the Police on 131 444 or if you see a fire phone 000
The Yellagonga Regional Park wetlands include rich and dynamic ecosystems ranging from upland forest, fringing wetland and aquatic vegetation to open water bodies. These ecosystems provide important habitat for many flora and fauna species, reduce flooding risks, filter and recharge water and prevent soil erosion.
Fauna found in the Yellagonga Regional Park includes the Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo, Western Grey Kangaroo, Quenda (native marsupial), Brushtail Possum, Echidna, Oblong turtle, Rakali or Water Rat and the Tiger snake as well as six different frog species. The park is also important as a summer refuge and breeding habitat for many bird species, with over 120 bird species having been recorded in the park.
To learn more about your local wetland areas:
Visit Neil Hawkins Park and read the Noongar cultural heritage interpretive signage explaining traditional Noongar use of the Yellagonga Wetlands
Subscribe to the City’s Environmental News and Events e-newsletter to learn about the City’s latest environmental events including flora and fauna tours, nightstalks, bushtucker tours and sustainable gardening seminars
Read the Plants and People in Mooro Country book to discover more about local flora species used by the Noongar people. The book also details the Yellagonga Regional Park’s changing landscape from Aboriginal Settlement to today
Find out more about Yellagonga Regional Park in the Yellagonga School Activity Sheets, targeted at school age students from pre-primary to Year 7.
The City manages Yellagonga Regional Park in partnership with the City of Wanneroo and Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Two key management plans exist to ensure the park’s environmental, cultural and heritage values are protected. These include the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions’ Yellagonga Regional Park Management Plan 2003-2013 and the City of Joondalup and City of Wanneroo Yellagonga Integrated Catchment Management Plan 2021-2026.
The Yellagonga Integrated Catchment Management Plan 2021-2026 is a joint project of the Cities of Joondalup and Wanneroo to provide a holistic and long term strategic framework to improve catchment health and protect the diverse values of the Yellagonga Regional Park.
The City also manages a number of artificial wetlands through activities such as weed removal, planting of fringing vegetation and installation of aerators to improve water quality.
The iconic Yellagonga Regional Park is a 13-kilometre-long chain of interconnected natural wetlands, located within the Cities of Joondalup and Wanneroo. Included in Yellagonga Regional Park are Lake Joondalup, Beenyup Swamp, Walluburnup Swamp and Lake Goollelal. The wetlands of Yellagonga Regional Park represent some of the last remaining freshwater systems in the Perth metropolitan area.
There are also numerous constructed lakes (artificial wetlands) within the City’s boundaries.
Check out the links below to learn about wetlands in the City, tips on caring for our wetlands and information on how the City manages wetlands.
There are a number of significant flora species and vegetation communities that exist within the City’s remnant bushland areas including the Banksia Woodlands threatened ecological community, mature Eucalyptus trees and a variety of shrub-lands and herbaceous species that provide habitat for nectar feeding birds and important invertebrates like the Graceful Sun Moth.
A range of other important native wildlife like the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo and Quenda (native marsupial) use these bushland areas for habitat purposes, such as foraging on local plants and sheltering from potential predators.
Subscribe to the City’s Environmental Events newsletter to learn about the City’s latest environmental events including flora and fauna tours, night stalks, bush-tucker tours and sustainable gardening seminars.
Find out more about the Adopt a Bushland program, targeted to primary school students in Years 4 – 6.
Volunteer with your local Natural Area Friends Group.
Actions you take when visiting bushland or within your own home and garden can impact on the health of our local bushland areas. Tips on caring for our bushland include:
When visiting bushland areas
Use available boot cleaning stations before entering and leaving the bushland to reduce the risk of spreading plant diseases
Do not clear vegetation and/or remove individual plants such as orchids from bushland areas
Keep dogs on a lead in bushland areas
Stay on pathways
Remove any litter you find. You could even organise or participate in a Clean Up Australia Day event for your local bushland
Report suspicious behaviour to the Police on 131 444 or if you see a fire phone 000.
In your home and garden
Plant a local native garden. Your garden can act as a stepping stone for important flora and wildlife
Do not release helium balloons as balloon fragments can be ingested by animals
Dispose of waste responsibly – litter can be blown into bushland areas and be harmful to animals
If you are part of a community group or school you can apply for funding through the City’s Environmental Development Community Funding to undertake a project, event or activity that helps to protect the City’s bushland areas
The City undertakes a number of activities to manage its bushland areas including weed control, fencing, installing paths and signage, feral animal control, fire management and revegetation.
The City has identified five bushland reserves as Major Conservation Areas due to their high biodiversity values, ecological connectivity and regional importance. The City has developed Natural Area Management Plans for these reserves:
The City manages over 500 hectares of natural bushland within 108 designated natural areas. These reserves act as an ecological corridor and provide a stepping stone for local plants and wildlife.
The Yellagonga wetlands teaching resources are for students in pre-primary to year 7 to raise the awareness of the wide array of fauna and flora that inhabit the Yellagonga wetlands, traditional Noongar cultural heritage and issues for the ecology of this area.
The City of Joondalup’s natural environment is biodiverse and unique, with many natural areas that provide a rich and valuable resource for residents, visitors, and native flora and fauna. Not only do natural areas provide valuable habitat for our native wildlife, but they are also important for recreational, educational, and aesthetic value within our community.
A Friends Group is a volunteer community group that works together with the City of Joondalup to preserve, protect and manage their local natural area within the City. Our Friends Group members are passionate individuals who love and want to protect and conserve the natural environment. Friends Groups can vary from informal, small groups to a more formal incorporated body.
The City of Joondalup appreciates the extensive work put in by its Friends Groups and takes pride in the considerable value that these groups bring to the conservation and management of our natural areas. Friends Groups, together with the work carried out by the City, are working towards revegetating, improving and protecting our valuable natural areas for the community and the native flora and fauna who enjoy them.
Friends Group Activities
Friends Groups may be involved in various activities for a particular reserve, with the aim of restoring the reserve’s conservation values and the community’s appreciation of the natural environment.
Friends Group activities include:
Monitoring and recording of flora and fauna
Weed control/removal
Guided nature walks
Rubbish clean-up
Seed collection
Community education (talks and presentations)
Fire prevention
Revegetation and planting.
Join or Form a Friends Group
There are many benefits to joining a Friends Group, including:
Making a real difference to the environment and helping to create a sustainable future by protecting local biodiversity and natural areas.
Networking and learning the expertise of managing urban bushland.
Meet new people and join a community.
Physical and mental health benefits, and well as improvement of general wellbeing.
Being outdoors in nature and enjoying your natural surroundings.
Experience seeing native wildlife and rare flora and fauna species.
Relive stress and keep your mind and brain healthy.
Placing an order with the City for free native plants to plant in your reserve.
Access to environmental training and workshops.
Access to various City grants.
Most groups are concerned with a parcel of bushland located near their homes. Below, you can view our Friends Group contact list if you are interested in joining a group near you. If no existing Friends Group exists for the reserve, the City encourages the establishment of a new Friends Group. You can express your interest in establishing a new Friends Group by contacting the City via email.
Stay Informed
Learn more about our beautiful natural areas and the latest projects, initiatives, and events Friends Groups are progressing in your local area.
Warwick Open Space is classified as a major conservation area and is ranked in the City of Joondalup’s top five bushland areas due to its high biodiversity values. The reserve covers approximately 60 hectares of bushland and is a great place for a nature walk or bike ride.