Tag: coastcare

Caring for our Coastline

We all have a role to play in preserving, protecting and enhancing our pristine and wonderful coastline and beaches.

The City has outstanding local Coastcare leaders like Mike Norman and Don Poynton. Together, they have dedicated over five decades of volunteer work to help preserve, enhance and protect our pristine coastline and habitats, its rare and unique flora and vegetation communities, and the wonderful wildlife that calls it home, including Quenda and the Graceful Sun Moth. This incredible duo share their top five tips to empower you to care for our coastlines and enjoy our beautiful beaches.

Our natural coastal habitats need your help

Climate change is the biggest threat to our coastline, and we have already begun to see its effects on our local beaches. Coastal hazards, such as sea level rise causing coastal erosion and damages from storms, will only continue to degrade our City’s stunning beaches. There is a lot that residents can do to protect and conserve our natural coastal habitats.

Coastcare Tips

  • Enjoy long walks along the beach (not the dunes)

Native dune vegetation and dune structures can be easily destroyed if people or pets roam on the sand dunes. Friends Group volunteers try their best to maintain and revegetate the sand dunes with coastal seedlings. Admire their hard work from afar next time you visit the beach, or even enjoy the views from the City’s coastal shared path which runs the full length of the coastline.

  • Avoid fence sitting

Don’t climb or break the conservation fencing around the dunes, especially on the ocean side. Doing so will allow easier access for people and animals to enter the dunes, harming the vegetation and dune structures. Fencing is costly to repair and can take time to fix.

  • Keep our beaches pristine clean

If you have rubbish left from your fun day at the beach, be sure to discard it in the bins provided. Allow everyone to enjoy a beautiful, litter-free beach, even after you leave. Any rubbish you discard on the beach will likely end up as marine debris that can harm many sea creatures.

  • Recycle, don’t dump

Containers for change is a great way to recycle your drink containers rather than leaving them on the beach. Donations can be made to our Coastcare groups by depositing containers under the scheme ID C10379297.

  • Live sustainably

Help reduce the effects of climate change on our shores by limiting consumption, reusing, and recycling your waste and lowering your carbon footprint. Don’t just enjoy nature but do your best to take care of it so we can all keep enjoying our environment into the future.

  • Get involved

Even if it’s just for a few hours a year, helping out a Friends Group with some of its on-ground work will not only spoil you with stunning scenery, but you will learn more about the coastal environment and help restore the dunes and beaches!

Rubbish dumped in the sand dunes at Sorrento Beach

Get involved in caring for our coastline

There are a range of ways you can get involved with restoring and maintaining our coastline. You can volunteer with your local coastal Friends Groups. Some examples of Friends Groups’ activities caring for the coast include:

  • Revegetation and planting.
  • Monitoring and recording of flora and fauna.
  • Weed control.
  • Guided nature walks where you can learn about our natural areas.
  • Rubbish clean up.
  • Seed collection.
  • Community education (talks and presentations).
  • Fire prevention.

New and returning volunteers are always welcomed. Some events require registration, for others you may be able to turn up and introduce yourself. If you have a passion for nature and conservation, or are just interested to learn more and help the community, find out more about Friends Groups within the City’s webpage.

Protect our beaches at all times of the year

Abalone season is a time of year where there can be negative impacts on beaches. Coastal vegetation and fencing can be impacted by those trying to fish for abalone.

If you see anyone trampling on vegetation, littering, illegally parking, going into fenced conservation areas, or causing other disruptive behaviour on our beaches, please report incidents to our Field Officers by calling 9400 4000 or 1300 655 860 after hours.

Coastcare groups revegetating the sand dunes at Marmion Foreshore

 

Don Poynton of Friends of North Ocean Reef-Iluka Foreshore

Don Poynton is a local environmental leader and has been volunteering in the City for 24 years across a number of different environmental community groups to conserve and restore the coastline and natural areas (Image Credit: Dee Farrell).

Local action on the coast

As Coordinator of Friends of North Ocean Reef-Iluka Foreshore (FONORIF), Don has helped oversee the weeding and planting of native plants in the Iluka Foreshore Reserve, part of Bush Forever site 325. The group also helps educate the community about the environment by installing signage, running guided walks and more recently holding events and displays.

FONORIF was formed out of the Joondalup Community Coast Care Forum Inc (JCCCF), an umbrella organisation for several of the City’s coast care groups, which started in 1999 to represent the many interests along the coast. The local group was created when Ocean Reef resident Dr Marjorie Apthorpe and a few like-minded residents from adjacent suburbs came together to look after part of the coastal reserve between Ocean Reef and Burns Beach.

Don is currently the Chair of the JCCCF which now acts as a community reference group for monitoring issues and initiating action along the City’s coastal strip.

Since 2014, Don has also been volunteering with Friends of Carnaby Reserve to undertake restoration projects in Carnaby Reserve (formerly Medinah Park) with the help of the City’s Natural Areas Team. He is also the Chairman of the Northern Suburbs Branch of the WA Naturalists’ Club and was the Treasurer of the Friends of Marmion Marine Park for many years.

In 2022, Don received a special commendation in the Western Australian Coastal Awards for Excellence for championing the natural environment and its importance to the community, providing leadership and advocacy, and encouraging community participation in coast care activities.

Why volunteer?

Don said that he is motivated to volunteer in these groups because he cares about the local amenity and biodiversity and enjoys working outside.

“I hate seeing weeds in public places! I love being outdoors. I like working in the best ‘open-plan’ office in the world! I appreciate the diversity that exists at Iluka and want to ensure it is maintained and if possible increased,” says Don.

He also enjoys learning and knowledge sharing and working with the other volunteers saying that:

“I find there is always something new to discover or learn. I like to impart what knowledge I have, to others who are interested. I enjoy the company of the people I volunteer with.”

The coastal bushland offers a range of unique and beautiful local species that you can appreciate across the different seasons says Don.

“There are so many beautiful and fascinating species of plants, fungi, birds and insects, it’s impossible to have a favourite. Winter brings out the cup fungi and the tiny earthstars. In Spring the male fairy wrens show off their colours and iridescent blue-green jewel beetles can be found crawling over the yellow buttercups.”

Tackling local environmental issues

Through Don’s volunteer work with FONORIF he tackles­ a range of environmental issues. These include feral species control of feral and domestic cats and foxes, weed species including the One-leaf Cape Tulip, Wild Pink Gladiolus and Veldt Grass, and the destruction of native vegetation and sand dunes through unauthorised entry to the coast.

Changes on the ground

There have been many positive changes to the local environment as a result of FONORIF’s work explains Don.

“Many areas within the 30 hectares looked after by FONORIF have been rehabilitated since the group began. These include areas around the Iluka Foreshore Park to areas not seen by or accessible to the public.”

Don is also proud of the group’s Iluka Foreshore Macroinvertebrate and Herpetofauna Survey, partially funded by the City’s Community Funding Program, run over 3 years that recorded more than 550 macroinvertebrate and 14 reptile species.

More recently, Don helped to organise a Free Family Discovery Morning to educate the community about the diversity of local flora and fauna and the importance of maintaining biodiversity. Around 500 members of the community attended the event throughout the day and participated in guided beach, bird, biodiversity and bush tucker walks and learnt more about the local environment through environmental displays. The event was funded through one of the City’s Community Funding Program grants, a donation from the Iluka Homeowners Association and FONORIF.

Iluka Foreshore before revegetation
Iluka Foreshore in 2004 before restoration (Image Credit: Don Poynton)
Iluka Foreshore 2016
Iluka Foreshore in 2016 after restoration (Image Credit: Don Poynton)

You can play a role

FONORIF and other Friends Groups play an important role in local environmental management and work closely with the City’s Natural Areas Team explains Don.

“Friends Groups can become the eyes and ears of the environment. As we spend all our time involved in on-ground work, we become more aware of issues that arise in our own patches e.g. an outbreak of a priority weed in a patch of bush that would not be visited by Natural Areas staff.”

Don said community members can help take action in their local environment by starting a Friends Group or joining an existing group.

“The City has over one hundred natural areas but less than twenty have Friends Groups. It would be great to see this number increase but if people would like to help but are not willing to start a group they should join an existing group.”

Getting more young people involved in the Friends Groups is also important said Don.

“It is noticeable that nearly all the existing volunteers fall into the “seniors” category and that very few young people are involved. The groups and the City need to promote the natural areas so people understand how important it is to look after them, not just for biodiversity but for their education and lifestyle, including mental health, values.”

How can I get involved?

The Friends of North Ocean Reef-Iluka Foreshore and Friends of Carnaby Reserve are always looking for volunteers and members to join in their regular activities. To volunteer in these groups contact:

Friends of North Ocean Reef-Iluka Foreshore: ilukacoastcarejoondalup@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/238527943276186

Friends of Carnaby Reserve:  tyrglanyrafon@hotmail.com

The City also has seventeen other Friends Groups you can volunteer with. For more information and contact details visit the City’s website.