Landcare Australia
An environmental group rehabilitating a struggling ecosystem for native species within Mundy Regional Park is set to represent WA after winning the Australian Community Media Landcare Community Group title at the 2019 Western Australian Landcare Awards.
Consisting of nearly 100 volunteer members, the Friends of Upper Lesmurdie Falls engages in a range of landcaring activities designed to boost native flora and encourage numbers of threatened birds including the Black Cockatoo and Rainbow bee eater.
Infested with invasive native trees and shrubs and aquatic invasive fishes, bank erosion has also lead to shallow water and reduced habitat for native macro-invertebrates and other aquatic fauna like djilgies and long-necked tortoises.
But since their formation in 2012, the Friends of Upper Lesmurdie Falls has worked with community and funding partners to remove invasive weeds, plant local endemic species grown from seed collected on-site and undertake important assessment of the aquatic fauna.
'Thanks to partnerships with local community and groups and a close relationship with the local Noongar community, FOULF has been able to making a significant improvement in the ecosystem for local threatened species, and other more common species that occupy the area, like quenda, long-necked tortoises and brush-tailed possums, who are all benefiting from the groups work,' said Mike Robinson, chairperson of Friends of Upper Lesmurdie Falls.
'Rehabilitating the flora of the degraded areas of the area east of Lesmurdie Falls and falling within the Mundy Regional Park and the Lesmurdie Falls National Park, the site also seen an uptake in visitors while providing the community an 'outdoors classroom' where people can re-ignite their wonder for the environment, take advantage of opportunities for nature play, cultural learning and research.'
FOULF will go on to represent WA while competing for the Australian Community Media Landcare Community Group Award at the National Landcare Awards in 2020.
Sue Reid, National Partnerships Manager for Australian Community Media commended the volunteer initiative on their outstanding accomplishments.
'Australian Community Media is proud to celebrate the incredible work of community groups across Australia protecting and preserving our precious and vulnerable local environments,' said Ms Reid.
'A hugely deserved winner, Friends of Upper Lesmurdie Falls has significantly contributed to the development of sustainability and environmentally-conscious productivity in the community. Through their tireless work, they've provided inspiration and beneficial well-being and we're incredibly proud to help shine a light on their significant, important efforts.'
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