Community caring for the Leschenault Estuary
The Leschenault Estuary is an ecological gem that faces pressing challenges, demanding collective action. The Leschenault Estuary Connect program is a collaborative initiative aimed at safeguarding the estuary through awareness raising, and engaging community and stakeholders in taking coordinated action.
Over the years, concerns have grown about the health of the Leschenault Estuary. The impact of various land uses in the surrounding catchment area on water quality, ecological health, and its suitability for recreational activities cannot be ignored. In 2012, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) highlighted the environmental concerns, emphasising the need to address nutrient pollution and degradation in the Leschenault Estuary.
Despite significant efforts to address water quality issues, the lack of coordination among stakeholders and limited community engagement remain significant hurdles. The time has come for a strategic, collaborative initiative that unites us in protecting the estuary.
This program brings together Traditional Owners, community members, key business partners, and both state and local government stakeholders. It is designed to raise awareness about the estuary’s natural and cultural significance, encourage community engagement in restoration efforts, and promote collaboration among stakeholders to address water quality issues and protect biodiversity values.
The program has five main components all aimed at inspiring community connection and raising awareness on how to care for the Leschenault Estuary.
Leschenault Estuary Collaborative Management Group
Representing a range of stakeholders working on and around the Leschenault Estuary with a collective passion to protect the natural and cultural values of this important environmental and community asset.
The group have a clear vision for the Leschenault Estuary, ‘A well-managed and recognised estuary ecosystem where culture is respected, water quality is healthy, and aquatic and riparian ecological communities are resilient. A place enjoyed and cared for by the local community.’
The group has created a short community survey to better understand how the community uses and values the Leschenault Estuary. Please help us by encouraging your friends and family to complete the survey too. You’ll also go into the draw to win a Native Plant voucher for the Leschenault Community Nursery!
Aboriginal cultural connections
The program aims to deepen the sense of place of the Leschenault Estuary and increase community connection to this culturally and ecologically significant place. The Leschenault Estuary has been used as a resource for thousands of years by Traditional Owners and plays an important part in the lives of the Noongar community today. This long tradition includes utilising and caring for the Leschenault Estuary in a sustainable way to ensure it remains healthy and productive. With the inherent cultural rights, responsibilities and obligations to care for coastal and marine environments within Aboriginal culture, we can all learn from the continuation of cultural wisdom and practices which in turn play a pivotal role in individual and community wellbeing.
Friends of the estuary volunteering opportunities
Estuaries are complex, dynamic and relatively fragile environments. The health of the Leschenault estuary is threatened by coastal development, declining water quality and the loss of habitat for native species.
As part of the Leschenault Estuary Connect program, we engage community volunteers in a program of foreshore restoration work including planting days, busy bees and estuary clean up activities.
Please sign up below if you would like to become a Friend of the Estuary.
Help the estuary at home events and activities
Declining water quality and sedimentation are two of the most serious issues affecting the Leschenault Estuary. This program aims to inform community on the risks of elevated nutrients and sedimentation due to inappropriate catchment land-use practices, and assist in changing behaviours and mitigating management practices that pose threats to estuarine ecosystems
We believe that keeping the Leschenault Estuary healthy is everyone’s responsibility. Healthy waterways begin in our own backyards. Creating a low nutrient, waterwise and biodiverse garden is easy, and we would love to help you!
The Help the Estuary at Home component of the program includes community awareness raising forums, presentations and workshops increasing knowledge and skills on how residents can help the estuary in their own backyards.
Estuary citizen science programs
Citizen science adds value to traditional scientific research and engages the community in a meaningful way. Through this program we are embedding citizen science opportunities into our research activities. For example, in partnership with Edith Cowan University, Bunbury a citizen science monitoring project will be delivered to determine the food availability in the Leschenault Estuary for migratory and non-migratory shorebirds. We are also collaborating with OzFish, on an educational fish-focused citizen science program to inspire community action in fish habitat restoration activities.
The Leschenault Estuary Connect program will continue to engage community to be part of citizen science opportunities as they arise.
The Leschenault Estuary Connect Program is made possible through generous funding support from Lotterywest, helping to build a better WA together, and Water Corporation.
