Residents keen on helping to save the vulnerable species of Fairy Terns that visit our shores came together in December at a workshop aimed at complementing the City of Mandurah’s new sanctuary.
The Stories of the Fairy Tern Workshop, designed by the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, gave the community a hands-on approach to Fairy Tern conservation.
About 30 community members were given the chance to paint Fairy Tern decoys, learn more about the Fairy Tern Sanctuary, connect with the Fairy Tern network and find out how to get involved with other citizen science aspects of the project.
The workshop was presented by Dr Nic Dunlop, a terrestrial and marine ecologist with special interests in seabird populations.
Dr Dunlop spoke about the new the Fairy Tern Sanctuary at Mandurah Marina and also about the Fairy Tern breeding habits, behaviours and the importance of installing decoys into the newly prepared site.
Sue Kalab, a watercolour artist and convenor of BirdLife Australia in Bunbury, concluded the evening by showcasing her paintings on Fairy Terns and sharing her knowledge on Fairy Tern behaviour and other shorebirds.
Ms Kalab spoke about the fragility of the coast and how she is driven to making a contribution to conservation through art.
Andy Gulliver from PHCC said: “We are pleased to work with the City of Mandurah on this project and share a role in connecting the community with the Fairy Tern Sanctuary”.
“The evening was well received, participants genuinely enjoyed learning about the Fairy Terns, and being able to do their part for their sanctuary,” he said.
“The Fairy Tern Sanctuary offers many exciting opportunities for the community to be involved in a positive conservation story right in the heart of Mandurah and we are excited to see this project progress.”
Anyone interested in volunteering to assist with the Fairy Tern Sanctuary should email environmental.services@mandurah.wa.gov.au.