Students on a mission to save turtles

Students from Margaret River Primary School have planted hundreds of natives on a section of the Margaret River near the Barrett Street Weir as part of a mission to protect our native snake-neck turtles.

The Year 6 students recently joined Nature Conservation Margaret River Region staff, Undalup Association’s Wadandi rangers and elder Wayne Webb, Shire of Augusta Margaret River and Friends of Barrett Street to restore important turtle habitat along the Wooditjup Bilya by planting seedlings which will protect the riverbank, improve water quality and provide vital habitat.

Student Flow Butron said it was “so special to be able to work together to protect the turtles”.

“This part of the river is very popular and there are many people visiting here over summer and throughout the year, which can cause damage to the plants if people are not careful,” she said.

“We really hope the community will help us care for it into the future.

“It will take a while for these plants to grow, and we need help from the community to make sure they survive.

“Please keep off the rehabilitation area, stay on existing tracks and carparks, keep your dog on a lead and pick up any dog poo, and please protect the turtles’ homes.”

The work is part of Nature Conservation’s youth education program Our Patch, which involves eight classes of Year 6 students from six schools across the Capes region.

Each class learns about their local catchment from scientists, landholders and cultural custodians before zeroing in on a unique environmental issue and devising innovative solutions.

The exciting nature-based learning in the Our Patch program culminates when each class presents their project and solutions at the Margaret River HEART for the annual Our Patch celebration day on Thursday, September 12.

For the first time, members of the public can attend the Our Patch celebration. All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards supporting youth environmental projects. See natureconservation.org.au for tickets.

Inspired by their research, the students have created and designed turtle T-shirts, which are for sale for $25 each at the MRPS front office.

Friends of Barrett Street member Maureen Munro said she was “so inspired working with the Year 6 students as we continued rehabilitating the foreshore and bush reserve near Barrett St Weir”.

“It’s an exciting project and I hope the community will protect this important work, and stay out of the replanted area, keeping dogs away as well. This is a much-loved area of our town but suffers from overuse and abuse. I hope we will see increased sightings of native animals and birds that love this habitat.”

MRPS students decided to focus on the snake-neck turtle when they learned about the apex river predator from Professor Stephen Beatty, one of the state’s foremost experts in freshwater ecology.

Year 6 teacher Mark Harrison said the students are “connecting with the environment and building appreciation and awareness of the need to protect biodiversity and restore the environment”.

“Through this program kids realise it’s not someone else’s problem,” he said.

“We all live here, and all share a responsibility to be a custodian, to look after and value where we live.

“It makes the kids consciously aware of the issues in our region and they share that knowledge with their families and the community.

“They then become the catalyst for change in our region.”

Our Patch is generously funded by the Paskeville Foundation, Shire of Augusta-Margaret River, Lions Club of Cowaramup, Margaret River Rotary and local schools.