Mangrove Walk and Talk along Lake Connewarre kicks off three-year program

A NEW three-year partnership is set to take place on the Bellarine between Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) and integrated energy company Chevron Australia to tackle climate change through nature-based solutions.

The partnership will see significant investments made in critical restoration and community action at 10 wetland locations across Australia, including the well-known Lake Connewarre along the Barwon River.

Approximately 20 participants attended a Revive Our Wetlands session this past Monday at Barwon Heads’ Moonah Park to officially launch the partnership on the Bellarine Peninsula.

Attendees were either residents or representative from management agencies or community and Landcare groups.

The launch event focused heavily on Mangroves and those who attended were lucky enough to hear from Dr Paul Carnell from Deakin University.

Dr Carnell spoke on the importance of mangroves before taking the group to see them up close along the River Parade boardwalk.

Representative from CVA and marine ecology expert Henry Kisby said the importance of Lake Connewarre could not be understated.

“It’s an incredibly large area, a 3120-hectare complex of saline and freshwater wetland, and it’s also a Ramsar site, meaning there is an international agreement for its significant role in providing a feeding ground for hundreds of thousands of migratory bird species from the northern hemisphere,” Mr Kisby said.

“The reserve is a shallow estuary lagoon linked to the sea by the mangrove-fringed channel of the lower Barwon River near Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads.

“The salt-marsh also creates an important habitat for one of Australia’s most critically endangered species, the Orange-bellied Parrot.”

Mr Kisby’s role over the next three years will involve hearing about potential activities to run throughout the Lake Connewarre complex and facilitate conversations between community conservation groups and CVA.

“We will look to be conducting at least one or two events every month for the next three years doing things like clean-ups and surveys of different bird species just to try and inspire people to care for this ecosystem,” Mr Kisby said.

If you would like to get in contact with Mr Kisby you may reach out to him via his mobile on 0473 841 369 or by email at [email protected].