Working to protect and enhance coastal landscapes
We all know how lucky we are to have the beautiful Fleurieu coastline on our doorstep, but do you know about the projects underway to protect and conserve our coastal, marine and estuarine ecosystems?
The Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu region includes the Fleurieu coast from Myponga to the Murray Mouth, and seven offshore islands. Our coast and marine environments are very diverse (even more so than the Great Barrier Reef!), with many species being unique to the region.
Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu’s Coast and Marine Project Officer, Caroline Taylor, works with land managers, project partners and the community across a range of coast and marine projects.
“There are a number of projects managed by Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu along the coast. We don’t do it alone though, we have incredible support from our project partners, volunteers, and community groups.
“Our Back from the Brink project is a great example. Along the coast, hooded plovers are a target species of the project, which aims to reduce the immediate extinction risk of threatened species. Their protection is not possible without an army of volunteers keeping an eye on the birds and their nests during breeding season. Beach users also play a huge part in their success, by keeping dogs on-leash, walking at the water's edge and staying well away from sign-posted nesting sites,” she said.
The Back from the Brink project is supported by the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Program and the Landscape Levy.
Our Plover Coast is another project in which volunteers and community groups play a huge role.
“Dune systems from Myponga Beach to Goolwa are having introduced grasses removed and are being revegetated with the local native spinifex vegetation. Both the propagation and planting of the spinifex is being undertaken by dedicated volunteer community groups. It’s a really important project to capture sand and stabilise dunes, and create a natural buffer for storm surges and provide critical habitat for plants and animals, including hooded plovers,” said Ms Taylor.
The Our Plover Coast project is supported by the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board, Green Adelaide, BirdLife Australia, City of Victor Harbor, Yankalilla and Alexandrina Councils, with funding from the South Australian Government’s Landscape Priorities Fund.
Seeds for Snapper is a seagrass restoration project for fish habitat, where volunteers collect seagrass seeds from the beach and ocean. The seeds are then sorted and sown into sandbags,and deployed back into coastal waters at selected locations. This project has been focussing on Adelaide metropolitan beaches since December 2020, with on-ground activities due to commence on the Fleurieu later in the year.
The Seeds for Snapper project is supported by the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board, OzFish, City of Victor Harbor, Yankalilla and Alexandrina Councils with funding from the South Australian Government’s Landscape Priorities Fund.
“The work we do is vital to sustainable futures and a healthy coastline, and there are a number of ways for people to be involved. Whether you enjoy propagating and planting tubestock, spending the day on the beach monitoring hooded plovers or beachcombing for seagrass seeds, it’s all really important and valued.”
Keep an eye out for project updates and to learn about opportunities to be involved or call 8391 7500 to speak with the Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu Coast and Marine Project Officer.
