A group of volunteers assisting with habitat restoration on Comerong Island, NSW
For the past year Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) has been leading an innovative project engaging communities along the east coast of Australia in conserving the critically endangered Far Eastern Curlew, the largest shorebird in the world. Titled Community Conservation of Far Eastern Curlew, the project includes habitat restoration, monitoring, and education.
At the end of Year 1, the project has made significant progress in building community understanding and conservation of Eastern Curlew and other migratory shorebirds. CVA has engaged volunteers in habitat restoration at the five project locations in Towra Point Nature Reserve (Sydney NSW), Moreton Bay and the Broadwater (South East QLD), Hunter Estuary (Newcastle NSW), Shoalhaven Heads (Nowra NSW), and Casuarina Coastal Reserve (Darwin NT).
Key achievements in the first year include:
- Engaging 419 individuals in the project, including 15 Indigenous Australians, with 320 people participating more than once.
- Undertaking 20 community shorebird surveys, adding 2,376 bird observation records to the Australian Living Atlas covering 107 species.
- Hosting community awareness events at each location and connecting with local partner organizations
- Completing 55 on-ground team days over the five locations, controlling weeds and mangroves and removing 2 tonnes of marine debris.
The full report on Year 1 of the project is available to download here (link to PDF)
And you can read an earlier project update here
CVA Eastern Curlew project update July 2018 final
And, this is a promotional video of Conservation Volunteers Australia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EYwMLba75Y&authuser=0
Written by Louise Duff, Program Manager of Wetlands Catchments Coasts Conservation Volunteers Australia
Photo credit to Conservation Volunteers
