The Ramsar Convention was signed in 1971

Join us to celebrate World Wetlands Day at this free information session about our wonderful wetlands:

When: 7.30pm, Thursday, 2 February 2012
Where: Dolphin Research Institute, Western Port Marina, Hastings
RSVP: 5979 2167 or cecelia@biosphere.org.au

World Wetlands Day marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention).

The Western Port Ramsar site is a wetland of international importance listed under the convention.

The theme of World Wetlands Day 2012 is “Wetlands and Tourism”. To celebrate, we’ve put together five of the best wetland walks in the Western Port Ramsar site, as voted by wetland  protection experts.

Graham Hunter, President United Nations Association of Australia (Vic Div); Councillor Veronica Dowman, Mayor Bass Coast Shire; Professor Kate Auty, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, Victoria; and Rob Gell, Chair Western Port Biosphere Reserve, at the Western Port Biosphere Reserve AGM at Hastings on 18 November 2011.

The Western Port Biosphere Reserve hosted over 50 people at its AGM last week, including Victoria’s Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Professor Kate Auty as guest speaker.

The meeting was attended by a broad cross-section of people, including representatives from business and industry, tourism and hospitality, government agencies, councils and community organisations.

Prof Auty, who will deliver Victoria’s State of the Environment Report in 2013, described the Western Port Biosphere Reserve as an excellent opportunity for the community to create change and innovation to better cope with sustainability challenges.

Western Port Biosphere Reserve Chair Rob Gell agreed, outlining his vision of the biosphere as a showcase for innovative, sustainable ways of living and doing business.

“I want Kate to be able to point to the Western Port Biosphere and say, that’s what sustainability looks like,” said Rob.

Rob invited community members to participate in this vision.

“Let us know if you have a bright idea,” he said. “We are a small organisation without a large funding base, but we will do our best to work with you to make it happen.”

Rob discussed examples of this kind of cooperation and innovation over the past year, noting that these efforts would not have been possible without support from funders, particularly the five local governments of the Western Port Biosphere Reserve, Bass Coast Shire Council, Cardinia Shire Council, City of Casey, City of Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Shire Council.

Western Port Biosphere Reserve highlights over the past year include:

• Partnering with the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s new “Best Bites” program, under which local food businesses nominate to be assessed on environmentally sustainable business practices, safe and healthy food, and safe and accessible premises. The Western Port Biosphere Reserve will provide public recognition for businesses that attain standards of practice that meet and demonstrate biosphere objectives. It will also investigate the rollout of similar programs in other parts of the region.
• Engaging the community to clean up one of Victoria’s dirtiest waterways, Watson Creek – something never done successfully in the past. In addition to reducing nutrient flows into Yaringa Marine National Park in Western Port, this project has become a model for use in other parts of the region. It has also produced a manual to assist Horticulture Australia to work with vegetable growers near sensitive waterways interstate.
• Continuing on-ground work, community engagement and collaborative efforts to ensure the regional survival of the endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot. This includes the recent formation of a twenty-member Southern Brown Bandicoot Regional Recovery Group, which includes scientists and representatives from national and state agencies and the community.
• Helping to deliver the Ramsar Protection Program, which is being facilitated by the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority with Caring for our Country funding. The project brings together a range of agency and community stakeholders to reduce threats to two Ramsar sites, including Western Port. Efforts include fox and rabbit control, weed control, fencing, and community engagement to increase understanding of the importance of these wetlands and how to protect them.

Rob thanked Prof Auty for her contribution to the Western Port Biosphere Reserve’s AGM.

Further information on the work of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability is available at www.ces.vic.gov.au. See also Prof Auty’s blog post on her visit to the Western Port Biosphere Reserve.

The regional recovery group brings together representatives from local governments, state agencies and the community to ensure the survival of the endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot in the Western Port Biosphere Reserve region. Once common, the bandicoot is now rare in the region, except for a relatively secure population at the Cranbourne botanic gardens and some small, scattered groups.

During the meeting, Sarah Maclagan, a PhD student at Deakin University and member of the regional recovery group, shared preliminary results of her GPS tagging project, which is revealing new information about bandicoot movements. This knowledge will help to create effective biolinks to allow safe dispersal of bandicoots, protecting genetic diversity and allowing the species to move across the landscape as the climate changes.

The regional recovery group was established following strong community support at a public meeting convened by the Western Port Biosphere Reserve in June.

It will build on the work already done by the Biosphere’s bandicoot recovery program and its partners, including the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, the Department of Sustainability and Environment, the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, Melbourne Water and local governments. This work has been funded by Australian Government Caring for our Country grants, the Victorian Government and philanthropic grants.

The regional recovery group will take a landscape-scale approach and enable key stakeholders to better coordinate their bandicoot conservation efforts.

Further information is available from David Nicholls, Western Port Biosphere Reserve, ph. 03 5990 7166 and Dr Bram Mason, Department of Sustainability and Environment, ph. 136 186.

The seminar will bring together a panel of experts to consider the environmental challenges and opportunities ahead in the Frankston region, via presentations and a “Q&A” session.
 
Details about the guest experts can be found at www.frankston.vic.gov.au, and discussion papers will be available for reading prior to the seminar from 21 Nov. Questions can be submitted for the panel before the night.

RSVP by 21 November to environment@frankston.vic.gov.au or phone 1300 322 322.

Further information: see seminar flyer or visit www.frankston.vic.gov.au

The paper provides an excellent summary of the regional status of this endangered species and threats to its survival. It also makes recommendations about planning to ensure the bandicoot’s survival in the face of pressure to expand Melbourne’s urban growth boundary.

The recommendations draw on research by the Western Port Biosphere Reserve bandicoot recovery team. They also build on the outcomes of the public meeting convened by the Western Port Biosphere Reserve in June 2011, which demonstrated strong community support for the formation of corridors linking the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne with the other key Southern Brown Bandicoot habitats in the region.

UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program 40th anniversary, 3 November 2011

Today is International Day for Biosphere Reserves, as UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere program celebrates its 40th anniversary.

The biosphere reserve concept has changed over the past 40 years. You can read more about how it has evolved at the MAB 40th anniversary web site.

Date: Friday 18 November 2011
Time: 11:15 am (sharp)
Where: MaQuay International Restaurant, Marine Parade, Hastings
RSVP for lunch essential: see below

Lunch and guest speaker

The AGM will commence at 11.15 am. Following the AGM formalities and a report on activities, you are welcome to join us for lunch with Professor Auty, who will focus on Western Port.

If you would like to stay for lunch, RSVP is essential: email admin@biosphere.org.au or telephone 5979 2167 by 5.00 pm Friday 11 November 2011. Please advise us of any special dietary requirements. Lunch seating is limited, so please respond quickly.

AGM documents, including an agenda and annual report, are available online.

Prior to the works, bandicoots had not been seen in the area for some time.

Last month, Linda English from Bayles reported that habitat plantings were well established and providing much improved cover for bandicoots. There had been a 60% survival of plantings.

There had been many bandicoot diggings and sightings, including two road kills within two weeks (a large male and a very young individual), said Linda.

“We have seen bandicoots of four distinctly different sizes along our front nature strip, abutting the new vegetation, and there are significant tracks and diggings along the whole area.”

According to David, road kills are a sign that bandicoots are present in significant numbers.

We will be talking about:

• The Biosphere’s draft Living Strategy.  See it on the Biosphere’s website:  http://www.biosphere.org.au/documents/livingstrategy160511v3.pdf,
• The Board’s Criteria for a new Chair. [Sadly, Rob Gell's term is coming to an end.]
• Selection of a new Frankston Roundtable Director. [Yes, Jim Kerin is retiring - A Big Thanks is due!]
• Selection of a new Frankston Roundtable Convenor. [Another Big Thanks to Alison Kuiter for so long!]
• Biodiversity protection initiatives, including the Southern Brown Bandicoot Regional Recovery Plan, and other exciting projects.

Please RSVP to either:

• Jim Kerin [editormayday@qmail.com, m:0409 501 764], Frankston Roundtable’s Director to the Biosphere Board
• Libby Anthony [libby.anthony@frankston.vic.gov.au, m:0448 814 400], Frankston City Council’s Director to the Board

We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, 20th Oct.  Feel free to invite your friends and networks, as the more the merrier.

Jim Kerin and Libby Anthony

Heads Up!  Biosphere AGM  Date: Friday, 18th November 2011   Guest speaker: Kate Auty, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability.  Meeting time: Likely to be a business lunch format (to be confirmed).  Venue: To be confirmed.

Blessed unrest in a changing climate: Working toward a just, sustainable and fulfilling future, Paul Hawken
6.15-8.30 pm Friday 21 October 2011
Peninsula Community Theatre, Cnr Nepean Hwy & Wilsons Road, Mornington
Bookings required by 17 October
Ph. Emma Glenn, 03 5950 1685 or email spcd.admin@mornpen.vic.gov.au