7 Steps to Make A Frog Hotel – Landcare Group Activity

We don’t think about frogs too much, as we don’t see them due to their relatively small size and amazing camouflage ability, depending on the species of course.

But despite the fact they aren’t talked about enough, they actually play a significant role in the healthy functioning of our ecosystem. They are what is called an indicator species, which means if frog populations are decreasing, then an imbalance has occurred within the ecosystem. Some common reasons as to why frog species are declining are due to disease, invasive fish predation, UV light, habitat disturbance, and herbicides. Water quality due to human activities is also another cause to a decline in frog populations, as detergents, chemicals, and heavy metals are washed into waterways when it rains, polluting them and impacting the wildlife that reside there.

Frogs also play a significant role in the food chain, as they are eaten by birds, snakes and lizards. In return, frogs eat insects, other frogs, mice and even small birds! If frog populations continue to decline, a serious imbalance in the food chain will occur.

 

How Can We Help?

Frog Hotel

To help Australia’s frog species such as the common Persons tree frog or the Striped Marsh Frog, you can create a form of habitat for the frogs when they come across your backyard. When we create working habitats for native animals we are proving a corridor for them to cross from one bushland or reserve, to the next. Frogs need protection so by creating a Frog Hotel, you are providing them with a place to rest and have shelter.

 

Make Your Own Frog Hotel

To create your own Frog Hotel you will need the following:

Equipment:

Andrew helping the group by cutting all our PVC piping!
  • Saw
  • Sandpaper
  • Drill

Materials:

  • 1 Plastic tub
  • 2 PVC pipes
  • 1-3 native water plants
  • 250 grams of pebbles

Method:

  1. Saw the PVC piping into various sizes
  2. Using the sand paper, sand away the edges of the PVC pipes for a smooth finish so the frogs do not cut themselves when climbing in
  3. Drill a small hole into each PVC pipe, closer to the floor of the tub. This will help with water drainage.
  4. Create your design by setting up your PVC piping however you want within your chosen container, keeping them vertical or diagonal
  5. Add in your water plant
  6. Add in some pebbles
  7. Pour water into the pipes and onto the pebbles. Your frog hotel is now ready and waiting for guests!

You could also add in a solar light, which will attract insects at night for the frogs to feed on!

 

The Fred Caterson Landcare Group

At the Fred Caterson Landcare Group, we spent an afternoon creating Frog Hotels for our backyard buddies. Everyone had slightly different designs but all looked great in their own way.

One frog at a time, we are helping them survive within a highly urbanized environment.

A couple weeks after the activity, a Perons Tree frog was found in one of the girls frog hotels, which was shared on our Facebook group.

The Fred Caterson Landcare Group showing their Frog Hotels

At the Fred Caterson Landcare group, we meet up monthly to do different activities that engage the Hills Shire community with the natural environment, including bushcare.

If you would like to attend one of our free activities, please either add yourself to the group here, or email us at danielle@chen.org.au.

 

 

Habitat Quiz – Who Is Home?

Habitat Quiz – Who Is Home?

There are many parks and nature reserves that you can explore, but did you know they are home to many Australian animals that rely on these reserves for food, shelter and safety? They hide away in hollows, burrows and on fallen timber, so we may not always see them.

Lets have a look at all the different places you may find at a nature reserve or park that could be holding an amazing animal!

Fallen Log Found At The Fred Caterson Reserve (Castle Hill)
Tree found at the Fred Caterson Reserve (Castle Hill)
Cattai Creek Found at the Fred Caterson Reserve (Castle Hill)

Hollow found at North Rocks Wildlife Sanctuary
Hollow found at North Rocks Wildlife Sanctuary
Hollow in fallen log found at Fred Caterson Reserve (Castle Hill)

Now Its Your Turn!

Test Your Skills By Downloading The Worksheet And Using It To Match Native Animal’s With Their Home!

Worksheet – Habitat Quiz

Otherwise, Try And Guess Who Is Home In These Following Images…

Image 1:

This is a HUGE hollow found right in the middle of this tree. What animals would love to call this hollow home?

Image 2:

This tree has a lot of loose bark that would provide shelter for smaller creatures, what do you think they could be?

Image 3:

Here is a fallen tree that has quite a deep hollow! What animals would crawl up in here for safety and warmth?

Let Us Know Your Answers!

Comment below what animals you think could reside in these hollows and trees. There could be more then one answer!

65% of Weeds That End Up In Bushland Come From Urban Gardens…

65% of Weeds That End Up In Bushland Come From Urban Gardens…

After doing some bush regeneration work, my bush regeneration team noticed that a few houses that back up onto bushland had been responsible for dumping their green waste, including grass clippings over the fence. My supervisor reminded me that this is a problem for them and the health of the bushland or reserve because that is how weeds spread here in the first place.

What is a Weed?

Weeds are classified as any plant that has situated itself somewhere it is not wanted. In this blogs context, they are plants that are occur in an environment in which they are not native to.

Weeds are a big problem here in NSW as they compete with native flora for natural resources such as water, light, nutrients and space. They can also harbor diseases and pests.

This impacts Australia’s native wildlife as they depend upon native tree’s and plants for shelter, food and nesting. More concerning is that weeds often grow faster then their native competitors and so they can out-compete them to become dominant in natural areas. The natural pests that would usually control or reduce their growth are lacking as the plants have been introduced somewhere else.

65% of weeds invading reserves or bush land areas have come from urban gardens

Garden Escapees & Other Weeds of Bush land & Reserves

It is hard to control weeds once they have established themselves and end up being very economically and environmentally costly.

There are over 1,350 invasive species that have naturalized themselves here in NSW and 300 of them are having significant environmental impacts to NSW ‘s biodiversity and primary production.

Green Waste Dumping

When you dump your waste into reserves or nearby bushland, you are actually introducing those plant species into that reserve and they can spread, depending on the species, relatively fast.

Source: Weed Force

Bridal creeper, Asparagus Asparagoides is an example of a weed that was introduced as a garden plant but spread significantly into bushland and has now widely established itself in Southern Australia. In fact, it has been labelled as a weed of National Significance in Australia due to its invasiveness, potential of spread and economic and environmental costs.

Bridal creeper is damaging to native plants because it grows as a thick mat of underground tubers over the bushland floor and actually slows down the root growth of other native plants and quite often prevents that species from seed establishment.

Some native plants are being so overthrown by bridal creeper that they are now threatened to near extinction, one example is the Rice Flower, Pimelea spicata.

Weedy Garden Plants

Some plant species are called ‘weedy garden plants’ because they can spread into bushland even if they remain in your garden bed. They do this by their ability to spread by vegetative means, such as through their bulbs, root parts, corms, tubers or stem fragments. They can also be transferred outside their garden bed by the wind, water and from animals such as birds that eat and defecate the fruit to another area.

What Can We Do?

Source: Good Living

We definitely have the capacity to help reduce the spread of weeds into our beautiful bushland and nature reserves by making small but meaningful actions such as:

  • Plant Natives – This helps create a corridor for native wildlife in urban areas, providing them with a path for shelter, food and nesting. It also replaces purchasing exotic plants which have the potential to spread to nearby bushland.
  • Dispose your green waste responsibly – Avoid dumping your green waste into reserves or bushland and instead use your green waste bin. Another alternative is to use a compost bin to turn your green waste into nutrient rich soil.
  • Regularly prune your garden plants after flowering to prevent seed set and dispersal
  • Cover Green Waste if you are transporting your garden clippings in a trailer – This prevents seeds and weeds blowing off and invading roadside and bushland areas
  • Use your General Waste bin to put your plant tubers, bulbs and seed heads into rather then your green waste bin to avoid seed dispersal

Sources:

2012 ‘Garden Escapes & Other Weeds in Bushland and Reserves’, Sydney Weeds Committees, Available at: https://www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/62557/SWC_GardenBooklet_WEB_VERSION1.pdf

‘Weed Management Guide – Bridal Creeper (Asparagus Asparagoides)’, Weeds of National Significance – National Heritage Trust, Available at: https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/weeds/publications/guidelines/wons/pubs/a-asparagoides.pdf

 

Cut One Third of Your Waste by Doing this ONE Thing…

Cut One Third of Your Waste by Doing this ONE Thing…

There is a lot of talk nowadays about how we can better manage our waste more responsibly whether that is concerning single-use plastics, recycling or composting our waste.

It is talked about more undoubtedly due to the severe impact waste ending up in landfill has on our environment, specifically the significant amount of green house gas emissions landfill sites produce.

Not only that, but the population in Sydney, Australia and the rest of the world is rapidly increasing, with a global population estimate of 9 billion by 2050. When the population increases, so does our waste.

Finding where we can individually make small but meaningful changes in our day-to-day lives can make a big difference, especially if we help and educate one another.

In the Hills District, there is concern about the amount of waste we are contributing to landfill. The Resilient Sydney Report by The Hills Shire Council using data collected from 2016/17 found that The Hills Shire were contributing more residual and green waste per capital then the NSW average. To be more specific, residents within the Hills District generate 17% more residual waste per capital and 28% more green waste.

Weekly Household Waste Production

How Can We Reduce Our Waste Going to Landfill?

Read more

Fred Caterson Landcare Group

Fred Caterson Landcare Group

CHEN is offering the chance to be a part of a Landcare Group at the Fred Caterson Reserve in Castle Hill.

This group aims to provide bush regeneration services to the Cattai creek and its surrounding bush land. This may include some days focused on tree planting and weed removal, while other days may be focused on providing citizen science data to numerous organizations. One example of this is working with Streamwatch to collect water quality data from the Cattai creek. Another may include using the FrogID app to collect data on the frog species in the area and submitting it to the Australian Museum for research.

Read more

14 Day Cattai Challenge!!

14 Day Cattai Challenge!!
14 DAY CATTAI CHALLENGE

Hey Everyone! Since Earth Day is coming up, CHEN has decided to contribute to this special event by creating the 14 DAY CATTAI CHALLENGE! The Cattai challenge is going to extend for 14 days and end on the 22nd of April, which is Earth Day. For this challenge you will need to post photo's or video's on the CHEN page of you taking part in as many environmentally friendly tasks that can help your local environment from home.I am going to be taking part in it as well and you are welcome to use these ideas for your submission. The person that submits the most eco-tasks will receive an ECO BUNDLE of goodies, such as a reusable cutlery set, bamboo toothbrush, a reusable trendy bag, a stainless steel straw and much more! The race is on to better our environment, let’s do it!

Posted by Cattai Hills Environment Network CHEN on Wednesday, 8 April 2020

Hey Everyone!

Since Earth Day is coming up, CHEN has decided to contribute to this special event by creating the 14 DAY CATTAI CHALLENGE!

Keep reading!

The Future of Wetlands in the Hawkesbury Forum

The Future of Wetlands in the Hawkesbury Forum

In the month of June 2022, 6 Councillors from Hawkesbury City Council and The Hills Shire Council, organizations, community groups, and wetland managers, came together to learn about the current state of wetlands and determine a direction that will improve the future of wetlands and the wildlife that depend on them.

The Future of the Wetlands in the Hawkesbury Forum was organized by Hawkesbury-Nepean Landcare Network and the Hawkesbury Wetlands Group and held at the Deerubbin Centre in Windsor. Attendees heard from several speakers and participated in discussions about their concerns, challenges, and future actions.

“Healthy wetlands benefit us all and are an incredibly important yet undervalued feature in the Hawkesbury Catchment’s landscape. More needs to be done to protect them” said Christine Watson, from Hawkesbury Wetlands Group and HEN.

Hawkesbury-Nepean Landcare Network (HNLN) formally presented their recent landmark report Wetlands of the Hawkesbury Report which includes assessments of 35 wetlands (view online). Hawkesbury Environment Network (HEN) and Blundell’s Swamp Wildlife Refuge spoke about their efforts to conserve wetlands, the latter highlighting the beauty of wetlands through incredible drone footage and photography. Manali Kherodiya from WSU also presented her Master’s research on the Historical Significance of Wetlands.

“Once developers had to prove why they should be allowed to damage the environment for profit, but now the Community has to prove, at length, why the environment needs to be protected” commented Rodney Molesworth, a member of BSWR, “and the time and expense of that task now falls on individuals and cash-starved community groups”.

“We need commitment and action not just from community groups but from organizations too, who can support us with resources, mapping, and research,” said organizer Katherine Clare, Local Landcare Coordinator.

Participants agreed on future actions including

– a follow-up forum focusing on regarding aspects of the landscape entities

– the development of a digital library that compiles information and research about wetlands and is publicly accessible

– highlighting wetlands that are examples of good management where the community can gather

 

 

To be involved in wetland conservation and management, please contact the Local Landcare Coordinator via email at landcare@hrcc.nsw.gov.au or call 4574 9600.

You can also join Wetlands of the Hawkesbury Facebook group to stay up to date with all things wetlands.

Recognition for funding and support goes to Supporting and Strengthening Local Communities grant funding, Landcare NSW, Hawkesbury Environment Network, and Hawkesbury River County Council.

 

 

An Example of a Landcare group looking after Blundells Swamp

Blundell’s Swamp Wildlife Refuge http://www.blundellswamp.com/  shared how a group of private land owners are managing and protecting an incredible wetland, and the frustrations and challenges they face. “Once developers had to prove why they should be allowed to damage the environment for profit, but now the Community has to prove, at length, why the environment needs to be protected” commented Rodney Molesworth, a member of BSWR, “and the time and expense of that task now falls on individuals and cash-starved community groups”.

 

A 2021 Citizen Science Project sampling for Platypus within the Cattai Catchment

A 2021 Citizen Science Project sampling for Platypus within the Cattai Catchment

Last year Cattai Hills Environment Network (CHEN) volunteers sampled for platypus DNA using a new innovation technology called environmental DNA (eDNA) across the Cattai and Little Cattai Creek catchments. We got back 9 positive results out of the 18 sites that were tested! A very exciting result.

This year, in June 2021, CHEN got the opportunity to work with Sydney Water and Western Sydney University (WSU), to sample double the amount of sites across the catchments, 36 sites…
With the help of a group of community volunteers, and Dr. Michelle Ryan from WSU, we sampled our waterways for platypus DNA.

These results will give us a great idea of how platypus are using the waterways across these catchments. This is very exciting stuff and when we do get back these results CHEN has a Platypus Landcare group that is waiting to help restore and look after these platypus key sites.

If you live in the Hills Shire and would like to get involved with CHEN or Platypus Landcare, please email danielle@chen.org.au for more information.

We were also featured on ABC, so check out our video HERE

 

Platypus Landcare – A Habitat Corridor Project

Platypus Landcare – A Habitat Corridor Project

CHEN has started a new project to assist in platypus conservation efforts after finding platypus eDNA in the Cattai and Little Cattai Creek Catchment. This project will assist in the repair of the riparian zones in Cattai creek by removing the environmental weeds along the banks and planting the indigenous plants of this vegetative community, the Sydney Shale Transition Forest, an endangered ecological community.

Eroding bank. Image by Danielle Packer 2021.

Platypus Burrow within the Cattai Creek Catchment. Image by Dr. Michelle Ryan 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The creek banks have become eroded due to changes in the flow regime due to stormwater release via conventional drains. They also become eroded due to weeds replacing native plants which keep the banks together with their deep roots. Platypus rely on these sturdy banks to use for their burrows which they use as shelter, protection, and to nest their young.

At the moment we have five landholders that have properties along Cattai and Blue Gum Creek and are meeting up monthly at each site to repair these riparian zones and assist in the natural regeneration of the bush.

The more volunteers we have to assist in this project the larger the area of the creek line we can cover and therefore repair more platypus habitat. If you would like to become involved, either continuously, or just for one day, we would love the help! Please email danielle@chen.org.au if you would like to be added to our mailing list.

We had our first Platypus Landcare day on the 6th of June 2021 in Annangrove along Cattai Creek. Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) assisted us in our mission as they were looking for a site to help in flood recovery efforts. Instead of five landholders, we had about 20 people show up! This big turnout really helped us make a big difference for our first day and inspired us to see the impact we can have. Dr. Michelle Ryan, Lecturer at Western Sydney University (WSU) came along to our first day to speak with all the volunteers about the platypus and how the work we are doing is helping restore platypus habitat.

CVA Volunteers Repairing Riparian Zones. Image by Danielle 2021.

Dr Michelle Ryan talking to the volunteers about the platypuss
Dr. Michelle Ryan talking to the volunteers about the platypus. Image by Danielle 2021.

Lantana Land No More – An Environmental Education Project

Lantana Land No More – An Environmental Education Project

Cattai Hills Environment Network (CHEN) teamed up with the Hawkesbury-Nepean Landcare Network to facilitate and assist Lorien Novalis School undertake a project that would engage a class of year 9 students with the bushland that resides within the school grounds.

This bushland was primarily dominated by three environmental weeds, Lantana Camara, Ochna serrulata, and Ligustrum lucidum. Indeed, the Dooral Dooral creek which flows through this bushland was not accessible to the students due to these weeds. We thought this creek would be a valuable asset to help educate the students on water health, as well as give the students the opportunity to contribute to its health through weed management.

With the help and communication between the teachers at Lorien Novalis, Katherine Clare, the Hawkesbury-Nepean Landcare Coordinator, and Danielle Packer, the Cattai Aware Urban Project Officer at CHEN, we organized a project that would entail removing Lantana Camara to free the native plants that were being suffocated by the weed and to create a pathway to gain access to the Dooral Dooral creek, in which the weeds were restricting access to.  The plan also included the creation of a meeting circle within the area that had a fireplace and a humpy for the students to use. Due to the enormous amount of Lantana, there was on this particular site, the name ‘Lantana land’ was given but with the aim of making it Lantana land no more…

 

Free the Natives!

After teaching the students how to remove Lantana safely, the first mission was to remove the Lantana that was burying the native trees. We called it operation, ‘Free the Natives!”

It was such a thrill when the students revealed the native trees underneath the Lantana, a very satisfying and rewarding process the students enjoyed. All the students got involved which was great to see and by doing so, accomplished a tremendous amount of work in just one two-hour session!

 

Career Session

After our first session, we went to the hall to talk to the students about working in the environmental field including those in year 11 who came to visit. Among other topics, we touched on the importance of volunteering and how the skills you learn in volunteering opportunities such as Bushcare and Streamwatch can really help you stand out to employers. After our talk, a couple of students expressed interest in getting involved in volunteer opportunities such as bushcare and are keeping in regular contact with CHEN and Landcare for further assistance in getting ahead on their environmental career path.

 

Reflection

After seven sessions of bush regeneration in Lantana Land, the creation of a humpy, and a meeting circle, we huddled together with damper on fire and reflected on what we all had learned. It was great to see interest expressed from the students, and the simple lessons they learnt such as the significant impact of teamwork, the importance of looking after the land and an understanding of weeds and how they impact bushland and water quality.

Want More Environmental Engagement At Your School?

CHEN and the Hawkesbury-Nepean Landcare Network are looking for schools that want to engage in similar activities related to environmental education. If you would like to reach out to organize a meeting to discuss potential ideas for your school, community group, or other, please feel free to contact CHEN’s Project Officer, Danielle Packer (danielle@chen.org.au), or the Hawkesbury-Nepean Landcare Coordinator, Katherine Clare (landcare@hrcc.nsw.gov.au).

Otherwise, being a part of Sustainable Schools NSW, is a great way to ‘connect environmental educators with relevant resources, interactive lessons and a like-minded community to help spread the important message of sustainability to future generations.’

 

The Story of Cattai

What is the Cattai Aware Project?

Cattai Aware is the engagement program undertaken by Cattai Hills Environment Network CHEN educating, advocating, and celebrating the natural wonders in Cattai & Little Cattai catchments.

Story of Cattai Teaching Notes

This “Story” can be used across early learning, primary and high school situations in different ways. You may like to just read the “story” to your class. You could engage the Cattai Aware team to run the participation activity with your students, or as a school undertake a Cattai Aware session preparing all the characters and for senior students delving deeper into the ‘clean up’.

Aim

To increase knowledge and awareness of how the actions of individuals can impact on local creeks, and to illustrate how pollution negatively affects a waterway and the community that uses it.

Background Information

The ‘Story of Cattai’ introduces the concept of cumulative effects within a catchment and provides an excellent introduction to issues relating to water quality and catchment management.It is rare that the actions of one person will seriously degrade a catchment. Rather, catchment degradation usually occurs as a result of the combined actions of entire communities. The effect of this incremental pollution is the gradual degradation of waterway systems.

Preparation

For 30 students you will need:

  • 1 copy of Teachers Sheet 1 – Catchment Character Name Labels
  • 30 copies of Student Sheet 1 – What Happened To Our Creek?
  • 2 glasses
  • Paper towels, scoops, strainers and milk cartons containing sawdust (to be used for clean-up)
  • Various materials representing pollutants, as outlined in the list below:

Water, vinegar, salt, toilet paper, grass clippings, brown paper, detergent, fishing line or string, vegetable oil, plastic bags and wrappers, soil, bicarbonate soda, food coloring (black, yellow, blue and green), vegetable peelings, bottle tops, ring pulls, cigarette butts, extra pollutants, washing powder, band-aids, cotton buds, cotton balls, detergent and plastic netting.

Method

  1. Label each plastic container with the name of a character from the story. These are found on Teacher Sheet 1 – Catchment Character Name Labels. Where additional characters are required, these can be prepared for members of ‘the community’ who dispose of various substances to the sewer.

2. Add each pollutant to the labelled container, according to the ‘Catchment Characters and Pollutants’ table

3. Distribute the labelled containers to students. Tell students to be careful and to keep their container closed until the appropriate time.

4. Fill the large transparent container with clear, clean water to represent the ‘creek’. Place this in a prominent and easily accessible position, such as on a desk at the front of the classroom.

4. Introduce the ‘Story of Cattai’ and water catchments.

5. Fill one glass with water from the ‘creek’ and demonstrate its purity by pouring it from one glass to another. Set the glass aside for comparison at the end of the story.

6. Read the ‘Story of Cattai’, inviting students to come up to the ‘creek’ and empty their container into it when their character’s name is mentioned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Hold a class discussion about what happened to the creek. Talk about the small events that lead to the creek becoming polluted. What can the characters do to reduce their impact on the creek? What changes need to occur to solve the pollution problems?

8. Encourage the students to think of how they impact on their local waterway and to think of ways that they can reduce these impacts.

9. It is important to set a positive example and dispose of this water responsibly. Strain the water through a kitchen sieve and place the solid matter in the bin. Pour the oil off into the milk cartons containing sawdust, and dispose in the bin. Pour the strained water onto a garden or lawn. Do not dispose of this water down the sink or toilet.

 

Story of Cattai

I’d like to tell you a story about a wonderful creek in our local area and how everyone within the catchment affects the creek’s health. Before I start the story, let us first think about water catchments. Can anyone tell me what a catchment is? A ‘catchment’ is an area that collects rainwater as it falls to earth. This water drains into streams and creeks, which then combine to form larger waterways, such as lakes and rivers. HINT: Demonstrate this by getting everyone to cup their hands and pretend that they are standing in the rain. Ask what would happen?

The Earth’s surface is divided into catchments. We all live in a ‘catchment’ and we all use the land within these catchments for different purposes, for example houses, farms, roads, parks and businesses. Everyone within a catchment has an effect on the water quality in its waterways. I have given each of you a small container with the name of a character from our story on it. The contents of these containers represent some of the pollutants that enter our creek. When the name of your character is mentioned in the story, I want you to come to the front of the class and empty your container into the creek (represented by a salad bowl or fish tank).

 Introduction

Our Cattai Creek begins as barely a trickle, in a light industrial area in Castle Hill. All along the creek where we live there is so much degradation, which is caused by the spread of civilization.

On the side of the creek in the industrial area, sits Chris Carlover’s car dealership, is in decline, all run down. Chris sold cars for many a year but churning out pollution is what I most fear. For without the use of modern pollution equipment, Chris discharges wastewater to the creek without treatment.

Aimee Busy-all-Day is a menace at the wheel, her driving technique making her tyres screech and squeal. The dust from her driving on the road quickly settles, but when it rains it runs off carrying its heavy metals.

Studious Sandra drives an old rusty bomb, to uni and back (it cannot last long). It’s constantly dripping a trail of black oil, and as long as it does, our creek it spoils.

Our creek now flows north through suburbia, where Gerard Green-Thumb grows veggies and herbs. Gerard’s garden is sometimes invaded by bugs; leaf munchers, sap-suckers, snails and slugs. To rid his patch of the pests he detests, Gerard thinks copious chemicals work best. As he waters his garden the excess washes away, and downstream water bugs are left in a daze. Now due to overuse of such pesticides, the more sensitive bugs in our creek have expired.

For the third time this month Victor’s been mowing Gerard’s grass that in summer just won’t stop its growing. Rather than composting or mulching the lawn clippings, the stormwater drain is where Victor’s been tipping. He seems to think these clippings don’t matter, but the weeds and the seeds these clippings do scatter. Once in the creek, plant materials decay, removing dissolved oxygen from our waterway.

Through Fred Caterson Reserve Danielle walks every day, where her dog stops to ‘relieve itself’ one might like to say. A dog-lover, Danielle’s always caring and kind, but she’s blind to what her four-legged friend leaves behind. Now, dog poo on your shoe is considered a curse, but when it’s washed to the creek the outcome is far worse.

Through bushland corridors our creek quickly flows, and as other smaller creeks join it, our creek it grows. If you are lucky, you may see a Powerful Owl in a hollow of a large old tree if you have good enough sight, or if you listen carefully you may hear its deep double hoot echoing at night.  It’s Australia’s largest owl with a wingspan of 1.4 metres that can’t be beat, large yellow eyes, massive sharp talons and with orange feet. Sadly their numbers are declining due to the urban sprawl, and with the removal of old growth trees for nesting their numbers will continue to fall.

On the larger blocks on the edge of suburbia Shady Dealing’s subdividing, selling ‘the great Aussie dream’ for young families to reside in. But before building dream homes and garden displays, their fine sandy loam are all washing away. A torrent of water runs off whenever it rains, carrying topsoil to the creek via stormwater drains. As the turbid water settles, with mud all is covered, and beneath fine silt bottom dwellers are smothered.

Our poor creek is looking very sick now! But its journey isn’t over yet. Just when you thought this madness would end, guess what comes up around the next bend.

Further out of town, the Martin Family are escaping suburbia on an acreage block, with lots of room for a spacious family house and even some livestock. Their beautiful bush block backs onto the creek and against better judgement they put in a weir, now them running out of water there is no need to fear. This practice was long ago banned, as it takes away precious water from downstream that was not planned.

Did you know that there is a gum tree that grows only around Cattai creek? Called the Eucalyptus species Cattai it is so rare its future is looking a little bleak. It needs the odd fire for its seeds to release, let’s hope that the bush can be protected so that its numbers can increase. You may see it growing along the sandstone ridge tops at the top of the valleys where Jocelyn the Horse lady keeps horses for riding. The horses nip and they nibble, grazing without a care, uprooting soft grasses and trampling the paddocks bare. Now without plants to bind it, we no longer find it, soil on the paddocks up there.

Where do you think this creek flows to?

Doug the Digger digs in the creek, taking truckloads of gravel and sand. This can be quite destructive not only from the removal of precious bushland. Now the water turns turbid due to Doug’s digging, but digging’s what Doug does for a living.

Slowly the creek winds through the valley, through farms and acreage properties. While big on ‘serenity’ the area lacks some ‘amenities’ with no sewers to flush the human waste away. The Britton Family live on an acreage block further out from town. A peaceful life they have perfected. To a sewerage system they are not connected. They rely on an on-site septic, for which I’m a skeptic. If not properly maintained, raw sewerage can leak, which unfortunately may eventually end up in the poor creek.

Glenda the Market Gardener applies nutrients, to increase the yield from her fields of vegetables. The water that runs off from her plants irrigation carries fertilizers that lead to eutrophication. Eutrophication leads to thick algal blooms, which can collapse causing oxygen to be consumed. Now as a result of this deoxygenation, many poor fish die of slow suffocation. Denuded of trees it’s no great surprise that the unstable table of water would rise. With this ground water comes a poisonous load, the salt of the earth damaging farms, towns and roads. And what of our creek, where the salt does great harm? Its waters are beginning to look lifelessly calm. Now as these salts do relentlessly rise, ‘Salinity: Silent Killer!’ the headlines all cry.

Here on the outskirts of town is where Doug sells his sediments, to Con the Concreter who mixes cements. At the end of the day when Cons’ work is all done, he hoses his equipment and the wastewater runs. These wastes include lime, which can burn a guy’s skin, just think what it does to our friends with fins!

Ms Katherine Clucky the Chicken Farmer keeps thousands of fowls, in big sheds they roost to keep away from the fox prowls. Roaming freely outside during the day makes for happier hens, although all their clucking is enough to send Ms Katherine Clucky around the bends. The amount of manure that is produced is rather quite foul. The levels of nitrogen and phosphorous are way too high, and after heavy rains they may flow into the creek nearby.

Older homes are demolished to make way for new builds. As Demolition Dan turns old walls to rubble, he encounters something that looks like trouble. A chemical cocktail contained in steel drums, Dan downs tools, he scampers, he runs! Where these drums came from nobody knows, but it’s now up to Dan these drums to dispose. Dan ponders the problem and arrives at a solution that contributes more to the growing pollution. He rolls the drums down and into the creek, their toxic effect making the toughest fish freak.

From the forest it flows out and into a clearing, where Graeme runs cattle that are quite on the nose. To the creek each day Graeme’s cattle lope, where they stand on the bank and then slip-slide down the slope. They drink from the creek and while chewing their cud, the creek is turned into a quagmire of mud. And while in the creek they do what cows do – that’s right, it’s true, number ones and number two’s!

Look at what is happening to our wonderful creek.

Along the creek at a place called Mitchell Park, Michelle goes to angle for fish, to put food on the table, a piscatorial dish. More often than not she just catches snags – logs, rocks and roots – and submerged plastic bags. Now calm as the waters that run deep at ‘her spot’, she stands on the bank all entangled in knots. Now with knots she’s not clever, and with growing frustration she severs the line to prevent her strangulation. A source of great danger to all wildlife thus entwined, are the twists and tangles of her fishing line.

Kerry likes to catch and eat a yabby or two, so into the creek goes a trap hoping to catch a few. Platypus, turtles and other wildlife may also be lured and sadly stuck in the trap, their fate will also be secured.

The Picnickers visit Cattai National Park. They stop by the creek to snack, and to quieten the ravenous kids in the back. Steaks on the barbie, salad, onions, snags and few cold drinks. As they sit and they eat and they swat away flies, a strong gust of wind descends from the skies. It picks up plastic wrappers and blows them away, with the kids, Marilyn and Patrick, chasing after the strays. But where does the wind take them, where do you think? Into our creek, where they slowly sink!

What do you think these plastic bags will do to the animals that live in our creek?

The mouth of the creek lies just ahead, but with all this pollution it looks half dead; but before it reaches to the ocean, there’s one last input from you and me – members of the community. Sure, our sewage is treated and screened, but from it some substances aren’t easily cleaned. Detergents, chemicals, paints, fats and oils, persist in wastewater, our creek they spoil. So remember when you flush or rinse down the sink, the wastes you dispose of may end up in the creek. What we must realize is that in our own way, we contribute to the decline of our creeks each day. To solve this troubling pollution many say, there’s an important role for each of us to play. A change in behavior is what we require, before all our wonderful creeks expire.

Questions to ask classroom

So what can you do for our creeks’ revival?

 Keep an eye on the creeks nearby, does it look dirty?

  • Can you see any fish in there?
  • Any rubbish?
  • Tell mum and dad what you see, it will help them care too!

What do you think of the water now?

Take a glass of water from the ‘creek’ and pretend to drink it. Hesitate, stop and look at how dirty it is, smell it. Compare it to the water in other the glass. Let the students have a close look at the two glasses for comparison

Imagine being a plant, a fish or a platypus that lives in this water. Imagine swimming in it. Think for a moment about where this water goes to when it flows into the sea?

Where do you like to swim on a hot summer day?

 As a class, discuss how the combined actions of many individuals, and many small pollution events, lead to the creek becoming highly polluted.

Discuss ways that the characters in the story could have reduced their impacts on the creek.

Sadly, this story is not entirely a work of fiction – this is happening to our creeks every day, in Australia and all around the world. However, there are many things you can do to reduce the pollution in your catchment and most of them are easy.

 Have the students brainstorm ways that they might be able to reduce their impact on their local waterway. Students then record their ideas on Student Sheet 1 – What Happened to Our Creek.

 

Cleaning up

Even if you don’t mention it, someone is sure to ask ‘What are you going to do with the water now?’ The answer is to ‘dispose of the waste as responsibly as possible to minimize harm to the environment’. Strain or filter the liquid to remove any solid material. Pour the oil off the surface into milk cartons filled with sawdust, or absorb it with paper towels. Dispose of these in the rubbish. Pour the remaining water onto a garden, lawn or compost. Do not dispose of this water down the sink or toilet.

 

Worksheet for Story of Cattai

 

What is Citizen Science?

What is Citizen Science?

Citizen Science is the collection and analysis of data collected by the general public to be used for scientific research. It is usually done collaboratively with professional scientists. It can also be described as public participation in scientific research.

Citizen science is very important as it enables scientists to collect data that would otherwise be impossible or expensive to collect by themselves. With the help of modern technology, people from all over the world can contribute to scientific studies by sharing data with each other.

Community Groups

Scientists often work with community groups as they may already be involved in similar projects, for example if they are working to help their local wildlife, and the citizen science program involves identifying wildlife species, then this collaboration will assist both parties in reaching their goals. The community groups are especially helpful as they can help by promoting the project to bring in new people, to generate ideas, and engage with scientists for advice.

A community group will have a variety of people with different skills and backgrounds too,  so scientists will be able to utilize these skills to expand their project and data collection methods. Volunteers can include kids, school students, amateur scientists, retirees and educators.

Citizen science programs are also a great opportunity for students and other volunteers to increase their knowledge and skills in a particular area.  Looking into volunteering opportunities that relate to your studies will greatly increase your chances in getting a job.

Citizen Science at CHEN

If you are looking into working in the environment field, whether it is on the research or community engagement side of things, volunteering with a group that increases knowledge and gives you valuable skills, will be very beneficial to your future career.

CHEN has a Landcare group that includes bush regeneration and citizen science opportunities. Our citizen science opportunities include, water quality testing which is in collaboration with Streamwatch; identifying and taking hollow measurements, which is in collaboration with Hollows as Homes; and Frog ID which is in collaboration with the Australian Museum.

We also partake in bush regeneration activities which is not a citizen science project but does provide you with knowledge and skills related to land management and plant identification.

If you want to get ahead in your career by partaking in such activities, please contact us to get involved.

Please email, danielle@chen.org.au for more information, otherwise click this link to be added to the Fred Caterson Landcare Group where you can keep up to date with what we are doing and come along!

 

Streamwatch at Fred Caterson

Streamwatch at Fred Caterson

At CHEN, we have collaborated with Streamwatch, ‘a citizen science water monitoring program that enables community groups to monitor the quality and health of local waterways’.

As part of the Fred Caterson Landcare group we incorporate citizen science opportunities such as water quality testing, to help educate our community about their local environment and to provide valuable data to help reduce pollution events while also providing a valuable record of waterway health.

Streamwatch

Undertaking citizen science will be attractive to people that have an interest in the environment and want to volunteer their time to help in a variety of ways, to young students that want to explore their career options and attain skills that will help them get a job after study and to those that have some time on their hands and want to spend it being outdoors, trying new things whilst helping their community.

If you would like to be a part of this program, please contact us and we can get you started. We would love to have you!

Please email danielle@chen.org.au

Platypus eDNA water sampling – thank you to volunteers

Platypus eDNA water sampling – thank you to volunteers

Our sampling would not have been possible without the generosity of volunteer citizen scientists (including a number of CHEN members) and students from Western Sydney University (WSU).

A couple of our eDNA testing sites were located on O’Haras Creek and Scaly Bark Creek on the outskirts of Kenthurst.  A particular thank you to Andrew Callaghan the Captain of the Kenthurst Rural Fire Service who very kindly agreed to help our eDNA water sampling team get to these sampling sites that were accessed by local fire trails.  We visited some beautiful spots and what appeared to be some good platypus habitat.

Andrew Callaghan (Captain, Kenthurst Rural Fire Service), Jacqueline Britton (Cattai Aware Project Officer) and Anja McKimmie (CHEN member) at O’Haras Creek, Kenthurst

 

Gabrielle Sabatino (WSU Undergraduate student) and Katherine Morrison (WSU PhD candidate) eDNA water sampling on Cattai Creek