13.2 The Wallis Lake Estuary Management Committee - Great Lakes ...

Wallis Lake Estuary Management Plan
Management Objective Increase awareness of the role of estuarine habitats such as mangroves, saltmarshes, seagrasses, wetlands and riparian
vegetation and the link provided by groundwater
C.3
Management Area A, B, C, D, E, F
Action
No
C.3.1
C.3.2
C.3.3
Action
Hold community education field days on a regular basis with talks and guided
tours of local areas with significant habitat value
Utilise community group newsletters and the GLC website to disseminate
information on the physical features and ecological roles of estuarine habitats
and groundwater
Prepare an education information pack or similar on the physical features and
ecological roles of estuarine habitats and distribute to residents around the
estuary
Indicative
Cost
Priority Responsibilities Progress
$1,500 Medium (B5) GLC, DPI
per year
Staff time Medium (B5) GLC
$15,000 Medium (B5) GLC
Comments
Educational material should identify the following attributes of mangrove, saltmarsh, seagrass, wetland and riparian vegetation habitats:
• physical and structural features (eg soft versus hard substrate, vegetated versus unvegetated, sub-tidal versus inter-tidal)
• ecological role and biological processes (eg recycling of nutrients, bank stabilisation, provision of juvenile habitat, source of organic matter), and
• weeds versus native species.
[See NSW DPI 1999 for information]
In response to community concern in regards to wetland areas, information should be provided on natural mosquito control and on smell. Information should also be provided on
seagrass ecology including shedding of leaves.
NB: This strategy augments action 2.7 of the WLCMP to ‘develop and implement a community education program to highlight the value of wetlands’.
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