2012 Annual Report - Hunter Wetlands Centre Australia

In 2012 we also completed our bushregeneration works, media articles,and a few other tasks and objectivesfunded via Hunter Water under theirChichester Pipeline offset project.It included works in the SubstituteMelaleuca Forest adjacent to theIron Bark Marsh Boardwalk, theriparian zones around MelaleucaSwamp, and the re-vegetation ofWallaby Flat. The funded componentwas approx $90,000 over 3 years andhelped to pay for staff, materials,tools and equipment, and so on.The maintenance of these projectareas will form part of the new sitemanagement plan ensuring that itis recognised moving forward as anarea to be maintained and enhancedin years to come. Many thanks toHunter Water for their continuedsupport. Hydrology and waterwatchcontinued in 2012 mainly due touniversity students and Michael, avolunteer.Great work! We also startedsampling for invertebrates in all ourponds – which I hope to formaliseand increase in frequency. We arein discussion with the Universityto see what role they may be ableto play in wetland monitoring forour site. These activities are criticalas the active water managementkicks in. Although our results couldbe described as poor or standardwhen comparing to water qualitystandards – they are essentially“normal” for a wetland site. We are,after all, the kidneys of thenatural water cycle system, and haveadditional loads through storm waterinput and the magnitude of bird lifeoccupying our site, providing a refugefor wildlife. Along with the helpreceived in waterwatch by studentswe have also had active involvementfrom the University of Newcastle bywork experience students, continuedefforts in Green and Golden BellFrog survey and research, and alsowelcomed to the board of directorsProf. Joseph Bidwell. This all helps infurthering our win –win partnershipswith stakeholders interested in our siteand our projects helping us to achieveresults.During summer this year wehad an interesting Egret breedingseason (2012-13). We started offwith great Egrets arriving and thenleaving, with the ponds dry andnot much encouragement or waterprotection for them to hang around.A big thank you to HBOC, GeoffNichols, Margret and Robert Stewartand Paddy Lightfoot for their effortsin bird surveys and reporting overthe last year. Geoff organised andcompleted the annual Egret Watchsurveys. He was helped by the HunterBird Observers Club and reported thefollowing numbers:13