20 October 2015…On Saturday 10th of October, the local community came together to remove more than 100kgs rubbish from the Coodanup and John Street foreshores in preparation for the arrival of this year’s migratory shorebirds.

Birds from as far as Siberia, Japan and China are starting to arrive in Mandurah to feed during summer on our local wetlands, before returning to the northern hemisphere to breed in their spring.

The annual “Pave the Way Clean Up Day” was initiated by Mandurah’s world renowned photographer David Rennie to raise awareness of the significance of our local Ramsar 482 Wetlands and the birds that depend on clean, undisturbed mudflats for their food and energy.

The Tangaroa Blue Beach Cleanup event is organised by the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council (PHCC) with support from City of Mandurah, Birdlife WA Peel Branch and volunteers including the Pinjarra Lions Club. PHCC Deputy Chair Jan Star said it was important to ensure the bird’s migratory habitat was as clean and safe as possible and thanked everyone for their valuable contributions.

“There was less rubbish on the beaches than last year, which is a positive sign. The cleaner we keep our beaches, the healthier the birds’ habitat. The smallest of our migratory birds, the Red-necked Stint, weighs about 30 grams and takes almost 8 days to fly from Siberia to Mandurah. They lose about half their body weight in the flight so before they attempt to fly back again, they need to gain weight, ideally to a healthy 40gms.”

“The wetland shallows are the key browsing area for these birds and it’s so important not to disturb them. Because they are so small, you don’t see them until you are right on top of them. We urge walkers to be very careful during this time and keep their dogs on a leash so that they do not disturb these weary travellers,” said Jan Star.

This project is supported by the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council through funding from the Australian Government and the City of Mandurah.

Contact: Jane O’Malley, Chief Executive Officer, Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, jane.omalley@peel-harvey.org.au , (08) 6369 8800

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We acknowledge the Noongar people as Traditional Custodians of this land and pay our respects to all Elders past and present