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Network News
Summer/ Birak 2024 - 2025
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GeoCatch acknowledges the Wadandi Saltwater people, the Traditional Owners of this land, and recognise their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. | |
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Dear Geo,
As we race towards the end of 2024, GeoCatch is celebrating a huge year of projects across the Geographe Catchment.
Farmers are delighted with a bumper year of pasture and hay crops after one of the wettest August months for at least 20 years, the rain getting waterways flowing and recharging groundwater supplies.
Gardeners have been preparing for the heat of summer, attending workshops on waterwise gardening and irrigation, and local pet owners have been protecting our biodiversity with Possum Avoidance Training for dogs and the installation of catios.
Read on for all the news around the Geographe Catchment.
Photo: Farmers visiting a GeoCatch fencing and revegetation project.
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Geographe Bay seagrass update
Scientists from Edith Cowan University have released their latest findings from research on seagrass in Geographe Bay, revealing a positive trend in the health of aquatic plants.
Every summer, researchers from Edith Cowan University team up with divers from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to survey seagrass meadows at specific locations across Geographe Bay. The project monitors seagrass health by studying how it changes over time.
Read more on the Keep Watch seagrass program, and view the 2024 report.
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Western Ringtail Possum News | |
2024 Ringtail Tally
The results of the 2024 Ringtail Tally have been finalised, with mixed results for the critically endangered marsupials. Participation in the citizen science project increased this year, with more than double the number of possum spotters taking their torches to the trees.
Coordinated by GeoCatch, the annual tally aims to improve knowledge and awareness of critically endangered western ringtail possums living in urban areas, with the information used to track population trends, future planning decisions, and focus conservation efforts.
Read more
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Catio rebate now available
GeoCatch is excited to celebrate the six-month mark of its catio rebate program, a wildlife protection initiative that promotes responsible cat ownership while safeguarding local wildlife. The program aims to protect native birds and marsupials such as the critically endangered Western Ringtail Possum, whilst giving domestic cats a stimulating outdoor environment to enjoy.
The rebate program offers $200 to residents who build a catio, a safe outdoor space for their cats that helps protect native wildlife like birds and small mammals.
GeoCatch is on track to meet its goal of 40 catios per year over the next two years, thanks to strong community support.
Find out more about the catio rebate here.
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Dogs mind their manners around possums
Fifteen dogs and 21 of their owners came along to Possum Avoidance Training for dogs in Busselton on the weekend, presented by expert trainer Asher Lindberg from Geo Bay Dog Training.
As part of GeoCatch’s Pets Away, Possums Play program, this workshop gives participants the tools to manage their dog’s behaviour around wildlife, ensuring pets and local possums can coexist peacefully.
Read more.
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Vets support catios
Our local veterinary practices are passionate about supporting GeoCatch’s Catio Rebate.
They are big supporters because they know first-hand what a big difference a catio can make to both the safety of domestic cats and local wildlife.
Pictured here is Helen and Dr Kate Hunt from GEOvet. Since 1995, GEOvet has been providing the very best care in the South West for animals large and small, and they have seen more than their fair share of cats who have been injured as they wander about the neighbourhood. They have also had to deal with countless native birds and small animals that have been injured by domestic cats.
For more catio resources, click here.
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Bay OK Day helps Geographe Bay
Over 700 students from Dunsborough Primary School descended on Geographe Bay for the 2024 Bay OK Day. Excited students gathered on the lawn at the Old Dunsborough boat ramp to take part in environmental-themed educational activities.
They were engaged in 27 different activities presented by environmental groups and agencies to help students better understand the importance of looking after Geographe Bay and the surrounding environment.
Read more
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Are lawns on the verge of extinction?
Whilst many homeowners across the Geographe catchment have embraced the native verge garden revolution by replacing thirsty lawns with waterwise native gardens, there is still a place for the humble lawn in many homes.
Click here for more information on caring for your lawn the Bay OK way.
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Waterwise gardening
With summer just around the corner, keen gardeners gathered at Nutrien Water in Busselton for a workshop on designing and maintaining gardens that can survive our harsh conditions and thrive in sandy soils.
The event brought together local experts and passionate gardeners to share valuable knowledge on best-practice irrigation and sustainable gardening techniques. The workshop was well-attended, with community members eager to learn how to prepare their gardens for the challenges of a long, hot summer.
Learn more about waterwise gardening and irrigation
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Watch as Chris Ferreira explains what a FireWise garden is. | |  |
Chris explains the key design principles of FireWise design. | | |
Got a group? Run a workshop!
Do you have a community group, grassroots environmental team, or even a bunch of interested neighbourhood gardeners who want to learn more about how to get the best results in your garden? Well, you can do what the Nannas for Native Forests have just done, get GeoCatch along to run a free workshop for your group!
GeoCatch’s Bay OK Gardens officer, Lisa Massey, caught up with the Nannas for Native Forests at their monthly catch-up and ran a short version of the “6 Principles of Bay OK Gardening” for the group, which came at the perfect time as they are currently undertaking some infill planting on their “pocket forest” and planning for future revegetation sites.
To book a workshop with Lisa, call GeoCatch on 0491 069 078 or email lisa.massey@dwer.wa.gov.au
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Over 5,500 hectares of Geographe farmland to benefit from soil testing
Local farmers are taking a hands-on approach to improving soil health and nutrient management with the Geographe Soil Testing Program kicking off for the 2024/25 summer.
Just as you wouldn’t put oil in your car without checking the dipstick, farmers are learning to test their soil before applying fertiliser, helping to ensure that fertiliser applications are targeted, efficient, and environmentally responsible.
Photo: Geographe farmers, Peter McKay, John D’Espeissis and Robyn Robertson getting some pointers on collecting soil samples from Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s Dave Rogers.
Read more
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GeoCatch is thrilled to announce that it has been successful with funding as a part of the Australian Government’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.
This funding will support GeoCatch’s sustainable agriculture program and will offer Geographe farmers the opportunity to learn more about climate-smart agriculture practices.
Read more
Photo: (Left to Right) GeoCatch Coordinator, Harriet Wyatt, Board member and local farmer, Peter Togno and Board Chair, Vicky Winton, are all excited to lead the charge in promoting climate-smart agriculture in the catchment.
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A group of enthusiastic landholders recently embarked on a bus tour through the Geographe catchment to explore rivers and waterways that have been rehabilitated by landholders interested in protecting the natural areas on their farm.
Through GeoCatch’s Rivercare Program, landholders have undertaken weed control, planted banks with native species and installed fencing to remove stock access to the waterways.
Read more
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Revitalising Geographe Waterways | |
Vasse Wonnerup wetlands community update
The Vasse Wonnerup wetlands are gearing up for another summer of international visitors, with waterbirds preparing to make their annual pilgrimage from their breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere to Busselton.
Thousands of birds migrate back and forth across the globe each year, using the South West as one of their main feeding grounds during our summer. They spend the warmer months feeding on the insects, crustaceans, worms, and algae of the Vasse Wonnerup wetlands, before returning to the northern hemisphere to breed and start the process all over again.
Photo: Sally Clifton-Parks, Dr James Tweedley, Vicky Winton, Christine Taylor, Dr Robyn Paice
Read more
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Busselton's hidden flood defense
Fifty community members have witnessed firsthand the complexity of the local drainage network on a bus tour of the Geographe catchment, with GeoCatch organising the tour in response to community concerns over flood risk during winter.
With much of the City of Busselton sitting only meters above sea level, flood protection infrastructure is vital to protect the city from flooding. Countless homes, businesses and livelihoods rely on the vast drainage network that flows through, under and around our community.
Read more
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Marine Matters community science seminar
Seventy community members gathered at the Busselton Tennis Club to hear about the latest scientific research being conducted in Geographe Bay.
View the presentations here
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GeoCatch have a range of resources that can be loaned from our Busselton office. This includes:
- Pottiputkis and belted planting buckets to help with your winter planting
- Tree planting augers (75mm x 450mm) to fit standard drill
- Fox & feral cat traps
- Dieback treatment kits
- Library resources such as CSIRO’s latest book ‘Natural Asset Farming: Creating Productive and Biodiverse Farms’.
To organise a loan of any of our resources, contact GeoCatch on 0491 069 078, email geocatch@dwer.wa.gov.au, or complete the form here.
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Phone: 0491 069 078
Email: geocatch@dwer.wa.gov.au
Website: geocatch.asn.au
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