Network News

Winter/ Makuru 2025

GeoCatch acknowledges the Wadandi Saltwater people, the Traditional Owners of this land, and recognise their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities.

Dear Geo,

What a year 2025 has been so far! As the winter rains herald the arrival of this cold and stormy time of year, let's look back at what went on during the sunnier months.

We had an overwhelming interest in our pilot Rabbit Control Program, with a huge demand from farmers wanting to use the effective Calicivirus on their properties.

A record number of participants took part in this year's Ringtail Tally, collecting important data to help protect our critically endangered possum. The winner of the beautiful handmade possum box will be announced next week!

Gardeners turned out in fantastic numbers for our Bay OK vegetable gardening and composting workshops, and it was wonderful to see their enthusiasm to apply Bay OK gardening principles to their gardens at home.

Read on for all the news on what we have been up to in the Geographe Catchment.

And if you’ve been working on something interesting, whether on your farm or in your garden, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us to share your stories or photos—we’re always keen to celebrate the work across the catchment.

Biodiversity

2025 Ringtail Tally - That's a Wrap!

Thanks to all who were involved in our tenth Ringtail Tally. Your efforts go towards helping the survival of the critically endangered Western Ringtail Possum. The information gathered is recorded on the WA Threatened Species Database and helps to track population trends, and inform future planning decisions and conservation projects.

The winner of the possum box prize will be announced next week!

If you still have outstanding tally forms, please email to geocatch@dwer.wa.gov.au.

Find out more ways you can help the Western Ringtail Possum.

Photo: Students from Georgiana Molloy Anglican School got on board to count possums in their backyards to better understand their local possum population.

Seedlings thrive after summer watering

Native plant seedlings at the Holgate Road foreshore in Busselton are thriving, having successfully weathered the summer heat with the support of Busselton Water through its Community Partnership Program.

Last winter, more than 1,000 native seedlings were planted by community volunteers and students from Busselton Senior High School as part of a possum habitat restoration project. A year on, the seedlings have shown strong growth, contributing to improved bushland connectivity and providing vital habitat for the critically endangered western ringtail possum. Read more

EVENT REMINDER

Our 2025 Holgate Rd planting day is on this Sunday 8 June!

If you are keen to participate, please register here .

Catio rebate still available until 31 October 2025

Over 70 local cat owners came along to GeoCatch’s latest DIY Catio Building Workshop, held earlier this year in Dalyellup.

An increasing number of cat owners are opting to keep their cats contained in catios, a fully enclosed outdoor space connected to the home that allows cats to spend time outside while keeping wildlife safe. Read more

Make the most of the $200 catio rebate and apply now at https://form.jotform.com/241351043456853

Complete your catio by December 2025.

Urban Environment

Composting workshop rustles up a crowd

Over 50 gardening enthusiasts from Busselton and surrounds learned how to create nutrient-rich compost for their gardens, at a recent Bay OK Gardens workshop with soil biology expert Mark Tupman of Productive Ecology.

Mark’s tips for good composting include balancing carbon-rich materials with nitrogen-rich materials, using a combination of ingredients such as straw, greens and manure, building smaller heaps so the resident microbe populations don’t run out of air or overheat, and keeping things moist but not wet. Finally, it’s a great idea to add some composting worms at some stage to finish things off. Read more

Local gardeners gather to learn from expert vegetable grower

Keen gardeners from across the Geographe Catchment honed their vegetable growing skills at a practical workshop led by Productive Ecology's Mark Tupman.

During the interactive session, hosted by The People Place and GeoCatch’s Bay OK program, gardeners learnt about best practices for growing vegetables, including the importance of building a living soil, amending sandy soil, planting techniques and what to plant in each season. Read more

Want to plant a Bay OK garden? Download our Bay OK garden guides!

Be a Garden Guardian!

Become a Garden Guardian and you will have a beautiful garden that also takes care of the environment. Read more

Garden Guide weeds resources

Our guides can help you identify significant environmental weed species that are particularly harmful to our natural areas and give tips on removing them. Read more

Sustainable Agriculture

Rabbit control program draws huge interest from farmers

Over 110 landholders from the Geographe region attended an information session to learn more about GeoCatch’s Rabbit Control Pilot Program.

Out of control rabbit populations can have a devastating impact on natural bush and agricultural land and the program gave landholders in the Geographe Catchment a new tool to reduce rabbit numbers on their properties. Read more

Visit this page to register your interest in future rabbit control initiatives.

Rural women celebrate the importance of connection

Women from across the Geographe Catchment gathered at Anniebrook Farm Café to share experiences and celebrate their role in agriculture. The event brought together both newcomers to farming and those with decades of experience, creating a unique opportunity to exchange valuable advice and discuss common challenges. Read more

Soil Testing Expression of Interest opening in June

More information and registration link coming soon!

Join hundreds of farmers who have been involved in the Geographe Soil Testing Program, improving farm productivity, targeting fertiliser use and reducing excess nutrients entering Geographe waterways each year.

What will you get out of it?

Whole farm soil testing (either Do-It-Yourself or use a contractor)
Independent lab analysis
Colour-coded whole farm nutrient maps
One-on-one agronomic advice and fertiliser plan

Find out more about soil testing on the website.

Revitalising Geographe Waterways

Healthy seagrass in Geographe Bay

Scientists undertaking seagrass research in Geographe Bay in February have been pleased with preliminary results following two days of diving and sampling.

Each summer, scientists from Edith Cowan University join divers from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to monitor the seagrass meadows at seven shallow sites across Geographe Bay. Read more

Vasse Taskforce 10-year celebration

Ten years successful collaborative management of waterways and water quality in the Geographe catchment was celebrated by the Vasse Taskforce at their 32nd meeting in Busselton with Hon Pierre Yang MLC. Read more

Upcoming Events and Workshops

Look out for more upcoming GeoCatch events at geocatch.asn.au

Items for Loan

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
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.

Phone: 0491 069 078

Email: geocatch@dwer.wa.gov.au

Website: geocatch.asn.au