Ramsar in the Hunter The Ramsar Convention, the first intergovernmental treaty to focus on the environment, was signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, to guide national and international wetland-conservation measures. It was first signed by seven countries and of those Australia was first. The history of how the Ramsar became a reality under the leadership of Dr Luc Hoffman and Sir Peter Scott is well documented and can be easily found. In the same year in the UK, the first wetland centre, Slimbridge, opened near Dursley in Gloucestershire, spearheaded again by Sir Peter Scott, who also played a leading role in the formation of Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). Many would say the formation of the Convention was ahead of its time since the goals, written mostly in the late 1960s, continue to be relevant today over 50 years later. The Ramsar Convention is unique in a number of other ways: it is the only convention to be focused on a single ecosystem type: and it continues to operate independently rather than under the umbrella of the UN like most other multi-lateral conventions. Worldwide there are over 2400 Ramsar sites in 171 countries. Australia designated the world’s first Ramsar site under the Ramsar Convention – the Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory - in 1974 and now has 66 listed Ramsar wetlands, in every state and territory, covering approximately 8.3 million hectares. The Hunter Estuary Wetlands are one of 12 Ramsar sites in NSW and the Shortland Wetlands component is one of only three in NSW that are privately owned and managed. The first wetland area in the Hunter to be designated under Ramsar was in 1984, comprising areas of mixed type wetlands around the estuary. I have never been able to find much information on how this came about, but it was the 24th wetland to be designated by Australia and was under the management of NPWS. In 2002 Shortland Wetlands in its entirety was added to the Kooragang Nature Reserve Ramsar site as an extension with its own Ramsar Information Sheet and the whole area was renamed Hunter Estuary Wetlands Ramsar Site. Aerial view of the Hunter Wetlands Centre complex. The process for designation is complex and requires that sites can be shown to meet at least one of 9 criteria. The Hunter Estuary Wetlands in its entirety meets4 criteria for Ramsar listing, including support for: vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities - Australasian Bittern, Green and Golden Bell Frog, Estuary Stingray and Melaleuca swamp forest. plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles or provides refuge during adverse conditions - 112 waterbird species, 45 migratory bird species and many wetland dependent animals and plants. 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird-Red-necked Avocet and Eastern Curlew The Shortland component of the Ramsar site is a small and highly managed. Although it represents only about 1% of the wetlands in the estuary, it is the most managed area of wetlands and the most accessible. This makes it ideal for offering a close wetlands experience for visitors. The history of the Shortland Wetlands property is long and it has been many things to many people. Most importantly is has been a place of learning, for those who brought the vision to life in the early years, those that continue to put their hands to the never-ending restoration and management tasks and for those who visit. Today the Convention is operating under its fourth Communication Education Participation and Awareness (CEPA) Programme and there are close to 500 WCs worldwide and over 30 in Australia. This is the family that HWCA belongs to. Our location surrounded by wetlands that are Ramsar-listed makes us more unique as not all wetland centres have wetlands outside their doors and few are connected to a Ramsar site. Wetland centres can come in all shapes and sizes and play a crucial role in giving people access to well-loved wildlife in their natural habitat and finding ways to help people gain understanding through direct experience. Wetlands have an advantage to many other ecosystems in that they are not usually a dangerous ecosystem, apart from mozzies and snakes, that is. Another advantage is their changing nature in response to changing water levels and the effect on plants and wildlife. Popular residents at the HWC: Magpie Goose and Cattle Egret Critically, being listed as a Ramsar site does not deliver “forever” protection for a wetland area. They can still be vulnerable to poor government decisions and most wetland sites will definitely be vulnerable to climate change, an issue yet to be given attention. However as a Ramsar site we are in great company in Australia, Kakadu, Coongie Lakes in the Lake Eyre Basin, the Coorong, Picaninnie Ponds, Moulting Lagoon, the Murray Darling Basin to name a few. Across the whole of the Hunter Estuary Ramsar site we offer a rich complex of Ramsar types that offer nature experiences year around. While we are listed as a single Ramsar site, we do not operate as one. It would be worthwhile to collaborate on some simple initiatives to build awareness in the community of what it means to have a Ramsar-listed wetlands in our region. Christine Prietto, HWCA Ramsar Officer Notable breeding successes include these Australian White Ibis All photographs supplied C. Prietto. .