Waterwatch & EstuaryWatch Citizen science in Victoria’s waterways Annual Achievements Report 2019-2020 Contents Introduction 1 Citizen Science Snapshot 3 Where and what we are monitoring 7 EstuaryWatch, Waterwatch 9 River Detectives 13 National Waterbug Blitz! 14 State Stories 15 Delivery Partners 16 Corangamite 17 East Gippsland 19 Glenelg Hopkins 21 Goulburn Broken 23 Mallee 25 Melbourne 27 North Central 31 North East 33 West Gippsland 35 Wimmera 37 Links 40 Please note all images in this publication were taken pre-coronavirus, before social distancing was required. All images are approved with credit. Front cover: Waterbug Blitz! event to discover macroinvertebrates and to monitor the health of the waterways at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park. Credit MCMA. Introduction Victoria sustains a vibrant history of awareness, engagement and knowledge monitoring activities, including the community-based environmental of waterways has strengthened over community engagement and citizen monitoring and citizen science the year. We thank the thousands science endeavours of Waterwatch and programs, including the Waterwatch of dedicated Waterwatch and EstuaryWatch. and EstuaryWatch programs. These EstuaryWatch volunteers who visit local programs are instrumental in informing waterways to monitor water quality Funding for these programs in waterway management decisions while and collect valuable environmental regional Victoria is part of the Victorian strengthening community engagement information. Government’s $222 million investment and fostering environmental from 2016 to 2020 through the stewardship and advocacy. Catchment Water for Victoria, the Victorian fourth tranche of the Environmental management authorities (CMAs), water Government’s plan for managing our Contribution (EC4) to improve the authorities, local government and other current and future water resources, health of waterways and catchments. delivery partners play a crucial role in prioritises active community Funding for these programs in the facilitating the programs. involvement in waterway and Greater Melbourne region is through catchment health management. Melbourne Water and other local This EstuaryWatch and Waterwatch partners. Annual Achievements Report 2019- The Victorian Waterway Management 20 describes how citizen science data Strategy fosters strong community has informed waterway management partnerships and participation in decisions, and how community planning, implementation and Aboriginal Acknowledgment EstuaryWatch and Waterwatch proudly acknowledge Victoria’s Aboriginal community and their rich culture and pays respect to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge Aboriginal people as Australia’s first peoples and as the Traditional Owners and custodians of the land and water on which we rely. We recognise and value the ongoing contribution of Aboriginal people and communities to Victorian life and how this enriches us. We embrace the spirit of reconciliation, working towards the equality of outcomes and ensuring an equal voice. Local Aboriginal elders have reconnected to Country while monitoring the health of the waterways at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park. Credit MCMA. 1 The 2019-20 year brought For many who have modified or unprecedented challenges to ceased regular volunteering activities, these changes may be disruptive Traditional owner Victorian communities and and disappointing. Yet, there are engagement and waterways. many ways citizen science has continued through COVID-19, such direction In early 2020 many regions were as a shift to technology-based and devastated by bushfires that degraded singular volunteering opportunities. water quality and changed the dynamics For instance, Fluker Post and frog “Going forward we must heed of stream ecosystems in complex ways. monitoring are easily accessible and the wisdom of Aboriginal and Loss of vegetation and altered soil can be included as exercise in local Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our structure made fire-affected soils more parks and reserves or volunteer’s knowledge and cultures must be erodible with heavy rain. Also, runoff own backyards. This time has also viewed as integral to improving not carried sediments and pollutants that presented an excellent opportunity to only the health and wellbeing of our affected aquatic environments, drinking review monitoring results, spend time people but of our nation.” water quality and agricultural industries. navigating the data portals and pursue Ms June Oscar AO & Mr Karl Briscoe, knowledge development. Close the Gap Report 2020. Then the world was hit with the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Our volunteers have shown pandemic. This situation challenged us extraordinary patience and respect all to navigate our daily lives differently. this year, especially in modifying Environmental volunteering adapted their activities to reduce the spread or halted to protect our health and the of COVID-19. Their contribution and health of our communities, especially commitment to citizen science in the most vulnerable. Victoria’s waterways is vital, admirable and appreciated. Taking a moment out from citizen science frog monitoring activities to connect with and appreciate the environment. Credit MCMA. 2 Citizen Science Snapshot Citizen scientists involved in the 2019-2020 programs contributed a total of 232,580 hours to care for our waterways, equivalent to 31,011 volunteer days. This contribution provides an economic value of the 2019-2020 volunteer effort of $9,707,889. September August • Mallee Waterbug Blitz! held with local Aboriginal elders to help • Litter Trackers launched in Bendigo gauge the health of Hattah-Kulkyne Creek by River Detectives students National Park’s waterways. Read the to investigate where litter ends full story on page 26. up and learn why litter is a serious environmental issue. Read the full • National Threatened Species Day story on page 31. along Melbourne’s Merri Creek to raise awareness of vulnerable animals • Quality Assurance Quality Control and plants at risk of extinction. July (QAQC) events puts skills and equipment to the test as Waterwatch • The Great Barwon Platypus Search, and EstuaryWatch citizen with Upper Barwon Landcare • Platypus and rakali rejoice as scientists hone their data collection Network, Corangamite CMA enclosed yabby nets, including opera proficiencies. Read more on page 12. engaged 25 community members house nets, are banned from all to collect eDNA samples, survey Victorian waterways! • Melbourne Water Urban Platypus habitat and learn about aquatic Program involved Year 9 students macroinvertebrates – the tasty diet of • Fifty people attend a community in tracking platypus by collecting platypus. forum hosted by Corangamite environmental DNA (eDNA) samples CMA to hear from scientists and from the Werribee River. government agencies about the importance of managing, protecting, monitoring and appreciating the Thompson Creek estuary. 3 November • The River Detectives program celebrates three years, completing October its third successful year as a statewide educational program. Read more on • Mallee Waterbug Blitz! with page 13. Aboriginal elders continues in caring • for waterways in Hattah-Kulkyne Sixty primary school students relish National Park. Read the full story on learning about macroinvertebrates in Heyfield’s amazing restored page 26. wetlands. The Water for Environment • Twenty-five GPS-tracked ‘Litter Team WGCMA and Waterwatch Tracker’ bottles released into Coordinator Matt Khoury delivered an Melbourne’s waterways by students environment-themed day of hands- and community members. Read the on activities and education. full story on page 27. • Seventy community members learn • High-tech frog count at Webster’s ‘How to Spot a Platypus’ with a new Lagoon, a Murray River wetland, citizen science app, presented by undertaken by more than 30 keen the Australian Platypus Conservancy bushwalkers and campers to measure and the Upper Barwon and Geelong December the health of this changing habitat. Landcare Networks, to record platypus sightings at Birregurra and • North East National Waterbug • National Waterbug Blitz! assessed Geelong. Blitz! at Bright to determine the the condition of the Moorabool health of the Ovens and other and Barham Rivers through aquatic • The Great Curdies Perch Search waterways in the catchment. macroinvertebrate surveys with inspired over 30 volunteers and staff • End of Year Report Card: enthusiastic volunteers. to collect eDNA samples from the Curdies River and tributaries to detect Celebrating a year of monitoring with the presence of the endangered Yarra Corangamite citizen scientists and Pygmy Perch. Read the full story on publishing the EstuaryWatch and page 17. Waterwatch Annual Achievements Report 2018-19. 4 Citizen Science Snapshot January March • Waterwatch volunteers respond to • Bendigo Creek improvements as Victorian bushfires with increased February volunteers and partner agencies work waterway monitoring to support together to enhance the health of, waterway impact assessments and and connection to, this waterway. • Merri Creek Management management decisions. Read the full Committee (MCMC joined forces story on page 33. • Ballarat Begonia Festival engages with the Friends of Merri Park for a 2,500 people about the health of • Oxygen monitoring to save wetland walk, talk and litter clean up Lake Wendouree through waterbug endangered Macquarie perch to celebrate World Wetlands Day. surveys, the Yarrowee story and in King Parrot Creek within the