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January-March 2017 Update 7

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Caring For Our Bays
& Bellarine Catchment Network

www.environmentbellarine.org.au

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Newsletter January - March update
Source Reduction Workshop - Tangaroa Blue
New Prospectus
Portarlington Mussel Festival
Festival of Sails
Environmental Days updates
Did you know?
Source Reduction Workshop

On the 8th of March, Caring For Our Bays attended a very information workshop presented by Tangaroa Blue.
Attended by various organizations, volunteer groups and private industry. The day was set out reduce the source of litter.
Heidi from Tangaroa blue presented on their organisation for the first part of the workshop and the amazing work they do around the world to reduce marine debris. Caring For Our Bays were lucky enough to be included in the presentation with our Be A Local Hero campaign pictures.
The key focus by the end of the day was Plastic Bag reduction in Ocean Grove. Jackie Scally was representing the Ocean Grove Coastcare group who are taking the lead to reduce plastic bags. The key outcomes of the day where:

Why is stopping this item from ending up in the ocean/beach/river important for your community?
- There are already good alternatives to plastic bags – no excuse
- Causes marine injury, death, entanglement
- Plastic ends up in the fish that we eat
- Aesthetic issue
- Bags are prevalent around dunes and carparks

What actions/changes could the community do to make this plan successful?
- Provide prompts to help people remember
- Making it a social norm
- Collect baseline data – how many plastic bags are currently being used?
- Research other similar initiatives

If you wish to help us on our campaign to reduce this source of rubbish, please contact us via our website or email and we will help you become involved in this priority project.
You can check out Tangaroa Blues work at http://www.tangaroablue.org/

Brand new prospectus for the Caring For Our Bays program.

The prospectus outlines the program for investors and anyone wishing to find out more information. The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority generally donated staff time and resources towards the prospectus.
We have a limited number of hard copies, however a full .PDF version can be found here
https://www.environmentbellarine.org.au/cb_pages/caring_for_our_bays_prospectus.php


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Plastic BioFilters normally used in Aquaculture have been showing up recently on our beaches.
We are interesting in tracking this litter and helping to work out where they might be coming from. Please email jarrod.bcn@environmentbellarine with details of how many you found, location and date of find.
Or visit our facebook site www.facebook.com/caringforourbays and leave us a comment.
Be A Local Hero Marine bin sticker installations

Late December saw the last of the Be A Local Hero bin stickers installed along our shorelines. They now form a continuous link of bin stickers and anti litter messages from the North Shore area through the ever popular Eastern Beach (pictured) around past Portarlington and continued all the way around the Bellarine Peninsula to Barwon Heads.
A fantastic result. We are very happy with our coverage and extremely thankful to all the land managers who have agreed and assisted to place the bin stickers on their infrastructure. We have had various comments and official survey results suggest that people are recognizing the bin stickers and understand their purpose. Would you like some stickers for your local area or your sporting ground? You can apply in writing to jarrod.bcn@environmentbellarine.org.au
The Caring For Our Bay representatives at the Portarlington Mussel Festival.
Speaking to locals and visitors about the impact litter has on marine debris.
The day also included a Beach Comb session along the Portarlington Foreshore held by Jarrod. Since the safe harbour project has commenced, the amount of creatures and interesting finds found along the immediate foreshore has decreased. However, some interesting creatures and objects were found and an enthusiastic group of people learnt about our local marine environment.
St Marys Primary School.
Over 60 students attended a stunning day at Eastern Beach Geelong. Three activities were held, a beach comb focusing on marine debris held by Jarrod Boord from Caring For Our Bays, a waterways and estuaries session with Kate Wynn from CCMA and a Coastcare Challenge course with Matt Crawley from BCN.
All of the students enjoyed their time at Eastern Beach learning about the ecosystem in the bay itself and the connection with the waterways upstream that lead into the bay itself. We hope to continue this relationship with St Marys PS next year and into the future.
Did you know?

Starfish

(I know, it should be called 'Seastar' because it's not a fish, but a Seahorse is not a horse right?)
  • They have no brain and no blood. ...
  • A Starfish in not a fish. ... (ha, told you!)
  • There are around 2,000 species of Starfish. ...
  • Their average lifespan in the wild is up to 35 years!
  • They usually have five arms. ...
  • They cannot survive in fresh water. ...
  • They can regenerate.
  • They eat inside out. (They expel their stomach to digest their food!)

 
THE MAJESTIC PLASTIC BAG.

A MUST SEE VIDEO BELOW.
Check out this video to learn more!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLgh9h2ePYw

Please feel free to pass on the flyer to your networks.
This project is funded through the Victorian Government's Cleaner Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay Litter Hotspots Program.
 
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