Perth Beachcombers Education Kit released

by Department of Fisheries WA on 10 Nov 2009 The new Perth Beachcombers Education Kit released on Monday 9th November will be a great tool for schools and community groups to discover and understand more about Western Australia’s coastal and marine life in a fun and interactive way.

With over 12,500 kilometres of coastline to explore in Western Australia, beachcombing is a great way to investigate the diversity of marine life along the coast, without getting your feet wet!

Project Coordinator Michelle Dyer, from the Department of Fisheries, said the kit would be distributed to all metropolitan schools and various community groups who are interested in the coastal and marine environment. The kit comprises of a carry bag containing an easy-to-use field guide, poster and a CD with all kinds of information sheets and activities.

'The beachcombers kit is easy to use and covers areas such as what to consider when choosing a beachcombing site, pre-excursion activity ideas, conducting your field trip and post-excursion activities,' Michelle said.

The field guide is designed to assist beachcombers to identify the items they find washed up on the beach and includes details about seagrasses and algae (seaweed), chordates (mainly vertebrates – animals with a backbone), invertebrates (animals without a backbone) and some unusual finds.

'The guide has coloured images of species on the beach and underwater, as well as interesting facts about them.'

The Perth Beachcombers Education Kit CD works as an interactive PDF with links to related resources. The PDF is easily navigated, functioning similar to a website. The PDF pages, and resource and activity sheets can be easily printed and include links to relevant websites, ideas for further areas of study and reference material.

The kit also provides information on marine conservation areas, including Cottesloe, Lancelin, Marmion, Rottnest Island, Shoalwater and Waterman’s, and outlines Australasian and Leeuwin Currents and how things end up on our beaches.

There is also information on coastal habitats, their natural defence systems and tips on how to protect coastal environments.

The Perth Beachcombers Education Kit was made possible through funding from Coastwest and the Western Australian Planning Commission and the Department of Fisheries, as well as our community partners – Friends of Marmion Marine Park, Padbury Senior High School and many other supporters including the Western Australian Museum.

Coastwest is a State Government initiative aimed at providing opportunities for Western Australians to learn about, conserve and protect our coast.

Educators are invited to attend a series of information sessions to discover more about the Perth Beachcombers Education Kit. For details about these sessions visit www.nmdc.com.au

www.fish.wa.gov.au