Transcript PowerPoint Presentation - Biodiversity Awareness

Being Aware about
Biodiversity
A workshop for local government
outdoor officers
About the presenter
(Facilitator to insert own information)
•
•
•
•
•
Name
Background
Qualifications
Current employment/business
Connection with/ interest in the
Parramatta River catchment
What is today about?
•
•
•
•
•
Understanding yours and council’s legal
responsibilities
Checking your performance
Sharing experiences with peers
Tips for what to do - and not do
Knowing who else to talk to in council
Who is here today?
Please introduce yourself
• Name
• Where you are from
• Your job at council
The main issues:
•
•
•
•
Looking after habitat
Managing weeds
Using chemicals in the workplace
Understanding impacts on water quality
- nutrients
- erosion
- sediment control
- stormwater runoff
Workshop organised by the
Parramatta River Catchment Group
What is good about Sydney?
•
•
•
What do you like doing in your spare time?
What do you like most about the natural
environment in Sydney?
Have you had any interesting experiences with
native wildlife or in natural areas?
Biodiversity – what is it?
The variety of living things and their interactions.
•
•
•
Individuals - populations of single species and their habitat
needs
Ecosystems - the interactions within and between species
Gene pools - the “coding” for the variety within species
Example: Wollemi Pine
In Sydney there are thousands of plant and animal species.
More diverse than all of Great Britain!
Biodiversity in the
Parramatta River catchment
Many important fish
breeding sites
32 Endangered
Fauna Species
12 Endangered
Ecological Communities
31 Endangered
Plant Species
Remember the small things we sometimes
can’t see..
and what lies beneath
Interactions of living things
Why is Biodiversity important?
•
It enhances our quality of life
•
Natural areas provide breeding
places for native animals
•
Greater species diversity promotes
survival of all life forms
•
Genetic diversity is valuable for
science and medicine
•
It is the right thing to do. Plants and
animals have a right to exist.
•
It’s the law!
Any good news?
If you had to tell a visitor a good news story
about the condition of the Parramatta River,
what would you say?
Some Good News:
Parramatta River Catchment
•
•
•
•
•
•
Air quality is improving
Water quality is improving
Community awareness and involvement is on the
increase
Laws have more teeth and have been applied
strongly in some cases
Councils in the Sydney region are world leaders in
rehabilitating degraded natural areas
Council funding allocations have increased
How we damage natural areas
•
•
•
•
•
Pollution of land and water
Clearing and damaging bushland areas
Introducing weeds or feral animals
Domestic animals
Over use and
inappropriate
recreation
Poor work practices
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sediment and erosion control
Tree management
Chemical use and disposal
Nutrient and stormwater runoff
Dumping
Poor clean up procedures (sites and equipment)
Damage to soils
(compaction and
disturbance)
Who cares about the environment?
•
Biodiversity is
one of the top
5 issues of
concern
•
78% of people
surveyed were
concerned
about
environment
problems
Source: Who Cares About the Environment survey
DECCW 2009
Community Expectations of Council
NSW Local Government Act (1993)
Council’s responsibilities fall within the
requirement for:
Ecologically Sustainable Development
•
•
•
Takes into account ‘future generations’
Puts environmental protection measures in
place
Values biodiversity
Your everyday actions
•
Think about something that you know to do/not do
in the workplace for environmental reasons.
E.g. Do put waste in the bin
Do not pour waste oil down a drain
Council staff are role models!
You are visible to the community and they watch your practices as a
benchmark for what is acceptable.
Your council’s actions
Name one thing that you or your council does well in
relation to environmental management.
•
•
How does this protect biodiversity?
What have been the main reasons for this action
taking place?
The bigger picture
Rain falls here
Or here
Flows to here
A catchment is an area where all surface runoff collects to a common point
Courtesy of Fisheries
Ecosystems section,
Industry & Investment
NSW
The Parramatta River catchment
from above
Looking closer
Connecting Bidjigal Reserve, Lake Parramatta
Reserve and Upper Toongabbie Creek
Closer again
Duck River and Waddangali Woodlands
Look at the aerial photos laid out
•
Find an area you’re familiar with
•
•
•
•
Can you see a site you work at?
Your home?
Where are some of the sensitive environments
in your vicinity?
How are they connected to your work activities
and the Parramatta River?
Tea break