Watch out for the ‘Locals’ these holidays As the year comes to the end the weather starts warming up and with the summer holidays approaching, it is the best time of the year to get out and enjoy some of our beautiful local environment.
When you’re out this summer, whether bush walking, hiking, camping, fishing, yabbying or boating, help to keep our environment clean and #Take5. Take your rubbish and Take 5 extra pieces of rubbish that you find with you.
Our environment is there for us to all enjoy it, so let’s leave it cleaner for the person who comes along after you.
Keep an eye out for any native wildlife around our rivers, creeks and dams. Let us know what you find by tagging your online photos in Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with #WimmeraWildlife.
You can also report any sightings of platypus to platypusSPOT along with photos (if you’re fortunate enough to get one). Or you can have a look at platypusSPOT to see where the best locations are to try and spot platypuses in your local area or holiday spot (be patient, sit quietly at dawn or dusk).
Frogs that you hear or record or see can also be reported in the FrogID app by The Australian Museum frog identification project https://www.frogid.net.au/
And to help also track the pest fish out there, you can record your sightings or catches in the Feral Fish Scan app https://www.feralscan.org.au/feralfishscan/default.aspx.
To help you identify what's out there, Wimmera CMA have released revised editions of:
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- The Glovebox Guide to Wimmera Wetland Birds
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- The Glovebox Guide to Wimmera Frogs
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Contact Wimmera CMA to find out how you can get a copy.
And finally don’t forget, from 1 July 2019, it’s illegal to use opera style yabby nets in all Victorian waters, both public and private. Opera house style yabby nets can be lethal to our aquatic wildlife, including platypuses, rakali and turtles. Hoop-style drop nets are a safe and legal alternative to get a tasty feed of yabbies (see VFA Permitted Fishing Equipment).
Wimmera CMA wish you well in your outdoor adventuring, whatever you get up to!