Wetlands featured on new website

Several wetland habitats around the Peninsula have been featured on a new wetland education website.

Wetlands from the Peninsula area include Everglades Lagoon Wetland, Hardy's Bay Wetland, Horsfield Bay Wetland, Riley's Bay Wetland in Killcare and Pearl Beach Lagoon.

The new website has been established by the Community Environment Network at www.cen.org.au/wetlands

"The website contains detailed information about wetlands in the Central Coast region, including the local government areas of Gosford, Lake Macquarie and Wyong," wetlands project officer Ms Narelle Leite said.

"The website has been produced as part of Community Environment Network's Wetland Education Project, which is funded by the NSW Government's Environmental Trust and aims to help people understand the importance of wetland habitats within our local environment and encourage the long term protection of them.

"Over the past two years CEN has been able to collate information about wetlands from various sources and upload it onto the wetland website, with the final goal of making the information publicly available.

"The website contains extensive information which may be used as a resource for anybody interested in local wetlands including councils, wetland managers, teachers, students and environmental educators.

"Visitors to the website can use the search tool to find a wetland that they are interested in, and then discover information about that wetland including its size, who owns the land, its ecological values, what types of plants are found in it and which animals depend upon it. "Each wetland listed on the website also has a map attached so people can see exactly where the wetland is located."

Ms Leite said the Community Environment Network would like to invite members of the public to submit additional photos and/or information regarding their local wetland for inclusion on the website.

"The website contains a downloadable form for people to fill in and mail back to us with their up-to-date information and instructions for submitting photos electronically," Ms Leite said.

"Information for the website has been collected from reports supplied by local councils, the Catchment Management Authorities and private contractors.

"Some wetland information is currently unknown or not available however, the website will be updated regularly with new information as it becomes available."

For more information contact 4348 4327 or email wetlands@cen.org.au

Press release, 20 Feb 2009 Narelle Leite, Community Environment Network