Grant to protect bird and bush

The Parents and Citizens Association of Brisbane Water Secondary College has been granted $17,000 to protect an endangered bird nesting at the school and to help restore rare bushland at the campus.

The grant from the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority will be used to fence off a nesting site of the endangered Bush Stone-curlew and to erect signs warning users of the school grounds about the nesting site.

An "interpretive" sign will describe the habits of the bird, the school's nesting pair and the local Bush Stone-curlew population.

Other signs will be erected alerting people to the existence of Umina Coastal Sandplain Woodland at the school, an Endangered Ecological Community which is unique to the Woy Woy Peninsula and surrounds.

"There is less than 15 hectares remaining of this bushland which originally covered most of the Peninsula," said Umina campus P and C president Mr Bruce Graf.

"We're hoping that by erecting signs, we will educate parents and the public generally about the value of the school's environmental assets.

"Many do not realise how rare this bushland is," he said.

"Often workers are unaware that a licence is required to do any work in the area that is likely to affect the vegetation, or that stiff penalties apply if there is damage to any plant or the habitat generally."

Further information about Umina Coastal Sandplain Woodland will be published on a website set up for the purpose: www.ucsw.info.

The project will also include an open day, with a guided tour of the bush and talks given about the Bush Stone-curlew and Umina coastal sandplain woodland given by researchers and specialists in their fields.

There will be opportunities for parents and community members to join the P and C and its bushcare group and to be part of the on-going efforts to protect the endangered birds and bushland.

Mr Graf said the bushland also represented a substantial educational asset for the college.

"We're wanting to encourage the college to continue to make use of this educational opportunity as a regular part of the curriculum, in conjunction with support available through the Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre in Gosford."

Media Release, 29 May 2013

Bruce Graf, Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina campus P and C