World Migratory Bird Day 2013

To recognise World Migratory Bird Day Australian Museum Streamwatch volunteers participated in a wetlands day at Bicentennial Park.

Streamwatch volunteers from across Sydney had a talk by Marianne from the Sydney Olympic Park Authority about the amazing rehabilitation of the site and the continued work to preserve the environment. Restoration work at Sydney Olympic Park has created an urban biodiversity hotspot with over 180 bird species identified in the Park since 1996, including migratory, nomadic and resident species. New species are being recorded each year as constructed landscapes gradually increase in habitat value.

After a light lunch and a chance for Streamwatch volunteers to catch up and network with their colleagues we embarked on a Wetlands tour. The wetlands at Sydney Olympic Park are an important habitat for migratory birds and are protected under the intergovernmental agreements of JAMBA, CAMBA and ROKAMBA. The biology of the mangrove, the endangered vegetation community of coastal saltmarsh, and management of the intertidal wetlands were explored.

The Streamwatch Wetland event was a great opportunity to learn about the restoration work at Sydney Olympic Park and to see first hand the important ecosystems that have been created. I would like to thank staff at Sydney Olympic Park for hosting the Streamwatch Wetland event, providing the talk and the tour. All our Streamwatch volunteers had a great time and learnt so much about the site.