Last year Cattai Hills Environment Network (CHEN) volunteers sampled for platypus DNA using a new innovative
technology called environmental DNA (eDNA) across the Cattai and Little Cattai Creek catchments. We got back nine positive results out of the eighteen sites that were tested. A very exciting result as this meant a small platypus population is living in our midst!
CHEN volunteer sampling for platypus DNA
To continue this sampling, in the following year of 2021, CHEN partnered with Sydney Water and Western Sydney University (WSU) to sample double the number of sites we did last time across the catchments. With the help of a group of community volunteers, and Dr. Michelle Ryan from WSU, we sampled for platypus DNA once more.
Because of these results showing us that platypus are living across the Cattai and Little Cattai Creek Catchments, CHEN formed a Platypus Landcare group to be a voice for platypus in the Hills Shire and to undertake conservation works along platypus key creeks. A few landholders that have properties with these platypus key creeks joined together to form this group and have been bringing the community together to join in this mission.
One of our landholders is a lovely lady named Susan who has been very passionate about looking after her part of Cattai Creek especially since finding out that platypus are using these waterways. She has had a few community planting and bush regen days on her property, one with the help of Conservation Volunteers Australia, and the other with Greater Sydney Landcare and Ozfish. One of these days involved removing invasive weeds from the area near the creek, and the other, planting native grasses and shrubs along the creek bank. The purpose of this planting is to support bank stabilization that is not only essential for the health of our waterways but also provides habitat for fish and of course platypus. Platypus also use these banks to create burrows which are essential for their successful reproduction.
Planting native grasses along Cattai Creek with the help of GSLN and Ozfish, 2022.
Another landholder that is part of Platypus Landcare is a school called Lorien Novalis located in Dural that has been very excited about the news of platypus in the catchment. They have a small patch of bushland on their school grounds with Dooral Dooral creek running through it, another creek that had tested positive using eDNA testing. Inspired by this news, they have brought the community together to improve the natural resilience of this bushland by removing invasive weeds like Lantana Camara, that were suppressing the natural regeneration of native plants, and blocking access to this creek.
Land For Wildlife
To show their commitment to protecting wildlife habitat on their property, another Platypus Landcare landholder joined Land For Wildlife (LFW). This is an entry level conservation agreement that aims to encourage and assist landholders to include nature conservation along with other land management objectives on their property.
As LFW landholders they will now be able to connect to a network of like-minded landowners and organisations that are also protecting and improving the ecological value of their land. They will also get access to education events like workshops to further their knowledge in protecting wildlife including platypus and be eligible to apply for funding to support works that could be undertaken to improve habitat and the overall ecological value of their property.
Platypus Education
Knowing that a platypus population is living in the Cattai Creek Catchment inspired CHEN to continue education efforts through the Hills Shire school network. A project called, Platypus In situ began with the aim of sharing knowledge within this community about platypus, the threats they face, and their need for conservation.
This program involved bringing together a group of high school students from various schools to be taught by a platypus expert, in our case Dr Michelle Ryan from WSU, all about platypus. This is done out in the field where they can do hands-on learning.
The next stage was for these now Platypus Experts to teach what they have learned to a younger audience, a primary school class. After sharing this information with them, they split off into groups, with the high school students as their mentors, and think of a communication piece they can create together that communicates information about platypus threats and how to help them, to the community. They come together to showcase their communication pieces at an organized EXPO DAY where the community is invited to learn from them and continue to share this message.
How Can You Help?
With the increasing work CHEN has been doing to deliver platypus conservation efforts and education to protect platypus habitat in the Hills Shire, we have opened a way for the community to help us keep going! Help us continue this work by making a small donation today. Every donation makes a difference, increasing our ability to reach schools and landholders to teach them to take care of our waterways and bushland that are home to such special wildlife that need our help.
Every dollar is much appreciated and put to good work. You can find the link to our donation here www.chen.org.au/donations/
Other way to help:
If you would like to join Platypus Landcare, either to be a landholder or to volunteer for a day, please email danielle@chen.org.au
If you would like to know more about Land For Wildlife, check out the #LandForWildlife resources on Landcarer.
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