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The Ramsar Convention is the only international treaty devoted to conserving a single ecosystem type across the planet-Wetlands. One hundred and fifty nations work together to care for 2,300 Ramsar wetland sites across the world and 6 of them occur within the Bellarine Peninsula and western Port Phillip Bay. Raising awareness of these precious habitats is a priority for the Bellarine Catchment Network in 2020 and our established schools program provides the ideal outreach for this message.

On Wednesday the 11th of March, 64 grade 3/4 and 5/6 students from St Aloysius Primary School participated in a Ramsar Activities Day in Swan Bay.

Students spent time on the water walking amongst the Swan Bay seagrass meadows using Aquascopes to see beneath the surface, searched for birds through their binoculars along the mudflats and played the high energy game "Migrate!".

Students learned about the importance of Ramsar Wetlands and discovered the many creatures who live under the water and on land, including the crucial role Ramsar Wetlands play in the migratory life of birds such as Australia’s smallest migratory bird the Red-Necked Stint (weighs as little as a Tim Tam!).

It was delightful to hear students expanding on their vocabulary and concepts having absorbed so much Ramsar related learning. As an added bonus, St Aloysius students had the rare opportunity to star in a Parks Victoria film showcasing Ramsar Wetlands to be released later in the year.