8 — Gloucester Advocate Wednesday September 3 2014 melissa.williams@fairfaxmedia.com.au

Platypus Festival

LEADING platypus biologists Dr Tom Grant isheading back to Gloucester to run a communityworkshop on Friday.

Dr Grant, who has studied platypus populationsin the Manning River at Bootawa as part of studiesfor MidCoast Water, will lead a workshop as part ofthe Gloucester Platypus Festival, which will be heldat Billabong Park on Saturday.

Anecdotal reports suggest that platypus areabundant in local rivers.

This is backed by Dr Grant’s studies, commis-sioned by MidCoast Water as part of research intoenvironmental flows.

He consistently found healthy populations in thepools upstream of Wingham, though they did seemto be impacted by the low river flows last summer.

“Low river flows reduce the area available toplatypus for foraging,” Manning Great LakesPlatypus Awareness and Conservation Team representative Kirsty Hughes said.

“To many people platypus symbolise healthyrivers, because they need stable river banks for theirburrows and clean, abundant water to support theirdiet.

“This is what we are celebrating at the PlatypusFestival, because healthy rivers are also essential tous.”

Dr Grant will also be speaking at the PlatypusFestival as one of an impressive line-up of presen-ters in ‘The Burrow’, many aligned with theFestival’s theme this year of ‘Rivercare’.

THE Gloucester Platypus Festival willtake place this Saturday at the BillabongPark.

The festival is an opportunity for theGloucester community to learn how toprotect platypus so they continue tothrive in local waterways.

The theme of this year’s festival is‘Rivercare’, which will pay tribute to themembers of the local community chipping in to protect and restore platypus habitat.

Activities planned for the eventinclude a demonstration water catch-ment model, a pedal-powered milk-shake maker, a rag-rug workshop and achildren’s treasure hunt

Stalls from MidCoast Water, thePlatypus Awareness and ConservationTeam, the National Parks and WildlifeService, FAWNA, the NSW Office ofEnvironment and Heritage, council, theTucker Patch and others will provideinformation on the platypus and the

habitats it frequents. Local food andwine will available to sample and enter-tainment will provided by talented localmusicians.

For those who want to get into the festive spirit early, a lantern-lit platypusspotting expedition has also beenplanned for Friday night.

The festival kicks off at 8.30am andfinishes at 1.30pm.

For more information visitwww.platypusfestival.com.au

Workshop to examineplatypus populations

Tribute to river crusaders❑ Pedal Power: members of the Gloucester Men’s Shed try out the pedal-powered milkshake maker at last year’s festival

❑ Abundant: platypus expert Dr Tom Grant willspeak at this year’s Platypus Festival

luke.horton@fairfaxmedia.com.au Gloucester Advocate Wednesday September 3 2014 — 9

Platypus Festival

THIS Saturday’s GloucesterPlatypus Festival promises to be afantastic, family-friendly communitycelebration of Australia’s mostintriguing animal and the preciousenvironments where they make theirhomes.

Gloucester Shire Council sustain-ability officer Tania Parkinson saidthis year’s festival has a Rivercaretheme in recognition of the impor-tance of Gloucester’s beautiful, life-giving creeks and rivers that supportso many platypus and humans.

“We’re really lucky to have somany platypus living locally becausewhen they are around we know thatour rivers are healthy and we can usethem for drinking, farming, swimming, fishing and things like

kayaking,” Ms Parkinson said.“To protect this precious water and

these wonderful creatures we need tolook after our rivers and that meanstaking responsibility for protectingour environment and living with alow footprint.

“The festival brings together awhole range of sustainable livingideas and practices in one place forthe whole community to experienceand enjoy.”

With a focus on sustainable living,the festival program is packed withhands on activities and demonstra-tions plus artisan stalls, deliciouslocal food and wine, and some terrific home-grown entertainment.

There’s an amazing array of funthings to see and do for all the

family. You can have a massage,watch the blacksmith at work, learnhow to prepare fresh seasonal salads,churn butter, make your own milkshake, weave a basket, stitch arag rug, go on a treasure hunt andplenmty more.

The talented and creative folk fromFrugal Forest will have amazingwaste-to-art craft activities plusGloucester High School students willbe creating a stir with their hands-onscience activities.

‘The Burrow’ - a specially con-structed bamboo talks tent designedand built by the clever folk at LucidSpace - will feature expert speakerson a range of subjects from backyardchooks and platypus to freshwatermussels and Rivercare.

River spottingEVER wanted to see a

platypus in the wild? Join platypus expert

Dr Tom Grant for anevening on theBarrington River thisFriday, September 5learning how to spot thiselusive creature.

Spotting will befollowed by lightrefreshments and a shorttalk and is suitable forany child or adult whocan sit quietly.

Meet at the end ofRelfs Rd at 5pm for a5.15pm start with anestimated finish time of6.30pm.

Bring warm clothes,binoculars, a chair orpicnic rug, a torch forfinding your way backto your car, your ques-tions and some patience.

The event will be can-celled in poor weather.

Platypus are known tolive at this locationbut sightings are notguaranteed.

The event is beingorganised by theManning Great LakesPlatypus Awareness andConservation Team aspart of the GloucesterPlatypus Festival.

RSVP to KirstyHughes at MidCoastWater on 6592 4830or email pact@midcoastwater.com.au

UNILIKE a real burrow, whereplatypus go to sleep the day away,the talks tent at Saturday’sGloucester Platypus Festival willbe alive with some impressivespeakers sharing their knowledgeon a huge range of sustainabilitysubjects.

Speakers at ‘The Burrow’ willinclude Arthur White, the president of the NSW Frog andTadpole Study Group, with somewonderful information on localfrogs, while Hugh Jones from theOffice of Environment andHeritage will speak about fresh-water ecology, in particular theamazing life cycle of freshwatermussels.

Allan Raine will speak to thisyear’s festival theme of ‘Rivercare’and share his experience withsome of the history of river care inthe area and Kirsty Hughes fromMidCoast Water will tell the taleof the Manning River, from itsheadwaters in the BarringtonTops, to the coast.

The full program is:9am: Growing and using herbs

(Karen O’Brien, Hillview HerbFarm).

9.30am: Platypus! (Dr TomGrant, University of NSW).

10am: Building the burrow andother breathtaking bamboo proj-ects (Will Eastlake, Lucid Space).

10.30am: Chooks in backyards(Julia Davies, Backyard ChookExpert).

11am: Up close and personalwith the frogs of Gloucester(Arthur White, Frog and TadpoleStudy Group NSW).

11.30am: Marvellous mussels(Hugh Jones, NSW Office ofEnvironment and Heritage).

12pm: Understanding rivers(Allan Raine, NSW Office ofWater).

12.30pm: River stories - fromBarrington Tops to the sea (KirstyHughes, MidCoast Water).

Chance to Burrow in

Fantastic family-friendly festival

❑ Elusive: platypusspotting on the river

❑ Entertainment: Whizzy the Waterdrop and Platypus Pete will make special guest appearances and there will be regular performances at the Platypus Puppet Theatre