Nature Conservation Margaret River Region is proud to announce our ground-breaking kids’ education program – called Adopt a Spot – has been shortlisted for a major coastal award.
Adopt a Spot was named a finalist in the 2022 Western Australian Coastal Awards for Excellence, with the winners announced at a coastal conference in Mandurah on September 19.
Program officer Tracey Muir, pictured, says the nomination is a “testament to the enthusiasm and hard work of our local school communities and volunteer groups”.
“The kids, teachers, parents and volunteers in our Adopt a Spot program are all keen to get their hands dirty, to make a difference and actively care for the landscapes we all love. We live in a special, fragile place and our community is coming together to be stewards for the environment,” Ms Muir said.
Adopt a Spot involves Year 4 students from nine schools across the region, with students learning about and caring for a particular area of bushland, river, foreshore or coastline. It’s designed to connect young people with nature, engage school communities in vital environmental restoration projects, and form long-term partnerships.
In the last 12 months, the Year 4 students planted more than 2000 cuttings, almost 900 seedlings, and laid down 5 trailer-loads of brush to protect seedlings and dunes.
Sites that have been cared for and rehabilitated include riparian zones along the Margaret River and its tributaries, as well as coastal and foreshore conservation at some of the region’s most popular beaches, including Redgate, Hamelin Bay, Cowaramup Bay and Yallingup.
Nature Conservation Margaret River Region general manager Drew McKenzie said the award nomination was recognition of the major contribution the organisation makes to environmental education. That includes the Adopt a Spot program, involving Year 4 students from nine schools, and the Our Patch program, involving Year 3 and Year 6 students from six schools in the Margaret River region.
Adopt a Spot is generously funded through the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River’s Environmental Management Fund and the Line In The Sand philanthropic group.