Sat, 27 Jun, 9:30am - 3:00pm AEST
Add to Google CalendarDiscover what makes a healthy creek, and how you can help look after one.
A relaxed, hands-on day exploring Mulloon Institute’s Water Stewardship Program site at Kelly’s Creek. Hear about progress to date, meet the local community, and take a last look at the site before on-ground works begin. Along the way, you’ll learn from leading researchers and citizen science experts about the small actions that add up to big change for our waterways. Through a mix of site walks, talks and hands-on activities, you will learn about:
- Mulloon Institute’s Water Stewardship Program and what’s coming up along Kelly’s Creek
- Platypus habitat and health with freshwater ecologist Dr Kat Warwick, including her groundbreaking research on emerging contaminants like PFAS
- The key signs of a healthy creek, from thriving riparian zones to diverse macroinvertebrate communities (plus some quirky platypus facts!)
- How environmental DNA (eDNA) testing works and what it reveals about our waterways, and hands-on water quality sampling anyone can learn
- Simple photo monitoring techniques to track changes in your local creek over time
About our presenters:
Erin Healy is an Environmental Engineer and the Program Manager for Mulloon Institute’s Water Stewardship Program, a new collaborative and innovative program focused on supporting farmers and landholders to improve the health of their creeks and catchments through on-ground and in-stream strategies.
Dr Kat Warwick is a freshwater ecologist at Western Sydney University, specialising in emerging contaminants and platypus health. She recently completed her PhD, capturing and surveying platypuses from the Wingecarribee River at Berrima, alongside water, sediment, and macroinvertebrate samples to fully understand the surrounding ecosystem. Her research produced the first published report of PFAS in platypus livers, highlighting the hidden pressures facing this iconic species. In her talk, she’ll explore the key environmental indicators of healthy platypus habitat from thriving riparian zones and diverse macroinvertebrate communities to the quirky, surprising platypus facts that make this animal so extraordinary.
Community Environment Network (CEN) is an independent, non-profit organisation established in 1997 to support and empower environmental and community groups across the Central Coast. Guided by the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development, CEN works to strengthen community advocacy, raise environmental awareness, and provide a respected regional voice for sustainable development and environmental protection.
One of CEN’s founding initiatives is the NSW Waterwatch Program, a nationally recognised citizen science and catchment education program that empowers communities to protect and improve local waterways. Working alongside schools, volunteers and community groups, Waterwatch NSW combines environmental education, community engagement and high-quality water monitoring to foster active stewardship of local catchments. Through this work, volunteers become the ‘eyes of the catchment’, helping to build healthier waterways and more informed, connected communities.
Mulloon Institute is a leading research and education organisation helping to build resilient regional communities by supporting the long-term, sustainable growth of Australian agriculture.
This event is part of Mulloon Institute’s Water Stewardship Program, a bold initiative supported by WaterNSW and The Ian Potter Foundation. The program empowers communities in the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment to restore local water cycles, improve water quality, and build resilience to climate change through nature-based solutions.
Date and time: 9:30am – 3pm
Cost: $20 (plus booking fee, includes catering)
Presenters: Mulloon Institute’s Erin Healy, Dr Kat Warwick (Western Sydney University), Meg Rice and Rachael Kneeves from the Community Environment Network & NSW Waterwatch.
Location: Moss Vale, NSW / address upon registration
Contact: Erin@mullooninstitute.org
This event has received funding and support from WaterNSW, The Ian Potter Foundation and Nation Partners, and is supported by the Wingecarribe Shire Council and Southern Highlands Landcare Network.
The NSW Waterwatch component of this project has been assisted by the NSW Government through funding from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.