27 August 2008
DARTER RESCUE SHOWS IMPORTANCE OF RIVER HEALTH
The importance of looking after urban waterways has been reinforced by the rescue of a badly injured bird found near the mouth of the Yarra River in Spotswood last month.
Chris Chesterfield, General Manager of Waterways, said the darter’s ordeal had a happy ending, but was a clear reminder of how litter swept into local waterways impacts wildlife.
The darter, a water bird that feeds mainly on fish, was seen walking along a gutter outside the fence line of education centre, Scienceworks. The dehydrated and exhausted bird had string wound tightly around its beak, causing bruising.
The bird was collected by Mandy Hall from the BADGAR Hobsons Bay Wildlife Shelter and taken to Hobsons Bay Veterinary Clinic for assessment and rehydration. Vet Nathalie Jugovic cut away the string and the bird spent four days recovering.
The darter’s health improved dramatically and was released into Cherry Lake in Altona, which has an ideal habitat for this species.
“Stormwater run-off from suburban streets is the number one polluter because of what it picks up and carries into rivers and creeks,” said Mr Chesterfield. “Whether it’s chemical pollution caused by oil residue from leaky cars, or rubbish like the string that tied up this poor darter, stormwater pollution can make life very difficult for the animals that live in our waterways.
“There are lots of simple things people can do to reduce stormwater pollution at its source, including picking up after their dog, having their car serviced to stop leaks and binning their rubbish,” Mr Chesterfield added.
Ms Hall said entanglement was a common reason why water birds came into the care of the Hobson’s Bay Wildlife Shelter. “This particular area, The Warmies, is popular to fishermen and collects a lot of waste from stormwater out of the rivers.”
To tackle the high incidence of wildlife entanglements, a clean-up and information day will be held at the Warmies boat ramp in Newport to coincide with Clean Up the World Weekend, September 19-21.
The clean-up day is a joint initiative of Melbourne Water and BADGAR, with the support of Hobsons Bay Council. “The health of the Yarra River has improved a lot since the 1970s. Now that most of the industrial pollution has been tidied up, pollution from stormwater runoff is our major focus,” added Mr Chesterfield.
“This clean-up and information day is a great opportunity for people to lend a helping hand, as well as learn more about their local creek.”
In June, Melbourne Water launched the “I love living here” advertising campaign, which features a platypus, growling grass frog and barking owl asking people to remember the impacts of stormwater pollution on their home. More information is available from melbournewater.com.au
What: The Clean Up day is an active day of cleaning up litter, as well as getting informed through environment displays and activities.
When: Sunday 21 Sept 08, 10am-4pm
Where: Warmies Boat ramp in Newport
Registration: On the day
More information: Mandy Hall, 0421 471 007
Ordeal: The darter with the string around its beak. Photo by Loretta Demasi
Darter entry: The bird as it was released after four days of care. Photo by Mandy Hall
Media Contact: Nicolas McGay +613 9235 2278 +61 (0)438 981 836